5 reasons to look forward to MotoGP in 2019

January 30, 2019 January 30, 2019

It’s that time of year where motorsport fans are perilously close to the new season starting, the countdown to round one is well under way, and in 2019 we have a lot to look forward to.

1). The Rookies

For the first time in many years MotoGP has a seriously hot contest for rookie of the year, with Joan Mir for the Factory Suzuki Team, Pecco Bagnia for the Pramac Ducati Team, Fabio Quatararo for the SRT Petronas Yamaha and Miguel Olivera for the new partnership that is RedBull KTM Tech 3.

Between the four rookies this year they have achieved a lot between them in the lower classes before debuting in the premier class and the rookie of the year already looks like it has started to heat up throughout the two tests at the end of 2018, with all four rookies looking like they are in for a positive year ahead.

2). It’s the most world class field in motorsport

For anyone who loves statistics this one may well blow you away, between the 22 riders that will compete in the 2019 MotoGP World Championship there are 31 World Champions split between 11 different riders who are; Andrea Dovizioso, Johann Zarco, Maverick Vinales, Franco Morbidelli, Cal Crutchlow (World Supersport – 2009), Joan Mir, Pol Espargaro, Valentino Rossi, Pecco Bagnia, Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo.

So there is certainly no concern over the level of talent in the premier class this year with every single factory team housing at least 1 World Champion.

3). KTM’s new adventure

KTM had a tough 2018 but hope was ignited when Pol Espargaro fantastically put KTM on the podium for the first time at the final round in Valencia, in 2019 KTM have got some big names helping develop the bike, of course a continuation with Mika Kallio who was injured wildcarding at Sachsenring last year, working alongside Kallio will be long-term Repsol Honda man Dani Pedrosa who will test for the Austrian factory.

KTM’s goodies don’t stop there for 2019 they have recent MotoGP sensation Johann Zarco partnering Pol Espargaro to help drive development forward and of course the experienced Tech 3 team who have signed a deal to work with KTM for the next three seasons after being with Yamaha for over 20 years, 2019 may well be a bike year for the orange outfit.

4). The resurgence of Yamaha?

The past 2 seasons have been extremely tough for Yamaha with only four wins in 2017 and only one win in 2018, for 2019 Yamaha have introduced a European Test Team, with Jonas Folger as the rider to help push Yamaha’s development to the next level will this be enough to help factory team riders Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales?

If not then Yamaha have a new partnership with the SRT Petronas Team, Managing the team will long term Yamaha employee Wilko Zeelenberg, as well as Franco Morbidelli, who has already shown impressive pace on the 2019 M1, and Fabio Quatararo riding for the team who will have the 2019 Yamaha M1 with factory support, which will maybe assist the factory team in bringing Yamaha back to the top.

5). The Repsol Honda Dream Team

Personally this is what I am most excited about, remember how earlier I mentioned the 31 World Championships? Well the Honda riders have 12 between them making it just one third of the world championships between them, also winning all but one World Championship since 2010 I would say Honda have a statistical advantage and very capable hands to handle the bike with Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo, not only that but Honda have evidently listened to Jorge Lorenzo since he first rode the RCV213V as the famous tank has been fitted to the bike already, HRC have made no secret that if they have 2 they will develop in 2 different directions.

Although the “Dream Team” have a lot of punch behind the name worryingly it hasn’t been a fantastic start to 2019, Marc Marquez had an operation on his left shoulder to help recover from a old injury after he was regularly dislocating it in the second half of the season, and Jorge Lorenzo was beaten up at the later stages of 2018 with his crashes in Aragon and Thailand causing several issues for the Spaniard, of course it hasn’t stopped there just days before the Repsol Honda Team launch Jorge Lorenzo had a motocross accident whilst training in Italy breaking his scahpoid meaning he will miss the Sepang test in just 1 week, leaving him with only the Qatar test before he lines up on the grid at the very same circuit.