VOL. 54 ISSUE 11 MARCH 21, 2017 P87
not exclusively the preserve of
pre-pensioners. Rookie Alex
Rins is youngest, at 21, with both
Maverick Vinales and Jack Miller
at 22.
There are 23 riders in 13
teams, representing (and this is
the first new record of the year)
six different manufacturers.
Ducatis are the most numer-
ous, with eight Desmosedicis
ranging from three of the latest
GP17s to sundry older models.
Next up, five Hondas, and
at the tests, the latest RC213V
came with two different variants
of the new Big Bang engine.
It remains to be seen whether
HRC will settle on just one when
the real racing begins, when
engine design is frozen for the
year.
Four Yamahas for two teams;
then two each from Suzuki and
Aprilia. And another two from
the all-new KTM team, adding
a quirky steel-chassised V4 to
make three European factories
against three from Japan.
Tech rules are generally the
same as last year, with Aprilia
and KTM escaping most of the
strictures that apply to estab-
lished race-winning teams—
joined this year by Suzuki after
the company's success with
Vinales last year. As well as rid-
ers not being able to test outside
officially designated times, the
factories are limited to seven
engines, with design frozen from
race one.
New this year: a ban on
wings, defined as projections
from the fairings. Tests have
seen ducted "internal wings"
from all except KTM, but again
fairing design is frozen, with one
update allowed, from race one,
and it remains to be seen who
will plump for what.
THE TOP DRAWER
The three top factory teams field
the six riders most likely to win. No
surprises in the list of names, nor
will there be if there's a first-time
champion at the end of the year,
such is the respect for Movistar
Yamaha's new signing Maverick
It's been far from plain sailing for
Lorenzo since he switched to Ducati.
The Spaniard hasn't adapted to the
red bike as he'd have liked.
