MotoGP: Catalunya Grand Prix preview

Andrea Dovizioso of Ducati waves to crowds at the Italian GP at Mugello

The 2015 MotoGP season so far has undoubtedly become the most unpredictable season so far. While most fans and experts expected the Marc Marquez juggernaut to romp to another world championship and leave the others in the dust, things haven’t quite gone to plan for him or Honda. Yamaha and Ducati on the other hand have raised their game and laid down the gauntlet. With six top class riders slugging it out for the win and with a few hungry rookies thrown in the mix as well, let us just say that it has turned into a “blink and you miss it” kind of game. The action isn’t only limited to the MotoGP category however, Moto3 also provides a large chunk of the entertainment but not all the classes are riveting, Moto2 lacks the element of a fierce competition. The flaws are well exposed since all that the fans see are huge gaps and everything turning into a procession. But I am starting to digress from the main topic, which is the upcoming Grand Premio De Catalunya lets focus on that shall we?

So far this season has turned into a 5-rider slugfest. It is anyone’s championship with five rounds done and dusted. Defending world champion Marc Marquez will be desperate to regain momentum and resume his quest for a 3rd world title. Valentino Rossi in turn is searching for a 10th world championship. Jorge Lorenzo is on the hunt for a 3rd title. After years of playing second fiddle to all his teammates ranging from Nicky Hayden to Casey Stoner to Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa will be on a mission to achieve that elusive riders championship. But a rejuvenated Ducati with a formidable lineup of Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone will definitely spice up the completion. In short, The Battle Will Be Legendary.

Everything starts with the Moto3 where one does not really define it as a battle but an all out, no holds barred war. The racing is almost the kind that one sees in MotoGP, but keep in mind that none of the riders in this class have the experience of the Big Boys. The result is a gaggle of 15 to 16 riders forming one gargantuan train. The main straight and the back straight are perfect for a slipstream attack. Another feature of a crowd of 16-, 17-, 18 and 19-year olds and the occasional veteran, is a slew of gutsy Bansai attacks which could go of smoothly or end in tears. This years Moto3 competitors are in with a shout for the win. The last race in Mugello saw riders going 8 abreast on the main straight; Barcelona too has a long main straight, which can be useful for a slipstream. There is a saying that the race is not over until you pass the final corner, which to me is absolute rubbish. For me, as proven in Moto3 no race is done and dusted until you cross the finish line. In Mugello, third place was decided by a photo finish where Aspar Mahindra rider Bagnaia consolidated 3rd by 0.008 seconds.

In terms of rider talent, it is pretty much a full house and everyone is desperate either to win the championship or earn his or her first win. Bike performance wise, Honda and KTM are relatively evenly matched but Mahindra on the other hand lacks the firepower of its more accomplished rivals but what it lacks in speed and grunt, it makes up for it in cornering performance and as mentioned earlier the slipstream could be a crucial factor.

Moto2, despite the snooze fest that it is, has its fair share of title contenders. The main trick for each of these riders is to take the lead as soon as possible and clear away from the pack, leaving the rest to scrap it out for the remaining podium positions. From a fan’s perspective there is no excitement to be gained from this. One can only hope that the battle is closer this weekend.

Most pundits have a strong feeling that whoever qualifies on pole would 90% of the time win the race, or somebody on the front row, depending on the launch start can seize the lead and never look back. As for the bike performance and updates, Kalex has a slight advantage over the rest.

When talking about the MotoGP class there are 3 main competitors: Repsol Honda, Movistar Yamaha and Ducati Desmodeci. The Circuit De Catalunya is a daunting task for most riders, characterized by two long straights and a complicated series of tight and twisted corners. All 3 teams have their advantages and disadvantages. The Honda bike’s main strength is that it has a good straight line speed but are not the fastest bike on track however they do have a fast and aggressive rider in the form of Marquez as well as a consistent and smooth rider in the form of Dani Pedrosa. Yamaha has a few tricks up its sleeve with both Rossi and Lorenzo in the form of their lives. Another ace that they have is that the bike is good at cornering which could help them in sector 3 but could lead to problems on the rest of the course. Another factor to consider is Lorenzo’s lightning quick starts unless Iannone could reproduce what he did in Mugello and be second time lucky. Rossi however, needs to focus on his qualifying form if he has to stand a chance against his younger teammate. Ducati’s main arsenal is their launch control, 2 highly motivated and talented riders and phenomenal straight-line speed that dwarf the power of its Asian competitors. A historical weakness however was the dodgy front end, which always caught out its last champion Casey Stoner who has long since retired. This year Gigi Dall’igna is determined not to make the same mistake, instead they have started making new ones. To prove my point, one has to look no further than the reason for Dovizioso’s exit from his home race, reliability issues.

12 months ago Marc Marquez dominated the first half of the season with 12 wins in a row with Barcelona as one of them; he will undoubtedly try and prove himself as the master of Spain. But it is a long race and as mentioned before it is anyone’s game. Dovizioso and Iannone are excellent scrappers and could mess up the others chances of pulling away. Despite qualifying woes Rossi can easily make his way to the front and challenge for the win. Pedrosa relies on his smooth and tactical approach. His main strategy is to hang on to the coat tails of his competitors and save his tires until the final 10 laps before he makes his move. Dani was previously well known for his quick starts, but lately he hasn’t quite been able to manage it. Marquez and Lorenzo try to hit the front as soon as possible and break up the field. The difference however is that Marquez has a more aggressive style while Lorenzo on the other hand adopts a smooth as silk method just like Pedrosa. Another thing Marc has to be careful about when it comes to his riding style is that if by chance if he qualifies lower down the grid, it is imperative that he not take out another rider or crash out in his mad dash to get to the front as was proven in Argentina.

Lorenzo(L) and Rossi of Movistar Yamaha MotoGP at the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello

2009 saw a battle of epic proportions between Rossi and Lorenzo on the final lap of the race with Rossi emerging triumphant. With a grid this strong and rich in talent, we will undoubtedly witness a race of this kind of calibre. last year Marc Marquez added Catalunya to on of his 12 back to back victories albeit half a second ahead of Rossi.

Even with the enormous talent present in all 3 classes, there can only be one victor, one rider to triumph over all. Now that you know the lowdown and nuances of the race, let’s sit back and enjoy the great racing.