Tag Archives: Moto2

Industry News, Latest News, Manufacturers, Moto2, Racing, Triumph

2024 Triumph Triple Trophy competition launches in Moto2

2024 Triumph Triple Trophy competition launches in Moto2For the first time ever, fans can now vote each weekend to decide who takes home the custom-liveried Triumph Street Triple RS in 2024.

On the eve of the opening Grand Prix of the new season, Triumph Motorcycles and MotoGP™ have revealed the new 2024 Triumph Triple Trophy motorcycle to be won by the rider who delivers the most stand-out performances in Moto2™ this season. And this year, for the first time, the winner will be chosen by the fans!

Launched at Lusail International Circuit ahead of the Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar, this year’s Triumph Triple Trophy will recognise and celebrate the riders who put in standout performances or comebacks within the incredibly competitive field, as well as those who achieve the biggest sporting success during each Moto2™ round. The winner at the end of the season will receive a custom-liveried Triumph Street Triple RS, powered by the 765cc triple from which the record-setting Moto2™ powerplant is derived.

Immediately after each Moto2™ Grand Prix, an expert panel representing Triumph and the world of MotoGP™ will select a shortlist of three standout riders from that GP. This will take into account the entire weekend, not just the race, and recognise stories of sporting perseverance and endurance as well as outright performance.

Fans will then be able to vote via the MotoGP™ Instagram channel, and the final order of those three riders will be directly decided by the number of fan votes each receives.

In reference to Triumph’s 765cc engine, points at each GP are awarded as such:
– 7 points for the rider with most fan votes
– 6 points for the rider with second most fan votes
– 5 points for the rider with third most fan votes

Past recipients of the custom-liveried Street Triple RS are Marco Bezzecchi in 2020, Raul Fernandez in 2021, Jeremy Alcoba in 2022 and Pedro Acosta in 2023.

Steve Sargent, Triumph Chief Product Officer: “The Triumph Triple Trophy has run alongside the Moto2 World Championship for four years already, recognising and helping to highlight the incredible depth of competition throughout the field. We’ve seen some remarkable performances and some very worthy winners, and now we’re excited to announce a change for 2024.

“Moto2 fans can now decide the outcome of the Triumph Triple Trophy by voting for standout performers each weekend. By selecting from a shortlist of three riders each time, we hope the Moto2 community will relish the chance to decide who will take home this year’s Street Triple RS prize.

“We have seen lap records falling every year since our 765cc triple started powering Moto2 in 2019 and history-making seasons such as Pedro Acosta’s – the latest graduate from Moto2 to already shine in MotoGP. But there are so many factors and so much grit and determination that goes into every Moto2 Grand Prix and this is what the Triple Trophy, now powered by the fans, aims to reward.”

Carlos Ezpeleta, Chief Sporting Officer, Dorna Sports: “Triumph have proven a great asset to Moto2 since they joined the Championship, in terms of performance – breaking lap records and playing a key role in placing the class between Moto3 and MotoGP – and in terms of the impressive reliability we’ve seen week in, week out. As a sport with such strong connections to the vital global motorcycling industry, we’re also very proud to have them represented in the paddock as a manufacturer.

“Within that commitment, the Triumph Triple Trophy has become a much-coveted prize as well, and we’re really happy to introduce this new element for 2024: inviting fans to become part of the process and cast their votes.”

Top picture: Greg Willis, Global Marketing Director at Triumph (R), and Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna CSO, in Qatar

Industry News, Latest News, Manufacturers, Moto2, Racing, Triumph

Triumph Motorcycles Extends Partnership With Moto2 Until 2029

Triumph Motorcycles has signed a new contract to continue as Exclusive Engine Supplier for the FIM Moto2™ World Championship for another five seasons, from 2025-2029.This will see Triumph powering the Moto2TM teams for a decade, enabling riders and teams to thrive and develop using its record-breaking 765 triple engine.

To build on the success so far, and to further improve the performance and capability of the engine, Triumph will develop a full new race gearbox, which will make its debut in the 2025 season. Some improvements are already underway, with the engineering team testing parts after use in this year’s Moto2TM rounds in order to make improvements in gear selection for the 2024 season.”

Steve Sargent, Chief Product Officer, Triumph Motorcycles said: “Moto2TM continues to be an excellent platform to showcase the performance and capability of our 765 triple engines, driving demand for our new Street Triple 765 range. Over the last five years, we’ve used the race engine programme to drive enhancements to the 765 engine, and gain insights and learnings that we’ve used to further develop and evolve our Street Triple 765 range. Our reputation for bulletproof durability, reliability and class-leading performance has grown, which in turn, drives our global sales.

“Just as the Moto2TM teams make every lap count, our engineers have used every opportunity to enhance every dimension of the engine performance, from speed, power and torque, to revs, cylinder pressure and compression ratio. This has enabled us to deliver improvements on track each season, achieving shorter race times, faster top speeds and lap times, more winners and closer racing.

“The new race gearbox will make a big difference to the results that riders can achieve on track in Moto2, and in advance of this, our engineering team is already testing and developing improvements in gear selection, testing parts after use in this year’s Moto2TM rounds.”

Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports Chief Sporting Officer: “”Our first five years working with Triumph are proving to be a real success, with great racing, riders achieving new Moto2 records across the board and impressive reliability from the off. We wanted this collaboration to help to define that step between Moto3 and the MotoGP class, and I think Triumph have achieved just that. We’re really happy with the way the partnership is evolving as well, with more innovation and development still to come, and we’re looking forward to five more exciting years together.”

As competition for the Triumph Triple Trophy heats up, the winner’s bike, an exclusive Street Triple 765 RS, has been unveiled at Silverstone on the Day of Champions.

Designed to recognise impressive performances throughout the field, the 2023 competition has been fiercely fought so far. Pedro Acosta’s incredible lap times see him at the top of the leaderboard with 26 points, closely followed by Dennis Foggia in 2nd place with 21 points, thanks to his excellent race progression. Sam Lowes and Alonso Lopez share 3rd place on 17 points.  This year’s winner will follow in the footsteps of Moto2TM greats Jeremy Alcoba, Raul Fernandez and Marco Bezzecchi. Follow the competition at Triumph.

Industry News, Latest News, Manufacturers, Triumph

Triumph Triple Trophy #PoweredByTriumph returns for the 2022 Moto2 season

2022 custom-liveried Street Triple RS prize unveiled in Qatar as a new points structure celebrates the close competition in Moto2™

The Qatar Grand Prix marked start of the fourth Moto2™ season powered by Triumph’s 765cc triple and also kicked off the 2022 Triumph Triple Trophy, with a renewed points structure introduced this season.

Now entering its third year, the Triumph Triple Trophy awarded a custom-liveried Street Triple RS to Marco Bezzecchi in 2020 and to Raul Fernandez in 2021, both of whom have successfully used Moto2™ as a springboard to now graduate to MotoGP™. The 2022 Street Triple RS that will be awarded to this year’s winner was presented by Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports Managing Director, and Steve Sargent, Triumph Motorcycles Chief Product Officer, in Qatar.

The Triumph Triple Trophy recognises that there are more success stories during a GP weekend than simply the race victory, and the updated scoring is designed to reflect the incredible close nature of the competition in Moto2™. In both previous years, it wasn’t the World Champion who won the Triumph Triple Trophy, and the changes for 2022 are designed to deepen this search for all standout performances.

For 2022, the points structure has been revised as follows:
7 points – Best race progression from start to finish: 7 points for the rider or riders making up the most positions from race start to chequered flag
6 points – Pole position: 6 points for the rider who qualifies on pole
5 points – Fastest race lap: 5 points for the fastest rider/riders in case of an equal fastest lap

Best race progression rewards the rider who had a great Sunday performance and who finished the race highest relative to their starting position.

At the opening round at Losail International Circuit, it was Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) who took the early lead courtesy of a dominant show with pole position and fastest lap.

The winner – the rider who has achieved the greatest number of points throughout the season – will be awarded a Triumph Street Triple RS motorcycle which is powered by the 765cc triple engine from which the Moto2™ powerplant is derived.

Steve Sargent, Triumph’s Chief Product Officer: “The Moto2 World Championship is incredibly close and in 2021 the category was redefined again with a total of 16 lap records falling, beating many of those already set using Triumph 765cc power. The 2022 season looks set to follow suit with some modifications to the engine helping to improve performance, as demonstrated by lap records being smashed in pre-season testing. To highlight the closeness and intensity of racing the Triumph Triple Trophy scoring has been changed this year to reward the rider who makes the biggest improvement from their qualifying performance to their final position in the race. This will help to highlight some great performances from riders who may not be at the front and will really show how competitive Moto2 is throughout the whole field. I am really looking forward to see which riders bring their A-Game to the track on a Sunday and I am sure the winner of the Triumph Triple Trophy will thoroughly deserve their one-off special Street Triple RS.”

Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports Managing Director: “We’re very happy to join Triumph in celebrating the close competition in Moto2. The Triumph Triple Trophy is a great way to reward riders who have put in an impressive Sunday, and the Street Triple RS is an impressive prize. We couldn’t be happier with the way Moto2 has evolved over the last few seasons with Triumph powering the class. The collaboration has created fantastic racing in Moto2, and I don’t think riders who progress to MotoGP have ever been better prepared to make the step. We look forward to many more seasons of high calibre racing with Triumph!”

The Triumph Moto2™ 765cc race engine is a development of the class-leading Street Triple RS 765cc road motorcycle and produces more than 140PS and the same visceral soundtrack. The top-spec Street Triple RS variant is as perfectly suited to the track as it is the road.

For more Moto2 info checkout our dedicated Moto2 News page

Or visit the official MotoGP website motogp.com

Checkout our dedicated Triumph Motorcycles News page Triumph Motorcycles News/

or head to the official Triumph Motorcycles website triumphmotorcycles.co.uk

Industry News, Latest News, Manufacturers, Moto2, Racing, Triumph

Triumph To Power Moto2 For Another Three Years

Triumph Motorcycles will continue to provide their record-breaking 765cc triple powerplants as Exclusive Engine Supplier to the FIM Moto2™ World Championship for another three seasons, from 2022-2024.

Since the start of the 2019 season, Triumph Motorcycles has provided all of the teams with race-tuned 765cc triples, each of which is based on the class-leading Street Triple RS engine. With developments that allow it to breathe more freely, rev harder and deliver a peak power output of more than 140PS (an increase of over 17% on the production engine).

This 765cc triple brought to the category a much-welcomed boost in power, transforming the performance and level of competition.

Following Dorna’s intent to bring the Moto2™ series closer to MotoGP™, the increase in power and torque, combined with a more advanced electronics package, has provided a more relevant training and development ground, whilst enhancing the overall racing in its own right.

In the last two years Moto2™ graduates have gone on to take podiums and victories in their first seasons in the premier MotoGP class: 2019 Moto2™ World Champion Alex Marquez taking a pair of second places in 2020, and title rival Brad Binder with a victory also in 2020 and more recently in Austria 2021. Jorge Martin took his first Moto2™ victory in 2020, followed a year later with his maiden MotoGP™ win and a further two podiums in 2021. These incredible results go to prove how Moto2™ has become the natural springboard for MotoGP™ that Dorna envisaged.

Redefining the category, records have also fallen across the board. As well as 14 different race winners since 2019 there have been lap records set at 34 events, including records which have been broken and re-broken year-on-year, and the first ever 300+km/h top speed for a Moto2™ machine. The record stands at 301.8km/h at Phillip Island, Australia.

Reflecting these great successes, the wonderful feedback and partnerships we have had with the riders and their teams, and the incredible response from Triumph fans across the world, we have decided in partnership with Dorna, along with the continuing support of Externpro, to extend our relationship and sign a new contract for another three years of racing.

Steve Sargent, Triumph Motorcycles Chief Product Officer
”Moto2 has been the perfect environment to showcase, and prove the reliability and performance advantages of, our triple engines, where we have seen the top 20 qualifying times consistently come within a second of each other. Not only has it raised our profile and credibility on the world stage, for me the success of Moto2 has also been an incredible catalyst, reigniting the passion for racing within Triumph motorcycles. I am delighted to have played a part in this landmark activity for Triumph and excited to see the extension to another 3 seasons. We are committed to delivering further improvements to the performance of the engines, which we are sure will be appreciated by both the riders and the teams.

Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports Managing Director, said:
“Our first years together have been a wonderful success and I’d like to thank Triumph for their help and hard work over these first three years – especially during the pandemic. The FIM, IRTA and Dorna are happy with the results this project has shown and it’s validated the consistency of the steps between Moto3™, Moto2™ and MotoGP™. Overall, we are pleased with the partnership and we look forward to three more exciting years together.”

Checkout our dedicated Triumph Motorcycles News page Triumph Motorcycles News/

or head to the official Triumph Motorcycles website triumphmotorcycles.co.uk

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Dunlop, Industry News, Latest News, Moto2, Moto3, Racing, Tyres

Dunlop to continue as sole Moto2™ and Moto3™ tyre supplier until 2023

Dunlop is pleased to announce a three-year contract extension with Dorna Sports that will see the FIM Moto2™ and Moto3™ World Championships continue racing on Dunlop tyres until at least the end of the 2023 season. Dunlop has been a long-standing partner of the MotoGP™ paddock since the World Championship’s inception in 1949.

As the most successful tyre company in the history of the 250cc and 125cc categories, having won 17 titles in 250cc, Dunlop became the exclusive tyre supplier of Moto2™ and Moto3™ when the new classes were founded to replace the 250cc and 125cc classes. Since then, Dunlop has supplied every bike in every season of the intermediate and lightweight classes.

Dunlop will continue to supply both Moto2™ and Moto3™ for at least another three years. Dunlop’s top technology goes into creating the ultimate race tyres designed specifically for the unique Moto2™ and Moto3™ bikes, which have seen a notable lap time improvement through tyre developments and adaptation to new technical innovations. These tyres are raced in all corners of the world through an intense schedule that visits some of the most exciting race tracks on the planet.

The race tyres used by Moto2™ and Moto3™ riders are heavily linked to Dunlop tyres that bikers around the world can fit to their own machines. Dunlop products are all developed and manufactured by the same team as the Moto2™ and Moto3™ race tyres. This true ‘race to road’ link gives riders a wide choice of tyres to suit their style and usage – all with technology derived from the top levels of motorsport. True examples of this are the race-derived KR and D213 GP PRO designs, as well as track day tyres such as GP Racer D212 and more road-orientated hypersport designs like SportSmart Mk3 and TT.

Dunlop also supports the star riders of tomorrow, supplying tyres to championships such as the Red Bull MotoGP™ Rookies Cup, Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup, Honda British Talent Cup and Northern Talent Cup, all as part of the Road to MotoGP initiative.

Ben Hoge, General Manager Motorcycle Europe, Goodyear: “We are thrilled to extend our partnership with Dorna Sports to remain the exclusive tyre supplier to the Moto2™ and Moto3™ World Championships for at least another three years. Both series are integral to Dunlop Motorsport’s activities and allow us to develop technology for our expanding range of road and track tyres. Dorna Sports has an excellent platform for finding and supporting the star riders of tomorrow and we’re excited to remain a part of it.”

Pau Serracanta, Managing Director, Dorna Sports: “We are delighted to announce that Dunlop will remain the tyre supplier for the Moto2 and Moto3 classes, extending our partnership until 2023. Dunlop have been a cornerstone of the incredible success of Moto2 and Moto3 since each began, and the results speak for themselves as we continue to see spectacular racing every weekend. I look forward to more history being made together over at least the next three years.”

For more information on Dunlop Motorcycle tyres visit: https://www.dunlop.eu/en_gb/motorcycle.html#/


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Duel Britannia: Lowes takes stunning win at Le Mans, late heartbreak for Dixon

The number 22 takes a dominant win in the end after heartbreak for Dixon and a drama-filled comeback for Roberts.

Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took a stunning win in the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France, the Brit crossing the line in a class of his own to launch himself well back into the title fight. Compatriot Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) suffered some late heartbreak after a crash out the lead, with Remy Gardner (ONXOX TKKR SAG Team) then taking second as he attacked Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) on the last lap. Drama hit for polesitter Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) before the race as he had a problem on the grid and was forced into pitlane to try and get the bike going, managing that and heading out late on the Warm Up lap… and not making it round quite in time before the lights went out…

Gardner took the holeshot from Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with the Australian streaking away in the lead initially and Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) heading through into second. Lowes was then soon through into the top three too, and the Brit then hopped past the two men ahead to take over at the front early doors.

Dixon was on a charge, however. The 96 sliced through to second not long after, with Martin an early casualty as he then crashed out. Next was Vierge, the number 97 highsiding in front of Gardner and that seeing Bezzecchi home in on third.

A moment then hit for Gardner too and the Australian was swarmed by Bezzecchi, as similar hit at the front too for Lowes. Into Turn 9, the Brit had a huge moment and headed off onto the run off and Long Lap penalty area, saving it but then left with quite a deficit to Dixon, who’d taken over at the front…

The laps ticked on, Dixon marched on and Lowes was left with the task to reel him in as the fight for third between Bezzecchi and Gardner stayed incredibly tight. Roberts, meanwhile, was absolutely charging through from the back, and the American was already picking off riders in the top ten…

Then, suddenly, disaster struck for Dixon. With a comfortable lead still intact, the tricky conditions suddenly caught the number 96 out – and out he slid. Heartbroken in the gravel trap as he lost out on the chance of a first win, Lowes was back in front and Dixon unable to restart.

For the number 22, that was all she wrote. Lowes kept it tidy over the last handful of laps to cross the line with an impressive near four-second gap, back on the top step for the first time in a few seasons – and putting himself right back in the title fight. Meanwhile, it all went down to a dramatic final lap for Gardner and Bezzecchi, the Italian defending throughout the final lap until an absolute last minute final corner lunge saw Gardner beat him to the line. For Bezzechhi though, the points are a valuable haul as the Italian moves up to within five points of Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) in second.

Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took fourth after a solid ride, the last man in touch with the podium fight, with veteran Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP) taking a solid fifth place. And then came Roberts…

Despite the drama at the start and beginning the race even further back than the back of the grid, the American’s stunning charge saw him take home an awesome sixth place. A win it wasn’t and he’ll rue his luck, but it was a true stunner.

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Termozeta Speed Up) put in an impressive performance riding a little sore following his crash earlier in the weekend as he took P7, with Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) and Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) next up as they took solid results in difficult conditions to score some big points hauls. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) completed the top ten despite a tougher weekend for the German.

So where were the top two in the title? Bastianini took P11 in the end, a handful of points not seeing him gain big ground but he was ahead of Championship leader Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46), who failed to score. After a big highside on Friday left him bruised, the Italian impressed to finish but just missed out on points in P17.

Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP 40), Marcos Ramirez (Tennor American Racing), Stefano Manzi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) and Hafizh Syahrin (Inde Aspar Team Moto2) completed the points.

That’s it from Le Mans. No it’s on to Aragon and a whole new challenge, with Lowes in P4 now only an apt 22 points off… can Marini bounce back at MotorLand? Find out next weekend!

Moto2™ podium
1 Sam Lowes – EG 0,0 Marc VDS – Kalex 41:27.648
2 Remy Gardner – ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team – Kalex +3.822
3 Marco Bezzecchi- Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex +4.184

Sam Lowes: “You know I felt sorry for Jake and I want to say well done to him because he’s been doing well in the last few races and he was riding good then. It was easy to crash in those conditions but I felt really good, apart from locking the front into Turn 9, I just got it a little wrong a little bit on the damp patch. You could see it coming up and I just caught the edge of it and yeah, I was lucky to stay on, so then after I just took it easy. Jake had good pace and I didn’t want to get too close to him because when I’m behind I have a tendency to rush in a little bit, so I wanted to look after the front. So I tried to keep about a second and a half and then push towards the end but he was real strong but unfortunately he went down and yeah, I felt good, I felt good all weekend and that’s three podiums in a row and I’m really happy to get this win because it has been a long time since I won a race and we’re going into Aragon next week which is where my last win was so it was nice to get it before going back there. It’s really nice for me at the SHARK Helmets French Grand Prix, obviously being a long time SHARK rider, thanks to everyone for their support but yeah, it has been a very good day!”

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Can Marini’s march continue at Le Mans?

The Italian was superlative in Barcelona. Now it’s time to reset for more in France, can he keep the upper hand?

The Moto2™ momentum has swung a few different ways in 2020. From Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) to Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) to Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and then back again, we arrive at Le Mans for the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France with one man very much in the driving seat: Marini. The Italian is 20 points clear now, and arrives fresh off the back of another superlative win last time out.

So, can he do it again? He explained in Misano that his Achilles’ heel so far in 2020 was more the second time round at the same track, as he felt he failed to make a step to stay in the same contention. If he’s confident straight out the box, Le Mans will be good news for him – with one race and one race only at the classic Sarthe venue.

It’s not been an easy journey for Marini to achieve to his 20 point advantage though. Bastianini has won three races and will want to flex his form again at Le Mans to fight back, and Marco Bezzechi (Sky Racing Team VR46) is an ever-present threat, the ‘enemy within’ Marini’s team. Last time out though, it was Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) bringing the noise, and the Brit is on a charge of his own. At Le Mans, he’ll want to duel it out for the win once again – and this time hope for a little less work to do off the line.

Another rider looking to hit back is Jorge Martin. After sitting out two races, the Spaniard was back in Barcelona but forced to retire in the end, so we’ve not seen his full form on full power. He was the man with the momentum when bad luck struck ahead of Misano too – and there’s even more to write home about now. He’s been announced at Pramac Racing in MotoGP™ next year, so the audition is officially over and now the real show can begin. What can Martin do? He was ominous in Austria…

Plenty of eyes will also be on Termozeta Speed Up’s Fabio Di Giannantonio and Jorge Navarro. The former was back on the podium in Barcelona and the latter only just off it, and the two results brought a welcome end to a tough start to 2020. It’s not just one venue either, as the two have been clawing their way back to the front. What can they do in France?

Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) was the man who just lost out – after an almighty battle – on that fourth place taken by Navarro, and he’ll want to be back up fighting for the podium again in Le Mans. Add in the likes of rookie Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team), Liqui Moly Intact GP’s Marcel Schrötter and Tom Lüthi and Qatar winner Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and it’s sure to be another stellar showdown in the top ten. And what can Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) do as he has more time to get back to better fitness? Can Marcos Ramirez (Tennor American Racing) keep his top ten form? And what about Xavi Vierge and Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing), whose impressive performances in Barcelona were cut short by a crash and a bike problem, respectively?

Marini has the momentum as we arrive at Le Mans, but the cast of characters looking to steal it is chock full of seriously fast riders. Who can come out on top in France? Find out at the later time of 14:30 (GMT +2) on Sunday!

Moto2™ Championship Standings
1 Luca Marini – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – 150
2 Enea Bastianini – Italtrans Racing Team – Kalex – 130
3 Marco Bezzecchi – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – 114
4 Sam Lowes – EG0,0 Marc VDS – Kalex – 103
5 Jorge Martin – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 79

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Track Limits: infractions and enforcement explained

At the Gran Premio Lenovo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, a Press Conference with MotoGP™ Race Director Mike Webb took place on Saturday to clarify the rules and regulations regarding track limits.

As well as fielding a number of questions from the media via Zoom, Webb summarised the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship rules and clarified a number of key points.

A summary of those rules and how they are enforced can be found below.

What are track limit violations?  
Track limit violations are when a rider exceeds the limits of the track, and possibly gains an advantage. Kerbs (except double kerbs) are part of the track. Double kerbs and any green painted areas connected to and outside of kerbs are both considered outside track limits.

An instance of exceeding track limits is recorded when both tyres are outside of the track at the same time. Similarly to tennis, any contact with the line is considered ‘in’. Only when both tyres are completely outside track limits is it considered an infraction.

Who determines whether a rider has committed an infraction?
Decisions regarding track limits, as well as any other penalties, are the sole responsibility of the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards Panel. Track limits decisions are final with no possibility of protest or appeal. Track limit infractions are confirmed by video, and there must be a clear image available to the Stewards in order to issue a penalty.

Track limits are monitored by dedicated cameras with image recognition software and multiple operators. These are not always the same images used for the international program feed or television broadcasts.

What are the consequences of exceeding track limits? 
During a practice or qualifying session:  
If a rider exceeds track limits during any practice or qualifying session that is not a race, the sector time in question is cancelled. This automatically results in cancellation of that lap.

During a race:  
If a rider exceeds track limits and loses time or position, the incident is not recorded and no penalty is issued.

If it is not possible to determine whether there has been a loss or gain, the incident is simply recorded. Some mistakes are provided for, but making too many is deemed as an advantage because the rider in question will not be using the same track as their competitors.

After three such infractions, a “Track Limits Warning” dashboard message is sent to the rider. If a rider reaches five track limits violations, a Long Lap Penalty is issued. This is communicated via both a dashboard message to the rider and a signal board by the side of the track.

If the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards deem a rider to have gained a clear advantage, a penalty will be issued for a single infraction. These incidents are not included in the count of undetermined infractions or mistakes.

For these single infractions where a clear advantage has been gained, the penalties awarded can include Change of Position, a Time Penalty or a Long Lap Penalty.

If the rider voluntarily gives back the advantage immediately after the incident, a penalty may be avoided.

What if a rider is forced wide by another?  
Allowances are made for being forced off track by another rider.

This is also why undetermined violations are not recorded on the first lap of a race, when a large number of riders are close together on track. At Turn 1 on the first lap, track limits are not recorded either. This is due to the prevalence of riders being pushed wide at Turn 1 after the start, and is intended to avoid unnecessary crashes by allowing riders to use run off areas if needed.

However, as always, a clear disadvantage must be shown in order to avoid riders taking advantage of the situation. Any clear advantage gained is always penalised – including during the first lap.

What about on the last lap?  
For riders closely contesting a position, any track limit infraction that takes place during the last lap, and that the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards deem to have affected a race result, must be shown to have clearly disadvantaged the rider who makes the infraction. This is true whether there is a change of position or not.

Exceeding track limits during the last lap in a way that is deemed to affect finishing positions, with no clear disadvantage for the rider exceeding track limits, will result in a change of position or a time penalty.

The principle is that a rider exceeding track limits on the last lap must be worse off in doing so than the rider or riders against whom they are directly and closely competing.

The last lap is considered a special case because it may affect the race result.

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Bendsneyder comes out on top in a British Moto2™ battle

The Dutchman goes two better at Silverstone after a podium at Jerez.

In Moto2™, NTS RW Racing GP’s Bo Bendsneyder went two better than Jerez at the Michelin® Virtual British Grand Prix, the Dutchman starting from pole position and never looking back after getting a lightning start. He went on to take the chequered flag with an impressive advantage ahead of two rookies: ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team’s Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin and FlexBox HP 40’s Hector Garzo.

It didn’t take long for the drama to begin on the opening lap when Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) crashed out down the Hangar Straight by running straight into the back of Kasmayudin, the Malaysian suffering some lag issues and the same problems then causing Garzo to crash a few laps later too. The pair were sweeping around the final corner when Kasmayudin’s Moto2™ machine stopped dead in the middle of the track, leaving the Spaniard nowhere to go…

That meant the final podium place had seemingly been handed to Liqui Moly Intact GP’s Marcel Schrötter, but the German then suddenly threw away a rostrum finish on the penultimate lap after touching the grass and crashing heading on to the Wellington Straight.

No such mistakes were made by Bendsneyder, who eased over the line eight seconds clear of Kasmayudin in second, with Garzo stealing the final podium place. Schrötter’s disastrous final two laps were compounded by Fernandez beating him to fourth in the last sector, leaving the number 23 to complete the top five.

Sky Racing Team VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi had to settle for sixth place, just a tenth adrift of a top five finish, with Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) in seventh. Moto2™ World Championship leader Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) ended up eighth, ahead of Stefano Manzi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) as the final finisher in ninth. Petronas Sprinta Racing’s Xavi Vierge was unable to finish after his internet dropped out halfway through!

Bo Bendsneyder: “I worked hard for it and trained a lot! So I’m happy.

“I won by eight seconds in the end, but it wasn’t easy. My hands are a bit sweaty now, but I finished the race!”

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British and Australian Grands Prix cancelled

The FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports regret to announce the cancellation of the British and Australian Grands Prix. The ongoing coronavirus outbreak and resulting calendar changes have obliged the cancellation of both events.

The British Grand Prix was set to take place from the 28th to the 30th of August at the classic Silverstone Circuit. Silverstone hosted the first Grands Prix held on the British mainland from 1977, and MotoGP™ returned to the illustrious track ten years ago. 2020 will now sadly mark the first year MotoGP™ sees no track action in the British Isles for the first time in the Championship’s more than 70-year history.

The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix was set to take place at the legendary Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from the 23rd to the 25th of October. Phillip Island hosted the very first Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix in 1989 and since 1997 has been the only home of MotoGP™ Down Under – with its unique layout providing some of the greatest battles ever witnessed on two wheels.

The cancellation of the British Grand Prix also obliges the cancellation of the corresponding British Talent Cup track activity at the same event.

Stuart Pringle, Silverstone Managing Director: “We are extremely disappointed about the cancellation of the British MotoGP event, not least as the cancelled race in 2018 is still such a recent memory, but we support the decision that has had to be taken at this exceptional time.

“I want to thank the stoic British fans for their patience and support.  We must now look forward to 2021 when Silverstone will once again host the fastest and most historic MotoGP race on the calendar and work hard to make it a truly exceptional event for all to enjoy.”

Paul Little AO, Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chairman: “We’re very disappointed that MotoGP fans throughout Victoria, Australia and internationally won’t get the chance to make the pilgrimage to see the world’s best riders compete on one of the best circuits anywhere in the world, but the right decision has been made.

“The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix puts Phillip Island on the global stage and it’ll be back better than ever in 2021.”

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “We’re saddened to have to announce the cancellation of these iconic events after finding no way through the logistical and operational issues resulting from the pandemic and rearranged calendar. Silverstone and Phillip Island are always two of the most thrilling race weekends of the season, with both tracks never failing in their promise to deliver some of the closest racing in our Championship.

“On behalf of Dorna, I would like to once again extend my thanks to the fans for their understanding and patience as we wait for the situation to improve. We look forward to returning to Silverstone and Phillip Island next year for more incredible battles.”

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Nagashima takes emotional first win with a stunning ride to victory in Qatar

Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) blew the competition away in the final stages of a top class Moto2™ race at the QNB Grand Prix of Qatar, claiming his first Grand Prix victory in style – 10 years on from late friend Shoya Tomizawa’s first Moto2™ win at the same track. 2019 Qatar GP winner Lorenzo Baldassarri (FlexBox HP 40) claimed P2, battling it out with Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) to the end as the ‘Beast’ picked up his second intermediate class rostrum in third.

It was Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) who took the holeshot from second on the grid, the Italian quickest off the mark as polesitter Joe Roberts (American Racing) slipped back to third, Bastianini also attacking the American to make it an Italian 1-2. The number 33 didn’t take long to attack for the lead either, with the two duelling as Roberts then came under pressure for third from Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo).

The star of the mid-part of the race was about to take over at the front, however, as Marini moved for the lead and began to push to make a gap. But Roberts was up into second and the closest challenger for some time, with the group behind then descending into varying levels of chaos and genius as the moves came thick and fast.

Lap 6 then saw Roberts go for an overtake at Turn 1 but the American ran wide, handing the position back to Marini. By Lap 8, just a second and a half split the top eight, with Bastianini, Baldassarri, Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Warm Up pacesetter Nagashima setting similar lap times. However, Marini then started to stretch the field, taking just under half a second out of second place Roberts on Lap 9 and 10 and on Lap 11, the gap was up to 0.9 seconds as another personal best lap was slammed in by the SKY VR46 rider. Could anyone respond?

By Lap 12, the gap was back down to six tenths and Nagashima was starting to look a serious threat in P5 having gone over half a second quicker than Marini that lap. With eight to go the Japanese rider was up to P4 past Bastianini, sat just over a second behind race leader Marini, and the Moto2™ race in Qatar was shaping up nicely as the battle entered the final seven laps…

Beta Tools Speed Up’s Jorge Navarro was starting to reel the leaders in too. Just as he did for much of 2019, the Spaniard was coming into his own on used tyres and with little over five laps remaining, a mistake from Marini allowed the leading six to bunch up and Roberts led. Bastianini then snatched the baton with five to go, and suddenly it looked like it was game over for Marini as he began to plummet. The leading four were now Baldassarri, Bastianini, Roberts and Nagashima with four to go, and the Japanese rider was looking ominous in his mission to the front. The Ajo rider first picked off Roberts for P3 before taking control of the race at Turn 2 with three to go – and immediately starting to creep away..

The number 45 had three tenths in his pocket as the race entered the final two laps, with the battle for the remaining podium places starting to heat up. Remy Gardner (Onexox TKKR SAG Team) was latching onto the back of Navarro as five riders scrapped it out behind Nagashima, who – by the time he’d clocked onto the final lap – was over then a second clear. Simply stunning latter race pace for the Japanese rider made victory suddenly seem a done deal, and Nagashima would make no mistake on the final lap to take an emotional first Grand Prix victory – 10 years since Tomizawa, who was “like a brother” to him, made history in 2010.

Behind him, it was a close but clean fight to the flag. Baldassarri and Bastianini battled it out with some brutality to decide the podium, crossing the line with almost nothing to split them, as Roberts took his best Grand Prix finish in fourth after an impressive weekend – including going fastest on Friday and taking pole. Fifth went the way of Gardner after the Australian made up some impressive ground in the latter stages, ahead of Navarro, who was forced to settle for sixth.

Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) took seventh after a solid performance on race day, with Aron Canet (Aspar Team) once again the fastest rookie and once again doing plenty to impress as he debuted in the intermediate class in P8. Xavi Vierge and Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP) completed the top ten.

Bo Bendsneyder (NTW RW Racing GP) slipped back from his second row qualifying on Sunday, but nevertheless brought home a good haul of points in P11, ahead of Marco Bezzecchi by the flag. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Beta Tools Speed Up) was 13th, just beating Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) to the line by 0.016. The Brit was involved in the late race incident that put paid to Marini’s chance at points too as the two got a little close and the Italian crashed out, rider ok. Stefano Manzi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) therefore completed the points.

That’s it from the Moto2™ season opener at Losail International Circuit, with plenty of drama and action to tide us over until the next race. After his emotional and stunning win, Nagashima heads the standings for the first time in his career – can he retain that next time out?

Moto2™ RACE
1 – Tetsuta Nagashima – (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – 40’00.192
2 – Lorenzo Baldassarri – (Flexbox HP 40) – Kalex – +1.347
3 – Enea Bastianini – (Italtrans Racing Team) – Kalex – +1.428
4 – Joe Roberts – (American Racing) – Kalex – +1.559
5 – Remy Gardner – (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) – Kalex – +1.901