Marc Marquez says the crash which totalled his 2020 MotoGP Honda prototype on the first day of the Valencia test was “strange”, but doesn’t believe there was a mechanical issue. Marquez was on an out-lap on the new RC213V prototype when he was flicked from his bike heading into the Turn 13 right-hander on Tuesday
Valentino Rossi says Yamaha still has “a long way” to go to match its MotoGP rivals’ top speed, despite positive initial impressions from the 2020 prototype engine. While the M1 emerged as possibly the best bike in MotoGP towards the end of the 2019 campaign, it had an obvious top speed weakness, which Rossi felt
Fabio Quartararo topped the first 2020 pre-season MotoGP test in Valencia despite a crash, while new Honda line-up Marc and Alex Marquez wrecked their bikes in falls during the session. Quartararo set a 1m30.163s late in the afternoon before bringing the session to a halt with a fall at Turn 10, but held onto top
Aleix Espargaro says Aprilia not having a prototype 2020 MotoGP bike to test in this week’s two-day post-Valencia Grand Prix test is “not at all” acceptable for a “big factory”. Yamaha, Honda, KTM, Suzuki and Ducati are expected to roll out their ’20 bikes on Tuesday and at the two-day test at Jerez next week
Honda MotoGP team boss Alberto Puig says Alex Marquez would not have been offered a works ride for 2020 had he not won the ’19 Moto2 title. On Monday, Honda confirmed six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez’s brother Alex would take the seat vacated by Jorge Lorenzo, who retired from racing after last weekend’s Valencia
On Monday in Valencia, Honda announced it would be partnering Marc Marquez with his Moto2 world champion brother in MotoGP next season. The previous Thursday, Jorge Lorenzo announced his retirement, with rumours immediately swirling as to who could replace him at the works Honda team. Sensationally, Alex Marquez emerged as a contender, with Autosport revealing
Marc Marquez’s Moto2 title-winning brother Alex will make his MotoGP debut in 2020 as his team-mate at the works Honda team in place of the retired Jorge Lorenzo. Triple MotoGP world champion Lorenzo announced his retirement on the Thursday of the Valencia Grand Prix, with speculation quickly swirling as to who would take his place.
Avintia has announced the renewal of its contract with Ducati and will receive improved manufacturer support, paving the way for Johann Zarco to join the team in MotoGP next year. Zarco has been linked to a place at Avintia over the course of the Valencia Grand Prix weekend, though dismissed the idea of joining it
Johann Zarco could end up at Avintia in MotoGP next year despite dismissing the outfit as “not a top team” when rumours of a move first appeared last weekend. Zarco quit KTM midway through a difficult campaign on the RC16, and has been riding in place of Takaaki Nakagami at LCR on the year-old Honda
Kyle Busch claimed his second NASCAR Cup Series title by winning the 2019 season finale at Homestead, ending a 21-race winless streak in the process. The Toyota driver was one of three Joe Gibbs Racing entrants competing for the championship alongside Martin Truex Jr and Denny Hamlin, as well as Stewart-Haas’ Kevin Harvick. He held
Jorge Lorenzo says he “felt freedom” after the Honda rider completed his final MotoGP race in the season finale at Valencia. Lorenzo, who announced he would be retiring at the end of the season on Thursday following a bruising first season as a Honda rider, brought his bike home in 13th place in an attritional
Ducati MotoGP riders Danilo Petrucci and Jack Miller have both insisted the manufacturer has not discussed with them the prospect of Miller replacing Petrucci in the works team in 2020. Petrucci secured a 2020 contract extension to ride alongside Andrea Dovizioso in the factory team on the heels of a solid start to the season
Marc Marquez capped off his sixth title-winning MotoGP season with a dominant victory in the Valencia Grand Prix to secure the 2019 teams’ title for the Repsol Honda squad. Petronas SRT Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo led for the first seven laps before being passed by a recovering Marquez, and was unable to mount a challenge to
The 2019 NASCAR Cup championship will be fought out between Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr and Kyle Busch at Homestead later on Sunday. Under the series’ playoff system, the points have been reset and the quartet start equal – whichever of them is first over the line after 267 laps (or more if
Mercedes’ Raffaele Marciello put in a second flawless drive in as many days to secure the FIA GT World Cup crown in Macau. Like Saturday’s qualifying race Marciello against faced competition from a pair of Porsches, Laurens Vanthoor leading the charge for the Rowe squad after getting past team-mate Earl Bamber on the opening lap.
MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez says he won’t change his approach should younger brother Alex become his Honda team-mate in 2020, as has been strongly suggested. Autosport revealed on the Saturday of the Valencia Grand Prix that Honda was closing in on a deal that would bring ’19 Moto2 champion Alex Marquez to MotoGP next
Yamaha MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi lamented a “wrong” Valencia qualifying strategy that left him mired in traffic and consigned him to a lowly 12th on the grid. While the other three Yamahas all made it to the top five in the second qualifying segment, Rossi was 0.976 seconds off the pace in the pole shootout
Fabio Quartararo snatched the final pole of the 2019 MotoGP season by 0.032 seconds from Marc Marquez in a close Valencia Grand Prix qualifying. The Petronas SRT rider has topped all bar one session so far this weekend, and produced the first sub 1m30s lap of the weekend late on in Q2 to secure the
Qualifying for the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series title decider at Homestead has been cancelled and the four championship contenders handed the first two rows of the grid. After persistent rain showers washed out both Friday’s planned practice sessions, NASCAR made the decision to forgo Saturday’s scheduled qualifying session and replace it with 50 minutes of
Mercedes driver Raffaele Marciello held off Earl Bamber’s Porsche to win the qualification race for the 2019 FIA GT World Cup in Macau. The 12-lap race got off to a wild start with Dries Vanthoor firing his Audi into the wall at Mandarin as he tried to get a run on the polesitting Mercedes. The
MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez suggested that the Valencia Grand Prix host circuit Ricardo Tormo will be “critical” should temperatures plummet any more this weekend. The mid-November timing led to track temperatures not exceeding 21 degrees Celsius during Friday’s two free practice sessions. Numerous riders made complaints after Friday’s running about the track conditions, with
While Citroen’s immediate World Rally Championship future remains unclear, Autosport has learned it will definitely not be part of the series’ hybrid era in 2022. It is understood that Citroen could pull out of the WRC with immediate effect, with its 2020 programme currently under review. Citroen has previously taken a sabbatical from the WRC
Formula 2 frontrunner Luca Ghiotto will make a switch to sportscar racing next season with the R-Motorsport Aston Martin squad. The 24-year Italian, who lies third in the F2 points this season heading into the Abu Dhabi finale at the end of this month, will contest both the endurance and sprint segments of the 2020
Marc Marquez’s Moto2 champion brother Alex is among the contenders for a 2020 Honda MotoGP ride after Jorge Lorenzo’s retirement. The younger Marquez had already agreed a deal to continue with Marc VDS to defend his Moto2 title, while being linked to a 2021 MotoGP chance with Pramac Ducati. Lorenzo’s decision to retire at the
Fabio Quartararo held onto top spot in FP2 to end Friday’s MotoGP practice for the Valencia Grand Prix fastest of all, while Yamaha stablemate Valentino Rossi crashed again. Petronas SRT rider Quartararo snatched first place away from works Yamaha man Maverick Vinales in the closing stages to lead the field on Friday by 0.148 seconds.
Raffaele Marciello stormed to pole position for the FIA GT World Cup qualification race with a stunning late lap in his GruppeM Mercedes. The Italian couldn’t have left his run any later, charging to top spot right at the flag after failing to get a clean lap in between stoppages earlier in the session. The
Spencer Pigot has been released by IndyCar squad Ed Carpenter Racing after three and a half seasons, amid speculation Nico Hulkenberg could race for the team in 2020. Team owner Carpenter said in August he was keen to retain Pigot for 2020 and the two shook hands on a deal after the Laguna Seca season
Citroen’s parent company PSA Motorsport insists it is still discussing the 2020 World Rally Championship with lead driver Sebastien Ogier. A spokesperson from the firm would not discuss speculation regarding Citroen’s potential withdrawal from the WRC. It emerged this week that Citroen’s WRC participation is under review, while a World Endurance Championship entry has just
In the space of three days, the World Rally Championship lost its 2019 season finale and potentially its most successful team of this century – Citroen – too. While WRC personnel were still making their way back from Australia following the cancellation of the event due to the horrendous bush fires that had raged in
Stewart-Haas Racing will promote its Xfinity Series driver Cole Custer to replace Daniel Suarez in its NASCAR Cup Series line-up for 2020, Autosport has learned. Sources have suggested the 21-year-old’s deal will be officially announced within the coming week. A request for comment from a SHR spokesperson was not immediately returned. Custer is one of