darren, Author at Octane Photography

Capture the Moment

Jul 04

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: 8hr, EWC, Suzuka

2026 Suzuka 8 Hours grid after Top 10 Trial cancelled

The grid for the 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours after the Top 10 Trial was cancelled; the starting order is based on Friday’s qualifying times consequently. Honda HRC start on pole position as they chase a fifth consecutive win at Suzuka with Jonathan Rea, Somkiat Chantra, and Takumi Takahashi aboard the factory Fireblade. BMW line up second with their factory EWC team of Michael van der Mark, Markus Reiterberger, and Steven Odendaal. Marc VDS KM99 complete the top-three on Sunday’s grid with Randy de Puniet, Florian Marino, and Alessandro Delbianco. Fourth will be the YART Yamaha team, the reigning EWC champions, with Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika, and Leandro Mercado. Yamaha’s one-off factory team of Jack Miller, Katsuyuki Nakasuga, and Andrea Locatelli will start fifth. FCC TSR Honda France will line up sixth ahead of Astemo Pro Honda SI Racing, SERT Suzuki, AutoRace Ube Racing, and the SDG HARC-PRO Honda team which completes the top-10. The full starting order for the race is below. 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours | Grid (Qualifying Result) Pos Team Manufacturer Rider Blue Rider Yellow Rider Red Timing 1 Honda HRC Honda Takumi Takahashi Jonathan Rea Somkiat Chantra 2:04.738 2 BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team BMW Markus Reiterberger Steven Odendaal Michael van der Mark […]

Jul 01

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: Martin, Ogura, Yamaha

Martin and Ogura confirmed in all-new Yamaha line-up for 2027

The new Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. rider line-up for the 2027 season has landed. The Iwata factory has confirmed that current World Championship leader Jorge Martin, and Dutch GP winner Ai Ogura, have signed with the Yamaha Factory MotoGP Team for the 2027 and 2028 MotoGP seasons. As MotoGP prepares to enter a new, exciting technical era in 2027, Yamaha continues to shape the foundations of its long-term project by combining proven championship-winning experience with one of the sport’s brightest emerging talents. Martin joins Yamaha as one of the benchmark riders of modern MotoGP. MotoGP World Champion in 2024 and a multiple Grand Prix winner, the Spaniard has established himself through his exceptional speed, determination, and ability to consistently compete at the highest level. Alongside him, Ogura represents the future of both Yamaha and MotoGP. After rapidly establishing himself as one of the championship’s most promising young riders, the Japanese talent joins the Factory Team at an exciting stage of his career, having just notched up his first MotoGP victory in Assen. That makes him an ideal fit for Yamaha’s long-term ambitions. Together, Martin and Ogura form a rider line-up made of two complementary profiles – a proven MotoGP World Champion, and […]

Jul 01

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: Acosta, KTM, MotoGP

Acosta undergoes under goes wrist surgery

Pedro Acosta has undergone surgery on his right wrist following his retirement from the Assen MotoGP. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rookie endured a troubled weekend at Assen, battling multiple technical issues aboard his KTM RC16. But it was a physical problem that ultimately forced him out of Sunday’s race (28 June). Acosta sat up exiting Turn 1 on lap 13 and coasted back to the pits, bringing his second consecutive DNF after retiring on the final lap of the Czech Grand Prix on 21 June. Given the string of mechanical setbacks, the immediate assumption was that another bike issue had sidelined Acosta. However, television footage showed the Spaniard shaking his right hand as he slowed, pointing to arm pump. KTM later confirmed he was suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. The team has now announced that Acosta has undergone minor surgery to address the issue and is expected to return for the German Grand Prix on 10–12 July, pending a medical check. “Pedro Acosta underwent successful minor surgery this morning on his right wrist to treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,” KTM said in a statement. “He is expected to return for the German GP, pending a medical check next week.” […]

Jun 30

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: Quartararo, Rins, Yamaha

Quartararo and Rins to Leave Yamaha at End of 2026 Season

Yamaha has confirmed that 2021 MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo and his current team‑mate Alex Rins will depart the factory squad at the conclusion of the 2026 campaign, signalling a major shift in the manufacturer’s rider line‑up ahead of the 2027 season. Quartararo, long linked with a move to Honda for the upcoming 850cc era, is expected to finalise his switch imminently. The Frenchman has spent his entire premier‑class career with Yamaha machinery, debuting with Petronas SRT in 2019 before stepping up to the factory team in 2021, where he claimed the world title. He has amassed 11 victories and 32 podiums with the marque, though the partnership has grown increasingly strained amid Yamaha’s prolonged downturn in competitiveness. Rins, who joined Yamaha in 2024, previously delivered race‑winning performances at Suzuki and Honda but has struggled to replicate that form aboard the M1. He confirmed earlier this year that he would not remain with the team beyond 2026, and paddock sources suggest he may not feature on the MotoGP grid next season. Yamaha motorsport director Paolo Pavesio paid tribute to both riders, describing Quartararo as “one of the true legends of Yamaha MotoGP” and praising Rins for the experience and technical […]

Jun 29

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: Nascar, Sonoma, SVG

Van Gisbergen Goes Back‑to‑Back at Sonoma

For the first time since 2019, Sonoma Raceway has a repeat NASCAR Cup Series winner. Shane van Gisbergen returned to victory lane Sunday, defending his Toyota/Save Mart 350 crown with a commanding — and at times uncomfortable — performance for Trackhouse Racing. Van Gisbergen led 59 laps on the 1.99‑mile road course, but despite the familiar result, the reigning Sonoma winner said the feel behind the wheel was anything but. After describing last year’s Chevrolet as “not perfect,” he expected the team’s new body style to smooth out lingering issues. Instead, he said, it amplified them. “It did the opposite. It made them worse,” van Gisbergen admitted. “We were really hanging on, and Chase Briscoe at the end was really fast driving. I’m lucky it wasn’t two laps longer. He might have got us.” Even so, the New Zealander kept the field at bay, including Elk Grove native Kyle Larson, who spent most of the afternoon inside the top five and ultimately finished fourth. “I knew he was there,” van Gisbergen said. “We had some great racing at the start with Kyle, and I had a bit of speed on him then, but he was quick all day.” Sonoma’s blend […]

Jun 26

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: Ducati, Marquez, MotoGP

Marquez Extends Ducati Lenovo Deal Through 2028

Marc Marquez will remain with the Ducati Lenovo Team for at least two more seasons, with Ducati Corse confirming the eight‑time World Champion has signed on through 2027 and 2028. The extension solidifies a partnership that has already produced one of the most remarkable turnarounds in MotoGP history, highlighted by Marquez’s stunning 2025 campaign that delivered his seventh premier‑class crown — and his first in Ducati red. Marquez’s debut season with the Bologna factory was nothing short of dominant. With 14 Tissot Sprint victories and 11 Grand Prix wins, he clinched the title as early as Japan and set the all‑time single‑season points record, completing a comeback few in motorsport have matched. The 2026 season has been a different challenge. Injuries hampered Marquez early, but he has clawed back into contention with consecutive wins at Balaton Park and Brno. His Hungarian triumph doubled as a milestone moment: Ducati Lenovo Team’s 100th MotoGP victory and Marquez’s 100th career win across all classes, adding to Ducati’s centenary celebrations. Marquez said the renewal reflects both trust and long‑term ambition. “I’m red. I’m truly happy with this new agreement with the Ducati Lenovo Team and to continue being part of this family,” Marquez said. […]

Jun 25

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: Aprillia, Bagnia, MotoGP

Bumper four-year deal for Bagnaia

Aprilia has confirmed that Pecco Bagnaia will join its factory MotoGP team in 2027, partnering Marco Bezzecchi on a striking four‑year deal that keeps the reigning double world champion with the Italian manufacturer through 2030. The announcement follows the recent thaw in MotoGP’s “silly season” after factories reached a long‑term, Concorde‑style agreement with series organisers, clearing the way for long‑delayed contract news. Bagnaia’s move itself is no shock — it has been widely expected since pre‑season testing, when he was understood to have chosen Aprilia over Yamaha. What stands out is the length of the commitment. Multi‑year deals are common, but a four‑year factory contract is rare, signalling Aprilia’s intent to build its future around Bagnaia and Bezzecchi. With Marc Márquez extending at Ducati and Pedro Acosta confirmed as Bagnaia’s replacement there, Aprilia becomes the second manufacturer to lock in its full line‑up for the next two seasons. Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola said the move reflects a shared ambition with Piaggio chief Michele Colaninno to strengthen Italy’s presence at the top of MotoGP. He described Bagnaia’s arrival as both a point of pride and a responsibility the team is eager to embrace. Bagnaia will join championship leader — and […]

Jun 22

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: Nascar, San Diego, SVG

Van Gisbergen Filthy about San Diego Race

A massive crash on Lap 32 dramatically altered Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race in San Diego, erupting as the field funneled into Turn 1. Front‑row starters Connor Zilisch and Austin Hill made contact when Hill overshot the corner and missed the apex, sliding up the track and into Zilisch. Both cars slammed the outside wall, and Shane van Gisbergen, running directly behind them, had nowhere to go and piled in. Hill radioed, “Sorry guys, locked up the rear brakes,” after the incident. The wreck destroyed both Trackhouse Chevrolets and heavily damaged Hill’s No. 33. A chain‑reaction collected several others — Daniel Suárez, Ryan Blaney, Michael McDowell, Riley Herbst, John Hunter Nemechek, and Ty Gibbs — with varying degrees of damage. NASCAR immediately threw the red flag to repair the Turn 1 wall. After roughly ten minutes, the race returned to yellow‑flag conditions. Van Gisbergen, visibly frustrated, declined to discuss the crash after exiting the infield care center, telling reporters to “ask the next guys.” He later called the car “unreal fast once the track rubbered up” and said he was “filthy” to leave San Diego with only one point. Looking ahead to another road course next week, he noted the challenge […]

Jun 21

by darren in The Feed 0 comments tags: Aprillia, Bezzecchi, MotoGP

Bezzecchi banned from Czech MotoGP for striking marshal

MotoGP championship leader Marco Bezzecchi has apologised after an extraordinary incident that led to his suspension from Sunday’s Czech Grand Prix at Brno. Bezzecchi crashed out of fifth place during Saturday’s sprint race and, in a moment of anger, was seen running toward a track marshal and striking him twice in the face as the official attempted to recover his bike. The footage prompted an immediate investigation, with stewards citing unsportsmanlike conduct and issuing a race ban. In their decision, officials ruled that Bezzecchi’s actions were “prejudicial to the interests of the sport,” noting that physical aggression toward circuit staff violates core MotoGP regulations. Aprilia appealed the penalty, but the appeal was dismissed within hours. The appeal panel stressed that while riders may experience heightened emotions after a crash, physical confrontation with marshals cannot be excused, adding that the sport depends on officials being able to perform their duties “without fear of intimidation, abuse, or physical assault.” Bezzecchi sought out the marshal on Sunday to apologise in person before releasing a public statement acknowledging his behaviour was unacceptable. The suspension marks a significant setback for the Italian rider, whose championship lead over teammate Jorge Martin had already been cut to […]

May 18

by darren in Crash 0 comments tags: Catalunya, Marquez, MotoGP

Horrifying Alez Marquez Crash Catalunya

Alex Marquez suffered multiple fractures in a horror crash during 2026 Catalunya Grand Prix. The Gresini star ran into the rear of Pedro Acosta after the KTM rider suffered an electrical failure which resulted him losing speed. Marquez suffered multiple fractures to his vertebrae and collar bone in the crash requiring surgical intervention to repair the fractures.