The summer break has arrived and while you soak up the sun on the beach or by the pool contemplate and even predict what is going to happen when the riders return to action in Brno for the final ten grands prix with the help of some vital clues courtesy of the good doctor – Dr Martin Raines.
The answers will be revealed on Sunday November 17th at 15.00.
- Can Valentino Rossi become the fourth oldest rider in the 70 year history of World Championship racing to win a premier class grand prix?
In Argentina Rossi became the first rider to finish on a GP podium after turning 40 years old since Marcellino Lucchi in the 250cc class at Brno in 1998, and the first in the premier-class since Jack Findlay in Austria in 1977.
He was the 14th rider to finish on a GP podium in the premier-class after turning 40 years old.
- Can Alex Rins become the first Suzuki rider in the MotoGP era to win two grands prix in one season?
Even though Rins has failed to score in the last two races, his score of 101 points is the highest points total by a Suzuki rider after nine races in the MotoGP era.
In Austin the age difference between Rins & Rossi was 16 years 295 days, the largest age difference between the top two finishers in a premier-class GP race since 26 year old Giacomo Agostini won the 1969 German 500cc GP at Hockenheim, from 46 year old German rider Karl Hoppe.
The win by Rins in Austin was the first ever premier-class GP win for Suzuki in the USA. The only other Suzuki GP wins in the US were when Daytona hosted the GP. Hugh Anderson won the 125 & 50cc race in 1964, and the 125cc race in 65. Ernst Degner won the 50cc race in 65.
- Can 20 year old Frenchman Fabio Quartararo secure his first premier class win in his debut season?
At Jerez, at the age of 20 years 14 days Quartararo took the record for youngest premier-class pole setter from Marc Marquez who was 20 years 62 days when he qualified on pole at Austin in 2013.
At the Catalan GP Fabio Quartararo became the fifth youngest rider to finish on the podium in the premier-class, after: Randy Mamola, Eduardo Salatino, Norick Abe, and Marc Marquez. Quartararo was just eight days older than Marquez was when he took his first MotoGP podium.
At the Dutch GP the three riders on the front row: Quartararo, Vinales and Rins, made up the youngest top three on the grid in the MotoGP era. The youngest ever top three on the grid in a premier-class GP was at Le Mans at opening 500cc race 1976, with Barry Sheene at 25 years of age on pole from Marco Lucchinelli at 21 and Johnny Cecotto at 20.
- Can anybody stop Marc Marquez winning his sixth MotoGP World title and his fourth in succession?
Marquez leads the MotoGP championship after nine races with 185 points, his highest score at this stage of the season since 2014 when he won all of the first nine races.
At Jerez for the first time since he moved up to the MotoGP class Marc Marquez was the oldest of the three riders on the front row of the grid.
- Can Danilo Petrucci finish in front of his team-mate Andrea Dovizioso in the final points scoring and win his second grand prix?
At Mugello Danilo Petrucci became just the seventh rider to win a MotoGP race having never competed full-time in either of the smaller GP classes, joining: Crutchlow, Hayden, Tamada, Bayliss, and Vermeulen & Spies.
Only two riders have scored points in all nine MotoGP races of 2019: Petrucci and Pol Espargaro.
- When will Pol Espargaro bring KTM their first premier class podium of the season?
Espargaro has scored 56 points from the first nine races, which is already five points more that he scored in the whole of 2018.
- What new records are going to be established during the next ten races?
At Mugello Jack Miller set the fastest lap of the race. All 21 other riders who completed at least one lap set a lap time within one second of Miller’s fastest lap.
At the Barcelona GP there were 10 MotoGP race winners lining up on the grid. The previous occasion that 10 premier-class race winners lined up on the grid was Valencia 2009: Pedrosa, Rossi, Lorenzo, Hayden, Elias, Dovizioso, Capirossi, Vermeulen, Melandri and Stoner who didn’t start after crashing on the warm-up lap. All 10 riders started previous race at Sepang.