Maverick Vinales is aware that he has to work hard to understand Aprilia motorbikes

MDP Live - Aprilia's Maverick Vinales continues to work hard to understand the characteristics of the RS-GP bike. He knows that the adaptation process is still not perfect until now.

As is known, Maverick Vinales was recruited by Aprilia to advance the team's achievements. Unfortunately, the adaptation process of Vinales with Aprilia has not gone smoothly. In several races that were tried last year, Vinales struggled to find his best speed.

Aprilia as a team then worked hard to design a more competitive motorbike for the 2022 season. When the team had tried their best, of course Vinales didn't want to relax either. He knows he still has a lot of work to do in understanding motorcycles.

"To the Aprilia fans, I say that we are working very hard. Aprilia signed me for a certain reason and I am ready to speed. We are trying to complete the target that Aprilia fans want. I just say gas pol," said Vinales.

Vinales also said that he would like to take a reference from Aleix Espargaro who is more familiar with RS-GP motorcycles. However, Vinales stressed that he did not want to change his racing style like Espargaro. He will find a way to be competitive with his own racing style.

"I've known Aleix for a long time and we have different racing styles, he's 'on' the bike and I'm 'outside' the motorbike," said the rider who is typical with the nickname The Top Gun.

Francesco Bagnaia has no intention of leaving Ducati

MDP Live - The Italian racer, Francesco Bagnaia, admitted that he had no intention of leaving Ducati at all. Although his contract is short, he will soon sign a new contract in the near future.

As is known, Francesco Bagnaia's old contract will expire at the end of the 2022 season. With the remaining contract dwindling, rumors surfaced that Bagnaia could change teams. Moreover, Bagnaia's performance is improving rapidly in the past year.

Responding to rumors circulating to the public, Bagnaia finally clarified. He explained that he was still comfortable with Ducati. Before undergoing the 2022 season, he wanted to sign a new contract to guarantee his future.

"We can and must aim for the best results. The key is that we always have to be fast and consistent. Indeed, winning races is important but what makes the difference is consistency. I think we have prepared well for this new season," said Bagnaia. .

"This (together with Ducati) is a very beautiful thing. We will again discuss a new contract in this period (before the competition). It will be very calming if I can welcome the new season with certainty about the next season, "he said once again.

Ducati itself is indeed labeled as one of the best factory teams today. Bagnaia is certainly reluctant to take risks by moving to another team that is not necessarily suitable.

RNF Yamaha Sets High Target For Andrea Dovizioso

MDP Live - RNF Yamaha official, Razlan Razali, has set a high target for Andrea Dovizioso in the upcoming 2022 season. He wants the Italian rider to penetrate the top six consistently.

RNF Yamaha did recruit Andrea Dovizioso not without reason. The team management sees that Dovizioso is a senior rider who is rich in experience. It doesn't stop there, Dovizioso also has great individual abilities. Not surprisingly, his name was chosen to be one of the spearheads of the team.

With Dovizioso's vast experience, of course, Razali also provides a target that is not kidding. He believes Dovizioso can compete for the top six positions in each of his races.

"The last five races of last season were very important for Andrea. It became a kind of refreshment for him after a few months of vacuum from racing. Apart from getting an impression from the motorbike, at that time Andrea was also able to map out what kind of power competition in MotoGP is today," he said once again.

"We hope he is able to finish in the top six because I believe a rider like Dovizioso doesn't come to MotoGP for mediocre results. That's why we expect good results from him. I'm sure he has the same expectations," he said.

Razali himself will help Dovizioso as much as possible from inside the paddock. He will facilitate with the YZR-M1 motorbike according to the typical settings of Dovizioso. Razali hopes that his big expectations can meet reality.

In order to tame Honda motorcycles, Pol Espargaro intends to change his racing style

MDP Live - Repsol Honda racer Pol Espargaro is determined to change his racing style for the upcoming 2022 MotoGP season. He realized that last season's debut with Honda was less than satisfactory.

With the status of the Honda factory team racer for the 2021 season, Pol Espargaro's performance can be said to be quite bad. He was overwhelmed by riding the RC213V motorbike, so he had to be thrown out of the top ten positions in the final standings. With that sluggish performance, Espargaro did not just stand still. He intends to change his racing style to be more competitive in the new season.

"I can't use the rear brake like I do in other classes or on other bikes. I always play a lot with the rear brake when entering corners and last year it didn't work," Espargaro said in an interview with local media.

"I train in a different way and with a different discipline to be more sensitive when accelerating and cornering with the rear brake. Hopefully it will help me in the 2022 season," he said once again.

Espargaro himself must immediately improve his performance and prove to Honda that they did not choose the wrong rider. If his performance does not improve, it is not impossible that Honda will recruit other racers to replace his position in the future. Especially now that there are many young names in the Moto2 class who are ready to queue up to be promoted to the premier class.

Having extraordinary talent, Honda even released Dani Pedrosa

MDP Live - Honda is considered to have made a big mistake for letting Dani Pedrosa leave the Japanese manufacturer. Now he has become a creditworthy figure for KTM.

Honda did not approach Dani Pedrosa at all after the Spaniard decided to retire from the MotoGP championship. Not wanting to waste his talent in building motorcycles, KTM also made Pedrosa their test rider.

Evidently, the RC16 motorcycle has experienced a major improvement since being handled by the 36-year-old rider, although last year they did not show the desired performance.

Meanwhile, Honda was getting worse after Marc Marquez was absent for a long time due to a broken arm injury. This led to various criticisms, among them saying that the RC213V motorcycle was only made for the six-time MotoGP world champion, considering that only he could tame the Japanese manufacturer's motorbike.

The former Repsol Honda boss, Livio Suppo, then mentioned several mistakes made by Honda, including releasing Dani Pedrosa.

"Last year it was clear, the developments were not going in the right direction, it was as if they ignored the signals they received from the track and from the riders themselves," Suppo said as quoted by Motorsport.com.

"Many mistakes have been made and I apologize because I am very close to Honda and its history is not questioned. For example, It was a mistake to let Dani Pedrosa go," he added.

"It shows that the development of the bike is going in a direction where only Marc can be strong on the RC213V," he continued.

Honda also reasoned that Michelin's rear tire allocation changes last year caused their bikes to not have good grip. However, Livio Suppo feels that the manufacturer with the single wing logo should really listen to input from other racers in developing the bike.

"They didn't have any preparation after losing Marc. I'm very sad that Honda has to fight like this now, because when I left the team after the 2017 season we were very strong, we were a reference for everyone," Suppo said.

"I hope Marc is well, because his contribution is very big, considering the results of the other Honda riders have not been good. It shows that the development of the bike may not be going in the right direction."

LCR Honda boss admits 2021 MotoGP went bad for his team

MDP Live - LCR Honda executive Lucio Cecchinello admits that the 2021 MotoGP season will be one of the worst journeys for his team. Both Alex Marquez and Takaaki Nakagami have experienced significant difficulties to appear competitive.

Takaaki Nakagami as a racer who has experience in the premier class was initially predicted to be competitive. Unfortunately for one reason or another, Nakagami failed to perform as expected. He could only be ranked 15th in the final standings.

Three-way money with Nakagami, Alex Marquez also suffered the same bad luck. He is one strip behind Nakagami in the standings.

Responding to the sluggish performance of the two drivers, Lucio Cecchinello cannot deny that the 2021 season will indeed be difficult.

"Probably 2021 is the second or third most complicated year for my team. Our human resources are limited compared to the official team (Repsol Honda). We changed the structure by creating a new person, the general technical director, who is in charge of gathering all the information from the technical manager Nakagami and Marquez. It's an exchange of information in real time," Cecchinello said.

For the upcoming 2022 season, Cecchinello asks all his crew and drivers to work even harder. As a satellite team from Honda, they should be able to appear competitive and at least break into the top ten positions.

Nakagami and Marquez are also required to learn from mistakes so as not to sluggish again. If their performance continues to stagnate, it is not impossible that Cecchinello will find a replacement for the LCR Honda squad.

Missing the Duel with Marc Marquez, Fabio Quartararo Waits for Pedro Acosta to MotoGP

MDP Live - Monster Energy Yamaha racer, Fabio Quartararo, has missed a duel with Marc Marquez like they did in MotoGP 2019. The reason is, they didn't get a chance in 2020 because Marquez was plagued by injuries. In 2021, Marquez returns to racing, but never wheel-to-wheel with El Diablo.

Quartararo and Marquez were expected to form a new rivalry when they had a fierce duel until the last lap at the San Marino and Thailand MotoGP in 2019. Unfortunately, this rivalry did not continue in 2020 because Marquez missed a full season due to a fractured right hand bone after the Jerez accident.

In 2021, Marquez was inconsistent because his physical condition had not recovered. However, he had won in Germany, Austria, and Emilia Romagna, and even had a fierce duel with Pecco Bagnaia in Aragon. Unfortunately, Marquez's positive performance trend was again hampered by an injury to his right eye diplopia after falling during off-road practice.

Marc Marquez is a role model for the last 10 years

"Marc didn't race for eight months due to a serious injury, understandably this condition initially affected him. But he still won three victories. Unfortunately, when he really returned to his former level, with full strength, he got injured again," said Quartararo via Solomoto, as quoted by Motosan, Thursday (6/1/2022).

Quartararo also stated that Marquez has a very important role in MotoGP competition, considering that he has a very high level and indirectly raises the performance standards of his rivals. For this reason, according to Quartararo, Marquez has been the main reference for the riders for the last ten seasons.

"For me, Marc is a role model to follow over the last ten years. He became a star not only because he is a great racer, but also because he is an idol for this sport in general. I really want to get back to fighting with him again," continued the 22-year-old racer. this.

Pedro Acosta's Prediction Will Soon Follow to MotoGP

In the same interview, Quartararo also commented on the 2021 Moto3 world champion, Pedro Acosta, who is predicted to present an equally slick performance with Marquez in a few years in MotoGP. Quartararo, who is also the 2021 MotoGP world champion, said he agreed.

For him, Acosta is one of the young drivers with a strong mentality and way of riding, so it would not be a surprise to be able to be directly competitive in MotoGP. "Pedro our future. Winning Moto3 in the first year was very difficult. I remember, since Jerez, people have burdened him," he said.

"For a young rider like him, these kinds of pressures can be difficult to handle. However, Pedro knows how to control him, because mentally he is very strong, especially the way he rides. In two years, or sooner, he will be able to immediately fight for the world title in MotoGP. He will come soon," concluded Quartararo.

Consider Jack Miller a Friend, Danilo Petrucci Prays for MotoGP Champion

MDP Live - When Danilo Petrucci left, the entire MotoGP paddock felt sad because he lost a rider with a prominent character. He is known as a humorous and outgoing rider, so he has many good friends in the championship. However, Petrucci called Jack Miller the rider he was closest to.

The friendship between Petrucci and Miller has been going on for a long time, when each made their debuts in MotoGP and Moto3 in 2012. However, their relationship has grown closer since they worked together at Pramac Racing in 2018. When they were teammates, the two were often the center of attention because they often served funny act.

Petrucci also admitted that he had lost confidence in the 2020 season, which was his last year at Ducati, and also the 2021 season when he defended Tech 3 KTM. It is difficult to appear competitive, he has never re-watched his race in MotoGP. However, starting this year, after moving to rally, he was determined to watch again for Miller's sake.

Find Similarities with Jack Miller

"For the last two years, I have never watched MotoGP races. When you don't like yourself, you don't want to look in the mirror! So watching those races is hard for me. But from 2022 I will watch MotoGP races again on TV," said 'Petrux' via Crash.net, Saturday (8/1/2022).

Even though they are rivals on the track, Petrucci and Miller never forget to congratulate each other when they achieve classy results. When one of them wins, they celebrate it together. Petrucci did not deny that he gave full support to Miller as a champion with the Ducati Lenovo Team.

"One of the best friends I have is Jack. He is very similar to me. So, to be honest, I want to see him win. There are many people, all Italian riders, that I support. However, with Jack, I have a special relationship," said Petrucci, who kicked off with a win at Stage 5 of the 2022 Dakar Rally.

Miller Calls Petrucci Talented and Hardworking

Despite winning 10 podiums and 2 victories in MotoGP, Petrucci admits that it is difficult for him to be competitive because of his tall body. He even said that he would be the last 'normal' racer to win in MotoGP. However, Miller disagreed. He believes Petrucci has great talent and is a hard worker.

"Danilo is a person who likes to 'cheap' on himself all the time. Even though he is talented. In fact, he is not only talented, but also works hard. If you look at his photos from the Ioda (Racing) days, his face is as round as a moon. But when he came to Ducati, he lost weight, became competitive. He worked hard, and he is a legend," said Miller.

Currently, Petrucci is undergoing the second week of the 2022 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, although he has not yet determined his career plans for the rest of the year. Miller himself will be in his eighth season in MotoGP, starting with pre-season testing in Sepang, Malaysia, on February 5-6, and Mandalika, Indonesia, on February 11-13.

I've known for a long time, Fabio Quartararo is still nervous every time he meets Valentino Rossi

MDP Live - Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP racer, Fabio Quartararo, has known Valentino Rossi personally for many years. However, through Solomoto, as quoted by Corsedimoto, Thursday (6/1/2022), El Diablo stated that he still felt nervous every time he chatted with The Doctor.

As is known, Quartararo has idolized Rossi since childhood. So, his dream of going to MotoGP in 2019 was realized in a much more special way, because when he made his debut at that time, Rossi was still actively racing. The two of them even got on the podium together at the MotoGP Andalusia 2020.

Quartararo even got a rare opportunity, taking over from Rossi's place in the factory Yamaha team. He did not waste this opportunity. Although a little burdened, he was finally able to follow in Rossi's footsteps to become world champion. Quartararo became the third Yamaha rider to win MotoGP, after Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.

It's Still Hard to Believe Valentino Rossi Is Retired

Even so, Rossi decided to retire from MotoGP in mid-November 2021. Quartararo still can't believe that a motorcycle racer of Rossi's caliber will no longer be on the MotoGP tracks this season. According to this French rider, many people have to get used to watching races without Rossi.

"I still have a hard time believing that Vale will no longer be racing. Because when I wasn't born, he was already in the world championship. However, time is running out for everyone and it will end our careers in sport, and Vale's career has gone on for a long time. We have to thank him. for everything he does for MotoGP."

Quartararo also admitted that he was happy that he had a very good relationship with Rossi. When Quartararo's arm pump injury relapsed last year, Rossi also encouraged him. They even had a respect lap together in the Emilia Romagna Series, when Quartararo locked the 2021 MotoGP world title.

Still Gives Certain Effects

The 22-year-old rider admits that even though he has known Rossi for a long time, he can never get used to meeting The Doctor and always feels nervous. The reason is, Quartararo has never seen the nine-time world champion as a rival or enemy, but remains an idol, just like when he was a child.

"Vale is the only rider who even now, even though I have known him for many years, still has a certain effect on me when we meet. Because I still see him as an idol like when I was 4-5 years old. This is a beautiful thing Chatting with him is always special, especially when he invites me to The Ranch," he concluded.

Quartararo will return to the track in the Malaysian MotoGP pre-season trial at the Sepang Circuit on 5-6 February 2022. The next test will be held at the Mandalika Circuit, Indonesia, on 11-13 February.

With the current Ducati motorbike, Valentino Rossi is sure that he can appear great

MDP Live - Ducati CEO, Claudio Domenicali, believes that Valentino Rossi can look solid and even compete for the championship title if he uses the current Desmosedici motorbike.

Valentino Rossi is known to have tried his luck to become a MotoGP champion with Ducati in the 2011 season. Unfortunately, the Italian rider was unable to do much when he joined them.

After repeatedly trying to adapt to the Desmosedici bike, Rossi finally gave up and left Ducati at the end of the 2012 season and decided to return to strengthen Yamaha. In total, he could only reach three podiums without ever winning a win with the manufacturer from Borgo Panigale.

But the CEO of Ducati, Claudio Domenicali, believes that would not happen if Valentino Rossi joined his team in the current era. Especially now, the Desmosedici motorbike has proven its quality and can perform fast in the hands of several riders.

“Ducati era today is very different. I think he will be strong with our bike. However, we have no regrets. At that time, we were meant for each other," said Domenicali, quoted by MotoSan.

He then assessed the difficulties that Rossi faced at that time could not be separated from the role of Casey Stoner. The reason is that the arrival of the seven-time MotoGP world champion coincided with the departure of Stoner, who chose to move to Repsol Honda.

As a result, he had difficulty adjusting to the motor. In fact, the Ducati Desmosedici GP11 at that time was developed in accordance with the input given by Stoner.

“At that time, the bike was made according to Stoner's wishes. It is difficult to interpret the wishes of a rider who is used to a more balanced bike," he said.