MotoGP 2015 - Stars.. Stripes.. Spots.. Orange.. Blue.. Red..

The NGM Forward Racing team has a brand new line-up in 2015
(Photo: Mirco Lazzari - Forward Racing)

I usually get a bit excited and slightly confused at the beginning of every motorsports season. A bit like football, it's confusing trying to keep abreast of all the different things that happen in the off-season, decoding who went where, when and why that takes place during the off-season transfer window. 

Perhaps motorsports is a little bit better off compared to the monumental task of trying to keep your ears to the ground to monitor the movement of just the sheer number of players involved in the many many professional football leagues around the world. It takes journos schooled in football a considerable amount of time to master that art. To be precise, it took one football journalist I know nearly 2 years to get to grips with the players and their movements in Malaysian football! 

I suppose there’s a reason to why they call it the beautiful game, beautifully huge and beautifully complicated! My hats off to the football pundits out there. 

Anyway, for us people who are more inclined to the sport of fast vehicles, whilst there are a lot of championships to follow, the movement of the men (and women) who make motor racing their calling is perhaps a bit more trackable. Perhaps that's what I think, because I follow motor racing and not football. 

At the recent MotoGP pre-season test, it did take a while to acclimatise to all the new colours some of the riders were now sporting. It’s highly probable that I am just a bit slow. But I persevered and did manage to sort through the MotoGP grid list for 2015. 

DUCATI (Factory Entry)

Andrea Iannone (left) and Andrea Dovizioso (right)
(Source: Ducati)

In my last post http://farah-athena.blogspot.com/2015/02/tropical-test-for-motogp.html, the Ducati factory racing has a new team member. Joining Andrea Dovizioso on the Red Dukes is another Italian, Andrea Iannone, who makes the move from the Ducati-supported Pramac Racing.The man with multiple nicknames since his time in the Moto2 class (from "Crazy Joe" to "the Maniac Joe”) will sport the number 29 on his bike for 2015. 

Ducati (Ducati Desmosedici)

Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) - #4

Andrea Iannone (ITA) - #29

PRAMAC RACING (Factory Entry)

With Iannone promoted to the factory team, his seat at the Ducati-supported team is being filled by another Italian, Danilo Petrucci on the number 9 Pramac Ducati. The team features an Italian-Colombian cast with Petrucci joined by Colombian Yonny Hernández Vega, still the only South American rider in MotoGP. Though Hernández was missing at the first test, recovering from a shoulder injury, Pramac continued work with Michele Pirro subbing for the Colombian. 

Pramac Racing (Ducati Desmosedici)

Danilo Petrucci (ITA) - #9

Yonny Hernandez (COL) - #68

AVINTIA RACING (Open Entry)

Hector Barberá (Source: Avintia Racing)

Mike Di Meglio (Source: Avintia Racing)

Another Ducati-supported team, Avintia Racing (formerly known as the BQR team) first debuted in the MotoGP powered by Kawasaki engines in 2012, an alliance that continued into the mid-way point of the 2014 season. 

Following a mid-season agreement with Ducati, the team's Spanish rider Hector Barberá was given an Open-specification Ducati Desmosedici to race with in the final five races of the season. In 2015, Avintia will field two Open-class Ducati Desmosedici GP14 bikes with the same two riders, Hector Barberá and Frenchman Mike Di Meglio. 

Avintia Racing (Ducati Desmosedici)

Hector Barberá (ESP) - #8

Mike Di Meglio (FRA) -#63

MOVISTAR YAMAHA MOTOGP (Factory Entry)

Valentino Rossi (Source: Yamaha)

Despite all the rumours that were circulating around the Yamaha Factory Racing team last year, there is no change to the team's line-up in 2015, especially after the messianic figure of Valentino Rossi agreed to a two-year contract extension, which was signed half-way through last season. 

Similarly Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo also signed a two-season extension. So, if you're a fan of the blue tuning fork logo, fear not, it's status quo at Yamaha. 

Jorge Lorenzo (Source; Yamaha)

Post the first pre-season test in Sepang, the two riders look extremely motivated and fired up, carrying on the momentum off a strong finish in the latter stages of 2014 into 2015. So, do keep your eyes peeled for the bright yellow number 46 and the por-fuera X of the number 99 Yamaha bikes. 

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (Yamaha YZR-M1)

Valentino Rossi (ITA) - #46

Jorge Lorenso (ESP) - #99

MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3 (Factory Entry)

Pol Espargaro (Source: Monster 

Yamaha Tech 3)

The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team stands in stark contrast to the electric blue factory team, at least in their colours. 

Theirs is that oh-so-very visible black and ghostbusters-like ghoulish lime-green livery, made especially striking with the sponsor's scratch mark on the side of the bikes. 

Like the Yamaha factory team, the French-based Monster Yamaha Tech 3 also retains its 2014 rider line-up with Briton Bradley Smith and Spaniard Pol Espargaro on the YZR-M1's. 

Bradley Smith (Source: Monster 

Yamaha Tech 3)

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (Yamaha YZR-M1)

Bradley Smith (GBR) - #38

Pol Espargaro (ESP) - #44

NGM FORWARD RACING (Open Entry)

Stefan Bradl (centre) and Loris Baz (right)
(Photo: Mirko Lazzari - Forward Racing)

The one team in the Yamaha family that had change on the cards for 2015 was the NGM Forward Racing team. That change came in the form of rider vacancies following Colin Edwards' retirement at the end of the 2014 season and Aleix Espargaro's departure to Suzuki. Towards the end of the season, the team confirmed that it had secured the services of the German Stefan Bradl, who moves from the LCR Honda team to ride a Yamaha with Forward Racing from 2015. 

Joining the German at Forward Racing in 2015 is a new face to MotoGP, Frenchman Loris Baz, who makes the switch from the World Superbike Championship, one that Loris explains, "was a dream since I was a child. I wanted to make that move. I didn't follow the same career path as everybody else, from 125cc to Moto3 then Moto2. But I always wanted to be here and when I had the opportunity, I took it." 

When asked if it is a big adjustment from WSBK to MotoGP, Loris says, "there is a lot of things you have to change, like your riding style. The bike especially, the tyres, is much different so you have to adapt to everything. You have to reset your mind and what you've known what to do with the bike and then restart and relearn from zero." Speaking to him, it was evident that the Frenchman is taking a step-by-step approach, learning and building from tests and using Bradl as a benchmark to climb up the competitive ranks. With Bradl already very quick at the tests, fastest amongst the open-equipped teams, here's a team that's worth keeping an eye on. 

NGM Forward Racing (Forward Yamaha)

Stefan Bradl (DEU) - #6

Loris Baz (FRA) - #76

REPSOL HONDA TEAM (Factory Entry) 

Marc Marquez (Source: Honda)

Undoubtedly the team which has drawn considerable attention to itself has to be the Repsol Honda team, especially when you have the two-time and defending world champion, 22-year old Marc Marquez in your ranks. Coming back to the football-ish theme, the saying that it's hard enough to win, but even harder to retain is probably apt here. With practically every team working very hard to catch and match the Hondas, it would be interesting to see if Honda and Marc can keep an edge on their rivals in 2015. 

Dani Pedrosa (Source: Honda)

But the one thing that I couldn't help but notice from the first pre-season tests was the rival riders paying very close attention to the work done by the other Spaniard on the team, Dani Pedrosa. While Marc is "explosively quick", Dani is "very very good", as the messianic Rossi puts it. It's almost as if the missile radars are locked in on the #26 bike and not the #93 bike, which might explain why the shutters on the garage always comes down very quickly whenever Dani returns to his box. 

Repsol Honda (Honda RC213V)

Dani Pedrosa (ESP) - #26

Marc Marquez (ESP) - #93

CWM LCR HONDA TEAM*

Cal Crutchlow (Source: LCR Honda Team)

Like the NGM Forward Racing team, the CWM LCR Honda Team also had a lot of changes for the 2015 season, particularly on their rider line-up. In particular, the announcement that Briton Cal Crutchlow was leaving Ducati after just one season to join CWM LCR Honda from 2015 led to Stefan Bradl's subsequent departure to NGM Forward Racing.  

The team also features a new face in the form of Aussie Jack Miller, who made the jump straight to MotoGP after graduating from the Moto3 class in 2014. 

Jack Miller (Source: LCR Honda Team)

Skipping Moto2, Jack explains, "the opportunity was there, and I believe it's a once in a lifetime opportunity, so you can't say no when HRC comes knocking." It is a world of difference between riding in Moto3 to riding in the MotoGP class, one that Jack quite rightly says is beyond comparison, "Moto3 is fast and you carry really high corner speed, whereas MotoGP is stop the corner speed, pick the bike up and get it going as quick as possible in a straight line." After speaking to him, it's clear that Jack's expectations are more grounded on familiarising himself with the bike and learning step-by-step. 

And as is typical for the young man from down-under, he's already earned himself the reputation of being quite the prankster! 

CWM LCR Honda 

Cal Crutchlow (GBR) - #35 (Honda RC213V, *Factory Entry)

Jack Miller (AUS) - #43 (Honda RC213V-RS, *Open Entry)

CARDION AB MOTOR RACING (Open Entry)

Just like in 2014, the Czech-based Cardion AB Motor Racing team returns to the MotoGP this year with the one rider, Czech rider Karel Abraham aboard the Honda RC213V-RS. 

AB Motor Racing (Honda RC213V-RS)

Karel Abraham (CZH) - #17

ESTRELLA GALICIA 0,0 MARC VDS (Factory Entry)

Scott Redding (Source: Estrella Galicia 0,0
Marc VDS team)

The Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS team is perhaps best known for its exploits in the Moto2 category following a record breaking year in 2014 with their Spanish rider Tito Rabat crowned world champion and Mika Kallio taking second place in the Moto2 championship. 

For the team, making the move up to MotoGP with a factory specification Honda RC213V is definitely new territory. Securing the services of Briton Scott Redding to spearhead the team's assault on the 2015 MotoGP World Championship is something the team is relishing. 

Estrella Galicia 0,0 March VDS team (Honda RC213V)  

Scott Redding (GBR) - #45

DRIVE M7 ASPAR TEAM (Open Entry)

Nicky Hayden (Source: Drive M7 Aspar)

Eugene Laverty (Source: Drive
M7 Aspar)

Despite a torrid 2014 season, the Drive M7 Aspar team returns in 2015 sporting a brand new bike, a new enthusiasm and a more positive outlook, it would seem. 

The team also returns with a fully-recovered Nicky Hayden who underwent a rather serious wrist surgery in the off-season. 

Now the sole American in the MotoGP, the Kentucky Kid is joined by a new teammate, Irishman, Eugene Laverty who returns to the MotoGP after racing in the World Supersport and World Superbike Championships. 

Drive M7 Aspar (Honda RC213V-RS)

Eugene Laverty (IRE) - #50

Nicky Hayden (USA) - #69

TEAM SUZUKI (Factory Entry)

Now, who could forget the baby-blue colours of the Rizla Suzuki team from a few years back? When the Suzuki corporation announced in 2011 that it would leave MotoGP in response to the global economic crisis, it was a sad day indeed. 



Then in 2013, Suzuki confirmed that it would end its hiatus and return to the pinnacle of motorcycle racing in 2015. "The Story re-Starts" and there they were at the first pre-season tests in Sepang. Even if the GSX-RRs are no longer in that infamous baby-blue livery, it's nice to see them back in the paddock.   

Spearheading Suzuki's challenge in 2015 is Spaniard Aleix Espargaro (Pol's older brother). Known for his talent and tenacity as well as his incredible work ethic, his addition to the team is a real plus. Joining Espargaro is another Moto2 graduate, the very talented Maverick Viñales. And, yes, he was named after Tom Cruise's character in Top Gun.  

Aleix Espargaro (Source: Team Suzuki)

Maverick Viñales (Source: Team Suzuki)

Team Suzuki MotoGP (Suzuki GSX-RR)

Maverick Vinales (ESP) - #25

Aleix Espargaro (ESP) - #41

OCTO IODARACING (Open Entry)

Alex de Angelis (Source: Octo IodaRacing)

Alex de Angelis is a name we've become quite familiar with in the MotoGP. The rider from San Marino has considerable experience having competed in the Moto2 and MotoGP categories over the past few years. Although he spent some time in the Moto2 category more recently, de Angelis returned to MotoGP midway through 2014 when he joined the Forward Racing team to replace the retiring Colin Edwards. In 2015, de Angelis is the sole rider with the Italian-based IodaRacing Project team riding the ART machine. 

Octo IodaRacing (ART)

Alex De Angelis (San Marino) - #15

APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI (Factory Entry)

Alvaro Bautista (Source: Aprilia Racing)

Another name quite familiar to the MotoGP is Fausto Gresini, a former 125cc World Champion himself and now the boss of Gresini racing. The Gresini racing team returns in 2015 as Aprilia's factory team with new liveries and a new bike (the Aprilia RS-GP). 

Having retained the services of Spaniard Álvaro Bautista for 2015; Scott Redding's departure to the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS team paved the way for Italian Marco Melandri's return to Gresini. 

Aprilia Racing Team Gresini (Aprilia RS-GP)

Álvaro Bautista (ESP) - #19 

Marco Melandri (ITA) - #33 


More from the first pre-season tests here.

Tropical Test for MotoGP

Yamaha at their traditional team intro event. On the
far left, you'll see a new face in the form of former
World Superbike Championship rider, Loris Baz.

It’s been about 2 months and 23 days or to be more precise, 84 days since the MotoGP riders were last on their mean machines. And that last time was at the post-season tests in Valencia, right after the final race of the 2014 MotoGP season in November. 

While for us mere mortals, that seems like a nice long holiday. But, for the likes of Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso, it must have been an agonising wait. To be able to jump on the back of their beloved MotoGP machines must feel like a huge relief.

And that was the general feeling we got from the riders at the Sepang International Circuit with the commencement of the first of the 2015 pre-season tests recently from 4 to 6 February. 

While it’s probably fair to point out that while a 3-month break does seem like a long time, both the riders and teams have not exactly been idle. Quite a significant amount of work takes place in the off-season, especially after the Valencia tests. The data collected throughout the season and from the post-season test goes some way towards the teams’ development work at the factory. 

By the time the teams arrived in Sepang, the 2015 race machineries are nearing the tail end of the development phase, with the first pre-season tests being an important litmus test to see if everyone is on the right track. Every single team on the grid has a different test programme, with varying points of focus. So for the likes of us observers, it’s very hard to judge and predict who the frontrunners are or will be. It wouldn’t be fair either. 

Marc Marquez (top left) is almost always surrounded by journalists and fans.. Dani Pedrosa 
(bottom left) obliges the journalists.. and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) taking time out to talk
to journalists after his day out in the Sepang sauna.

While the race officials do record the fastest times of each rider at each session over the three days, it does not actually paint the real picture. Nor will it open up that predictive crystal ball to say who will win the first race of the season. 

Nevertheless, the times do become a point of reference for us observers, as are the number of laps that each rider completes per session. It provides us an inkling (accurate or otherwise) of what the teams might be working to improve on. 

These tests days are very different to the race weekends, with engineers scuttling back and forth from the pitwall to the garage to the team offices. The atmosphere is while a bit more laid back compared to a race weekend, there is a very different level of intensity. There is a different type of time pressure, as teams race against the clock to get the bikes race-ready ahead of the season opener in Qatar. 


In addition to familiarising ourselves with the new 2015 grid line up, we got to spend three days out in the Sepang sauna to see what some of teams were working on for 2015. 


Rise of the Red Dukes, Red Hot Rossi or Magic Marc?

Speaking to the riders at Ducati, it was interesting to note that they came to Sepang working on their GP14.3 bike, an upgrade from the GP14.2 bike that was used at the Valencia post-season tests last year. 

As Andrea Dovizioso puts it, “the bike is the same as last year's (November) bike with differences on the engine and updates after the Valencia test. For us the focus was work on the tyres and set-up configurations for the chassis and electronics.” It’s probably worth noting that the Ducati’s were starting to get stronger towards the end of the 2014 MotoGP season, and the team were carrying that momentum into their off-season work to prepare for 2015. 

With the new addition of Italian Andrea Iannone to the Ducati line-up for 2015, both Dovizioso and Iannone were able to do a combined total of 288 laps over the three days of testing. Both riders were able to record quick lap times at the 2:00 minute mark over the first two days of testing. With track temperatures considerably cooler on Friday morning, both Ducati riders were able to clock their fastest laps well under the 2:00 minute mark (Andrea Iannone 1:59.388 and Andrea Dovizioso 1:59.874) before starting on their race simulation runs. 

Both Yamaha riders looked far more relaxed and comfortable with their bikes

Like Ducati, Yamaha also came to Sepang testing bikes that were very similar to the YZR-M1 bikes they used at the Valencia test. What’s interesting about Yamaha, well, specifically Valentino Rossi, is that the Italian always comes to the races with a specially-designed helmet for the occasion, and Rossi did not disappoint. 

With the addition of his yellow snow-flake inspired helmet design to add to his brightly coloured ensemble, the Italian was pretty quick off the mark on the first day of testing battling teammate Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati’s (Andrea) Dovizioso and Honda’s (Marc) Marquez and (Dani) Pedrosa. Speaking to him at the end of the first day of testing, he was especially happy  with the Yamaha’s progress being 0.9seconds faster than his fastest pre-season test time from the same time last year. 

He even took the time to joke with us, “It’s always a big emotion coming back on the bike after three months. Because you always get this feeling you forget the way to ride!” 

Then he went on to explain, “it’s good because I was competitive from the beginning to the end. I did a good lap time with the new tyre, but also with the old tyres my pace was very similar to Marquez and Lorenzo and also Pedrosa. But anyway, we are there and this is important. I am happy especially because the bike is good, first impression is so positive, the bike works really well. You can push when you ride and it looks like the bike is a little bit faster. We have a lot of small details to work on and its always a pleasure to come back and understand that we are competitive.” 

And in typical Rossi fashion, when asked about whether he was happy with Yamaha’s progress on the seamless gearbox everyone was talking about or on the upgrades, he would say, “piano, piano!” i.e., “slowly, slowly!” indicating to not rush these things and that it would be better to have something that works rather than rush to have something that doesn’t.  

Despite being utterly exhausted, Lorenzo still indulged the journos

Meanwhile, for his teammate Jorge Lorenzo, the recent test was already a significant departure to when we met him at the same tests last year. At that point in time, Yamaha seemed to have been struggling with problems. This year, it was clearly evident that both riders were more comfortable with the bike and happier with the classification laps, time-wise. 

As Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Factory Racing put it to us, Yamaha were coming into these tests on the back of a strong momentum that they were able to build on in the latter stages of the 2014 season. And, being that much closer to the front of the field means that the development of the YZR-M1 bike is headed in the right direction. 

Between Rossi and Lorenzo, the Yamaha Factory team were able to clock a total of 335 laps in the three days of testing. Like the Ducati’s, the Yamaha riders also took advantage of the cooler temperatures on Friday to both clock their fastest lap times - Rossi at 1:59.401 and Lorenzo at 1:59.624. Yamaha also ran their long race-simulation programmes on Friday. 

The spotlight has very much been on the Repsol Honda’s, particularly these past few years. With reigning double-world Champion Marc Marquez on hand, everyone had their eyes on what the Hondas might be working on to make what had already been labelled a “really fast machine” even better and faster. But, just like everyone else, they too had their own specific test programme. 

Honda came to Sepang with a catalogue of bikes to test. They had 2014 machines to use for comparative data and 2015 prototypes for development work as well as one Marc Marquez describes as a “compromise between Valencia and last year’s bike". What’s interesting to note was what Marc Marquez was already able to achieve on day 1 of testing - being two hundredth of a second faster than his fastest lap on day 1 of testing last year. 

The 2014 champ had this to say, “It was difficult after the holidays to come here and test three different bikes! There is still a lot of things we need to improve.” Commenting on the bike Marquez eventually chose to work with at the test, “When I tried the bike in Valencia, what I liked about the bike was the front confidence, but we lose a lot in the braking point. So, I asked Honda to keep the same braking point. They did a great job, but we also lose the confidence in the front, but not as much, so we were able to find a good compromise.” 

It was a similar story with teammate Dani Pedrosa, hinting at the strong potential in the development on the 2015 Hondas. The Spaniard went on to note that the test was focused on set-up parameters to make the 2015 bikes more comfortable for the riders. Like the other teams, Honda too ran their race simulation programmes. 

By the end of the first pre-season tests, Marquez and Pedrosa were able to put in a total of 318 laps between them with Friday morning being their quickest. Now, it’s important to note that timing is not everything at these tests, but it was hard to ignore Marc Marquez’s hot lap on Friday morning. 

As Jorge Lorenzo puts it, “Marquez is explosively quick on one quick lap!”. Marc Marquez was explosive with his 1:58.867 hot lap, literally obliterating the circuit lap record. But, it was an abnormally cooler morning, considering that seven other riders were able to clock their fastest laps in the 1:59’s. 



Fitness Litmus

Andrea Iannone (left) joins Andrea Dovizioso at Ducati this year, while
Aleix Espargaro (right) joins Suzuki on their return to MotoGP in 2015 (Aleix did say
he was tired, as demonstrated by that look on his face).

Timings aside, the work at these tests are vital, as feedback to the teams working back at the factory. The long race simulations provide critical data for the engineers in multiple areas, like reliability, handling, tyre wear, etcetera. The data and rider feedback also go a long way towards finalising the bike’s development programmes and the teams’ preparation for the coming race season.

The race simulations are also an important indicator for the riders in testing their fitness levels. 

Now it is no secret that all the riders engage in an incredibly enormous amount of training in the off-season. But there was something different about the Spaniard, Jorge Lorenzo. 

The Jorge Lorenzo that turned up in Sepang last week really does look leaner and that little bit tougher. He explained that he is now working with a new trainer, with a new nutrition programme and fitness regiment designed to bring his weight back down to when he first made the move to MotoGP in 2008. As a result, he had shed three kilogrammes in the off-season and that he was feeling really good. 

It is physically tough being a MotoGP rider, as one rider put it to us, “it’s very physically demanding! Especially here in Sepang. You have to be at the very peak of your fitness to be able to not just ride but produce a consistent performance in these incredibly hot and humid conditions. We have to train that much harder.” And to test your fitness at one of the hottest and most physically challenging circuits of them all, it could not get more difficult than that. Believe us when we say that we saw our fair share of riders leaving the circuit on day 3 looking like they needed at least a week’s worth of massage and double that amount of sleep. Well, perhaps that would be what us mere mortals would think! 

The MotoGP teams and riders head for a short break before returning to the Sepang International Circuit from 23 to 26 February for the second pre-season tests. The 2015 MotoGP season kicks off with the Grand Prix of Qatar on March 29.