The heavens opened on Friday at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana as 2018 World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) stayed afloat to head the field. But what does former Grand Prix rider and 2018 WorldSSP300 Champion Ana Carrasco make of the opening day’s action, and what it could mean for the rest of the weekend?
1. The weather
“The weather looks like it will be wet all weekend. This could mean riders like Syahrin, Pirro and Petrucci could be on the podium because they do well in the rain.”
2. It’s the last race of the year
“Everyone wants to finish well. The last race of the year is important, so, apart from the tests next week, finishing the year with a good result helps everything, in the end. They'll have more confidence. They'll start the pre-season more motivated and I think everyone will try to give everything on Sunday.”
3. No pressure for Marquez
“Marquez has no pressure. He has done well all season, so he will be fighting at the front for sure.”
4. Yamaha improvements
“I'd like Rossi to be there, to finish the year well, now he can go fast and he has something more on Sunday’s and could fight for the podium. I'd like Maverick to finish on top too. He told me they've improved the bike quite a lot. If it's dry, then he'll have more of a possibility.”
5. Ducati: Lorenzo’s last race, a weak circuit for Dovi
“Lorenzo's last race with Ducati. When he has a good day, with his injury being helped in the wet, it could be a good race for him. He'll suffer less, so that could be another option. Valencia for Dovizioso isn't a circuit where he does really well, in the recent years he's not been fast, and in the wet, I think it'll depend on the day. He could be fast but he might not be fighting for the victory.”