MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 4 / MAY 4-6, 2018
JEREZ-ANGEL NIETO / JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA, SPAIN
P100
GRID SWITCH
Marquez's starting-grid misadventure
in Argentina triggered a change in
regulations, announced after a GP
Commission meeting at Jerez. The
change is that a rider who stalls on
the grid will be allowed to switch to
another machine. The announcement
also clarified the existing rule that the
rider must stay on his bike and raise
his arm. "Attempting to restart the mo-
torcycle on the grid is not permitted."
Under supervision or assistance of a
marshal he must then go to pit lane.
The same announcement confirmed
two wild cards for the Czech Republic
GP after the summer break: Stefan
Bradl on a Repsol Honda and Sylvain
Guintoli on an Ecstar Suzuki.
TOO HOT FOR
YAMAHA
Yamaha's problems in hot weather
returned at Jerez, with only indepen-
dent rider Johann Zarco able to set
a good qualifying time and make the
rostrum, and an increasingly discon-
solate Maverick Vinales saying that
the situation "is exactly like last year…
and maybe worse." The difficulty is
most expressed by wheelspin, with
Rossi also suffering. The factory pair
qualified 10th and 11th, respectively,
then finished a lucky fifth and seventh
in the race, thanks to five crashes
ahead of them.
Briefly...
Jorge Lorenzo (99)
made a blazing start
and was running a
great pace up front on
the soft front tire.
