Continue reading with advertising …

… or with a subscription

Visit motorsport.com as usual with advertising and tracking. You can revoke your consent at any time via the data protection page.¹

Use motorsport.com without any advertising banners, personalized tracking and commercials for a small fee.

Accept and continue

More information about advertising and tracking in our Data protection notice, the List of our partners and in Data protection information center.

Already a subscriber?

Log in here

Valencia will not hold the MotoGP season finale despite promotor Dorna’s initial plans to race there amid the tragic flooding in the region, Motorsport.com understands.

Dorna is looking for an alternative venue to host the race, probably at a later date than the scheduled 15-17 November weekend.

With the paddock set up at Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix, meetings are taking place between the parties involved in what is a very critical decision, given the sensitivity of the matter.

As early as Thursday, Dorna’s initial idea, coordinated with the FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme), was to try to keep the Valencia circuit as the chosen venue for the last grand prix of the season.

In the hours that followed, the possibility of moving the race a week later to Sunday 24th November briefly emerged as an option – one that was even communicated to several riders on the MotoGP grid.

However, Motorsport.com understands that by Friday afternoon there had been a considerable change in viewpoint among Dorna bosses, who began to consider Valencia unfeasible.

With that in mind, the Spanish company’s directors are already working to find an alternative to close the title fight between Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia, which could be resolved this Sunday in Malaysia – although only in favour of the Spaniard. Martin would have to score 21 points more than the Italian to settle the championship early.

Photo by: Paco Alcobendas

Pending the first official communication from the championship beyond that made by Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta on Thursday to AS newspaper – “In principle, the original date [of the event] is maintained,” he said on Thursday – the devastating news from Spain has made it impossible to hold the race in Valencia, where all planned sporting events have been cancelled this weekend.

The official death toll was 158 earlier on Friday, although forecasts point to a much higher figure given the number of people still missing.

In this context, in which up to 20 towns are without drinking water and the army is deployed in the area, Dorna’s directors have finally reached the conclusion that there seems to be no possible justification for organising a grand prix in Valencia.

There had already been very strong statements by riders such as Marc Marquez and Bagnaia, who on Friday insisted that he did not plan to travel to Valencia to race there, even if it would cost him the title.

“I hope they [at Dorna] take into consideration the fact that on an ethical level, with what is happening, it is not the right thing to do,” said the reigning champion. “Even at the cost of losing the ultimate goal for me, which is the title, I’m not willing to race in Valencia.”

Motorsport.com understands that four alternatives are now being considered for a replacement finale: Qatar, Jerez, Barcelona and Portimao.

In the event that the Losail circuit is chosen, Formula 1 will occupy the track the week of 25 November to 1 December which would lead MotoGP to look for a date that would probably be the Sunday before (24 November).

What does seem clear is that the closing race of the season will not be held on the scheduled date (15-17 November).

Carlos Sainz is adding a new role to his resume come the Las Vegas Grand Prix: party host. The Ferrari driver is set to throw his own glitzy bash for fans during the race weekend next month, affectionately named after him, called ‘Smooth Operator’. 

Fans will have the opportunity to celebrate Formula 1’s return to Sin City with the ‘Smooth Operator’ himself (he’s slated for a special appearance) at the 12-hour dance party November 22-23 at ALIBI Ultra Lounge in the ARIA Resort & Casino. Though, if you want to be “welcomed” by the Ferrari driver,  Sainz recommends keeping your phone and cameras in your pocket, after he shared with reporters Thursday that his post-Mexico celebrations at a club were a “bit annoying” with “15 cameras on you while just having a fun time.” 

Andrew Lanzino, who runs MGM Resorts’ citywide event strategy, said the entertainment giant partnered with Sainz in an effort to offer fans an experience “unlike any other race of the year.” He added, “We’re creating a variety of ways for [fans] to have the time of their lives.” 

Carlos Sainz will throw a party at the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Advertisement

Aside from Sainz’s dance party — a first for drivers to actually host these types of affairs with the series — MGM Resorts’ 2024 programming includes the Shoey Bar at the Bellagio, inspired by Daniel Ricciardo. In its debut year, the bar was visited by the likes of Eva Longoria, Jeremy Renner and Mark Wahlberg, all of whom took part in the celebration popularized by the Australian. 

And although Ricciardo won’t be racing in Vegas, he will be well-represented in spirit as his Enchanté clothing brand is set to host a pop-up shop at The Cosmopolitan following the success of his event in Austin, Texas earlier this month. 

F1’s new global sponsor, LVMH, has also partnered with the casino giant to host a Dom Perignon Champagne Lounge in front of the Bellagio Fountains at Terrazza di Sogno. Elsewhere in the Bellagio, Ferrari will welcome fans into a pop-up boutique featuring luxury leather accessories, one-of-a-kind items and signed collectible pieces. 

Formula 1’s controversy over racing guidelines could be quickly put to bed if tracks had a rethink about gravel traps, claim a number of leading drivers.

The debate over F1’s Driving Standards Guidelines has erupted since the United States Grand Prix when a battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris exposed flaws in the system.

In particular, a clear onus on handing the advantage in a corner to the driver that reaches the apex first has opened the door for behaviour where some are now easing off the brakes early to ensure their nose is ahead – even if it risks them going in too fast and running wide on the exit.

Following discussions between drivers and the FIA in Mexico last weekend, a meeting has been scheduled for the Qatar Grand Prix weekend to try to revise the guidelines and get rid of any clear grey areas.

However, there is an alternative school of thought that has emerged – which is that if tracks had more natural deterrents against anyone running wide, such as grass or gravel traps, then the problems of drivers squeezing each other out and risking going wide removes itself.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton suggested in Brazil that one of the biggest differences in dictating the aggression of racing these days, compared to when he started, was that tracks allowed drivers greater freedom to get things wrong.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, battles with Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

“I think when I joined, we didn’t have these big run-off areas, so when you first get in, you really had to build up to the limit,” he said. “You couldn’t go beyond it, go off track and come back on.

“That’s the thing I noticed the most when, around maybe Max’s time or maybe just before, they started having these big run-off areas, where the younger drivers were able to come in and really abuse those areas and not put the car on the grass, for example.

“I think that gave them a real good cushion of bedding themselves into the sport and finding the limit as where, let’s say, like from Fernando’s time and before that, it was, you couldn’t go beyond the limit. You’re in the gravel.

“Pouhon, for example, Turn 10 in Spa, for example, there used to be grass right beyond the kerb and gravel, which was definitely worrying when you used to go into a corner like that.

“I would say that’s been the biggest shift. It would be great to see the old school sort of way come back if possible. Gravel traps or something like that. Maybe not safe, but we’ll see.”

Alpine’s Esteban Ocon said that, as someone who was not supportive of imposing too many rules on drivers, track limits were a critical factor in dictating how everyone behaved.

“I’m not a big fan of rules when it comes to the race itself,” he said. “It needs to stay safe, obviously that’s the main thing, but I think the first issues are the track.

“If you put grass or gravel, things would be very different. We’ve seen a lot less overtakes around the outside in Turn 3 at the Red Bull Ring for example, compared with places with easy places to go off like Austin Turn 12. That is where the thought process is going to go now.”

Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, runs through the gravel

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Advertisement

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen felt that the current situation with the driver guidelines was ‘pretty messy’.

“I think the FIA is aware of that and looking to make changes,” he said. “They can see that it isn’t. It’s not great at the moment. There’s so much room to exploit these guidelines. They need to rethink it a little bit, go back to basics.”

And he concurred with his competitors that track design was a critical element to making improvements.

“The tracks make it incredibly hard because there’s all this run-off and you don’t even feel you go outside,” he said.

“Racing each other is too easy to just hang on to the outside. Then you try and have your front wing ahead at the apex, and again at the exit, and then try to make it look like you got pushed out.

“It’s all like it’s not real. You’re trying to make it look certain ways rather than just trying to get past.

“I just think that’s a shame, so gravel or something to deter on the outside of the track is going to help. And on those tracks I think they should just leave it to the drivers.

“Have a few rules like moving under braking and reacting to movement from the car behind. I think that’s going to need to be there. But the big problem is the tracks.”

MotoGP championship leader Jorge Martin put a positive spin on today’s crash in Practice for the Malaysian Grand Prix, saying it will help him to know where the limit is at the Sepang circuit.

Martin lost the front end of his Pramac Ducati at the tight first corner moments after seeing that his title rival Francesco Bagnaia had posted a faster time late in the session. 

The accident brought practice to an early end for Martin, but the Spaniard’s best time still put him second-fastest and directly into Q2 on Saturday.

While falling on a day when factory Ducati rider and two-time champion Bagnaia was fastest in both sessions could be seen as a psychological blow for Martin, there is no major consequence to the incident given that he comfortably made the top 10.

Nor does Martin subscribe to the idea that the mishap will rob him of any confidence as he defends a 17-point lead at the penultimate round of the championship.

“I think it’s also positive that I crashed today,” said Martin, who is chasing a maiden crown. “Because I can see the limit and understand why I crashed. So it’s good to crash today!

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“I prefer to crash now than in the race. I like this track and the bike is working really well. I was feeling competitive throughout and I feel confident with our work.”

Martin confirmed that he had been trying to respond to Bagnaia’s lap of 1m57.679s.

“I was okay with my time attack, even if I almost crashed on my [previous] lap,” he said. “Then I went down the [start/finish] straight and saw I was second, so I said ‘okay, I will try to improve a bit more’. 

“But even at the first corner it was already too much, and I just crashed. 

“We [Martin and Bagnaia] were pushing – it was a normal day! We were pushing and still able to keep the gap between ourselves and the rest, so it’s impressive.”

Martin also explained that engine braking was a key factor in his crash, as was the case in previous accidents this season.

“I think we are struggling a bit with the engine braking,” the 26-year-old added. “We have quite a lot of grip on the rear tyre, so with the Ducati you need to slide the rear on entry because otherwise the front pushes. That’s why I crashed. 

“So the thing is to be really clever about how you use the engine braking. It’s [more important] than the set-up. It’s much better to stop [working on] the set-up and work on the electronics.

“All the crashes I had this season during races, like Germany, Jerez and Mugello, were the same. The rear was pushing the front. So I’m trying to be really precise on that – today we didn’t make it and I crashed.”

Double MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia has said he will boycott the season finale if it goes ahead in flood-hit Valencia as planned.

The factory Ducati rider, who is currently trying to reel in Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin as he chases a third straight title, is one of several to have voiced ethical concerns about sticking to the planned Valencia venue given the current flooding and loss of life in the region.

Despite the concerns of these riders and others in the paddock at this weekend’s penultimate event in Malaysia, Autosport understands that staging the race in Valencia remains the priority for MotoGP organisers – even if this means postponing the date from the originally planned November 15-17 weekend.

Having already outlined his moral issue with a Valencia race in the pre-Malaysian Grand Prix press conference on Thursday, Bagnaia dropped the bombshell on the first day of track action at Sepang. 

Circuit Ricardo Tormo after flooding

Photo by: Paco Alcobendas

“Even at the cost of losing the ultimate goal for me, which is to win the title, I am not willing to race in Valencia,” said the Italian, who trails Martin by 17 points ahead of the Malaysian GP.

“I very much hope that they will take into consideration the fact that on an ethical level and with what is happening it is not the right thing to do.” 

Bagnaia got his weekend in Malaysia off to a perfect start on Friday by going fastest in FP1 and then ensuring his passage into Q2 by topping the times in Practice.

Martin was second-fastest in the latter session after falling in an attempt to respond to Bagnaia’s late time.

The points leader’s best lap was however just 0.050s slower than that of the man pursuing him for the title.

“All year long we’ve been neck and neck with Jorge,” reflected Bagnaia. “We are used to these fights.”

Bagnaia was then asked if leading both sessions was intended as a psychological strategy.

“It’s difficult to go out looking to finish first in both sessions on Friday,” he said. “I’ve only done it before at Assen.

“Jorge ended up crashing, but I don’t think it was because of this. There is always a bit of pressure, it’s normal. But our goal is to win, not to intimidate anyone.”

Photos from Malaysian GP Practice