When one talks about the greatest show on earth, MotoGP makes a very good case for itself. Imagine the combination of the pinnacle of motorcycle engineering from the manufacturers involved and the best of riding talent around the world. Now, imagine a battle royale between the aforementioned manufacturers and riders to claim the right to be called the best. That is what MotoGP is all about. And thanks to Castrol POWER1, we got to witness a piece of this action at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia this year!
Watching MotoGP at home is a thrilling experience in its own right. But it cannot beat the sheer delight of being right in the middle of the action. From witnessing the best of each manufacturer up close and then watching the riders bet everything to beat the others, it is an experience like no other. We all love speed, but when you see the riders and motorcycles as nothing but flashes of colours as they pass you by gives you a ton of perspective on what real speed is.
We’d like to extend a massive thanks to Castrol POWER1 for enabling us to experience the jaw-dropping action up close and personal. Castrol POWER1 has been a part of the show for a very long time now. Currently, they are partners with Honda with their factory team featuring Joan Mir and Luca Marini, and also with Johann Zarco from the LCR Honda team. They are also a key part of Aprilia’s MotoGP project.
The fact that such a brand that powers some of the best motorcycles in the world has also been associated with xBhp for such a long time is a matter of immense pride for us. Correction… pride and reassurance. Reassurance in the sense that the engine oil that is tasked with taking care of mechanical marvels such as the RC213V and the RS-GP is also taking care of all the motorcycles in the xBhp Garage. That is more reassurance than one can ever need when it comes to the well-being of their motorcycles.
Now, coming back to the action at hand, Sepang has been a very happening circuit ever since it was added to the MotoGP calendar. It has been the venue of some of the most thrilling races in the history of MotoGP and also a fair share of tragedy. Marco Simoncelli lost his life at this circuit, and it was also the venue for the infamous Rossi-Marquez clash. So one thing that is guaranteed at Sepang is that there won’t be a dull moment!
This time was no different, and the action began right from the Friday practice. All was going well, per usual, when intermittent rain in the final minutes made for a frantic end to the session. A lot of the riders were impacted. Some big names got pushed to Q2, including Luca Marini, who topped FP2, Francesco Bagnaia, Raul Fernandez, Fermin Aldeguer, and even Marco Bezzecchi, who has been in stellar form of late. This meant that Saturday was just as exciting. Qualifying was a scintillating affair as some of the top names battled for a place in Q1. Luca Marini had the speed to threaten the rest, but unfortunately, he missed out due to yellow flags on his final lap, thanks to a crashed Aldeguer, who made it to Q2 despite the mishap. Along with Aldeguer, it was Bagnaia who made it to Q2.
Q2 did not disappoint either. Bagnaia, thanks to his excursion in Q2, had the soft compound tyres for just one run, but he made it count with the Pole Position, his third of the season. Considering he came from Q1, it was a stellar effort from the Italian. He set the provisional pole on his very first lap. The only rider who could come close to his time was Alex Marquez, but it was Bagnaia who ultimately prevailed, albeit by just 0.016 seconds! Joan Mir was the best Honda in 7th place, followed by Johann Zarco in 9th. Although Marini and Bezzecchi displayed podium pace, they had to start from 13th and 14th, respectively. After the qualifying action, it was time for the sprint.
The Saturday Sprint was a one-man show. Francesco Bagnaia had a rocket start from pole position, and after he led from pole, it was a lead he never relinquished. Joan Mir also had a fantastic start and was right in the mix for a podium battle when an unfortunate crash saw him bow out of the Sprint. Alex Marquez was pressured by Acosta and Mir for a while, but the latter crashed, and the former faded away to cede his podium place to a fast-charging Aldeguer. But there was drama even after the sprint had ended as the Spanish rookie was handed an 8-second penalty post-race for a low tyre pressure, which handed the final podium place to Acosta. This, however, did naught to stop Aldeguer from snatching the Rookie of the Year honours.
Marco Bezzecchi achieved a very respectable 6th place after starting from 14th place. Both representatives of the Castrol Honda team had a DNF in front of their names, with Johann Zarco finishing in 8th, salvaging points for the Honda team. It was a rough Saturday for Honda, but their fortunes turned in their favour on Sunday in stunning fashion!
Alex Marquez celebrated his 2nd place in this year’s MotoGP title race with a victory on Sunday. Bagnaia made a stellar start again, but this time, Alex Marquez had the pace to overtake him on Lap 2, and after that, he cruised to what would have been a very satisfying victory. However, Bagnaia’s woes did not end here, as after losing second place to Acosta, he experienced a technical issue, which prevented him from finishing the race.
Joan Mir showed stellar pace in the Sprint before he unfortunately crashed out, but Sunday treated him a fair bit better. He was rapid throughout the race, and Bagnaia’s misfortune meant that the final place on the podium was his. Luca Marini also did well, considering he started 13th with an 8th-place finish. Johann Zarco also brought home some points for Honda as he finished in 12th. Bezzecchi, despite showing pace, was not able to do much as he finished 11th.
Overall, the Malaysian GP was a solid show. We have been to several MotoGP events in the past, including a previous visit to Sepang, a wonderful weekend at Phillip Island, and a fiery weekend right here in our turf at the Buddh International Circuit. For each of those experiences, we have Castrol POWER1 to thank. So we’d like to extend a massive thanks to Castrol POWER1 for not only taking care of our precious machines in the xBhp Garage, but also for enabling us to experience what is arguably the greatest show on earth!
