| Author | Message | ||
     Jaimec |
Nicky has withdrawn from this weekend's race; his wrist is too painful. Pedrosa was actually faster than his team mate this morning, as was Lorenzo FINALLY faster than his. Qualifying soon! | ||
| Pwnzor |
Another pole position! Top 10 riders all in the 1:47xx range... This is going to be good. It was nice to see Lorenzo exhibiting a little sporting attitude, had a smile on his face and a positive outlook. | ||
| Jaimec |
Rossi missed "something" in his set up to only qualify 10th. Right now, it looks like a bare-knuckled brawl between the two Spaniards Marquez and Lorenzo. Hope Rossi can pull something out of his hat for tomorrow. I'm hoping for an honestly entertaining race for a change. But yeah... I'm resigned to ANOTHER win from Marquez...  | ||
| Pwnzor |
But yeah... I'm resigned to ANOTHER win from Marquez... What is it about Marquez that upsets you? Is it a bad thing to see the young upstart doing so well? | ||
| Jaimec |
First off, it's because he's on a HONDA. Second of all, it is just BORING seeing the same person win day in and day out with no one even CLOSE to challenging him. If he were fighting for the win all the way to the line it would be different, but once he hits the front, everyone else might as well just pull into the pits and go home. | ||
| Gschuette |
As a Yamaha guy, I support all of Jaimec's points. | ||
| Pwnzor |
once he hits the front, everyone else might as well just pull into the pits and go home. Given the results of the previous 5 races, I could see where you might say that. But then today's race might change your mind a bit. Very well fought, close all the way, and good sportsmanship displayed by all. This race alone made my MotoGP subscription worth the price I paid for it.  | ||
| Crusty |
That was an excellent race. | ||
| Jaimec |
It was an entertaining race, but I absolutely HATED the ending, even though I'd predicted it. At this point I wouldn't even mind seeing Pedrosa win a race just so SOMEBODY else is on the top step for a change. I was almost wishing Lorenzo would completely screw up and take both of them out of the race so Rossi could stand on the top step again. Once again... can we just end the 2014 season now? There doesn't seem to be any real point to running the rest of the season... especially since Dorna has severely limited ANY REAL development on the Factory bikes till after the season ends anyway. | ||
| Davegess |
Classic race. the kid just keeps impressing. | ||
| Vagelis46 |
HONDA had a clear speed advantage at the end of the race............... | ||
| Jaimec |
NOT really. According to the reports, Marquez specifically requested a gearing change to make it easier for him to slipstream. Their top speeds were pretty similar at the end of the straights. The amazing thing about Marquez is that it looks like he's on the verge of crashing at damned near EVERY corner... yet miraculously he hangs on and just keeps GOING. | ||
| Simond |
There's nothing boring about watching Marquez..... but then there was nothing boring about watching Stoner either. It's good to see him bring out the best in his competition. I hope that this was an example of what is to come this season rather than what happens at his bogey track!! | ||
| Jaimec |
I watch Marquez the same way I watch the New York Yankees... I want to see him LOSE. I'm tired of him winning all the time. I want to see someone beat him. ANYONE. At this point, I'll even settle for Pedrosa for crying out loud!! | ||
| Pwnzor |
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| Trojan |
A good MotoGp race but a fantastic Moto3 race! The closest finish EVER with the top 3 separated by 1/1000 of a second and with the top 14 fighting for the win right up to the final lap. Now that is what I call racing  MotoGP was a good race but somehow you just knew what the result would be despite all Lorenzos efforts to change the script. It just appears that Marquez always has something in reserve at the end of the race that is just too good for the other riders. Maybe Barcelona will prove different, but it is difficult to see anyone beating Marc unless he makes a mistake. Watching him save a front end wash out on his elbow mid race without losing any pace was just draw dropping, so even when he makes mistakes he seems capable of saving them when others would have crashed out. The prospect of him winning every race this year is getting increasingly realistic methinks.... | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
MotoGP was a good race but somehow you just knew what the result would be despite all Lorenzos efforts to change the script. It just appears that Marquez always has something in reserve at the end of the race that is just too good for the other riders. Sorry but that extra he has is not him but what the Honda can give him. I take nothing away from his brilliance but the proof in the pudding was clear yesterday. I'm no Lorenzo fan. I obviously accept he's brilliant and worthy but I've never seen him as an equal to Rossi, whereas Marquez might well be an equal, or better as time might show. Rossi is the closest to Marquez this season, until yesterday. Had Rossi qualified better he too would have been in the fight but no way could he break that 1.5 sec gap to Lorenzo once he'd dispensed of everyone else in front of him. Why because Rossi had wrung every last drop out of the Yamaha. Lorenzo did likewise. Despite what's his best performance in a long time and one in which he used his high corner speed ability to try different lines during the battle stage, even that wasn't good enough to hold Marquez, not just back, but also from making a gap once past. This is the extra that Marquez can get from the Honda. And I'm not taking anything away from his ability but I've yet to see where he is better greater or whatever than Rossi. So if Marquez were on a Yamaha yesterday the result could have been Lorenzo winning, or Rossi had he not had to fight through the grid. Watching him save a front end wash out on his elbow mid race without losing any pace was just draw dropping, so even when he makes mistakes he seems capable of saving them when others would have crashed out. Others not including some, as we've seen amazing saves from Rossi, Stoner, Lorenzo, Pedrosa etc etc, Mamola, the list goes on. The problem I have with your appraisal of Marquez is you seem willing to dismiss Rossi as if he's had his day, and in doing so it's like you credit everything Marquez does as his amazing ability above and beyond everyone else, including Rossi (which is ridiculous in my book as time hasn't told yet), and overlook the fact the Yamaha's are at the very very limit of their ability, which now we have seen Lorenzo try with such class and vigour, we know to be true rather than it be questionable Rossi isn't quite good enough anymore. This surprises me from you Matt. I always expect a pragmatic approach from you, and not one clouded, even slightly, by your liking of a racer. I can't help but feel, recently there has been a slight clouding and you favour Marquez just enough to affect your pundit ability. I fear now you're going to prove me wrong, and I'll end up crying as you kill Rossi off Rocket in England | ||
| Trojan |
{The problem I have with your appraisal of Marquez is you seem willing to dismiss Rossi as if he's had his day, } Not at all, I think Rossi is performaning as well or maybe better than ever and am still a big fan. The problem is that Marquez has moved the game on by a big leap this year, and neither Rossi nor Lorenzo at their best are good enough to beat him unfortunately. The Honda is good but it isn't the bike that is doing this, it is the rider. None of the other Hondas were able to run at or even near the front at Mugello, and Rossi was consistently slower than the lead two riders all race (or he would have caught them when they slowed down fighting each other). I will stick to my original theory that there is currently nobody in MotoGP that is capable of beating Marquez at the moment (unless he makes a mistake), including Rossi and Lorenzo. The Yamaha was just as quick as the HOnda on the straight, as Lorenzo proved when he overtook there. The problem is that Marquez is later on the brakes, earlier on the throttle and able to deal with front slides so much better than anyone else. He would be winning on the Yam,aha as well right now, and would just adapt to suit it very quickly unfortunately (He'd probably win on the Ducati as well right now). Marquez will remain pretty much unbeatable until we start to see Jack Miller, Fenati, Rins and Marquez Jr guys arrive in 2-3 years from now. Until then sit back and watch him demolish the field every week By the way...I am not a fan of Marquez as I am for Rossi. Marquez is just better than everyone else right now I'm afraid. | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
Jeez Matt, as much as I want to argue (not debate ) at least a couple of things you said, what's the point. You answered like a real pundit. Besides the obvious, front slides etc etc, how can you know for certain it's Marquez and not the Honda though? Pedrosa is a great rider. He's an Alien right. But he's been off, and sometimes on, the boil for these past two seasons, not really presenting a reliable or accurate measure to judge Marquez by. Or has he? Surely the factory Honda is the bike even though the satellite ones are nearly or as good as, sort of, maybe? Ah well. Rossi isn't going to win again then I suppose  Rocket in England | ||
| Tpoppa |
The Yamaha is 98% as good as the Honda. | ||
| Jaimec |
I read that Pedrosa's arm, which recently underwent surgery, was giving him problems which is why he was farther back in the pack than you'd expect him to be. Lorenzo seems to be back on his game, though. His fitness is back to where he wants it to be, and the new brake rotors are allowing him to be just as aggressive on the brakes. Let's not forget that Marquez JUST beat him to the line by using the slipstream on the straight and riding very defensively. He was not able to pull the usual gap away from Lorenzo. Even with the two of them fighting tooth and nail, they were gapping Rossi and everyone behind. The Lorenzo of 2013 is back. Marquez may still win, but he's going to have to fight for every inch from now on. It seems the one liter less fuel requirement has robbed Honda of their horsepower advantage; looks like Yamaha is managing fuel a lot better than they did last year too. | ||
| Trojan |
The other factor with Pedrosa is that the team have apparently altered his bike setup quite a bit so that he has more speed at the end of the race (which explains why he suddenly gets stronger with 5 laps to go recently!). This has the negative affect of losing him his blistering race starts that he used to enjoy and leaving him mired in the pack for the first laps and losing ground to the front runners. how can you know for certain it's Marquez and not the Honda though? Simply because he has done it in every class that he has raced in so far. In Moto2 he was so much faster than everyone else that they suspected his team of cheating (they weren't, and everything has been chcked and rechecked). He was unlucky to lose out in the first seaason of Moto2 because of injury, but dominated when he won it. Likewise in Moto3/125. He even started form pit lane and won a race! | ||
| Jaimec |
I remember seeing the "kid" in Indianapolis. I even remember remarking "So much for a spec engine making for close racing." He was so far ahead of the pack in Moto2 it made the only mystery of the race "I wonder who'll finish second." I have this feeling of deja vu now in MotoGP. | ||
| Jaimec |
Trivia questions (no, I don't know the answers but I'm guessing Matt or Sean might): Who is the OLDEST GP rider to ever win a race? Who is the oldest rider to ever win the championship? Thanks, | ||
| Trojan |
According to Wikipedia (so it is probably wrong!) Arthur Wheeler is the oldest winner of a Grand Prix; he was 46 years old when he won the 1962 250cc Argentine Grand Prix. Can't find who the oldest world champion was yet.... | ||
| Jaimec |
This site seems to confirm he was 46 when he won the 250 GP, but they don't state whether or not he was the oldest ever to do so: http://thevintagent.blogspot.com/2010/01/arthur-wh eeler.html Fascinating person, though! Thanks for that. | ||
| 46champ |
Herman Paul Muller was 46 when he won the 1955 250 championship. | ||
| Jaimec |
Aleix Espargaro tops FP1! Could it be? Could someone actually beat Mighty Marc this weekend?? One can only hope!! Lorenzo is the only rider without access to the "soft" tire of the Open teams to make the Top 3. Dani was fastest of the Repsol riders down in sixth. Too early to get my hopes up, I know... but I'm really hoping for an ABM* on the top step on Sunday. Preferably riding ABH! ABM = Anyone But Marquez ABH = Anything But Honda | ||
| Jaimec |
Bradley Smith fastest in FP2??? What's going on over there?? | ||
| Fast1075 |
The fastest Moto 3 bikes are running at 147+ mph. How cool is that for a 250cc 4 stroke single? My bet is once again, the best race will be Moto 3. |
