MotoGP Valencia Recap; final round of 2016

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Yesterday was the final round of the season for MotoGP this year which is held at the Valencia circuit in Spain. From the start the race had a strange feel to it, for many riders it would be their last time riding with their 2016 team. In Jorge Lorenzo's case, it would be his last race with Yamaha, his team for the past nine seasons and only team his entire premier class career. KTM's new RC16 saw its MotoGP debut but sadly didn't finish the race due to an electronics problem. Lorenzo managed to get ahead of the pack and hold his position, ultimately taking the first place position. Following the soon to be Ducati rider was this year's world champion, Marc Maqruez and then finally Andrea Dovizioso, who's last minute battle with Rossi made the difference between finishing on or off the podium. Obviously Rossi took fourth place follow by a distant Maverick Vinales who completed his final ride aboard his Ecstar Suzuki having signed with Movistar Yamaha for next year.

So what's there to really say? It wasn't a particularly noteworthy race, the final results weren't unusual and with the championship having been decided a few races ago, there wasn't much drama or suspense. The upcoming test that will be taking place at Valencia as well should arguably be more entertaining. There are a lot of questions that will finally be answered or at the very least foreshadowed for next season. Will Lorenzo be able to do what Rossi couldn't and only Stoner could by managing to win aboard a Ducati in MotoGP? Can Vinales be a champion with the support of the Movistar Yamaha team? Does Rossi have another world title in him? Will KTM be a conpetetive team?

One aspect of the 2016 that was undeniable was the impact of the new regulations put on the bike's electronics in an attempt to level the playing field. With a new record of NINE different first place winners this year, it's safe to say the new rules had just the effect those imposing them desired. Until the factory teams find another area to develop and exploit, giving them an advantage over the private teams, the 2017 season should be just as competitive. The season also saw the official banning of "winglets", a decision that was justified by what many consider to be realistic safety concerns. As Danny Pedrosa said, "We put all this effort into making MotoGP more safe and then we go and essentially put blades on the bikes", a blatant exaggeration but a valid point nonetheless. The next few months will be a little less fun without Grand Prix racing but the 2017 season is almost sure to be a good one.