MotoGP riders fear FP3 delay not enough amid cold weather
Several MotoGP riders have raised concerns that the 30-minute delay to Saturday’s Aragon Grand Prix FP3 won’t be enough to ensure safer track conditions.
Friday morning’s 45-minute FP1 session was delayed by over half an hour to allow track conditions to come up to the minimum 12 degrees Michelin’s tyres need to work safely.
This didn’t stop five riders from suffering front-end crashes during the session, and this was despite the front tyre allocation being tweaked to allow for an additional soft front.
With MotoGP’s visit to Aragon taking place several weeks later than normal, morning conditions will remain cold and MotoGP has taken the decision to delay all FP3 sessions by 30 minutes and Sunday’s warm-up sessions by 20.
However, Honda’s Alex Marquez – who was caught out by the cold conditions in FP1 – believes this delay won’t be long enough.
“Tomorrow we expect it to be so cold in the morning,” Marquez said.
“With delay of the practice to 10:25am, I think it will be not enough because will be also too cold. But we are close to winter and this is normal.”
Aprilia’s Bradley Smith believes MotoGP should look at the possibility of having just one 90-minute session in the afternoon for these colder events as there’s nothing to be learned from an FP1 in these conditions.
“I don't know if it's better to do maybe one hour and 30-minute session in the middle of the day when it's at its hottest rather than these two 45-minute sessions,” Smith said.
“I think all categories maybe could do that, especially on Friday. Saturday, we'd have to see how that that works out especially with the one bike rule, etc. But there was no way to ride this this morning, really.
“You just have to have a look at the lap times and how far everybody was away and how much everything improved this afternoon.
“Nothing even switched on this morning, even if you stayed out on track eight, 10 laps, they're just really was no feeling.”
Avintia’s Johann Zarco crashed twice on Friday and says the conditions were “not funny” because he could have injured himself.
“I’m disappointed because I had two crashes today because of the cold,” Zarco said. “It’s not funny at all. I destroyed bikes and I could also injure myself.
“This morning it was trying to get a bit faster in the beginning of the session, not doing crazy things and I crashed.”
Iannone doping hearing decision set for mid-November
Dovizioso "worried" about Q2 chances at Aragon
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
OPINION: The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. This is why.
How in-form Quartararo is evoking Marquez in MotoGP 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success.
Why Marquez's surgery is about more than just chasing on-track success
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Motorsport.com, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock of Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. We analyse what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP's Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How praise for Honda's MotoGP bike has given way to doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo's win was vital not only for his title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations