Suzuki's Turn 18 October - Aragon 1

These MotoGP weekends are getting far too nerve-racking! The absence of first Marquez and now Rossi has meant that many have had to choose new favorites to support on race day.

- Harry Fisher

With the nature of the season so far, it is impossible to tell who will be in the ascendency each race but, if it is our new favorite and he is leading or be in with a shout of winning, then fingernails start shredding because, well, who knows what might happen?

Of course, if you are simply a fan of good racing then you are the real winner because if there has been one constant this season, it has been the quality of the racing; not only on race day but in the practice sessions and qualifying.

Aragon 1 threw a complete curveball at the riders because it was so damned cold. Noone could get any temperatures into their tyres, the Ducatis, in particular, struggling massively; when last did every single Ducati in the field have to go through Q1?

Despite the kilometer-long straight that usually favors the power of the Ducatis, they just couldn’t get a look-in this weekend. It was a Yamaha-fest, with Suzuki looking threatening not all that far behind and the Hondas of Nakagami and Crutchlow looking strong. Alex Marquez, in buoyant form after his wet-weather podium in Le Mans, was looking like a completely different racer. That didn’t stop the doubters claiming that he would be nowhere in a race on a dry track.

Definitely, nowhere all weekend were the KTMs. Espargaro P was the only rider automatically into Q2 but would start 12th and, in the race, all four KTMs would run in line astern with Binder leading, albeit way down the order. Eventually, Binder would bring it home 11th, the rest still behind him.