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/751305
ROAD RACE FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 18 / NOVEMBER 13, 2016 CIRCUITO DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA / VALENCIA, SPAIN P70 Vintage fans were in for a treat on race day at Valencia, when 25 years of Dorna was to be celebrated with a joint lap between the first title-winning motorcycle and the most recent. Sadly, the old bogey of leaking oil prevented it. When the 1949 AJS was parked on pit lane alongside the RC213V already warmed up, it started to drip. The on-track outing was canned forthwith. Multi-trials champion and museum owner Sammy Miller had brought an AJS Porcupine, the bike on which 1949 World Cham- pion Les Graham won the first 500cc champion and planned to ride it along with Marquez on the RC213V. The Porcupine, so nicknamed because of the spiky design of the cooling fins on the cylinder head, was a parallel twin with a near-horizontal cylinder, origi- nally designed to be supercharged, before blowing was banned before the 1949 season. Jorge Lorenzo seized control in his last qualifying session as a factory Movistar Yamaha rider, with a series of ever-faster laps that lowered the lap record by tenths every time. He was one of several riders to take advan- tage of the short track and quick lap time, making three exits, with a fresh tire each time. "Everything I tried was perfect—the track was warm and the grip good. It was one of those days, and I was inspired," he said. His final time of 1:29.401 was better than six tenths faster than his pole from last year, a race in which he narrowly beat Marquez. Marquez pushed hard and was the only other rider to crash the 1:30 barrier, but came up 0.34 of a second short. He'd bounced back from a fall in FP4, where he'd jumped to his feet and given the tire barrier a mighty kick. "I was angry because it was my better bike—there is always one that feels a little better, and I wouldn't be able to use it for qualifying. But I will race that bike tomorrow," the Repsol Honda rider said, adding: "The Yamahas are always fast here for one lap, but my rhythm is good." Rossi slot- ted into third in a hectic qualifying ses- sion, in bright sunshine, after lagging somewhat in practice. He was worried about Maverick Vinales (Suzuki) and Sepang winner Dovizioso (Ducati), heading row two just behind him. "I will try for the podium but it will be diffi- cult," he said. Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha) finished the row; returned injury victims Andrea Iannone (Ducati) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) led the third from Alexi Espargaro (Ecstar Suzuki). Then Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha), Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) and Danilo Petrucci (Pramac Ducati), the latter two through from Q1, and Crutchlow crashed in Q2. New champion Johan Zarco (Ajo Kalex) hung on to the Moto2 pole by 0.006 of a second from a furious attack by Tom Luthi (CarXpert Kalex), with Franco Morbidelli (EG-VDS Kalex) less than 0.05 behind. Two-tenths away, Pasini led row two from Rins and Simon. Moto3 was a major lottery, won at the last gasp by locally born rookie Aron Canet (EG Honda), by less than 0.02 from champion Brad Binder. Hiro Ono (Honda) completed the front row. It was a bit down to luck, with the top 10 within just over three tenths, and 27 riders within a tenth of pole. KTM's first full public appearance with its 2017 rivals was promising, but not sensational, with test rider Mika Kallio moving up from last place in the early sessions to qualify 20th, ahead of both Tito Rabat's Honda and Yonny Hernan- dez on the Aspar Ducati. The Finnish former full-time racer had carved al- most two seconds off his lap time from the first free practice, but remained some 2.5 seconds off Lorenzo's pole time. "You always have your eye on the lap record," smiled race director Pit Beirer. "But these other guys keep go- ing faster." The V4 engine is currently in the same "screamer" format as the one Honda are expected to abandon, and is the only version currently avail- able, said Beirer. "But we can make different configurations for the firing intervals. Nothing is finalized," he said. "But at the moment we are working more on the chassis." Uniquely, the KTM uses a steel tube chassis, and Kallio was complaining about a lack of rear grip into the corners, leading to wheelspin on the exit. Wayne Gardner was at Valencia, telling about his recent incarceration in Japan. Much aggrieved, the 1987 World Champion fervently denied any wrongdoing, and described the exer- cise as an attempt at extortion. There's been no damage to either car in the road-rage incident, and no physical assault, said Gardner. "But when the other guys saw my name, they saw the chance for money." He was held for 12 days before being released, having earlier paid a fine. Briefly...