Red Bull Motorsports
MotoGP
Everything you need to know about MotoGP™
The MotoGP™ world championship is set to return again this weekend in Jerez and we can't wait. Here's all you need to know before lights out.
This year's MotoGP™ season is setting up to be the closest championship in history. With a grid full of competitive bikes and fast riders, testing that saw the top 18 riders separated by less than a second and dozens of interesting storylines within the newly revised 13-round championship, it's going to be a thrilling year.
With that depth of field comes loads of questions that you might not be sure of. Just how dominant is eight-time champion Marc Márquez? Is Valentino Rossi's time as the sport's iconic figure going to come to an end this year? Can the Red Bull KTM team step up to the mark after three years of learning? And will it take time for riders to adjust after a longer than usual off season?
We'll find out the answers to some of those questions this weekend in Jerez, at the season-opening Gran Premio de España. Over the past few months we've seen countless battles played out online, with riders taking to virtual racing while waiting for the real lights to go out. We even finally glimpsed a chink in the armour of the ever-brilliant Marc Márquez, who struggled against his brother Álex when swapping handlebars for console controller.
Whether Álex can transfer his virtual dominance into the real world remains to be seen, but read on as we take a look at everything else you need to know about MotoGP™.
What is MotoGP™?
MotoGP™ is the premier class of two-wheeled racing, with the top names lining up on the best bikes that the biggest manufacturers can build. With purpose-built 1000cc prototype bikes weighing only 160kg but producing over 300 horsepower and getting up to speeds of 355kph, it needs real warriors to take on a modern MotoGP™ machine. Race weekends see practice on Friday and qualifying on Saturday, before Sunday’s main event – a 45-minute battle royale. Regularly seeing races won by mere 100ths of a second, the current technical rules have been honed to perfection to produce some of the closest fights in motorsport.
There’s even more bang for your buck with Moto2 and Moto3, too. The support classes of the series, Moto2 is a one-make class powered by Triumph’s glorious-sounding 765cc triple-cylinder engines, acting as the step to the top, while Moto3 is the knife-fighters’ class, with a load of unruly teenagers on 250cc machines still capable of 240kph.
Can Andrea Dovizioso finally beat Marc Márquez?
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
What does the 2020 calendar look like?
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
19 July
Gran Premio de España
Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto
26 July
Gran Premio de Andalusia
Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto
09 August
Grand Prix České republiky
Automotodrom Brno
16 August
Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich
Red Bull Ring
23 August
Motorrad Grand Prix von Styria
Red Bull Ring
13 September
Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini
Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
20 September
Gran Premio di Emilia Romagna
Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
27 September
Gran Premi de Catalunya
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
11 October
Grand Prix de France
Circuit Bugatti Le Mans
18 October
Gran Premio de Aragón
Motorland Aragón
25 October
Gran Premio de Teruel
Motorland Aragón
08 November
Gran Premio de Europa
Circuit Ricardo Tormo Valencia
15 November
Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana
Circuit Ricardo Tormo Valencia
Who are the big players?
It’s impossible to start without talking about Repsol Honda rider Marc Márquez. Now an eight-time world champion and dominant force in 2019, it’s hard to bet against the man who’s made the sport his own of late. But he’s starting the season on the back foot, recovering from shoulder surgery that’ll give his opponents a chance to challenge. Chief among those rivals is Andrea Dovizioso, with the Ducati rider now three times a runner-up to Márquez, but on a bike that’s improving every year.
On the Yamaha front, both Maverick Viñales and 2019 rookie sensation Fabio Quartararo will be out for blood. Finally fixing the issues that have plagued their machine for the past few years, it could be their time to take the fight to Márquez. There’s a new threat from Suzuki this year too, with Álex Rins finally looking ready to launch a title campaign as both he and his GSX-RR mature together.
What about the underdogs?
It’s hard to talk about MotoGP™ without mentioning Valentino Rossi. Now 41 years old, but still full of fire, he too will benefit from an improved Yamaha as he sets out to decide whether it’s his last season in the sport. Unlikely to be a title contender, he'll be in the mix to win races. There are also two of the newer manufacturers in town when it comes to fighting for podiums. Both Red Bull KTM and Aprilia have made big steps over the winter, and they’ll be looking to get into the fight.
What makes the series so special?
Competitiveness. We’ve got a 2020 grid where the oldest bike was a race winner last year, where half the riders are world champions, and where there are 10 potential race winners and a realistic chance of everyone scoring podiums. And while Márquez might have won the championship convincingly last year, it wasn’t made easy for him by a whole host of people. Chased down by a dozen riders hoping to dethrone him, expect to see races won by 1000ths of a second. Bring it on.
What about virtual racing?
The start of this season's MotoGP™ was delayed, but there's been plenty of racing to enjoy in the meantime. Some of the sport's top riders – including Marc Márquez – took to virtual tracks over the past couple of months, and there have been some absolutely epic battles on display. Álex Márquez got to ride alongside his brother for the first time ever in the top flight, and it was the younger Márquez who proved most capable. Could we see the same thing happen in real life?
