Lorenzo s’assure une pole record pour la finale ! / Advantage Lorenzo as he obliterates record on way to pole

Jorge Lorenzo a décroché la pole position pour le Grand Prix Motul de Valence en pulvérisant le record du Circuit Ricardo Tormo.

 

En quête d’un troisième titre mondial et opposé à son coéquipier Valentino Rossi, qui dispose de sept points d’avance mais partira dernier au Grand Prix Motul de Valence, Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) a réalisé la performance dont il avait besoin pour maximiser ses chances de remporter son duel face à l’Italien et a battu le record du circuit pour s’offrir l’une des pole positions les plus importantes de sa carrière, sa 35e en MotoGP™ et sa cinquième cette année.

Auteur d’un tour parfait, le Majorquin s’est non seulement assuré la pole mais a aussi relégué le spécialiste de l’exercice, le Champion en titre Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda), à près d’une demi-seconde de la première place (+0.488s). Ce dernier avait été le premier à établir une référence en début de séance mais a ensuite fait une petite erreur sur son deuxième run et n’a finalement pas été suffisamment rapide sur le troisième pour contester la pole à Lorenzo. 

                

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) complètera la première ligne en ayant fini à 0.505s de la pole tandis que Rossi, sachant qu’il partirait de toute façon dernier après avoir été pénalisé au GP de Malaisie, avait choisi de se servir des quinze minutes de qualifications pour continuer à préparer sa course. Classé douzième en Q2, l’Italien a malheureusement terminé sa journée sur une chute dans le virage 8, un incident dont il s’est rapidement relevé et qu’il devra vite oublier avant une course dans laquelle il n’aura pas le droit à l’erreur.

                 

Pilote le plus rapide en Q1, Aleix Espargaró (Team Suzuki Ecstar) a réalisé une excellente performance en Q2 pour se hisser en tête de la deuxième ligne, devant Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) et Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3). 

                  

Andrea Iannone (Ducati), Pol Espargaró (Monster Yamaha Tech3) et Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) se retrouveront pour leur part en troisième ligne tandis que Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) et Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) seront respectivement dixième et onzième sur la grille.

                

Loris Baz (Forward Racing) s’élancera de la quinzième position, juste derrière Héctor Barberá (Avintia Racing), son rival pour le titre Open, dont le coéquipier Mike Di Meglio s’est qualifié 21e.

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Jorge Lorenzo smashed the lap record on his way to pole ahead of Marquez and Pedrosa, as Rossi crashes and finishes Q2 in 12th.

Movistar Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo took the upper hand in the epic 2015 MotoGP™ World Championship battle against his teammate and title rival Valentino Rossi after claiming his fifth pole position of the season. The Mallorcan set the fastest ever MotoGP™ lap around the Comunitat Valenciana – Ricardo Tormo in near perfect conditions (Track temp. 30˚C), a 1’31.011. In the process he smashed Marc Marquez’s Pole Record (1’30.237) from 2013 by over two-tenths of a second. Lorenzo said afterwards it was the most important lap of his life as he aims to overturn the seven-point advantage Rossi holds in the championship standings in #TheGrandFinale on Sunday. It was his 61st career GP pole position, and his 35th in MotoGP™.

               

Lorenzo set his fastest time on the second of his three runs as he made use of a two-stop strategy. The Spaniard is brilliant at managing races from the front and by starting on pole he has made the task of winning the Championship that much easier, as he aims to make it four wins out of four in Spain for 2015 after winning in Jerez, Barcelona and Aragon. Although don’t write Rossi off yet.

                         

The ‘Doctor’ (+1.460s), who has to start from the back of the grid after the CAS denied his stay of execution on his penalty from Sepang, ended the session in 12th after crashing out on his last flying lap at turn 8 but walked away unhurt. It was only Rossi’s second crash of the season, and served notice to anyone that thought the Italian would not be pushing hard in Q2.

                   

The only man who looked like he might displace Lorenzo at the top was Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez (+0.488s). The Spaniard rode his RC213V to the absolute limit, having a number of huge moments, but even he could not deny Lorenzo in the end. Marquez was the only rider to get within half a second of Lorenzo, as he was another to utilise a two-stop strategy, recording his 16th front row start of the season in the process.

                   

Dani Pedrosa made it two Repsol Honda’s on the front row as he qualified in third, but he was +0.505s off the pace of Lorenzo. Pedrosa holds a two-point advantage over Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) in the battle for fourth in the standings, after winning two of the last three races. The Spaniard also has an excellent record at Valencia having won six races across all classes and should be a threat during Sunday’s race.

                   

Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Aleix Espargaro (+0.906s) will start from the head of the front row in fourth in his best qualifying performance since Assen. The Spaniard’s feat was made even more impressive by the fact he was forced to progress through Q1 after ending practice in 11th on the combined timesheets.

                  

LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow (+0.937s) qualified in fifth for the third race in a row as he was one of only five riders the break the 1’31 barrier in Q2. The Brit had been struggling with grip on Friday but improved to put in his best lap time on his final flying run to start as the leading Satellite rider.

                  

Just 0.064s behind Crutchlow was his compatriot Bradley Smith (+1.001s) on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 M1 in sixth. The British rider secured his first second row start since Misano as he aims to secure sixth in the standings from Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso.

                 

Iannone (+1.045) heads up the third row after he failed to improve on his best time from Practice that had seen him top the combined timesheets after FP3. Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) will start from eighth, with Dovizioso in ninth and Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) completing the top ten.

                  

Maverick Viñales will start from 11th after he also made it through from Q1 alongside his teammate despite a nasty looking highside during that session, with Ducati Team wildcard Michele Pirro starting from 12th due to Rossi's penalty.

Avintia Racing’s Hector Barbera will start as the leading Satellite rider in 14th, ahead of the man he leads in the standings by five points, Forward Racing’s Loris Baz, in 15th. American Nicky Hayden qualified in 16th as the leading Open class Honda in his last MotoGP™ race before he moves to WorldSBK in 2016, after he was inducted into the MotoGP™ Hall of Fame on Friday in Valencia.

                  

EG 0,0 Marc VDS’s Scott Redding continued his struggles from practice and could only qualify in 19th, ahead of Australian Jack Miller (LCR Honda) in 20th and Eugene Laverty (Aspar MotoGP Team) in 23rd. Anthony West (AB Motoracing) filling in for the injured Karel Abraham was in 22nd, while Alex De Angelis’ replacement Broc Parkes (E-Motion IodaRacing Team) will start from 25th with Rossi lining up in 26th.

                 

Check out the full MotoGP™ qualifying results; the 30-lap race kicks off at 14:00 local time on Sunday. Click here for our interactive guide to see where Rossi & Lorenzo would have to finish to lift the title, plus all the info you need on the #TheGrandFinale.

RIDE OF THE RIPON

THIS IS THE RIPON, BASED AROUND A HONDA CB550 FOUR.
AND THIS IS ALSO THE FIRST OF OUR FILM COLLABORATIONS WITH THE INCREDIBLY TALENTED StudioThirtyFour!

RIDE OF THE RIPON from Old Empire Motorcycles on Vimeo.

La 100Km Del Ranch

Our four favourites from Wright’s Design Masterworks sale

On 19 November 2015, Wright will hold its Design Masterworks sale in New York, consisting of 25 ‘important and rare works by seminal artists, designers and architects of the 20th Century’. We’ve chosen our four favourite objects…

Event Horizon table by Marc Newson

Arguably the most special object in the catalogue, this Event Horizon table by Marc Newson is one of three artist proofs aside from the run of 10 officially sold. Its aerodynamic profile is said to be inspired by the bonnet on Newson’s beloved Aston Martin DB4. Carrying a 200,000-300,000 US dollar pre-sale estimate, the spectacular table is an object you can’t help but pore over. 

Light fixture for Léonie and Geddes Parsons by Alexander Calder

“You need a goddamn lamp. I’ll make you one!” exclaimed Alexander Calder, while sitting in the kitchen of his neighbours and good friends, Léonie and Geddes Parsons. The resulting handmade fixture – sculpted from one piece of sheet metal – was kept by the Parsons for decades to come. ‘The quintessential Calder gift’, it is estimated to fetch 100,000-150,000 dollars. 

Urn from the house of Edward C. Waller by Frank Lloyd Wright

Estimated at 700,000-900,000 dollars, this urn by Frank Lloyd Wright is the most expensive item in the sale. The most important architect of the 20th Century, Wright was prolific and visionary, and copper urns were among his favourite objects of interior design. This example was one of nine he allegedly produced, and was one of two from the house of Edward C. Waller, which was remodelled by Wright in 1899.

Asa-no-ha cabinet by ​George Nakashima

When the International Paper Company commissioned George Nakashima to design the furnishings for its New York headquarters in 1980, the designer was pushed to the limits of his creativity. This cabinet sat in the Board Chairman’s dining room, and measures more than 12 feet long. Boasting the striking Japanese Asa-no-ha pattern, the cabinet has an attached estimate of 400,000-600,000 dollars. 

Photos: Wright

You can find more information about the Design Masterworks sale, held by Wright on the 19 November 2015 in New York, here. 

Coffee at 2,000 feet with Kaffeemaschine 17

For its 17th project, German motorcycle workshop Kaffeemaschine has transformed another Moto Guzzi Le Mans 3 into a stunning custom café racer, incorporating many of the company’s trademark styling cues. And, as you can tell from the pictures, that’s no bad thing…

Some of the more eagle-eyed Classic Driver faithful might recognise the lines of ‘Kaffeemaschine Nummer 17’. It shares more than a common resemblance to another Kaffeemaschine, and that’s no accident: it was commissioned by an American customer who fell for ‘Nummer 7’s’ simple lines and characteristic details (note the bar-end indicators and chromed fuel-cap) when it was first revealed in 2012.

Breathe easy

Specifying a colour scheme of Jaguar Blue with brown leather for his own bike, the client asked for a bike similar in design to #7, but gave Kaffeemaschine owner Axel Budde a degree of creative freedom. He was also intent on the bike going just as well as it looks, so Budde chose a V11 engine bored out to 1,100cc then “played all the tricks”, as he puts it, to boost its output to 95HP – more than enough for a bike weighing 183kg. There was one desired change that Budde wasn’t able to execute, however: “Unfortunately, I couldn’t really lambda-set the carburation like I normally would, as Mr. Hunter is living on a 2,000m elevation in Colorado!”

Photos: Kaffeemaschine

You can find a selection of classic Moto Guzzis listed for sale in the Classic Driver Market. 

What would the Master himself have made of the new Renault Corbusier concept?

It’s been 50 years since the death of the master architect Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris – otherwise known as Le Corbusier – and to mark the occasion, Renault has revealed a striking new concept car, allegedly inspired by the pioneer of design’s artistic principles…

Homage

Starring at an exhibition celebrating Le Corbusier’s life and legacy (to be held at one of his most iconic buildings, the Villa Savoye in Poissy), the new grand coupé concept allowed Renault’s designers to explore a design avenue themed to French cultural objects (which led them to the 1930s golden age of French coachbuilt motoring), and to pay homage to a visionary architect. We wonder what the Master himself would have made of the car? 

Photos: Renault

The ‘Cars for living: the automobile and modernism in the 20th and 21st Centuries’ exhibition runs until 20 March 2016, at the Villa Savoye just outside Paris. You can find more informationhere.

Motocross......

Lorenzo : « Je me sens fort » / Rossi : « Je suis plus détendu une fois sur la moto » / Lorenzo: “I feel strong” /Rossi: “When I‘m riding I‘m more relaxed”

Le Majorquin s’est montré confiant après avoir dominé les essais libres de vendredi à Valence.

               

Face à la possibilité de remporter un troisième titre mondial lors de la dernière manche de la saison 2015, Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) a commencé son week-end à Valence de la meilleure des manières puisqu’il a réalisé le meilleur temps du vendredi, en 1’31.111, et a en fait bouclé plusieurs tours en 1’31.1.

Avec sept points de moins que son coéquipier Valentino Rossi, qui partira dernier, le Majorquin devra viser le sommet du podium pour maximiser ses chances de remporter le titre et ne pouvait guère mieux commencer son week-end qu’en s’installant en tête de la feuille de temps.

Jorge Lorenzo :

« La journée avait bien commencé et nous avons ensuite bien amélioré la moto l’après-midi. Cette moto fonctionne vraiment bien et je me sens fort, bien concentré. Je pilote bien mais la moto fonctionne surtout très bien, elle me permet de garder un rythme élevé, même sur pneu usé, et je suis donc assez content du début de ce week-end. »

                               

Valentino Rossi a eu l’occasion de rapidement mettre les évènements de Sepang derrière vendredi à Valence.

                 

Pénalisé et contraint de prendre le départ de la dernière manche de la saison MotoGP™ du fond de la grille, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) doit uniquement se concentrer sur la course de dimanche ce week-end au Grand Prix Motul de Valence et a profité du vendredi pour évaluer ses options de pneus et déjà faire un choix. 

Bien qu’il ait terminé la journée en cinquième position, à 0.364s de son coéquipier et rival, Jorge Lorenzo, l’Italien était plutôt satisfait de ses performances et était aussi ravi d’être de retour en piste et de se concentrer sur son pilotage après avoir été au centre des polémiques depuis le GP de Malaisie.

Valentino Rossi :

« Quand je roule je suis plus relâché et je suis assez content de ces deux premières séances parce que mon rythme n’était déjà pas mauvais ce matin et que j’ai aussi été compétitif sur pneu usé, ce qui est très important pour la course. Je suis aussi content que nous ayons essayé des choses différentes qui m’ont fait gagner en rythme cet après-midi et améliorer mes chronos. J’ai utilisé des pneus durs, ça ne s’est pas mal passé puis je suis passé sur le pneu tendre pour comparer et faire le bon choix pour dimanche. Il est vrai que nous devons décider de notre stratégie maintenant parce que je pense qu’il sera difficile d’utiliser les quinze minutes de qualifications comme une séance d’essais et je pense que je pourrai peut-être suivre la procédure normale. »

Jorge Lorenzo ends the first day of #TheGrandFinale feeling confident having topped practice.

             

The Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana will likely be one of the toughest and most important races of Jorge Lorenzo’s life. He has the chance to take his fifth world title and has started the weekend in the best possible way: leading Friday practice. A time of 1’31.111 saw the Movistar Yamaha rider lead the day by 0.139s from Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda). It’s not just one lap pace that Lorenzo is confident with, his Yamaha M1 handling well and allowing him to push hard over many laps. Hot conditions limited the lap times somewhat, but the Majorcan was unconcerned.

Lorenzo’s goal for the weekend and the race is victory, focusing on his own race as opposed to worrying about what title rival and teammate Valentino Rossi is doing. The pair head into Sunday’s race with Rossi seven points ahead, even with the Italian starting from the rear Lorenzo will have to race hard. Both the Repsol Honda bikes look set to be a stiff challenge for Lorenzo and Yamaha.

Jorge Lorenzo: “The day started positively and we improved the bike a lot in the afternoon. The bike is working really well and I feel strong, with good concentration. I‘m riding well, but the bike, to be honest, is working very well for me to keep a high pace, even with old tyres, so I‘m very happy about t e beginning of the weekend.”

                     

It was straight back to work for Valentino Rossi in Valencia having put the events of Sepang behind him.

With the last round of the 2015 MotoGP™ World Championship underway, Valentino Rossi has become focused entirely on Sunday’s race. The Movistar Yamaha rider got straight to work in FP1, beginning the day with a run of 15 laps. The Doctor set a series of competitive times in the mid to low 1’32s before dropping into the 1’31s in the final laps. Rossi ended the first session in fifth position and was confident with how he was riding. Knowing he would start from the back of the grid has removed a lot of pressure from Rossi’s shoulders and the experienced Italian is riding more relaxed.

The afternoon session was also spent with the majority of time on track; Rossi took an early lead but was shuffled back as other riders fitted a soft tyre. Several tweaks to setting followed and Rossi was able to improve his time to a 1’31.475 as his best time of Friday. This placed the Italian in fifth overall. Tyre choice is still unknown, Rossi comparing both the hard and soft options during FP2 to give himself and the team more data. Rossi will be able to participate in both Q1 and Q2 as normal on Saturday but will then be moved to the back of the grid for Sunday due to having a total of four penalty points.

Valentino Rossi: “When I‘m riding I‘m more relaxed and I‘m quite happy about these two first practices, because already this morning my pace was not so bad and I was also quite competitive with the used tyre, which is very important for the race. I‘m also happy that in the afternoon we tried something different that made me increase my rhythm and improve my lap times. I used the hard tyres and it wasn‘t so bad and after I tried the soft to make a comparison and make the right choice for Sunday. It‘s true that we have to decide our strategy now, because I think it will be difficult to use the 15 minutes of qualifying like a free practice, so I think maybe I can do the normal procedure anyway.”

Yard Built XV950 'El Ratón Asesino' by Marcus Walz

Legendary German custom bike builder Marcus Walz is back with a stunning take on the Yamaha XV950; ‘El Ratón Asesino’ sets a new standard for detail.

The ride gets a full work over with the stock front-end suspension unit modified and lowered with prototype progressive springs whilst the rear gets fully adjustable Öhlins shocks. Hand-cast magnesium wheels by Marvic are fitted with custom adapters made in house. Custom rear sets change the ride dynamic giving a sportier sitting position.



Modified front and rear brake calipers clamp on to Wave rotors front and rear for stopping power and the bike is finished with a stunning pale blue retro paint job, pin striping, and of course Yamaha speed blocks!

Snapshot, 2015: A Porsche in paradise

Clearly the notoriously rear-biased handling on early Porsche 911s hasn’t deterred this young lady, as she prepares to continue her journey along the sunny coastline…

Judging by our recent story featuring Vincent Perraud’s fabulous photos of a French road-rally, the photographer has an affinity for old Porsche 911s. This gorgeous photograph perfectly showcases the profile of ‘Butzi’ Porsche’s 911 in its most pure form, as it was originally intended, chromework sparkling in the sunshine. We think this young lady’s got the right idea – we can’t think of a better choice of car for a spirited summer jaunt along the coast. We hope it’s got a sunroof...

Photo: Vincent Perraud

Ultra-rare Mercedes 300 SL ‘Sportabteilung’ wings its way to auction

RM Sotheby’s has announced the consignment of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Sportabteilung’ Gullwing that Stirling Moss drove to second place in the 1956 Tour de France…

The rare Gullwing – one of only four W198s prepared by the Sportabteilung, Mercedes’ in-house motorsport division – is the latest in a lengthening line of blue-chip classics to be added to the RM Sotheby's ‘Driven by Disruption’ sale, which also boasts an Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, Janis Joplin’s famous Porsche 356C, and Fangio’s Ferrari 290 MM, among numerous others.

Chasing the namesake

As well as the Moss competition provenance and the various special racing features, it also boasts continuous family ownership since 1956. After the TdF endeavours of Moss (who ultimately lost out to the Marquis de Portago in his namesake Ferrari 250 GT, despite outperforming him in the final stage), which were followed by several of the second owner’s own competition exploits, the car was passed to the father of the current owner. He drove the car regularly for several years, before parking it up for no less than four decades – and it would not be until 2011 that it was coaxed back to life, after the son commissioned a three-year restoration to its TdF specifications.

As such, it’s now not only one of the most important Gullwings ever offered at auction, but also one of the rarest, making an aluminium-bodied car seem almost common by comparison. If you’re an underbidder at the sale in New York on 10 December, never mind – you could always try to prize the Uhlenhaut Coupé from the Mercedes museum…

Photos: Rémi Dargegen for RM Sotheby’s © 2015