Category

Racing

Category

Monday was the next episode in a busy ten days for MotoGP. After the Czech Grand Prix, Brno played host to the traditional post-race test, with all the MotoGP paddock bar the satellite Ducatis taking part.

After a mixed weekend of weather, conditions were absolutely perfect, with warm (but not hot) temperatures, clear skies, and a track that got better and better as the day went on and bikes laid down more rubber.

Valentino Rossi ended on top of the timesheets, an unusual occurrence in recent years. Rossi has never been short of speed, but has usually needed the adrenaline boost of race day to find the final tenth or so to put him ahead of his rivals.

The test was enough on Monday, Rossi beating Marc Márquez by eighteen thousandths of a second, while Maverick Viñales was third and Jorge Lorenzo fourth.

MotoGP Race Results from the Czech GP at Brno, Czech Republic: Pos. Rider Team Bike KM/H Diff. 1 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team Honda 161.1 44'15.974 2 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team Honda 160.3 +12.438 3 Maverick VIÑALES Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 160.0 +18.135 4 Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 159.8 +20.466 5 Cal
MotoGP Qualifying Results from the Czech GP at Brno, Czech Republic: Q2 Results Pos. Rider Team Bike KM/H Time Diff. 1 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team Honda 305.5 1'54.981 - 2 Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha 307.6 1'55.073 0.092 3 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team Honda 309.5 1'55.119 0.138 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team

Ducati Corse has returned to using aerodynamic fairings, after packing up its “Hammerhead” design (as fans like to call it, Ducati not so much) at the preseason Qatar Test. As such, fans at the Czech GP were treated to the debut of a new fairing design at Brno. Featuring on the Desmosedici GP of Jorge Lorenzo during free practice, the new aerodynamic fairing design is an evolution of Ducati’s original winglet shape and its preseason attempt at replicating the winglets efficacy, while still adhering to the set of rules in MotoGP, which ban winglets. While the Hammerhead debuted to disappointing results, and thus has left Ducati Corse without an aerodynamic fairing so far this season, the new fairing design appears to be getting the nod from Lorenzo.