Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1053896
MOTOGP FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 18 / NOVEMBER 17-18, 2018 RICARDO TORMO CIRCUIT / VALENCIA, SPAIN P68 brakes for only the second cor- ner, tagging his teammate and new champion Pecco Bagnaia (SKY VR46 Kalex) as he slid off. A little ways back, quite indepen- dently, Joan Mir (ED VDS Kalex) did the same thing to Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40 Kalex). Bagnaia survived, but finished the first lap way down in 21st, his chances gone. The other three were out, giving Alex Marquez a golden chance to win the battle for fourth overall, while several other riders had been forced wide. The EG-VDS Kalex rider made the most of it, hunting down early leader Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM), and taking over on lap six. Marquez looked set to take his first win in a difficult season, and at half distance was almost two seconds clear. But Oliveira kept the pressure on, and the gap was back to just over 1.5 seconds down as they started lap 15. At the end of it, Marquez crashed. res (Reale Avintia Ducati) taking last place and the last point, on a day when even finishing was a real accomplishment. Pedrosa's valedictory fifth was enough to secure the team's championship for Repsol Hon- da, making it another triple for Honda, having already secured the rider and constructor titles. No change for the top four in the championship: Marquez, Dovizioso, Rossi and Vinales. But Rins drew comfortably clear of Zarco for fifth. Zarco had already secured the Independent-Team Rider title ahead of Crutchlow, while, in spite of non-scoring Morbidelli, was Rookie of the Year. Moto2 The last race of the Honda- powered Moto2 class was dra- matic from the start on a wet and treacherous track. Pole qualifier Luca Marini crashed as he touched the international press for an incident during the San Marino GP at Mi- sano in September. Enraged at be- ing put off the track by compatriot Stefano Manzi, he leaned across and squeezed his rival's front brake lever, faithfully recorded on camera. He was instantly disquali- fied and his licence suspended for two races, but the punish- ment escalated over the coming weeks, as he was sacked by his team, dropped from his 2019 role with Forward Racing/MV Agusta, then had his licence cancelled for the rest of the year. He said at the time he was giving up racing, and going to go back to school. Talent won out, however, and less than three months later it has all turned around again, and the same Marinelli team has employed him again. Fenati has 10 Moto3 wins since 2012, and was championship runner-up in 2017, but he has a reputation for anger-management issues. He was sacked midway through 2016 by the VR46 team for his indiscipline in the pits, and officially punished for kicking out at Niklas Ajo, then flicking his kill switch in the practice-start zone, in Argentina the previous year. STILL ON HOLD Suzuki's hopes for a satellite team are still on hold, according to MotoGP team boss Davide Brivio. "There are ongoing discussions," he said. "As a team we would really like it, but for the company it would be a big effort." The race department, he continued, "does not have the resources and so many people as our competitors. We hope for 2020, but it might be difficult." Briefly... Marc Marquez crashed and yet again hurt his troublesome left shoulder.