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/689331
MOTOGP FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 7 / JUNE 5, 2016 CIRCUIT DE BARCELONA-CATALUNYA / CATALONIA, SPAIN P80 The Moto2 hotshots Alex Rins and Johann Zarco are both high on ev- erybody's shopping lists for a MotoGP ride next year. Paddock buzz was link- ing Rins with Suzuki, in line with the well-regarded Spaniard's desire to join a factory team, but team chief Da- vide Brivio confirmed again at Cata- lunya that Suzuki "has an option" on Zarco, who will test a MotoGP bike in Japan in the summer break, and will be riding for the factory in the Suzuka 8 Hours. Tech3 team owner Hervé Poncharal said, "I am talking to both of them, and I hope that one of them is going to say yes." Yamaha's double engine failure at Mugello—the second costing home hero Rossi the race—were explained before the Catalunya race as a glitch with the new control software, which had allowed both Rossi's and Loren- zo's engines to over-rev. It happened at the little jump at the end of the main straight, where the back wheel leaves the ground with the throttle wide open. The resultant over-rev deranged the top end, so that valves either crossed or touched the pis- ton, leading to embarrassingly smoky trackside failures, luckily for Lorenzo in morning warm-up, but in the race for Rossi. A detailed statement from M1 project leader Kouji Tsuya said that "the cause for both Jorge's and Valen- tino's engine failures was the same… purely an electronic control issue." Injury News: Tito Rabat was de- clared fit to ride on race eve, after surgery to repair the broken and dislocated collarbone he suffered in practice two weeks before at Mug- ello. GP racing's favorite surgeon, Dr. Xavier Mir, had fitted a titanium plate with eight screws. The repair survived a heavy crash on the first day of practice in Catalunya. Moto3 rider Peter Oettl was also back after missing Mugello. He suffered wrist injuries at Le Mans. But MotoGP satellite Ducati rider Loris Baz was absent, still recuperating from exten- sive surgery including two plates to repair right foot injuries sustained in a first-corner three-bike crash at Mug- ello. His place in the Avintia team was taken by Ducati test rider Michele Pirro; it's the third team he has raced for this year. Pirro subbed for injured Danilo Petrucci in the Pramac team in the early rounds, and ran a factory wild card bike at Mugello. Spain's first 500-class champion Alex Criville was appointed the 24th MotoGP Legend when he was for- mally inducted into the Hall of Fame at Catalunya, the circuit closest to his home. Criville was already 125 Cham- pion when he joined the premier 500 class in 1992, thanks to the backing of Spanish sponsors Repsol. He was somewhat overshadowed by giant teammate Mick Doohan, but ran the Australian close several times and occasionally beat him, and eventu- ally repaid the faith of his sponsors by winning the championship in 1999, after a crash ended Doohan's career. Criville, who won 15 500-class GPs and finished on the podium another 36 times, said, "I never wanted to be a racer when I was young. I just en- joyed riding bikes." MotoGP 1. Valentino Rossi (Yam) 2. Marc Marquez (Hon) 3. Dani Pedrosa (Hon) 4. Maverick Vinales (Suz) 5. Pol Espargaro (Yam) Moto2 1. Johann Zarco (Kal) 2. Alex Rins (Kal) 3. Taka Nakagami (Kal) 4. Hafizh Syahrin (Kal) 5. Thomas Luthi (Kal) Moto3 1. Jorge Navarro (Hon) 2. Brad Binder (KTM) 3. Enea Bastianini (Hon) 4. Romano Fenati (KTM) 5. Nicolo Bulega (KTM) Briefly... Alex Rins is hot property.