After two successful MotoGP Virtual Races that drew millions of viewers from around the globe, MotoGP will be holding the Red Bull Virtual Grand Prix of Spain on Sunday, May 3, at 9 a.m. EDT. Unlike the Virtual Races that were between 10 MotoGP racers, the Virtual Grand Prix of Spain will have 11 riders in the MotoGP class, and 10 competitors in each of the support classes— Moto2 and Moto3. The racing will be on the electronic rendering of Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto.The MotoGP heavy hitters from the Virtual Races return, including race winners Alex Márquez and Pecco Bagnaia. Both Alex Márquez and Bagnaia finished on the podium at the two Virtual Races. Other top-five regulars that will be racing again are Maverick Viñales, Marc Márquez, and Fabio Quartararo.
Returning after missing the second round are Alex Rins, Miguel Oliveira, Danilo Petrucci, Tito Rabat, and Iker Lecuona. Rins and Oliveira will be looking to build on their previous top-ten finishes, while Rabat and Lecuona will be looking to avoid their zero-point DNFs in the first round, and Petrucci his round-two DNF.Lorenzo Savadori will be making his debut. In addition to being a test rider for Aprilia Racing Team Gresini, Savadori raced in the MotoE World Cup last year, and is slated to compete in the Italian CIV Superbike Championship Series.LCR Honda is absent from the Virtual Grand Prix of Spain. Takaaki Nakagami is in Japan, and doesn’t yet have access to the new MotoGP20 game, while Cal Crutchlow doesn’t have a PlayStation. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is letting its satellite team, Red Bull KTM Tech 3, supply the racers.The MotoGP race will be 13 laps, while the Moto2 and Moto3 races will be eight laps. This will be the first time the GP racers will be competing on Milestone’s MotoGP20 platform.The races can be streamed, or watched later on-demand, on the MotoGP website, as well as the usual social media outlets.The MotoGP Virtual Grand Prix of Spain is also functioning as a fundraiser for Two Wheels For Life, which uses motorcycles to access and provide health care services to under-served populations in rural sub-Saharan Africa.
MotoGP Entry List
Aprilia Racing Team Gresini: Lorenzo Savadori
Ducati Team: Danilo Petrucci
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP: Maverick Viñales
Petronas Yamaha SRT: Fabio Quartararo
Pramac Racing: Pecco Bagnaia
Reale Avintia Racing: Tito Rabat
Red Bull KTM Tech 3: Miguel Oliveira, Iker Lecuona
Repsol Honda Team: Marc Márquez, Alex Márquez
Team Suzuki Ecstar: Alex Rins
Moto2 Entry List
American Racing: Marcos Ramírez
Aspar Team: Aron Canet
Beta Tools Speed Up: Jorge Navarro
Flexbox HP 40: Lorenzo Baldassarri
Italtrans Racing Team: Enea Bastianini
Liqui Moly Intact GP: Marcel Schrötter
NTS RW Racing GP: Bo Bendsneyder
Petronas Sprinta Racing: Jake Dixon
Red Bull KTM Ajo: Jorge Martín
Sky Racing Team VR46: Luca Marini
Moto3 Entry List
Aspar Team Gaviota: Albert Arenas
BOE Skull Rider Facile Energy: Ricardo Rossi
Estrella Galicia 0,0: Sergio García
Kömmerling Gresini Moto3: Gabriel Rodrigo
Leopard Racing: Dennis Foggia
Red Bull KTM Ajo: Raúl Fernández
Red Bull KTM Tech 3: Deniz Öncü
Rivacold Snipers Team: Tony Arbolino
SIC58 Squadra Corse: Niccolo Antonelli
Sterilgarda Max Racing Team: Alonso López
MotoGP Virtual Race Series Standings (after two rounds)
Pecco Bagnaia, Pramac Racing Ducati, 45 points (1 win)
Alex Márquez, Repsol Honda Team, 41 (1 win)
Maverick Viñales, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, 36
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This week, in the first segment Editor Don Williams talks to us about the new Kawasaki Versys 650 LT. It’s the middleweight ADV style machine that uses the same 650 parallel twin motor as the Ninja 650, so it’s an excellent performer in a user-friendly, good looking package.
In the second segment, I chat with one of my dearest industry friends—now retired Honda PR executive, Jon Seidel. Jon’s fascinating career spans some 30 years with Big Red, and gave him some great experiences with some incredible machines. I was fortunate enough to be invited on many of the press launches that he organized. His new project is documenting and saving many of the old archives from years gone by—and incidentally, if you have anything that may be of value to the project, please contact us by email at producer@ultimatemotorcycling.com and we’ll pass it all on to Jon.
So on that note, from all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!