MotoGP is back – Rossi hasn’t had enough

The heavily revised calendar includes 13 races. The big hunted in MotoGP is defending champion Marc Marquez, who has a new teammate he knows very well.

After Jorge Lorenzo's resignation, the second seat in the Honda factory team went to Alex Marquez, the eight-time world champion's younger brother by three years. This year, 27-year-old Marc Marquez is aiming for his seventh MotoGP title; if he had fulfilled this mission, he would have equalized Valentino Rossi's mark. Then only the Italian Giacomo Agostini would be ahead of him with his eight world championships. “It will be special,” explained the Catalan given the conditions. “We want to give people a spectacle and bring some joy.” Marc Marquez is also the top favorite for the world championship title this year. © APA/afp / PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU

The family unity on two wheels will only exist for a few months, as Alex Marquez has to switch to the Honda customer team LCR next season. Would Marc have extended his contract by four years in the spring if he had known about the Moto2 champion's impending demotion? In any case, his new teammate will be Pol Espargaro, who will still be driving for KTM this year. Race calendar is still open The redesigned calendar features two races one after the other at five locations (including Spielberg) - the opener in Jerez is also a double event. There will be 15 Grands Prix up to November 13th in Valencia, all of which will take place in Europe. At the beginning of March, only the Moto2 and Moto3 classes competed in Qatar; MotoGP was no longer included due to strict entry restrictions.

Of course, there could still be races in Thailand, Malaysia or Argentina by mid-December. Since further developments surrounding the coronavirus are anything but plannable, there are great doubts about this. The audience question is also open, and for the time being the answer is disappointing for fans everywhere. This means that spectators are not allowed in the stands at the first races; especially not after numerous countries, including Spain, have recently tightened the Corona rules again.

Seven of the 13 races, more than half, are scheduled to take place in Spain. This list is also reflected in the drivers, as nine out of 22 men have a Spanish passport. Who will be a threat to Marquez? Marquez's big competitors for the MotoGP crown in the Corona year are Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci at Ducati, Maverick Vinales on the factory Yamaha, Alex Rins on Suzuki and Fabio Quartararo (Petronas-Yamaha). Andrea Iannone, who is appealing his doping sentence before the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), is not there. The Italian argues that he unknowingly took the steroid drostanolone through contaminated meat. If the court lifts the 18-month ban, the Aprilia driver could return later. Rossi will probably continue Valentino Rossi has been waiting for his 90th Grand Prix victory in the premier motorcycle class for more than three years now. Nevertheless, the Italian will probably continue his career next year. “I have a very good feeling. We still have to clarify details,” said the 41-year-old in Jerez. It is almost certain that Rossi will ride for the Petronas Yamaha team in 2021.

The “Dottore” also wants to hang on for another year so that he can properly say goodbye to his numerous fans. Even before the original start of the season in March, Yamaha had signed the Frenchman Fabio Quartararo as Rossi's successor and thus lined up for the 2021 season.

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MotoGP is back – Rossi hasn’t had enough

With a long delay and without spectators, the Motorcycle Road World Championships are starting their first season during the Covid-19 pandemic in Jerez this weekend.

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