2015 MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
PREVIEW
P94
was little short of disastrous, but now he's back
on a factory-spec Honda in the satellite LCR
team, burning with desire, and finally third fastest
at Sepang 2. It'll be a tough call to challenge the
top four consistently, but Crutchlow is up for the
task,
Who else? Ex-Moto2 champ Pol Espargaro
made a strong impression (a few times on the
guardrail rather than the result sheet) in his debut
season, and returns
on the satellite Mon-
ster Yamaha. His more
experienced teammate
Bradley Smith is a deadly
rival with plenty to prove.
Either might challenge
for the rostrum now and
then; they placed sixth
and ninth at the tests.
There is another
factory-spec Honda,
Scott Redding rides the
of new Ducati Corse chief Gigi Dall'Igna, poached
from Aprilia. It made a good showing when it
arrived for the second tests, but needs to prove
itself over a full race.
D A R K H O R S E S
There are several—most especially Cal Crutchlow,
who claimed poles and rostrums on the satellite
Yamaha in 2013. His switch to Ducati last year
(Left) Heading into
his third year on the
factory Ducati, Andrea
Dovizioso looks to
reap the rewards of its
development.
(Below) Ducati's new
addition to the factory
squad, Andrea Iannone,
ended the Sepang test
fourth on Ducati's new
weapon for 2015—the
Desmosedici GP15.
