2018 MotoGP World Championship
The 2018 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 70th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. Marc Márquez entered the season as the reigning champion, with Repsol Honda being the reigning team champions and Honda the reigning constructors' champions.
2018 F.I.M. Grand Prix motorcycle racing season | |||
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2018 Moto2 season 2018 Moto3 season |
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix |
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Current season summary |
2021 MotoGP World Championship 2021 Moto2 World Championship 2021 Moto3 World Championship 2021 MotoE World Cup |
Related articles |
Classes of competition MotoGP Moto2 · Moto3 MotoE |
Lists |
Riders (Champions · Race winners · 500cc/MotoGP polesitters · Records · MotoGP Legends) Constructors (Champions · 500cc/MotoGP race winners) Teams (Champions) Seasons · Grands Prix · Circuits · Points scoring systems · Fatal accidents |
Originally scheduled for 19 races, the season was reduced by one Grand Prix due to the cancellation of the 26 August Silverstone event due to unsafe track conditions involving standing water after a rider vote.[1][2][3][4][5]
Marc Márquez clinched the championship trophy on 21 October 2018 after sixteen rounds, winning three consecutive races during spring, another three consecutive races during autumn and nine overall. Andrea Dovizioso finished in second and Valentino Rossi ended up in third, the former with four wins, while Rossi did not record a race win. Jorge Lorenzo with three wins and a win apiece for Cal Crutchlow and Maverick Viñales were the other race winners. Yamaha suffered their worst winless streak in their history with no wins for 25 races, which lasted from the 2017 German Grand Prix until Viñales won the Australian Grand Prix. KTM got their first podium finish at the Valencian Grand Prix
Teams and riders
Team changes
- LCR Honda expanded to enter a second bike for the first time since 2015.[28]
- Aspar Racing Team will race under the name of "Ángel Nieto Team" from 2018 in honor of the late Ángel Nieto.[15]
Rider changes
- Sam Lowes was released from his contract with Aprilia Racing Team Gresini one year before it expired.[42] Lowes returned to the Moto2 category.
- Thomas Lüthi moved up to MotoGP, making his début with EG 0,0 Marc VDS after competing in the intermediate class for eleven seasons.[30]
- 2017 Moto2 champion Franco Morbidelli was promoted to MotoGP, making his début with EG 0,0 Marc VDS.[31]
- Tito Rabat returned to Reale Avintia Racing, after leaving EG 0,0 Marc VDS. He was partnered by Xavier Siméon who moved up to the premier class. Rabat previously competed with Avintia Racing under the name By Queroseno Racing (BQR) between the 2005 125cc and the 2011 Moto2 seasons.
- Takaaki Nakagami moved up to MotoGP with Team LCR.[28]
- Scott Redding left Pramac Racing at the end of the 2017 season to join Aprilia Racing Team Gresini.[7] His place was taken by Jack Miller.[14]
- Loris Baz left MotoGP and returned to Superbike World Championship. During Mid-season, Baz replaced injured Pol Espargaró at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for British GP.
- Héctor Barberá returned to the intermediate class, Moto2, after leaving Reale Avintia Racing. Barberá has completed eight seasons in the premier class.
- Jonas Folger, who was on the provisional entry list, withdrew from the 2018 season to focus on recovery from illness.[43] Hafizh Syahrin moved up to MotoGP to fill his spot in Monster Yamaha Tech3. He is the first Malaysian rider to compete in the sport's premier class.[41]
Mid-season changes
- Randy de Puniet returned to MotoGP as the KTM test rider, replacing Mika Kallio who suffered a knee injury during German Grand Prix for the remainder of the season.
- Tito Rabat got injured after the British Grand Prix, so he was replaced by Christophe Ponsson for the San Marino Grand Prix. Jordi Torres also replacing him since Aragon Grand Prix onwards.
- Álvaro Bautista replaced Jorge Lorenzo at the Australian Grand Prix due to injuries sustained at the Thai Grand Prix, with Mike Jones to take Bautista's place.
Calendar
The following Grands Prix took place in 2018:[44]
Round | Date | Grand Prix | Circuit |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 18 March[N 3] | Grand Prix of Qatar[45] | Losail International Circuit, Lusail |
2 | 8 April | Gran Premio Motul de la República Argentina[46] | Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo, Santiago del Estero |
3 | 22 April | Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas[47] | Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas |
4 | 6 May | Gran Premio Red Bull de España[48] | Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto, Jerez de la Frontera |
5 | 20 May | HJC Helmets Grand Prix de France[49] | Circuit Bugatti, Le Mans |
6 | 3 June | Gran Premio d'Italia Oakley[50] | Mugello Circuit, Scarperia e San Piero |
7 | 17 June | Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya[51] | Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Montmeló |
8 | 1 July | Motul TT Assen[52] | TT Circuit Assen, Assen |
9 | 15 July | Pramac Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland[53] | Sachsenring, Hohenstein-Ernstthal |
10 | 5 August | Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky[54] | Automotodrom Brno, Brno |
11 | 12 August | Eyetime Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich | Red Bull Ring, Spielberg |
12 | 26 August | GoPro British Grand Prix[55] | Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone |
13 | 9 September | Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini[56] | Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, Misano Adriatico |
14 | 23 September | Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón[57] | Motorland Aragón, Alcañiz |
15 | 7 October | PTT Thailand Grand Prix[58] | Buriram International Circuit,[N 4] Buriram |
16 | 21 October | Motul Grand Prix of Japan[59] | Twin Ring Motegi, Motegi |
17 | 28 October | Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix[60] | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Phillip Island |
18 | 4 November | Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix[61] | Sepang International Circuit, Selangor |
19 | 18 November | Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana[62] | Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia |
Calendar changes
- The British Grand Prix was scheduled to move from Silverstone to the new Circuit of Wales, but construction on the new track has not commenced.[63] The two circuits reached a deal that will see Silverstone with an option to host the 2018 race.[64] In the end, the British Grand Prix saw all three races being cancelled due to dangerous track conditions on race day, and was not re-arranged.
- The Thailand Grand Prix is a new addition to the calendar, with the race scheduled for 7 October.
- The Catalan Grand Prix used a new configuration of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, wherein the previous set of corners of turns 13, 14 and 15 were combined into a sweeping right corner. The new layout was previously used in Formula 1 from 2004 to 2006.
Results and standings
Grands Prix
Round | Grand Prix | Pole position | Fastest lap | Winning rider | Winning constructor | Report |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix | Johann Zarco | Andrea Dovizioso | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | Report |
2 | Argentine motorcycle Grand Prix | Jack Miller | Marc Márquez | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | Report |
3 | Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Americas | Marc Márquez[N 5] | Marc Márquez | Marc Márquez | Honda | Report |
4 | Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix | Cal Crutchlow | Marc Márquez | Marc Márquez | Honda | Report |
5 | French motorcycle Grand Prix | Johann Zarco | Marc Márquez | Marc Márquez | Honda | Report |
6 | Italian motorcycle Grand Prix | Valentino Rossi | Danilo Petrucci | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | Report |
7 | Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix | Jorge Lorenzo | Jorge Lorenzo | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | Report |
8 | Dutch TT | Marc Márquez | Maverick Viñales | Marc Márquez | Honda | Report |
9 | German motorcycle Grand Prix | Marc Márquez | Marc Márquez | Marc Márquez | Honda | Report |
10 | Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix | Andrea Dovizioso | Jorge Lorenzo | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | Report |
11 | Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix | Marc Márquez | Andrea Dovizioso | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | Report |
12 | British motorcycle Grand Prix | Jorge Lorenzo | Race cancelled[N 6] | Report | ||
13 | San Marino and Rimini's Coast motorcycle Grand Prix | Jorge Lorenzo | Andrea Dovizioso | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | Report |
14 | Aragon motorcycle Grand Prix | Jorge Lorenzo | Andrea Dovizioso | Marc Márquez | Honda | Report |
15 | Thailand motorcycle Grand Prix | Marc Márquez | Marc Márquez | Marc Márquez | Honda | Report |
16 | Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix | Andrea Dovizioso | Marc Márquez | Marc Márquez | Honda | Report |
17 | Australian motorcycle Grand Prix | Marc Márquez | Maverick Viñales | Maverick Viñales | Yamaha | Report |
18 | Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix | Marc Márquez[N 7] | Álex Rins | Marc Márquez | Honda | Report |
19 | Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix | Maverick Viñales | Andrea Dovizioso | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | Report |
Riders' standings
- Scoring system
Points are awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider has to finish the race to earn points. The British GP was canceled due to unsafe track conditions.
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 25 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
|
Bold – Pole |
Manufacturers' standings
Pos | Manufacturer | QAT |
ARG |
AME |
SPA |
FRA |
ITA |
CAT |
NED |
GER |
CZE |
AUT |
GBR |
RSM |
ARA |
THA |
JPN |
AUS |
MAL |
VAL |
Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Honda | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | C | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 375 |
2 | Ducati | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | C | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 335 |
3 | Yamaha | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | C | 5 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 281 |
4 | Suzuki | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 8 | C | 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 233 |
5 | KTM | 18 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 10 | Ret | 14 | C | 16 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 3 | 72 |
6 | Aprilia | 19 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 9 | Ret | 12 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 17 | C | 14 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 59 |
Pos | Manufacturer | QAT |
ARG |
AME |
SPA |
FRA |
ITA |
CAT |
NED |
GER |
CZE |
AUT |
GBR |
RSM |
ARA |
THA |
JPN |
AUS |
MAL |
VAL |
Pts |
Teams' standings
|
Bold – Pole |
Notes
- Jorge Lorenzo competed in the two Friday practice sessions during round 18, before being replaced by Michele Pirro.
- Franco Morbidelli competed in the first Friday practice session during round 9, before being replaced by Stefan Bradl.
- Night race
- Commercial rights holder Dorna Sports does not refer to the Buriram International Circuit by its commercial name—which includes ThaiBev's Chang Beer—because of alcohol advertising restrictions in France and Qatar.
- Márquez was given a 3-place grid penalty for a riding infringement during qualifying[65] but retains the pole position credit despite starting the race from 4th position.[66] Maverick Viñales started the race from the first grid slot.
- All racing at Silverstone was cancelled due to sustained heavy rain and unsafe track conditions.[67]
- Márquez was given a 6-place grid penalty for a riding infringement during qualifying but retains the pole position credit despite starting the race from 7th position. Johann Zarco started the race from the first grid slot.[68]
References
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- "Acuerdo para que Jerez tenga Gran Premio tres años más". sevilla.abc.es. ABC de Sevilla. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
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Ahead of the British MotoGP taking place at the purpose-built £375 million South Wales valley venue for the first time in 2018, the Circuit of Wales will promote and run the event at Silverstone.
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