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| Marc Márquez is MotoGP maestro but Britons aim to make own mark on grid | |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| How does one set about catching Marc Márquez? The utterly dominant star of MotoGP is an overwhelming favourite to make it a hat-trick of titles this season and it is, on the eve of the opening race weekend in Qatar, a struggle to think of where a sustained challenge will emanate from. | How does one set about catching Marc Márquez? The utterly dominant star of MotoGP is an overwhelming favourite to make it a hat-trick of titles this season and it is, on the eve of the opening race weekend in Qatar, a struggle to think of where a sustained challenge will emanate from. |
| The three Britons who will line up on the grid on Sunday will enter the campaign with plenty of confidence and sizeable aspirations of their own – namely to finish as the leading satellite rider. Realistically, none will be in a position to challenge Márquez but the new season still promises plenty. | The three Britons who will line up on the grid on Sunday will enter the campaign with plenty of confidence and sizeable aspirations of their own – namely to finish as the leading satellite rider. Realistically, none will be in a position to challenge Márquez but the new season still promises plenty. |
| Of the three, Bradley Smith looks best placed to ruffle some feathers. He achieved his first podium finish when he was third in Australia last year. Now he has savoured the sprayed champagne, the 24-year-old wants more. | Of the three, Bradley Smith looks best placed to ruffle some feathers. He achieved his first podium finish when he was third in Australia last year. Now he has savoured the sprayed champagne, the 24-year-old wants more. |
| “It was an amazing feeling and, yes, I want to experience it again,” Smith says. “But the plan for this season is to be among the leading satellite riders and be up near the top, battling with the leading group. Rather than being in eighth, I want to be in the mix even if I know, being on a satellite bike instead of factory, I’m not going to be winning these races.” | “It was an amazing feeling and, yes, I want to experience it again,” Smith says. “But the plan for this season is to be among the leading satellite riders and be up near the top, battling with the leading group. Rather than being in eighth, I want to be in the mix even if I know, being on a satellite bike instead of factory, I’m not going to be winning these races.” |
| The ultimate, albeit long-term, aim for Smith is to reel in Márquez. On the back of last season, closing the gap a little should be attainable but impressing enough to move on to a factory bike is the immediate target. “That’s what all three of us want but you can’t forget that if I have a bad day, I’m near the back. If I have a good day, I’m fighting to be in fifth.” | The ultimate, albeit long-term, aim for Smith is to reel in Márquez. On the back of last season, closing the gap a little should be attainable but impressing enough to move on to a factory bike is the immediate target. “That’s what all three of us want but you can’t forget that if I have a bad day, I’m near the back. If I have a good day, I’m fighting to be in fifth.” |
| Scott Redding, who moved to Spain as a child to pursue his passion, also has a fresh outlook on the season but admits the gap between him and Márquez was greater last season than ever. “I used to win races against him when we were starting off,” the 22-year-old says. | Scott Redding, who moved to Spain as a child to pursue his passion, also has a fresh outlook on the season but admits the gap between him and Márquez was greater last season than ever. “I used to win races against him when we were starting off,” the 22-year-old says. |
| Having recovered from a broken sternum, which ruled him out of action for six weeks, Redding has been playing catch-up in terms of preparation. He has also decided to change his racing style slightly, modelling himself on Márquez’s approach. “It has taken time to get used to it but I’m getting there.” Elevating himself to the Spaniard’s breathtaking level of consistency may be another matter entirely. | Having recovered from a broken sternum, which ruled him out of action for six weeks, Redding has been playing catch-up in terms of preparation. He has also decided to change his racing style slightly, modelling himself on Márquez’s approach. “It has taken time to get used to it but I’m getting there.” Elevating himself to the Spaniard’s breathtaking level of consistency may be another matter entirely. |
| Cal Crutchlow, the other British driver, has loftier aims. “I just want to win every race,” he says. The 29-year-old endured a difficult 2014 but, having now joined the CWM LCR Honda team, enters the new season with fresh impetus. This will be Crutchlow’s fifth campaign in MotoGP and he will be eager to return to the level he reached in 2013. He earned his first pair of pole positions, finished runner-up twice and was third in another two races on a Yamaha, earning a fifth-place finish overall. Then the move to Ducati came and he slipped to 13th in the rankings last season – his lowest finish. | Cal Crutchlow, the other British driver, has loftier aims. “I just want to win every race,” he says. The 29-year-old endured a difficult 2014 but, having now joined the CWM LCR Honda team, enters the new season with fresh impetus. This will be Crutchlow’s fifth campaign in MotoGP and he will be eager to return to the level he reached in 2013. He earned his first pair of pole positions, finished runner-up twice and was third in another two races on a Yamaha, earning a fifth-place finish overall. Then the move to Ducati came and he slipped to 13th in the rankings last season – his lowest finish. |
| “I want to get back to that form of two years ago. Last year was disappointing but I’m getting excited about a new challenge – even if the first race is never the greatest. The media and fans tend to hype it up but it doesn’t translate to us. I’m already looking forward to the second and third race.” | “I want to get back to that form of two years ago. Last year was disappointing but I’m getting excited about a new challenge – even if the first race is never the greatest. The media and fans tend to hype it up but it doesn’t translate to us. I’m already looking forward to the second and third race.” |
| These are, however, precarious times for the sport in the UK. Until last month there was doubt over the British race – Donington had pulled out of hosting August’s meeting because of a dispute over funding with Circuit of Wales before Silverstone stepped in to fill the void. | These are, however, precarious times for the sport in the UK. Until last month there was doubt over the British race – Donington had pulled out of hosting August’s meeting because of a dispute over funding with Circuit of Wales before Silverstone stepped in to fill the void. |
| There is a unanimous verdict when the three are asked which track they are most eager to race on this season. The Northamptonshire venue is, as Smith says “fast, flowing and designed for a MotoGP bike,” but the sense of doubt over the present state of British motorcycling is striking, particularly when it comes to attracting new riders. | There is a unanimous verdict when the three are asked which track they are most eager to race on this season. The Northamptonshire venue is, as Smith says “fast, flowing and designed for a MotoGP bike,” but the sense of doubt over the present state of British motorcycling is striking, particularly when it comes to attracting new riders. |
| “They don’t make it easy in the UK,” Redding says of how inaccessible the sport can be. “It’s an expensive sport to get involved in and unless your family have a history in motor sport or have the money to enter you into a race, you’re not going to be able to do it. Even a bike at the very beginning could set you back £3,000 new, and £1,000 second hand. That’s a lot of money to spend on a nine-year-old. | “They don’t make it easy in the UK,” Redding says of how inaccessible the sport can be. “It’s an expensive sport to get involved in and unless your family have a history in motor sport or have the money to enter you into a race, you’re not going to be able to do it. Even a bike at the very beginning could set you back £3,000 new, and £1,000 second hand. That’s a lot of money to spend on a nine-year-old. |
| “Then you have things like insurance and health and safety rules, which deny kids the chance of giving it a go. That’s why myself and Brad left for Spain when we were kids. Over there you could turn up at a race and there would be kids bringing their bikes – it’s the norm there. I was beating people older than me at home and some made moves to stop me competing. For the sport to develop that sort of thing needs to stop.” | “Then you have things like insurance and health and safety rules, which deny kids the chance of giving it a go. That’s why myself and Brad left for Spain when we were kids. Over there you could turn up at a race and there would be kids bringing their bikes – it’s the norm there. I was beating people older than me at home and some made moves to stop me competing. For the sport to develop that sort of thing needs to stop.” |
| Smith agrees. “I come from a background where all my family were involved in motocross and from there I moved on to the road. It’s in the blood but I can understand why it can be difficult to attract new people.” | Smith agrees. “I come from a background where all my family were involved in motocross and from there I moved on to the road. It’s in the blood but I can understand why it can be difficult to attract new people.” |
| Watch the entire 2015 MotoGP season, including free practice, qualifying and full MotoGP2 and 3 races, exclusively live on BT Sport. For more information visit btsport.com | Watch the entire 2015 MotoGP season, including free practice, qualifying and full MotoGP2 and 3 races, exclusively live on BT Sport. For more information visit btsport.com |