MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

It is almost a ritual. After the first day of practice at Barcelona, the riders all complain about a lack of grip. Though the track was resurfaced in 2018, the grip of the new surface disappeared very quickly. The reasons for that are complex, including the chemical composition of the asphalt and the sheer amount of use the track gets. But whatever the reason, the riders discover every year that the track has no grip, and have to figure out a workaround for that problem.

This year, at least, the track is no worse than last year, perhaps helped by the fact that the new Michelin rear has a softer edge to it, giving more grip in the many long corners around the track. But the change to the composition of the compound means it is also better able to handle heat, making the tires marginally less susceptible to overheating.

If there is an image that sticks in the mind of Johann Zarco's time at KTM, it is of a bewildered and furious Frenchman captured during FP1 at Jerez in 2019, calling the 2019 RC16 "s***". Four rounds in, and the relationship between Zarco and the Austrian factory was already falling apart.

Seven rounds later, and with eight rounds left to go, the relationship was over. Johann Zarco asked to be released from his two-year contract early, hoping to part ways at the end of the year. It wouldn't even take that long. Three rounds later, KTM had replaced him with test rider Mika Kallio, and released Zarco from his contract. The Frenchman would step in for Takaaki Nakagami at LCR Honda for the last three rounds, before signing a deal with Ducati that would see him join the Avintia squad.

With 19 riders out of contract at the end of the 2024 season, the MotoGP rider market for 2025 and beyond was always destined to be irrationally exuberant, to steal a phrase from a former central banker. After a spate of early announcements - Pecco Bagnaia staying with Ducati to the surprise of no one, Fabio Quartararo choosing money and promises from Yamaha over a pay cut and a chance to be immediately competitive on the Aprilia, and the early elevation of Fermín Aldeguer to MotoGP with Ducati - the rider market hit a quiet patch.

Too quiet, perhaps. The lack of announcements has kicked off a wave of speculation that has stretched credulity and ventured into the fantastical. Paddock rumor is matching riders with manufacturers in pairings that would have sounded more fever dream than plausible option even just a few short weeks ago.

The sprint races were added to the MotoGP schedule to give the fans something extra to look forward to on Saturday, to help circuits by filling the stands. And judging by the packed grandstands at Jerez, it's working rather well. Half distance races are intense and exciting and add an extra dimension to MotoGP.

There are downsides, of course. The additional pressure, the lack of setup time, the increased importance of grid position. But in the second year of the new schedule, the chaos of the sprint races seems to have subsided. The teams and riders have got a grip on things and are managing much better than at the start last year.

Until today, that is. The sprint race at Jerez created carnage, a wild ride which saw 15 of the 25 riders on the grid crash, five tire pressure penalties handed out, a podium spot change hands, and a classic Marc Marquez performance. In every sense of that phrase.

I'm not sure you can blame the sprint race format for the chaos at Jerez, however. Saturday's surprises were down to the weather, to the asphalt, and to keeping a level head while those around you lose theirs.

The Thursday of a MotoGP weekend always feels like a bit of a phony war. Relatively little has happened since the last time the paddock convened, and there isn't a great deal for the riders to say which we don't already know. The track is usually pretty much the same as it was last year, and only the bikes and tires have changed a bit.

The Thursday before Austin had a little more interest than normal. There have been two big announcements in the three weeks between Portimão and Austin, of long-term importance to the sport. First, the news that Liberty Media would be buying 86% of Dorna, and thereby the rights to MotoGP, MotoE, the various Talent Cups, the FIM Junior World Championship, and the WorldSBK series. And earlier this week, the news that Fabio Quartararo had signed on with Yamaha for two more years.

At the Circuit Of The Americas, Dorna held a special press conference with CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, Chief Sporting Officer Carlos Ezpeleta, and Chief Commercial Officer Dan Rossomondo, to give their perspective on the deal. It proved to be less informative than we might have hoped, but probably because our expectations were wrong. Dorna, after all have had little say in the matter. Current owners Bridgepoint Capital and Canadian pension fund CPPIB were the ones selling, and Liberty Media the party buying, and Dorna cannot say much about why the sellers were selling and the buyers were buying.

It is hard to think of a greater contrast between tracks than between Qatar, which hosted the opening round of the 2024 MotoGP season, and Portimão, which is home to the second round of 2024. Starting with the obvious: Qatar is a night race, Portimão is a day race, which changes everything. The track conditions are much closer between morning and afternoon at Portimão, than during the heat of the day for early practice at Qatar, and the cooler evening when the racing happens.

Then, the even more obvious. Qatar is as flat as a pancake. Portimão has earned the nickname Rollercoaster, for its wild sequence of elevation changes. Take the section from Turn 9, the aptly named Craig Jones corner, to Turn 12. Riders plunge down the hill from Turn 8, bottom out the suspension at Turn 9, trying as hard as they can to get the bike to change direction, then climb 12 meters - roughly four storeys - up through the double right hander of Turns 10 and 11, before dropping down another 16 meters - a little over five storeys - to Turn 12.