Generali Grand Prix of Valencia 2013

Posted on Nov 04, 2013 by Nick Harris

ROUND EIGHTEEN 2013 MotoGP™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP –
SUNDAY 9 NOVEMBER – THE FINAL SHOWDOWN

Three weeks ago as we flew out of Malaysia it looked all over but Jorge Lorenzo had different ideas and on Sunday we face the final showdown at the Generali Grand Prix of Valencia. The young pretender Marc Marquez and World Champion Jorge Lorenzo arrive in Spain separated by just 13 points after 17 spectacular rounds of the MotoGP™ World Championship.

Following his second place in Sepang Marquez appeared ready to accept the accolade as the youngest ever winner of the premier class in the 65 year history of grand prix motorcycle racing. Surely that title would be claimed by the 20 year old Repsol Honda rider in the next two weeks in Australia or Japan but Lorenzo is not a four times World Champion without reason. The Yamaha rider won both grands prix in style while Marquez had a disaster in Australia and finished second in Japan. The result – a 30 lap battle to the chequered flag round the 2.489 miles Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia on Sunday.

Obviously the advantage is with Marquez but the pressure is mounting on his young but very capable shoulders. If Lorenzo made it three wins in a row Marquez would have to finish fourth or above to win the title. Both have single victories at Valencia. Marquez won the Moto2 race last year and Lorenzo the MotoGP race in 2010 and it’s the performance of their respective team-mates that could play a massive part. Dani Pedrosa, Marquez’s team-mate, won the MotoGP race last year and has two previous wins in that class plus a couple of 250cc wins. Valentino Rossi, Lorenzo’s team-mate, has a couple of MotoGP wins but a long time ago and he lost the world title to Nicky Hayden when he crashed in Valencia seven years ago.

Pedrosa and Rossi are safe in their respective third and fourth places in the championship while Cal Crutchlow signs off his Yamaha career assured of fifth place. Alvaro Bautista has a comfortable 14 point lead over German Stefan Bradl in their battle for sixth and Andrea Dovizioso looks likely to win the battle for eighth with Ducati team-mate Nicky Hayden who makes his last appearance for the Italian team. Bradley Smith would like to finish his solid first MotoGP season by closing the 11 point gap between himself and Hayden while Aleix Espargaro signs off his Power Electronics Aspar career as top CRT rider for the second season in a row.

CRUTCHLOW SIGNS OFF FOR YAMAHA AS SMITH RETURNS TO SCENE OF TRIUMPH
Isle of Man –based Midlander Cal Crutchlow signs off his Monster Tech 3 Yamaha career at the final round of the MotoGP World Championship at the Generali Grand Prix of Valencia in Spain on Sunday. Crutchlow rides the M1 Yamaha for the last time in the 30 lap race round the 2.489 Ricardo Tormo circuit on the outskirts of Valencia after a superb third season which has seen him clinch fifth place in the championship with four podium finishes and two pole positions. He has signed for Ducati and tests for the new team on next week in Valencia.

His team-mate Bradley Smith’s eighth place in the previous round in Japan means he has scored more championship points in his rookie MotoGP season than any other British rider. The Oxfordshire rider won the 125cc race at Valencia in 2010 and is tenth in this year’s MotoGP World Championship, 11 points behind ninth placed Nicky Hayden. Ulsterman Michael Laverty completes his debut MotoGP season on the Paul Bird Motorsport ART machine looking to score some moral boosting championship points.

Bradley Smith:
“My eighth place in Japan means I’ve scored more world championship points than any other British rider in a MotoGP rookie season.  It does and it doesn’t give me great satisfaction. I’ve been lucky to come into MotoGP with such a great team as Monster Tech 3 Yamaha but also many of the other British riders have had the same chance with the same bike. To come up with the most points shows we’ve had a successful rookie season but of course I’d still liked to have done more but I’m really pleased.”

TESTING TIMES
Cal Crutchlow will make his Ducati debut at the crucial two day MotoGP test in Valencia that starts on Tuesday. The traditional end of season test is the first chance riders get to test new machinery for the first time or for riders who are staying in the same teams their first chance to test the potential of the 2014 bikes before the winter testing ban.

Moto2 stars World Champion Pol Espargaro and Scott Redding get their chance to test their respective Tech 3 and Gresini MotoGP machines for the first time as do the likes of former World Champion Nicky Hayden and Aleix Espargaro at Aspar and Forward racing. The Moto 2 test is on Monday where Moto3 Championship contenders Luis Salom and Maverick Vinales team up for the first time in the Tuenti HP 40 Pons team after fighting for the Moto3 World title the previous day.

VALENCIA FACTS AND FIGURES
Circuit Length: 4.005 kms/2.489 miles
Width: 12m
Pole Position: Right
Longest Straight: 876m
Left Corners: Nine
Right Corners: Five
Pole Position Record: Dani Pedrosa/Honda 1’30.844 (2012)
Lap Record: Casey Stoner/Ducati1'32.582 (2008)

TELEVISION TIMES
BBC/BRITISH EUROSPORT
Friday 8 November
MotoGP FP 1 Connected TV/Online
Moto3/MotoGP/Moto2 FP 2 Connected TV/Online and British Eurosport 2

Saturday 9 November
MotoGP/Moto3/Moto2 FP3, Connected TV and Online
11:30 – 15:00 Moto3/MotoGP/ Moto2 Qualifying Red Button and British Eurosport 2
13:00 – 14:00 MotoGP Qualifying BBC2

Sunday 10 November
09:45 – 12:30 Moto3 and Moto2 races Red Button and British Eurosport 2
12:30 – 14:00 MotoGP race BBC2
14:00 – 14:30 MotoGP Extra Red Button