On Track Off Road No.182

By Neil Morrison
ing the flyaways. But 2018 highlighted
the need to work on his
interpersonal skills, as well as
a handful of riding flaws. Bringing
Yamaha back to its previous
level in ’19 represents the biggest
challenge of his career.
Most improved rider: Francesco
Bagnaia
This, the final year of Honda’s
CBR600 engine in Moto2, could
have been the best instalment of
the intermediate category since
two-strokes were banished in
2010. But from August Francesco
Bagnaia found another
gear, packing the punches so
thick and so fast rival Miguel
Oliveira was on the ropes by
October. Until then Bagnaia had
eradicated his weaknesses from
’17, namely racing with a full
tank of fuel. By autumn he was
so fast and consistent, his race
runs suggested Ducati may well
have found a ready replacement
for the outgoing Lorenzo. Don’t
be surprised to see him fighting
in a leading group early in 2019.
The Second Coming Award: Can
Öncü
The Öncü name had long sounded
out and around the grand prix
paddock before the season finale
at Valencia. Can’s record in this
year’s Red Bull Rookies series
–championship victory, five wins
- merited a level of fanfare. But
who could have foreseen a display
of maturity during his debut
that resulted in him, at 15 years
and 115 days, becoming the
youngest ever winner in 70 years
of grand prix racing? The best
part came after - Can couldn’t
comprehend why team boss Aki
Ajo was signalling from pit wall
to remain calm with five laps to
go. “At that point I wasn’t even
pushing,” he shrugged. This kid’s
destined to go far.
Quote of the year: ‘Everyone
knows the value of Jorge Lorenzo,
and what Lorenzo can do
on a bike’ – Jorge Lorenzo
Oh, how we snickered. Said
without a hint of irony, the
five-time champ’s insistence
of speaking in the third person
was the butt of jokes for weeks
to come. It was typical of Jorge
of course: pigheaded in his own
self-belief when it seemed those
around him were losing faith.
This phrase, spoken after a poor
showing at Le Mans, may have
generated eye rolling from those
in attendance. But two weeks
on and it was tough to recall a
more astonishing turnaround.
Winning the Italian Grand Prix,
announcing he’d leave Ducati,
and confirming an astonishing
move to Repsol Honda all in four
days. The value of Jorge Lorenzo
indeed. It equated to him having
the last laugh.
Medal of valour award: Tito
Rabat
Jorge Martin’s superhuman
return to the podium one week
on from breaking his left wrist
deserves a mention. As does
Cal Crutchlow’s eighth place at
Le Mans less than a day after
thwacking his pelvis so hard he
was sure it was broken. But how
can we look past Tito Rabat?
The initial diagnosis from the
horrendous collision in the
gravel at Silverstone was grave:
a triple leg fracture and the possible
ending of his career.