MotoGP Gossip: Austria in pole position for season opener?

- According to the calendar dates so far published, Brno on August 9 should inherit the 2020 MotoGP season-opener on August 9, following the cancellation of Sachsenring, Assen and Finland. However Speedweek.com reports that Austria, already lined-up to start the F1 season in early July, could now be moved forwards to kick-off the belated MotoGP season on July 26 followed by a further race at the Red Bull Ring on August 2 (Speedweek)

- Ben Spies, one of the few riders to have won races in both WorldSBK and MotoGP, has revealed his right shoulder 'practically no longer exists' after undergoing surgery no less than seven times. The American knew his MotoGP career was in trouble in practice at Mugello in 2013 when the bike kicked on the exit of a corner 'pulled the shoulder out and I could not let off the throttle… if that happened at the start of the race I'd have collected 2-3 people at 160mph'. Spies also said he wasn't surprised by the high level in MotoGP, but two riders still surprised him; Marc Marquez and especially Casey Stoner (MotoAmerica)

- Moto2 frontrunner Enea Bastianini says he wouldn't be afraid of joining MotoGP on a Ducati machine, since he feels the Desmosedici would 'suit his style'. If he could 'steal' a quality from three current MotoGP riders he would chose Marc Marquez's speed, Valentino Rossi's wisdom and Andrea Dovizioso's concentration. However, Bastianini rates Casey Stoner as perhaps the most talented rider in history (GPOne.com)

- Marc Marquez has spoken of how it feels to race against riders that had been his idol while growing up, such as Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo. "Racing against them is incredible. From Valentino you can learn many things: our relationship was good, as with other riders, but the relationship is good when you don't fight for the same goal. The same happened to me with Pedrosa, we were friends, but when you fought for the championship, there is was this tension and your relationship was just 'hi, how are you?', 'well, thank you', and nothing else. But it is a healthy tension, necessary for competition" (Gazzetta).