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*Dream Teams release alert!*
This week’s teams have been stacked into four competitive line ups with unique talent on each one. Check out our “Dream Teams“ page (located on our Rider Stats page) to learn more about our process of calculating teams and the opportunity YOU now have to participate in a gentleman’s bet!
Check it out and get your votes in!
Results will be published after the race.
As we look ahead to the second race week of the season, we are excited to fill you in on what we have in the works…
Stay tuned and be sure to follow us on Instagram @grandprix_scout !
Photo Source: MotoGP.com
Suzuki rider Joan Mir didn’t waste any time as he made his MotoGP debut at the opening Grand Prix in Qatar. Moving straight onto a factory team, the pressure was on for this 21 year old rookie as he joined one of the most competitive group of racers in the series history.
Mir wasn’t messing around and made a remarkable impression on MotoGP fans as he landed P11 on the grid and came in 8th, just ahead of Nakagami and A. Espargaro. He maintained a surprisingly high stamina throughout the 22 laps which is a common challenge for new riders, especially those on a factory bike. Mir never fell below 8th place and was able to hold P4 for almost the entire first half of the race.
So how did his performance compare to Ducati rider and Qatar GP winner Andrea Dovizioso?
Consistency is key my friends! And Joan Mir showed us what an advantage that can give a rider. His overall consistency for all sectors combined was almost identical to Dovizioso’s. This suggests an early development of a mature riding style which is exactly what we like to see from the rookies. Being able to maintain such a competitive consistency puts a rider ahead of so many of his opponents and allows him to then focus his energy on finding harmony with his bike in regards to breaking and acceleration.
Mir’s overall speed for all sectors combined stands as an area of improvement, which by the way, we expected from a rookie jumping onto a factory bike! His speed index was not as strong as Dovizioso’s but WAS comparable to Yamaha rider’s Maverick Vinales.
Photo Source: MotoGP.com
We expect to see great things from Mir as he enters his first MotoGP season and hope to see him build off his performance at the Losail International Circuit. He has a strong foundation with exceptional skills in all the right areas. Congratulations to both Mir and the Suzuki Team on a great debut at the Qatar Grand Prix!
It has been two years in a row where we have seen Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso and Honda rider Marc Marquez neck and neck for the first place podium finish at the Qatar Grand Prix. With an adrenalin pumping season opener, these two did not disappoint.
Photo Source: MotoGP.com
So how were these two able to stay on top of each other for 22 laps straight? How did Marquez catch Dovizoso just as he began to pull away and where did Dovizioso gain the most ground? We are here to answer those questions! To supplement all this magnificent information, be sure to pull up our Circuit Technicality profile for the Losail International Circuit.
Let’s start big picture… Overall, Marquez had a stronger speed index for all sectors combined. His times were dangerously close to Dovizoso’s but he was ultimately able to gain ground on his opponents with these quick times. Where Dovizioso lacked in speed he made up for in…wait for it… CONSISTENCY! Fast lap times are great in all, but if they are not matched with superior consistency then a rider will have a hard time pulling ahead of the pack.
Now let’s break it down by sector…
Sector 1: The shortest and least technical of the four sectors.
Less technical? Sounds like an opportunity for Ducati to crank out some significantly faster sector times compared to their more agile, less powerful opponents. And this is exactly what we saw! Dovizioso held quicker T1 times but was unable to shake Marquez given his Honda opponent held a higher T1 consistency.
Sector 2: The second shortest and second most technical sector.
Let’s just say…. Dovizoso territory. Andrea’s ability to handle this powerful, monster of a bike through more technical sections gives him an edge. He was able to utilize a formally Honda known territory to not only gain ground on his opponents, but to also begin to distance himself from the pack and set a pace.
Sector 3: The second longest and third most technical sector.
And…. Marquez is back in the picture. Given that T3 is the second longest sector, the fact that Marquez held the faster T3 times was a huge advantage. This gave him the ability to catch Dovizioso after he moved through his T2 territory. Cranking out quicker times on a much longer sector gave the Honda rider time to makeup for his slower pace in the previous sector. With that said, we saw an all too familiar flaw with Marquez’s T3 performance… Consistency, or lack thereof. Sorry Marc, Dovizioso had you there.
Sector 4: The longest and most technical sector.
The most technical sector out of them all? You guessed it! Marquez territory. Dominating this final sector in both speed and consistency, Marquez prevailed. Throughout the race we saw the formal World Champion catch his opponent going into the final turn. T4 being the longest, and Marquez’s strongest sector made up for any ground lost in the previous sectors. In the end, Dovizioso was not giving up here and was able to utilize the power of the Ducati as the two entered the last straightaway.
Photo Source: MotoGP.com
It was another memorable start to the season at the Losail International Circuit and we look forward to seeing the teams head to Argentina for the next GP! Congratulations to both Andrea Dovizioso and the Ducati team for an excellent performance this past weekend.
Stay up to date on all the Grand Prix’s with our Current Rider Performance Page located under our “Rider Stats” menu! Here you will be able to track the World Championship rankings and quick facts about each GP!
Photo Source: MotoGP.com
The opening GP of the 2019 season at the Losail International Circuit was an adrenalin pumping 22 laps. Between the constant change of 1st – 3rd position, a rookie leading a majority of the pack and Alex Rins and Valentino Rossi climbing their way from the middle of the grid into the top 5, it was a fantastic start to the season.
With so many team changes and new talent entering the series, the 2019 MotoGP season is showing great promise to not only be an action packed season, but to be also one of the most competitive fights for the World Champion Title.
Congratulations to Andrea Dovizioso and the Ducati Team for another first place podium finish at the Qatar Grand Prix! We expect great things from this dynamic duo.
New teams + new bikes = new analysis coming your way! Stay tuned!
Utilizing our performance and trajectory indexes for all riders on all tracks, we are able to build statistically fair “dream teams” for every race. So head on over to our Qatar Dream Teams page where you can vote on which team you think will bring in the most points at this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix!
The poll closes Saturday at midnight so make sure to get your votes in!
Photo Source: MotoGP.com
Earlier this week we released our first five MVP Riders for this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix. Today we are happy to announce our sixth and final MVP Rider for the opening GP, Repsol Honda rider Jorge Lorenzo!
With a combined index of 0.1434, Lorenzo ranks third out of our six MVPs. What does this tell us? That his historical consistency and speed have dominated on this circuit, specifically in sectors 1, 2 and 4 where his sector combined indexes rank him third in the pack. His sector 3 consistency index reflects an area of improvement which we hope to see this weekend as he makes his debut on the agile Honda.
Good luck to Lorenzo and Repsol Honda as they head into the first race weekend of the 2019 season!
Our team has put together some exciting new material for you race fans – the MotoGP Dream Teams! Utilizing our performance and trajectory indexes for all riders on all tracks, we have assembled teams of riders that compete for the maximum points. Head on over to our Qatar Grand Prix Dream Team Page to learn more about this week’s teams!
The FIRST race day of the 2019 MotoGP season is only four days away so that means it is time for our first… MVP rider release!
Prior to each race, our team analyzes riders, bikes, circuits and weather to better understand historical and future performance projections. We then formulate a list of 5-6 riders that make up our “MVP Rider” list which ultimately reflects those we believe have the highest potential to cross the finish line ahead of the pack.
Click here to learn more about our first five MVP riders for the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix and to learn where exactly on the Losail International Circuit they thrive, and where they have historically been more challenged.
Flying into race week with LCR Honda rider Cal Crutchlow! After a gnarly crash and missing the last few Grand Prix races of the 2018 season, the British rider is back on his bike and ready to jump into another season.
Photo Source: MotoGP.com
One more week until the FIRST Grand Prix of the 2019 season!
This year we have a ton of new analysis to provide about the circuit, including:
Now sit back, relax and get ready to become an expert on the Losail International Circuit!
As the weeks progress, circuit analysis pages will be populated and published, allowing you to study the technicality levels of all the MotoGP circuits! Head on over to our Circuit Stats page where you can learn more about the analysis we conduct and study individual circuits yourself.
What can you find on a circuit’s profile? Let’s break it down… Each circuit is divided into four sectors. These sectors have been mapped out and ranked on a technicality scale that combines a handful of factors. These factors are identified with their quantitate values. You now have the ability to compare and contrast the circuits on a whole new level!
We have populated the pages of the first four Grand Prix circuits of the 2019 season so dive in and if you have any questions, feel free to shoot us a message!
A rider’s time off the circuit is arguably as important as the time on the circuit. Maintaining a competitive level of both mental and physical strength is crucial to perform at the MotoGP racing level. Click here to learn more about how French rider, Johann Zarco spends his time training off the circuit!
Our analytics experts, racing coaches and an amazing internship team bring you Hyper-Analysis before and after each race.