A New Year and another new season almost upon us. With it come a plethora of MotoGP subplots to keep us revelling in excitement until the lights go out on March 17th. What better time to ponder over several key battles that possess the potential to ignite the 68th running of the premier class?
Viñales versus Rossi
Until now, the pair has shared a cordial relationship that, at times during 2016, bordered on friendly. Both found benefit in regularly lapping on track together during qualifying, while Viñales regularly spoke of learning from Rossi’s eternal talents as the prime motivator behind his defection from Suzuki. In return, Rossi regularly talked up the 21-year old’s potential, offering a playful “I’m a little worried for next year” on more than one occasion. But that came before the Valencia test, where the young Catalan ended both days fastest overall.
“Someone a bit older would have been better, like Pedrosa,” Rossi joked of the new presence in his garage during an interview on Italian radio station Deejay Chiama Italia in November. Entering quite possibly the final two years of his racing career, Rossi knows starting well and ahead of Viñales will be crucial in his bid for that tenth title. His body language and eagerness to get out on track on Tuesday at Valencia showed he is all-too-aware of the challenge ahead. And if it ever escapes him he has best mate Uccio Salucci to remind him. “Do not trust anyone who says they have your poster in their bedroom,” Salucci told Spanish paper Marca in October.
Lorenzo’s arrival into the Yamaha fold was one factor that inspired Rossi to arguably his two finest seasons of riding. It’s not likely that Viñales will shy away from this contest either. “Inside he will not sleep until he is in front of Valentino all the time,” says ex-team boss Sito Pons. It promises to be a battle to savour.
Marquez versus Viñales (and Rossi)
In the cramped, shaded press room at Misano a photo had found its way into the hands of a member of the Spanish press. Less than a week on from Viñales’ debut MotoGP triumph, the image showing two kids – aged no more than seven and nine – was not just a snapshot of MotoGP’s present, it also readily pointed to its future. That the picture was of Marquez and Viñales after a Catalan mini-bike race was not much of a surprise. That it was Viñales enjoying victory on top of the podium with Marc looking somewhat bemused below was. And, according to both camps, Viñales winning at this tender age was no freak occurrence.
An age difference of two years kept the pair separated until 2015. Now, two years on, the two Catalans will face-off with roughly the same equipment for the first time since childhood races more than 15 years ago. And Marquez is all-too-aware of his young rival’s talents. “I knew he could win here,” said the five-time champ after Silverstone. “[Maverick] warned us on Thursday he was confident.” That was telling. For Marquez has been keeping a very close eye on what Viñales says, be it on a Thursday or after a race – surely the highest compliment. After all just how many men can boast of beating Marquez more than on occasion at anytime in the Repsol man’s career? The knowledge that he has a new rival to consider showed when Marquez got in a sly dig at the Superprestigio in December. “Maybe the normal thing after winning MotoGP would be to go to the Maldives,” said the five-time champ, referencing Maverick’s recent holiday. “But I have a big passion for racing.”
Marquez’s mutual disdain for Rossi will continue. With Ducati’s championship pedigree not yet proven, Marquez will surely view the Movistar Yamaha team-mates as the men to beat.
Pedrosa versus Crutchlow
Unlike the above, little to no animosity exists between Dani Pedrosa and Cal Crutchlow, other than that the normal racer’s desire to swat aside anyone who rides for your fellow manufacturer. Granted that Marquez will lead HRC’s charge toward a possible fourth premier class championship, LCR Honda’s Crutchlow will be thinking that outscoring Repsol’s number two is a realistic goal. After all, he did so in all-but-two races in 2016’s second half. Two wins and other notable performances firmly established the Englishman as the class’ top satellite rider. Further improvements with Michelin’s 17-inch front tyre are likely to aid his quest too.
But – coming off what was unquestionably the annus horribilis of his 16-year GP career – write Pedrosa off at your peril. Likely to be reinvigorated by new crew chief Giacomo Guidotti, a more user-friendly RC213V engine and a clean bill of health, the Spaniard still has the measure of anyone on his day. And that included Valentino Rossi, in Italy. And is it perhaps naïve to think this could only be a two-way fight? Jack Miller’s testing performance in Valencia showed that, given the right backing, he too could challenge Crutchlow and Pedrosa on occasion.
Iannone versus Dovizioso
The mutual disliking that existed between the two Andreas – Dovizioso and Iannone – was all-too-apparent through 2016, be it in the wake of that calamitous collision in Argentina, or Dovizioso’s utter dismay at losing out to his team-mate in Austria.
Dovizioso’s comments to Italian sport daily Gazzetta dello Sport in December made his feelings on the matter clear. “On the one hand, he [Iannone] served as a stimulus for me since he is a very fast rider and I liked having him as a team-mate,” he said. “But the attitude of Andrea and his entourage… for me, respect for people is important, and his entourage, and especially him, do not have it.”
And you have to imagine the pair will find themselves up against one another on a regular basis, in and around the top six, and occasionally on the podium. Iannone demonstrated an instant liking for Suzuki’s sweet handling GSX-RR in Valencia while Dovizioso’s run of second-fourth-first during the flyaways proved he and Ducati were getting better all the time. And with Lorenzo’s input that can only continue.
Zarco v Lowes v Rins (and Folger)
2016 deprived us of a rookie of the year contest worthy of mention. What a change one year on, as three of Moto2’s chief protagonists in 2015/’16 – Johann Zarco, Sam Lowes and Alex Rins – find themselves in well run, established top class teams. And all with a useful yardstick against which to measure themselves. Naturally, with any riders vying for a title, there is history there, notably between Zarco and Lowes. While the Englishman admirably smiled and sportingly offered a congratulatory hand to the Frenchman in front of the cameras in Valencia, memories of that Silverstone incident, which decisively cut him adrift of the Moto2 summit, won’t have faded.
The softly spoken and, at times, overly timid Rins also has a point to prove, after a baffling end to 2016 that saw his Moto2 hopes fade with a whimper. All experienced contrasting fortunes at Valencia, with Zarco’s Tech 3 Yamaha team-mate Jonas Folger (another rookie) outpacing them all. Although injury pock-marked Lowes and Rins’ end of year, full factory backing from Aprilia and Suzuki should push them on once up to speed. With Zarco working with countryman and technical wizard Guy Coulon aboard a sorted, user-friendly machine, there’s no reason the four rookies won’t be packed together more often than not.
And finally, Jorge Lorenzo v the world
This could yet be the biggest story of the year. For the first time in nine seasons, Lorenzo will line up on a machine that isn’t a Yamaha. And boy, does he feel he has a point to prove. His desire to stick it to Rossi and the Japanese factory for whom he won three world titles will be without question. Then there is the small matter of re-establishing himself as Spain’s number one. With a factory fully behind him once more, don’t count him out just yet.
