Spanish town hosts first 2019 pre-season MotoGP training

Valencia (Spain), Nov 19 (IANS) Circuit Ricardo Tormo, in the Spanish town of Cheste, is set to host the first 2019 MotoGP pre-season training runs on November 20 and 21. The upcoming season will see Spanish rider Jorge Lorenzo wearing the Repsol Honda Team jersey, joining countryman Marc Marquez, the reigning world champion, reports Efe. Spain's Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar), Portugal's Miguel Oliveira (Tech3 KTM), Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Ducati) and France's Fabio Quartararo (SIC Yamaha) will make their MotoGP debuts at Ricardo Tormo. Furthermore, Danilo Petrucci of Italy will start his career as one of Ducati's official racers, having been a test rider for Ducati's Superbike project during the last four campaigns. France's Johann Zarco also is to start the 2019 season as a Red Bull KTM racer, joining Spaniard Pol Espargaro. Italian Andrea Iannone is going to ride for Aprilia and the Czech Republic's Karel Abraham is to join Reale Avintia. The upcoming Moto season will also see the return of racer Tito Rabat of Spain, whose 2018 season ended when he suffered a triple leg fracture at the Silverstone Circuit in the UK on August 25. Yamaha is to keep the same riders: Italian Valentino Rossi and Spaniard Maverick Viñales, but they are set to test the new engine that was designed for the 2019 campaign.
--IANS