Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has hosted Team HRC, along with most of the other WorldSBK teams, during a two-day test session that comes just a week prior to the second Superbike World Championship round, which will be staged at the same Spanish track.

In mainly dry conditions, factory riders Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona were on track across both Thursday and Friday, as the team continues to develop the 2024 version of the CBR1000RR-R, building on the recent work completed during the tests and races at Phillip Island, Australia.

After sustaining a shoulder injury in the first Australian round, Lecuona used this test to assess his physical condition. The Spaniard opted to ride on Thursday morning and then completed more laps on Friday in preparation for the upcoming races. Although not yet at full strength, Iker will continue to focus on his recovery in the coming days to ensure he is in the best possible shape for the race weekend ahead.

Vierge meanwhile made use of the full two days, focusing on refining his Fireblade’s base set-up with a view to next week’s races. His work was supported by that of test rider Tetsuta Nagashima, who was also in attendance for these tests. A lot of work has been done on both sides of the garage, and Team HRC will now prepare for round 2 of the 2024 Superbike World Championship, taking place at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya over the weekend of 22-24 March.

Xavi Vierge  97

“We’ve been able to complete our work plan for these tests, while making adjustments along the way of course. The feeling with the bike wasn’t so bad when we started on Thursday but when we made a set-up change later that day, to try and improve the drive, this unfortunately caused my feeling to diminish. The work continued on Friday though, when we made a lot of laps and tested some new parts, particularly concerning the electronics, the engine brake area, and the swing-arm. Even though we haven't yet realized all the benefits we were hoping for, the test has given us indications of the direction to follow. We now have a lot of data to analyse in order to find the best possible base for the race weekend. I want to thank the team for all their hard work here and also Honda and HRC - everyone is working tirelessly in Japan to bring us new items and improve our machine, so a big thank you to everyone. Let's keep pushing forward.”

Iker Lecuona  7

"This is the first time I’ve ridden the bike since Australia, and back home I haven’t been able to train as I normally would, nor have I been able to do any gym work. So, that’s the current situation. I’m doing my best, but I need to take things slowly. I’m listening to the physios and doctors. That's why, on Thursday, I chose to ride only in the morning before visiting the physio in Barcelona in the afternoon. The shoulder felt a bit better than I expected on Friday morning, so once the track conditions improved a little after early rain, I went out and rode most of the day. I didn’t feel too bad on the bike though of course there’s some fatigue at the end of the day. We tested everything we wanted to, and now it’s time to check the data and understand what’s worked and what hasn’t. It’s clear that we still need to work on all areas of the bikes rather than on any one specific aspect. Grip will be an issue for next week’s races, for everybody I think, so we need to find something there. The bike normally works well here but we’ll have to see next week what conditions are like, and how I am doing physically".

Toni Bou wins and Gabriel Marcelli places second in France.

This Friday, Chalon-Sur-Saône hosted the second round of the X-Trial World Championship season. The Repsol Honda Team took a one-two finish, with series leader Toni Bou winning and teammate Gabriel Marcelli placing second.

The first lap was a preview for what would happen throughout the day. Bou began by stringing together four consecutive perfect zones, and completed the first go-around with just a single penalty point. On the second lap, he remained at the same level and qualified for the final, together with Marcelli and Jaime Busto. In it, he put in a peerless performance to claim his second win of the season.

Marcelli maintained an intense fight with Jaime Busto throughout the day. On the first lap, the young rider incurred four penalty points and moved into second place. On the second lap, the Repsol Honda rider made some mistakes that dropped him down a place, but was enough for him to enter the final. After overcoming the closing obstacles with great precision, Marcelli took second in Chalon-Sur-Saône.

Bou maintains the lead in the overall standings with 44 points, as Marcelli moves into second with 27. The next challenge for the Montesa Cota 4RT riders will be in Nice, France in a week’s time.

Toni Bou

Championship: 1ST

“The team worked really well and I am very happy. I felt very comfortable from the first lap and I think that since Barcelona we have been working in a very positive direction. Earning 22 more points is very good, but we cannot relax because our rivals are pushing very hard and the key will be to not make mistakes. We are already focused on the next race and I want to thank the team for the great work they have done.”

Gabriel Marcelli

Championship: 2ND

“It was a very intense fight and I felt very comfortable with the bike and with the work done by the team. I would have liked to give a little more, but a second position is good for the title race. We leave Chalon second overall, so it is important to maintain this pace and score as many points as possible. I want to thank the team for the great work they have done; the objective in Nice will be to fight for victory.”

The AMA Supercross Championship visited Birmingham, Alabama’s Protective Stadium for the first time, and for the second week in a row, riders faced treacherous track conditions due to inclement weather leading up to the race. The soft and rutted track didn’t stop Team Honda HRC rider Jett Lawrence from becoming the season’s first four-time winner and first back-to-back winner in the 450SX division. Meanwhile, Chance Hymas battled through an eventful 250SX East main event to come home in 10^th. Unfortunately, Hunter Lawrence missed round 9 due to a shoulder injury that he sustained in Daytona the previous weekend.

In the 450SX main-event start, Lawrence snuck up the inside of turn 1 to grab a narrow holeshot aboard his CRF450RWE. From there, the 20-year-old rode a near-perfect race, maintaining a gap of 4 to 5 seconds for the entirety of the main event. Despite several charges from title-rival Cooper Webb, Lawrence maintained his composure and crossed the checkers with a 2.445-second advantage. The win added another three points to his championship lead, now 13 up on Webb.

Hymas rocketed his CRF250R to the front of the pack down the 250SX main-event start straight, but he ran wide in the first turn. The Idaho native was still inside the top five in the early stages of the race, then slipped back to sixth position, where he stayed for most of the main event before getting knocked down by another rider during a block pass with three laps to go. Hymas remounted in 10th place, which is where he would finish the race.

450SX Results

1. Jett Lawrence (Hon)
2. Cooper Webb (Yam)
3. Ken Roczen (Suz)
4. Chase Sexton (KTM)
5. Justin Cooper (Yam)
6. Jason Anderson (Kaw)
7. Eli Tomac (Yam)
8. Aaron Plessinger (KTM)
9. Justin Barcia (Gas)
10. Malcolm Stewart (Hus)

Fabio Di Giannantonio crosses the finishing line in P7 while Marco Bezzecchi hits the 14th place

Doha (Qatar), March 10th 2024 – The 75th edition of the Motorcycle World Championship starts with the first points of the 2024 season in the spoils for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. At the Qatar GP, which took place today in Doha, Fabio Di Giannantonio, riding the Ducati Desmosedici GP, took the seventh place, while Marco Bezzecchi is 14th.

Starting from the seventh place on the grid and motivated to leave behind the yesterday's bad crash in the Sprint, Fabio immediately takes the rhythm of the group fighting for the Top5. Protagonist of a good race finale, he gives the Tavullia Team their first world championship points (9).

Positive sensations in the warm up but a difficult race for Marco, who started from the 15th place. Forced into P16 after the first laps, he climbs up the rankings to the limits of the points zone. First race done and next appointment on the calendar, in two weeks, at the Algarve circuit for the Portuguese GP. 

MARCO BEZZECCHI - 72
Despite the step forward in the warm up, I struggled today. I immediately started to have the front lock when in braking and I lost the feeling. I had to slow down when entering the corner and within a few laps I destroyed the rear tire. With 11 laps to go, therefore practically halfway through the race, I put Map C which is the map with the least power. It wasn't an easy start, unfortunately it's difficult to straighten out a weekend when you start badly, but we don't give up.

FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO - 49
I'm happy, despite the yesterday's crash, a good start to the season. Today we weren't perfect, I had some problems to manage and I lost the contact with the leaders in the second half of the race. I was able to be consistent but we need to analyse the data and understand what we were missing. The seventh place, in a race where we struggled a bit, is not bad. I can't wait to get back on track in Portimao, a truly wonderful track.

MXGP

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser got his 2024 MXGP campaign off to a strong start, taking the win in moto two, after placing fifth in race one to give him third overall. Combined with the qualification race victory, he sits just three points off the red-plate and well poised for another title challenge. Unfortunately, teammate Ruben Fernandez wasn’t able to line-up for the motos due to the lower left-leg injuries he sustained in the first turn qualification race incident yesterday.

Having first gate-pick after winning the 10-point qualifying race, Gajser didn’t get the best start, but as he was forcing his way through the field, he made a small mistake and dropped down to 13^th as they crossed the line for the first time. Knowing that it was a long race, he built his speed up and made plenty of passes, as the fastest man on the track, eventually coming home in fifth place, just a couple of tenths behind fourth.

Last year, Fernandez won this GP after going five-one so the #243 knew he had a chance to take the overall if he won the second race, and with a great start he was able to just that. He almost grabbed the holeshot, but swiftly moved into the lead and never looked back, riding a fast but controlled pace that the rest of the field couldn’t match. However, unlike in 2023, Gajser’s five-one saw him find the third step of the podium, but it was still a strong start for the five-time world champion.

The Honda CRF450R pair now have a weekend off to recover from their travel back from Patagonia, before they head to Arroyomolinos, near Madrid in Spain for the second round of the series on March 23-24. Gajser will once again be hoping to making it up onto the podium, while Fernandez’s first priority will be concentrating on getting healthy for his home GP.

 MX2

In his full-debut for Team HRC, Ferruccio Zanchi put in two really impressive rides to come through the pack and finish seven-eight for sixth overall. The speed and skill that he showed to pass riders on this extremely fast Argentina track should give him a lot of confidence heading into round two and if he can improve his starts, he really should become a permanent feature of this exciting MX2 class.

Both races followed a similar pattern as the #73 started way outside the top 10, before working his way forward throughout the moto. Battling with riders with much more experience, the 17-year-old was able to maintain his composure and make the necessary moves and he was delighted with how his first world championship round on-board a Honda CRF250R went.

World Championship winners and MX2 class defending #1s, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, launched the 2024 MXGP season with Andrea Adamo scoring a top five finish in the dark sandy volcanic soil of Neuquen for the Grand Prix of Argentina and the first round of twenty in the new campaign.

• MXGP fires into life with the traditional hike to Patagonia and the fast, rough and popular Neuquen circuit with a busy attendance watching the fastest international dirtbike racers embark on another GP season
• Jeffrey Herlings takes 8th overall on his KTM 450 SX-F and his first MXGP appearance since the 2023 Grand Prix of Germany. The Dutchman races to a brace of top tens in the two motos
• MX2 World Champion Andrea Adamo makes a solid step in his world title defence with 5th on the KTM 250 SX-F
• Sacha Coenen starts his second career world championship season and in Red Bull KTM colors and runs to 8th. Liam Everts is still in recovery from right thumb surgery and is hopeful of returning to action by round two in Spain

The wide and rippled course of Neuquen has become a familiar Grand Prix staple for the MXGP field and since the circuit first entered the world championship in 2015. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing made the long journey from central Europe to the depths of South America with three of their four riders in play and with 5-time title winner Jeffrey Herlings making a welcome return to the orange set-up.

Under cloudy, chilly skies and with typically vocal and passionate native support, the GP got going with the RAM Qualification Heat on Saturday providing both MXGP and MX2 classes with their first gate drops of the season. Herlings rode to a steady 6th place while Adamo started excellently in MX2 and led until the last two laps. The Italian brought his KTM 250 SX-F home in 3rd for a decent gate choice pick for Sunday. Coenen rode to 9th.

Andrea Adamo, opting to keep his career number of #80 in place of #1, strived to be hot away from the line for the first race on Sunday and in sunnier weather. The Italian fared better in the second moto where a 5th position represented the highest ranking for the team on the day. Andrea was 5th overall. Sacha Coenen, who finished 17th at Argentina in 2023, suffered from a few small mistakes but his runs to 6th and 10th was good enough for 8th.

Jeffrey Herlings took a measured approach to the difficult, fast and bumpy Argentine soil. Playing a smart game and fully aware of the 57 starts still to come after the Nequen fixture Herlings plotted charts to 8th and 7th for 8th in the final rankings.

Fellow Belgian Liam Everts missed the trip to Argentina due to an injury with his right thumb. The 2023 multiple Grand Prix winner is recovering from corrective surgery and is hopeful of re-joining the team for round two. The following fixture sees MXGP return to European shores and to the Intu Xanadú – Arroyomolinos in Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix on March 23-24.

The Qatar Grand Prix produced yet more extreme performance and faster race times and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing were chief protagonists in a tense opening joust of the 2024 campaign. Brad Binder followed up his runner-up finish in the Saturday Sprint at the Lusail International Circuit with a confident repeat 2nd position as teammate Jack Miller logged a 21st place finish after an early tumble in the 21-lap affair.

• Round 1 of 21 in 2024 closes with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing achieving two trophies at the superb race facility north of Doha, celebrating its 20th anniversary as a MotoGP host venue
• Brad Binder plots a course to the front on the 2024 spec of the KTM RC16 and now sits 2nd in the formative world championship standings after his Saturday Sprint podium
• Jack Miller makes it to the flag and the culmination of a busy period in Qatar of testing and racing
• Europe, Portugal and the spectacular Portimao circuit next for MotoGP in two weeks

Testing, qualifying, Sprints and then, finally, the Grand Prix. Qatar saw another healthy crowd packed into the main, central grandstand at the modern and impressive Lusail International Circuit as the MotoGP series got underway at the scene of the traditional ‘curtain-raiser’.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing prepped for the 22-lap distance with the knowledge and data of the 11-lap Sprint from Saturday night in the hard drive. For Brad Binder and Jack Miller the Sunday evening outing was the chance to bank full points and click the 2024 season into gear. A mechanical problem for another rider caused a brief delay and a reduced 21-lap distance to be enforced. As on Saturday, Binder launched from 4th on the grid with Miller in 11th and the KTM RC16s were again noticeable for their rapid prowess from a standing start.

During the race Brad pursued Francesco Bagnaia closely and also battled with Jorge Martin; beating the Spaniard to the second step of the podium. The 2-2 scorecard overall represented a shining start to the season and announced the Binder/RC16 package as race winner-in-waiting. Jack was unlucky to slip out of the running on the second lap. He then endured a lonely run at the back of the field and completed the distance outside of the top twenty.

Round two will see the sport and paddock unpack their European Grand Prix set-ups for the first time when they arrive at the Algarve International Circuit in southern Portugal next week. The EU stop will be brief as the third date on the calendar takes the series to North America in April.

Brad Binder, 2nd: “Super-happy to be leaving with 2nd place again. I thought I might have had a bit to catch up and take the lead but every time I got a little closer then the gap stretched again! Anyway, we are happy to start the season this way. I think winning again is only a matter of time. My bike was next-level again, even after the improvements we had made for yesterday, so my team did an immense job. Hats off to them.”

Jack Miller, 21st: “Not how I wanted to start the season but those are the cards we were dealt today. The guys went a bit deep into Turn 1 and I tried to hold a tighter line and the front went away. I picked the bike up and was pushing afterwards but I was missing something today. I could not run close to the pace we needed. A head scratcher. We will try to work out what went wrong and try to fix it for Portimao.”

Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “A great race by Brad. He was outstanding out there. This isn’t one of our best tracks - or hasn’t been - so to be 2nd twice gives us a lot of confidence for the future. Also, the change we made to the bike after the Sprint made him happy. Crashing out meant that Jack could not take anything from the race but I am sure that he will be back near the front really soon. Portugal is another round for us and another challenge but with Brad in this kind of form and Jack with potential we can be optimistic.”

Results MotoGP Grand Prix of Qatar

1. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati 39:34.869

2. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +1.329

3. Jorge Martin (ESP) Ducati +1.933

9. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 11.595

17. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 +24.106

21. Jack Miller (AUS) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +42.761

World Championship standings MotoGP

1. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati, 31 points

2. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 29

3. Jorge Martin (ESP) Ducati, 28

9. Pedro Acosta (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, 9

17. Augusto Fernandez (ESP) Red Bull GASGAS Tech3, 0

21. Jack Miller (AUS) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 0

A mostly covert weekend for the Repsol Honda Team saw Joan Mir build steadily throughout the Qatar GP, able to challenge the top ten and collect clear data on where to improve in the coming races. Marini completed his first Grand Prix as a Repsol Honda Team rider with greater ambitions to come.

Optimism was the word of the day for Joan Mir who put together a consistent ride after the turmoil on the grid which saw the race distance reduced. An aggressive start had Mir immediately gaining positions from 17th on the grid and moving into the point scoring positions. From here, the Repsol Honda Team rider set his sights on Fabio Quartararo and the top ten with the pair briefly battling Maverick Viñales before focusing on each other. With five laps to go, Mir took an opportunity to break away and secure 11th but his charge would come just moments too soon and he would have Quartararo and Zarco with him again as the race came to a close.

Crossing the line in 13th and 18.4 seconds from the winner, the most important aspect was the positive feeling and comfort he felt with the Repsol Honda Team RC213V. Mir and the team are adamant that this is the positive first step in a year of improvements – a confidence building result for the 2020 MotoGP World Champion.

On the other side of the Repsol Honda Team garage, Luca Marini was able to author another race finish. As with the Sprint race, the Italian spent the reduced 21-lap race distance working to improve his sensations with the Honda and understand his new bike over longer runs. Initially dropping back from the rest of the field, Marini made the most of his situation to study the KTM of Jack Miller for the majority of the race.

Now the paddock will head for Portugal and round two at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, March 22 to March 24. Both Mir and Marini are looking forward to getting back out on track and continuing their progress.

Joan Mir  ³⁶13th 

“We made a great race, honestly. I started well and recovered a lot of positions straight away. It’s been a long time since I was able to enjoy riding like that, so that is really positive. Starting at the back isn’t easy, but we made good ground to be with Fabio for most of the race. In the last five laps I felt like I had a little bit more than Quartararo, so I overtook him and made a gap of one second. Then in the last two laps we dropped a lot, and we lost some positions, which isn’t ideal. But still we are pleased with everything we have done and always learning.”

Luca Marini  ¹⁰20th 

“It’s encouraging to see the other Honda riders, and especially Mir, fighting for good positions. For us, it has been a continuation of our weekend today and we had a small issue which limited us in the race. I was able to understand a lot of things during the race which is very important, especially when I realized Miller was behind – I let him pass to study a little bit what he was doing. I think this will help us to understand more and more, to take some positives. We need time to keep trying things and getting more comfortable.”

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A second-straight 250SX East victory for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Tom Vialle saw him take over the series points lead following Birmingham's ninth round of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, as Chase Sexton raced to a top-five finish in the 450SX Class.

Just one week after his breakout win in Daytona, 23-year-old Vialle rode his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to the third-fastest lap-time in qualifying, before storming to P1 in both his Heat and the Main Event. It was a controlled performance from the two-time MX2 World Champion to win by 2.731 seconds, now holding the red plate by a single point following four rounds of the eastern regional series.
Tom Vialle: "I felt great all day and had a good Heat race to win one of those for the first time. In the Main Event, I didn't have the best start, but I got into P1 and did some good laps early, trying to stay consistent the whole moto. The last four or five laps were great, I loved the track, and it turns out it was pretty good after the weather we had this week. Another win is amazing for me and I'm really happy to have the red plate – I haven't won two races in a row since back in the GPs, so it is a nice feeling. Now we will focus on the next race in Indy."

450SX saw defending champion Sexton qualify second quickest and then sprint away to a commanding Heat race victory onboard the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. A late charge in the Main Event eventually resulted in a fourth-place result, keeping his title hopes alive, now 20 points outside of the lead in third position.

Chase Sexton: "Today was better, even if the result obviously didn't really show it. I feel like my speed and also spark was back today – not where I want it to be, but it's getting better. Heat race win, it took me nine races to get one of those this season, which was good for us tonight, and then in the Main Event, I made a few mistakes and really just lost the race from there. We'll go back to work this week and try to come out swinging for the Triple Crown in Indy."

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Aaron Plessinger's day also started out in promising fashion, ninth in qualifying and then claiming fifth in the second 450SX Heat race of the night program. He ran as high as sixth in the Main Event on his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, before going on to take the checkered flag in P8.

Aaron Plessinger: "Alabama was going good, the qualifiers were decent, and then in the Heat race we pushed through for fifth. We made a little bit of a change and went out for the Main Event, but I just rode inconsistent. I was making little mistakes and just wasn't fully in the moment, so ended up eighth. Overall, it was a solid day, we're coming out unscathed and onto the next one! We'll do some homework this week and figure out how to get back up on the podium."

Results 450SX Class – Birmingham
1. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda
2. Cooper Webb (USA), Yamaha
3. Ken Roczen (GER), Suzuki
4. Chase Sexton (USA), KTM
OTHER KTM
8. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM

Standings 450SX Class 2024 after 9 of 17 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 185 points
2. Cooper Webb, 172
3. Chase Sexton, 165
OTHER KTM
7. Aaron Plessinger, 146

Results 250SX East Class – Birmingham
1. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM
2. Cameron McAdoo (USA), Kawasaki
3. Seth Hammaker (USA), Kawasaki

Standings 250SX East Class 2024 after 4 of 9 rounds
1. Tom Vialle, 74 points
2. Cameron McAdoo, 73
3. Pierce Brown, 69

A landmark season of the MotoGP World Championship awaits Joan Mir and Luca Marini, the young pairing ready to pilot their striking 2024 Repsol Honda Team RC213V machines across 21 rounds – starting under the floodlights of Qatar.

With an intense pre-season of testing behind them, the new-look Repsol Honda Team arrive at the start of the 75th anniversary year of the MotoGP World Championship prepared to work. Honda’s relationship with Grand Prix racing started in 1959 in the 125cc class, achieving a debut victory in the hands of Tom Phillis two years later before the iconic Jim Redman would take a first premier class win at the West German GP in 1996. Since those heady days, Honda have achieved 821 victories across all classes – 183 of those wins belonging to the Repsol Honda Team.

Honda’s factory effort will be guided by the hands of Joan Mir and Luca Marini for the 2024 season. Together they boast two World Championships, 18 wins and 50 podiums across the classes. The pair have been working closely with HRC’s engineers since the close of 2023 to prepare in the best way possible for the start of the newest campaign. A heavily revised Honda RC213V has been prepared with a number of further developments planned throughout the course of the year.

Joan Mir enters his second year with the Repsol Honda Team and has been reinvigorated by a positive start to testing in 2024. Able to consistently improve both his one lap and his overall race pace across each day in Sepang and Qatar, Mir is confident he can return to fighting towards the front. Continuing along this path of improvements will be the objective for Mir and his team, led by Santi Hernandez, as the new season begins. Mir achieved 14th in last year’s Qatar GP.

Luca Marini is the newest recruit to the Repsol Honda Team’s historic line up of riders, the 26-year-old Italian joining the factory team after three years of impressive progression in the premier class. Like his teammate, the objective for the weekened will be to make further improvements to himself and the Honda RC213V as he adapts to life on his new motorcycle. Signing off the end to a strong 2023 campaign, Marini secured pole for the 2023 edition of the Qatar race and holds the current lap record around the Lusail International Circuit.

The season will begin with Free Practice 1 at 15:45 Local Time on Friday, March 08 with the lights going out on the MotoGP Sprint Race at 19:00 Local Time on Saturday, March 09. Then the main event, the 22-lap Grand Prix of Qatar, is scheduled to begin at 20:00 Local Time on Sunday, March 10, as the curtain officially lifts on another thrilling season of MotoGP action.