14-18 – GP d’Aragón – Timetables and challenges of the Grand Prix d’Aragon MotoGP 2017 –

Timetables and challenges of the 2017 MotoGP Aragon Grand Prix

14-18 - GP d'Aragón - Timetables and challenges of the Grand Prix d'Aragon MotoGP 2017 -

The Grand Prix d’Aragon, the 14th MotoGP 2017 race, kicks off this weekend near Alcaniz, Spain. Three drivers and manufacturers tackle him neck and neck: Marc Marquez (Honda) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) are tied on points (199) and wins (4), while Maverick Viñales is 16 lengths (183) on his Yamaha. As for Valentino Rossi, injured, he will courageously try to defend his fourth place! Presentation, schedules, statements and retrospectives.

Inaugurated in 2010, the Motorland circuit of Aragon is a very beautiful 5.077 km route, technical and hilly, which has ten left and seven right turns, a long straight line of about a kilometer and several tight hairpins..

  • Official :

The variety of its development makes it a complete circuit which gives pride of place to driving, a criterion appreciated by pilots (layout plan at the bottom of the page) !

14-18 - GP d'Aragón - Timetables and challenges of the Grand Prix d'Aragon MotoGP 2017 -

Among his fans are Marc Marquez, who works above his balance in running and his attack in motocross: the Honda official has signed all pole positions since his arrival in MotoGP in 2013 and has two victories for Teruel. (2013 and 2016), mountainous province in northern Spain where the Aragon complex is located. Despite two falls (in 2014 and 2015), Marquez calmly approaches this circuit which he classifies among his favorites, with the status of leader in the provisional thanks to his three second places (against only one for Dovizioso).

Viñales in ambush behind Marquez and Dovizioso

Maverick Viñales is placed just behind the two leaders tied, just 16 points behind the Honda and Ducati riders. The Yamaha official is sure to have his say in this final European race ahead of the overseas tour, which kicks off in Japan on October 24. "Mack" indeed seems to have returned to his speed at the start of the season, as suggested by his pole signed in the dry during the previous race at Misano. 

14-18 - GP d'Aragón - Timetables and challenges of the Grand Prix d'Aragon MotoGP 2017 -

In the wet, on the other hand, the n ° 25 still has difficulties on his M1: the Spaniard was finally never in the game for the victory in San Marino because of the rain, criticizing once again the lack of motor skills of his motorcycle. However, the weather can be capricious in Aragon at this time of the year: the risk of rain cannot be ruled out on Friday according to the forecast, which does however announce sunny days on Saturday and Sunday..

Rossi back on the handlebars !

Without a doubt, all the attention will be focused on Viñales’ box neighbor: the stainless, the unsinkable, the invulnerable Valentino Rossi! Against all expectations, the nine-time world champion at the GP of Aragon: to get back on his M1 only 22 days after his double fracture tibia fibula contracted during his fall with an enduro motorcycle! And this while a convalescence of "30 to 40 days" was prescribed to him…

14-18 - GP d'Aragón - Timetables and challenges of the Grand Prix d'Aragon MotoGP 2017 -

After having successfully tested himself on an R1 in Misano (Italy), the Doctor decided to brave the pain and the risks to try to defend his chances in the championship, where he still occupies 4th place, 42 points behind the two leaders despite his package at the San Marino GP. The motivation and courage of the Italian command respect, especially given his age (39 years) and his solid gold record! The only disappointment in this situation is probably his planned replacement, k, who dreamed of riding a MotoGP for the first time….

  • MNC Live –
  • MNC LiveBetter sensations for Rossi during his second test in Misano
  • MNC of September 19, 2017 :
  • MNC of September 11, 2017 : 

Remember that when he had already broken the same leg in 2010 during testing at Mugello (Italy), Rossi had only returned after 41 days. His fracture was however more important at the time, because of the open type. But the genius of the mountain pastures was also much younger, and therefore likely to recover better than at the dawn of his forties..

This longevity makes Valentino Rossi the driver with the most Grand Prix participations: 360 starts including 300 in the premier class. This weekend, the GP of Aragon will mark the milestone of 900 races since its very first in 1949: the n ° 46 took part in 40% of these events, a record !

Pedrosa and Zarco ready to perform

Dani Pedrosa and Johann Zarco, respectively fourth and fifth in the provisional standings, for their part to bounce back in Aragon to wipe out a disappointing San Marino GP. The Honda official failed at a distant 14th place in Italy, facing insoluble grip problems, and loses contact in the title race, now 49 points behind the leaders.

14-18 - GP d'Aragón - Timetables and challenges of the Grand Prix d'Aragon MotoGP 2017 -

Like "Pedro", Johann Zarco approaches Aragon with the ambition to recover after his disappointment at Misano, where he was deprived of a 7th place which was outstretched to him because of a lack of gasoline in the last corner. … The footage showing him pushing his M1 Tech3 to bravely save the 15th place point circled the motorcycle planet !

Johann is currently 89 points behind the leaders "Marquez-Dovi" and is threatened by Danilo Petrucci, back in his wake thanks to his good second place in Misano: the Ducati Pramac rider is only 15 points behind his opponent tricolor (95 against 110). The performances of the two men will therefore be closely followed all weekend on MNC and MNC Live. !

The pneumatic data of the GP of Aragon 2017

As in practically every race, Michelin brings its three choices of tires to the GP of Aragon: soft, medium and hard tires at the front and at the rear. The front tires are symmetrical in design, while the rear tires are asymmetrical with a stronger left sidewall to suit the track.

14-18 - GP d'Aragón - Timetables and challenges of the Grand Prix d'Aragon MotoGP 2017 -

"Aragon had been a challenge for us last year with very cold mornings and we were discovering this circuit", recalls Piero Taramasso, manager of the Michelin racing department. "We have learned a lot and collected valuable data which has helped us improve the tires for these types of conditions. It can be cold and the circuit is very technical with a moderately abrasive surface, so you have to be careful".

“Last year in the race, our tires offered good longevity and consistency. This year, we want to give the pilots products that allow them to attack even more. We want to continue on this good dynamic and the fight for the championship. promises to be exciting again ahead of three overseas races in a row, "he concludes..

Pilot declarations and objectives 

Marc Marquez – Honda HRC : "This championship is incredible, the gaps are so close. In Misano, we are back at the top of the general classification, tied on points with Andrea, and our other opponents are not very far either. The last five races promise to ‘be intense, we will have to keep working hard. I’m happy to go to Aragón, it is one of my favorite tracks. We will try to give ourselves 100% in front of our fans, in order to fight for the victory, as was the case in Misano. For that, it will be necessary to attack from the first session, until the last lap of the race ".

Valentino Rossi – Yamaha Movistar: "Luckily, yesterday I had a good practice session with my YZF-R1M at Misano. I had also tried the previous day, but the rain had put an end to my driving after a few laps. was able to complete 20 laps yesterday and find the answer to the question I was wondering.The test finally went well and I would like to thank Dr Lucidi and his team who helped me find the best possible solution in order to feel the less pain in my leg while riding Obviously after this test I was in slight pain, but this morning I visited Dr Pascarella for an exam and the results came back positive. decided to go to Aragón to try to race on my M1 this weekend. If I am declared fit to ride, then I would have a real answer in the first session, because riding the M1 is a much higher challenge . We’ll see. See you in Aragón! " 

Dani Pedrosa – Honda HRC : "The weekend in Misano turned out to be disappointing, but we are leaving that behind, to move forward for the next event in Aragón. We know that we can be much faster, if we are in able to do good sessions, if we find the best set-up for our bike and get the tires to work as well as possible. I really like going to Aragón, I’m really looking forward to racing in front of my home crowd. hope the weather will be nice with us and that I can fight for the podium again ".

Johann Zarco – Yamaha-Tech3 : "Aragón is approaching and I am motivated to score a good result there. I would like to be able to finish in the Top 5 and why not fight for the podium, even if the task is not announced not easy because a lot of riders are fast on this track. I will keep in mind all the work done in Misano, which was positive. With the team, we had made good progress. We were unlucky on Sunday, but we will leave this moment behind us, this mishap that I intend to erase by going for a solid result in Aragón. I’m sure we can score a lot of points for the Championship, before leaving for the Asian tour in October "

Loris Baz – Ducati Avintia : "I tried everything in Misano. I didn’t want to be content with finishing fifth or sixth, because the pace I had during the warm-up would have allowed me to get a good result. But it didn’t work out. We will see how it goes in Aragón, where our objective will be the same as usual, namely to try to reach Q2 on Saturday and fight for the Top 10 on Sunday, or at least to enter a few points. If we keep working the same way, I think it’s doable. Obviously it shouldn’t be raining so we’ll have to be smart to ensure a good result. ".

[Update 09/20/2017 at 6:06 pm]

Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team : "MotorLand Aragón is very nice, but it’s a rather unusual track and completely different from the one in Misano where I finished on the podium for the first time in my career two weeks ago. We now know that we are We are competitive on all circuits. Both my team and I are excited about the next five races so I will be aiming for a new Top 3 this weekend. ".

Maverick Viñales – Yamaha Factory: "I’m happy to be in Aragón, because for us it’s a bit like our second home leg and we know we can perform well there with the M1. It’s one of my favorite circuits, in Because of its layout, in Aragón, you can go very fast. We are 16 points behind overall and we need to close this gap as quickly as possible. For this reason, it will be important to persevere and believe that we can achieve it . In Misano we have made significant progress and I have no doubts that we will take another big step this weekend. It is crucial to stay focused. ".

Michael van der Marck – replacement for Valentino Rossi in case: “While I’m still unsure whether to ride the YZR-M1 this weekend, I’m really looking forward to it. While I would love to take a seat on the M1, I fully support Valentino’s return. Or I will be making my MotoGP debut or if I am unable to race I will see Valentino at work making his comeback. As I said before I never had the chance to to ride a MotoGP before this event. If Valentino decides to quit, I will have to dive into the deep end at the start of the next session and try to do my best. However, after securing my first WorldSBK podium of the season in Portimão , I am in the best position to take on this challenge. I would like to thank Yamaha once again for giving me this opportunity. Either way, I am sure it will be a good experience. "

Timetables of the 2017 MotoGP Aragon Grand Prix

Friday, September 22, 2017

  • Free practice 1 Moto3: from 9:00 a.m. to 9:40 a.m.
  • Free practice 1 MotoGP: from 9:55 a.m. to 10:40 a.m.
  • Free practice 1 Moto2: from 10:55 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.
  • Moto3 free practice 2: from 1:10 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
  • MotoGP Free Practice 2: 2:05 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.
  • Moto2 Free Practice 2: 3:05 p.m. to 3:50 p.m.

Saturday 23 September 2017

  • Moto3 free practice 3: 9:00 a.m. 9:40 a.m.
  • MotoGP Free Practice 3: 9:55 a.m. to 10:40 a.m.
  • Moto2 free practice 3: from 10:55 am to 11:40 am
  • Moto3 Qualifying: 12:35 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
  • MotoGP Free Practice 4: 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
  • MotoGP Q1 Qualifying: 2:10 p.m. to 2:25 p.m.
  • MotoGP Qualifying Q2: from 2:35 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.
  • Moto2 Qualifying: 3:05 p.m. to 3:50 p.m.

Sunday September 24, 2017

  • Moto3 warm-up: 8:40 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
  • Moto2 warm-up: 9:10 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
  • MotoGP warm-up: from 9.40 a.m. to 10.00 a.m.
  • Moto3 race start: 11h00
  • Moto2 Race start: 12:20 p.m.
  • MotoGP race start: 2:00 p.m.

The Aragon circuit

14-18 - GP d'Aragón - Timetables and challenges of the Grand Prix d'Aragon MotoGP 2017 -

Retrospective of the Grand Prix of Aragon MotoGP

  • Statements and analyzes of the GP of Aragon 2013
  • Declarations and analyzes of the GP of Aragon 2011

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