The Ángel Nieto Team faces the final round of the season with Álvaro Bautista and Karel Abraham
The 2018 MotoGP World Championship concludes this weekend with the final round of the season in Valencia, which will mark the farewell to the series of two of its biggest names in Dani Pedrosa and Álvaro Bautista. With the title and runner-up position already decided in favour of Marc Márquez and Andrea Dovizioso respectively for the second successive season, the final championship podium position will be decided on Sunday between teammates Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales, with the Italian holding a two-point advantage. Behind them, just five points separate Johann Zarco, Cal Crutchlow and Danilo Petrucci in the chase to finish as the top Independent Team rider, although Crutchlow’s absence through injury sustained in Australia makes things more favourable for the Frenchman and the Italian.
The 2018 MotoGP World Championship comes to a close in Valencia, where the Ángel Nieto Team will hope end the year with eighth place in the Teams’ World Championship and with a strong finish to the season for Álvaro Bautista and Karel Abraham. Bautista, who has been a full-time Grand Prix rider since 2003, has scored 16 wins and 49 podiums across sixteen seasons and he is aiming to check out with another top ten finish, which would be his eleventh from twelve races. Alongside him, Karel Abraham is hoping to return to the points for the first time since the Australian grand prix in his final race with the Ángel Nieto Team.
Álvaro Bautista: “It is always special to race at home, for me and the team, in Valencia. It is the last race of the season, my last race in MotoGP for now and it will be at a small track for the MotoGP bikes, where you hardly get chance to breath from one corner to the next and you can’t get the most out of the power. You need a bike that handles and turns well. It is another challenge for us but we will try and maintain the same positive curve we have been on. I would like to finish the season with an enjoyable weekend with the fans and the team, and let’s see if we can score a good result. With the material we have available we can fight for the top ten and that will be the main objective. After that, we’ll see.”
Karel Abraham: “It is time for the final round of the season at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. It will be a difficult race but I have good memories of this track because it is where I scored my first World Championship win back in 2010. I am going to Valencia with mixed emotions because I am looking forward to racing again but at the same time I don’t want the season to end because it will be my last race with the Ángel Nieto Team after two seasons and the last time with my crew.”