ROAD SAFETY and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist is encouraging drivers to take extra care at junctions, in an attempt to reduce collisions with motorcyclists.

A spokesperson at GEM said: “Around six motorcyclists are killed and another 115 seriously injured every day in collisions every week (Government figures from 2020). One of the most common contributory factors remains the observation error which some years ago picked up the nickname ‘SMIDSY’ (sorry mate, I didn’t see you).   

“Experts point out that as drivers we’re not very good at identifying motorcyclists because they occupy such a small part of our field of vision. What’s more, if we’re not expecting to see one, then the chance of spotting one coming towards us is further reduced, and the risk of a collision is greatly increased.

“As Spring arrives and the weather improves, many roads will become busier with weekend riders, so let’s make a point of looking out for them. In doing so, we will be greatly reducing risk, and contributing to safer journeys for everyone.

“So before pulling out of junctions, look carefully all around. Make a specific check for motorcyclists coming towards you. They’re not always easy to spot – but if you’re expecting them to be there, then you’re far more likely to see them in good time… and prevent a potentially serious collision.”

For more Motoring Advice and News from GEM Motoring Assist - Go click 

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Eight years have passed since the last season in MotoGP as an independent team, eight more from the last time Gresini Racing was on the top step of the podium. The return to the premier class could not have been any more glorious for the team founded by the late-great Fausto Gresini, who collectively burst into tears of joy today at the Losail International Circuit courtesy of a masterful performance by Enea Bastianini, who put together the perfect race aboard his Ducati GP21 machine #23.   

The performance by 24-year-old from Rimini was simply exemplary, as he kept close to the front of the field in the early stages while preserving the tyres around the fast-flowing Qatari track. After spending most of the race in fourth place, he realised he had what it takes to push for more and made his way past former MotoGP champion Marc Marquéz first, and then once having the better of Brad Binder he found himself in second place with a one-second gap to the then-leader Pol Espargaró.

With a relentless place, which included the fastest lap of the race – a 1’54.338secs on lap 17 – he bridged the gap to the front and then slipstreamed his way to the lead. From then on, he careful managed his margin up to the chequered flag, for a new incredible milestone for him and the whole of Gresini Racing.

MotoGP debutant and former Moto2 race winner Fabio Di Giannantonio continued his learning curve within the series as he gathered a very important amount of experience around the track which had seen him on the third step of the podium twelve months ago in Moto2. The Rome-born rider was 17th at the finish line as he continues to gel with the new bike, tyres, and category.

IT'S ALL YOURS FAUSTO

🏆 - ENEA BASTIANINI #23
“My feelings are incredible right now. I pushed hard from the start, but the most important thing was to save the tyre for the end of the race. I saw Pol pushing hard at the front, but I managed to overtake Binder and then at the end, once I got very close to Pol, I realised that I could try to win the race. I passed him down the straight at turn one and he went wide, so from then on it was all about staying in the lead and take the win home. It’s hard to express my feelings now, but I want to dedicate the win to Fausto because he gave me incredible motivation from above. This is a fantastic result for the whole team: we’re all in tears right now. I’m also very happy for my family at home, so a big thank you goes to everyone who made this possible.”

17th - FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49
"We’re learning and there’s still a lot to learn, but I must be happy with this debut. Obviously, we want to improve a lot and do it fast, but it was important to finish this first race and gather some valuable experience. Let’s quickly focus on Mandalika now and keep working with confidence.”

#CiaoFausto❤️

www.gresiniracing.com

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ALEIX ESPARGARÓ, CONSISTENTLY A PROTAGONIST THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND, CONTINUES TO PERFORM WELL AND IS FOURTH IN THE 22 MOTOGP OPENING RACE

MAVERICK VIÑALES MOVES UP THROUGH THE POSITIONS TO FINISH IN THE POINTS

After a weekend spent among the leaders in every practice and qualifying session, Aleix Espargaró confirmed his performance in the race, finishing fourth in an extremely tight finale where the top four riders were all within 2 seconds of one another.
After a good start, Aleix battled in the positions just off the podium, managing to get the better of Rins, Mir and Marc Márquez and successfully catching, but not overtaking, his brother Pol for the podium.
In so doing, Aleix achieved a great result, one of the best of Aprilia’s history in MotoGP, which also reiterates the value of the 2022 RS-GP, the brand new V4 that made its début in the recent winter tests, capable of confirming all the good feedback seen during the preseason testing in the first race. In fact, Aleix finished with the second best race time and went in the books among the top riders in terms of top speed.

Maverick Viñales, although still far from the results that are within reach for a rider of his talent, skilfully reacted to the result of practice and qualifying, where he was never quite able to find the right feeling with the bike on this track. Settling into his race pace and aided by a few crashes ahead of him, he fought his way from the eighth row all the way up through the ranks to twelfth place, which gives him his first championship points for the ’22 season.

Aleix Espargaró
"Coming so close to the podium and missing it may seem like a disappointment, but I am extremely satisfied with our weekend and today’s race. The times show that I was one of the fastest on the track. Unfortunately, I lost a few fundamental tenths battling with Marc and Joan. And in the end, I think that our tyre situation was better than my brother’s and Brad’s, but a small mistake on turn 4 kept me from attempting an attack in the finale. In any case, Aprilia is in the mix - we’re in it! It will be an extraordinary championship where we’ll certainly be able to battle with the top riders and the best manufacturers in the world."

Maverick Viñales
"This is obviously a disappointing result. This is certainly not in line with my expectations or the team’s, but I never had the right feeling with the front end and going into corners. We’ve got a lot of work to do. We need to get to know this bike better. We had some sensations in the tests that we evidently need to find again. I didn't make any mistakes in the race and I didn't have any significant drop in tyre performance, but I didn't manage to have an incisive pace either. This is neither what we want nor what we know we are able achieve."

Following the success of our first two day show in 2021, National Motorcycle Museum LIVE continues in October 2022 as a two-day event! As always, this is the time when everyone can visit us free of charge* and enjoy a host of exciting free attractions including the return of the popular HENRY COLE AND FRIEND’S live on stage.

*Car parking charges apply.

Museum Live 2022 Timetable: To assist visitors, everyone arriving on site will be given a free timetable with a full list & timings of all the weekend’s exciting, free, events.

Free Museum Entry: Everyone is invited to visit the museum collection free-of-charge!

Indoor Trade Area: The event will feature a large indoor trade area held within the warm & dry surroundings of both the National Motorcycle Museum and our conference facilities.

The event will also feature trade stands & displays from many well-known names including Central Wheel Components Ltd, Triumph Motorcycles, Sealey Tools, H&H Classics, BSA, and Norton Motorcycles to name but a few.

The museum shop will be open throughout the event selling a huge range of classic motorcycling books, clothing & memorabilia.

‘Meet The Experts’ presented in association with Central Wheel Components Ltd: In attendance will be some of the museum’s specialist suppliers & craftsmen (including our own restoration team) as well as other classic motorcycling personalities who will be available to chat and answer questions.

Don’t miss the LIVE wheel building demos by Central Wheel Components Ltd.

“HENRY COLE AND FRIENDS” LIVE Stage shows: We are very excited to welcome back TV star HENRY COLE to our LIVE stage.

“HENRY COLE & FRIENDS” will feature popular personalities from Henry’s TV shows including HENRY COLE himself as well as SAM LOVEGROVE & ALLEN MILLYARD. Not only that, but we are also excited to welcome two motorcycle racing superstars who will join Henry and the crew on stage during both Sat & Sun-WATCH THIS SPACE!

Held in the museum’s magnificent Britannia suite, TT legend, TV presenter, STEVE PLATER will host these brilliant FREE TO ENTER stage shows which will be taking place on both Saturday AND Sunday of the event

Henry Cole and Sam Lovegrove will be holding special book/memorabilia/autograph signing sessions during the weekend.

Other superstar motorcycling personalities from the past and present will also be in attendance, check the dedicated event page for updates @ www.thenmm.co.uk

Manufacturer Test Rides: Offering the chance to test ride some well-known manufacturer’s machines over the course of the weekend-WATCH THIS SPACE.

LIVE indoor “Start Up” Feature: See & HEAR some of the most famous race machines in the world started up in our LIVE start-up feature which will take place on stage in the museum’s Britannia Suite.

Bikes old and new will include some of the museum’s famous racing inventory as well as ex-Moto GP bikes.

Back again for 2022, genius special builder ALLEN MILLYARD will be firing up several of his stunning motorcycle creations.

Food Court & Bar: Fantastic catering provided by the museum’s chefs will be available in our Premier Suite food court & bar area. Our famous breakfast BBQ will also be available from 8.30am onwards.

Parking*: Car parking for the event is just £15 per car with motorcycle parking absolutely free. Given the event’s huge popularity, the museum encourages car sharing which makes this nominal parking charge even better value!

For further Museum Live 2022 updates visit www.thenmm.co.uk

#QatarGP qualifying. Last year’s Achilles’ heel – during his rookie MotoGP season - is now a distant memory for Enea Bastianini, who today showed he can be competitive on the single lap, something he had been working on during the winter – and especially during the Sepang and Mandalika tests.

This has been a spectacular Saturday for the “Beast”, who already in FP3 put together a half miracle by claiming a direct spot into Q2 despite the much-worse track conditions compared to the afternoon before. In Q2, he completed a masterful performance as he finished qualifying in second place and only 147 thousandths of a second away from the other Ducati rider Jorge Martin.

Fabio Di Giannantonio made another small step forward in his first Saturday as a premier-class rider by qualifying in 21st place. The Rome-born rider is eager to improve, and the massive leap forward (more than one second from yesterday) is surely a very positive sign for the #49, who will try to sneak his way inside the top 15 tomorrow. The opening race of the year will begin at 18:00 local time (GMT +3).    

2nd - ENEA BASTIANINI #23 (1’53.158)
“A fantastic day for me, for the team and for Fausto as well. We worked a lot on the time attack also during testing and now we’re on the front row. Obviously we’re always looking for more and the pole position wasn’t too far away, but today it is fine this way. Tomorrow it is going to be a challenging race: I never started that much in front of everybody, and we have to understand the approach to the race. There are at least ten riders who can battle for the podium and the win. It will be important to understand track conditions and choose the right tyres. The first five laps will be key!”

21st - FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49 (1’54.276)
“I’m quite happy with today and there surely are both positive and negative aspects. We’re getting a better understanding at each outing while improve the feeling with the bike: even today we made some important steps forward. The negative side is that I’m not feeling comfortable in the lower part of the classification, and I need to get in the right frame of mind to fully acknowledge this is the best of the best, so I first must learn how to get on the same level as the others.”