Paris (AFP)
The MotoGP World Championship will finally start on Sunday in Jerez (Spain), behind closed doors and with more than four months of delay, Marc Marquez taking on the assault of a seventh title to equal a Valentino Rossi who could deliver his baroud d 'honor.
At 27, the Spanish prodigy, titled in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, intends to continue on his Honda his business of demolition of competition, with as teammate for one season only his younger brother Alex, titled l last year in Moto2.
Marc will play the first innings at home on the circuit of Jerez, host of the first two events one week apart. The championship will then go to the Czech Republic for one race, then to Austria for the next two, probably still without spectators.
After a long period of confinement, Marc and Alex have resumed training for a few weeks by means of motocross. Eight months have passed since the last Grand Prix, five since the last tests and getting back on a MotoGP saddle will not necessarily be obvious.
At Yamaha, it is Rossi's future that raises all questions. The Italian forties, seven-time world champion (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009) but who has not won since 2017, knows that this is his last season for the factory team.
He will be replaced there in 2021 by the young Frenchman Fabio Quartararo, a revelation from last year. The "Doctor" must now choose to join a less prestigious team, probably the Yamaha-SRT satellite team, or to end his illustrious career.
The first races will be crucial to get an idea of his ability to fight for the top places, even a final victory, his 90th at the highest level.
- Victory for Quartararo? -
Quartararo will benefit while waiting for a real factory machine, while continuing to evolve within Yamaha-SRT. The Niçois are still chasing their first MotoGP victory, which would be the first of a tricolor rider at this level since that of Régis Laconi in 1999.
Fifth in the final ranking for his first participation last year, Fabio took advantage of the confinement to perfect his physical condition, posting on social networks a lot of videos of his different exercises.
His compatriot Johann Zarco found refuge with Ducati-Avintia after his aborted campaign last year with KTM. It will be for Cannes to stand out in terms of transfers for 2021, with a possible saddle in the Italian factory stable.
Composed again this year of the Italians Andrea Dovizioso (vice world champion 2019) and Danilo Petrucci, the Ducati team has not won the championship since 2007 and could not do better than third last year behind Honda and Yamaha in the classification of manufacturers.
Suzuki remains more than ever in an outsider position, with two victories and a second place last year thanks to the Spaniard Alex Rins but no other podium. The blues and whites must be more regular if they want to come and mix more often with the leading trio and the promises seen during the tests in February could allow them.
Remain KTM and Aprilia. The Austrian team experienced major setbacks last year with a restive machine and aligns for the last time with the Spaniard Pol Espargaro, bound for Honda next year, supported by the South African beginner Brad Binder , second in the Moto2 championship in 2019.
Aprilia will pass it for the first races of the services of the Italian Andrea Iannone, under the blow of a suspension for doping which he contests and which will be replaced by the Briton Bradley Smith. The Italian team, last in the championship last year, also let glimpse during the winter tests of great promises which it must now confirm.
© 2020 AFP