| Author | Message | ||
     Trojan |
I was surprised when I read that Aleix has only ever had one podium in all 3 GP classes he has competed in. Funny how you think he should be more successful than that really. | ||
| Jaimec |
Also hoping Bautista returns to form, charges up the inside line and torpedos Marquez in turn one (instead of another Yamaha, as he seems he likes to do)... | ||
| Pwnzor |
Perhaps you thought Marquez was unbeatable before... well, now you KNOW it.  | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
Seeing as you've posted a spoiler..... Had Rossi not had the tyre choice issue hitting him at the wrong time in qualifying, he could well have won today. His lap times and brilliance coming from last to 5th........ Rossi is riding as well as at anytime in his career, but Marquez seems to be getting the luck that Rossi could just do with a little bit of to get the winning results. Rocket in England | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
Other than that (Rossi's brilliance coming through the field), a pretty dull race in real racing terms. Rocket in England | ||
| Pwnzor |
So... Marquez coming back from 6th to 2nd, and then overcoming a 6 second deficit... AND THEN taking the lead and pulling ahead by 6+ seconds... That was boring? I disagree. | ||
| Trojan |
Had Rossi not had the tyre choice issue hitting him at the wrong time in qualifying, he could well have won today. His lap times and brilliance coming from last to 5th........ The problem Rossi has is that he suddenly seesm unable to make the correct trye choice, both for qualifying and for the race! When every other rider starts on wets you have to question the decision to put him out on slicks, and then to force him to start from pit lane after swapping to wets after the warm up lap. That just gave him far too much work to do and he was never going to bother the top 3 unfortunately. I thought it was anything but boring, and Marquez, Dovi and in particular Broc Parkes all rode excellent tactical races. Shame about Sam Lowes in the Moto2 race, but the boy is certainly trying hard. great result for Gino Rea too  Yet another family double for the Marquez boys makes you wonder what will happen when Alex gets to MotoGP in a couple of years....... | ||
| Pwnzor |
Rossi starting on slicks... was a mistake. Surely would have been a different race, most likely be on the podium. On the top step? I doubt it. Marquez showed everybody what time it is. (Message edited by pwnzor on June 28, 2014) | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
The problem with wet qualifying was evident for both Rossi and Lorenzo. Rossi having topped the timesheet in 3rd free practice should have qualified way up front had it not been for the timing of his qualifying runs. Better for others, the rain fell hard when Rossi and Lorenzo were faced with making good on the times set by others on a drier track. I believe Rossi was attempting a coup from 12th on the grid, he choosing slicks. The gamble didn't pay off. The two sighting laps must have persuaded him to revert back to wets at the expense of starting from pit lane. Had the rain held off a tad longer we might all be saying what a brilliant strategy Rossi played. It's maybe not luck he's missing this season though it feels like there's non running at all for him just when he could do with a smattering if no more. But Rossi's talent certainly is running. This after many wrote him off for three seasons. Was I interested in the performances of Dovi or Parkes. Not really. I don't mean this as a put down, but the weather played too much of a part in making the results relevant to the rest of the season. Except to say Dovi is not an unexpected performer. He is after all a great racer knocking on the door of Alien status in past seasons. And let's face it. the Ducati is known for going well in these conditions. Yet again we saw the 'young dumb and full of cum' bravado of Marquez, which put him to the front, eventually overcoming Dovi for the win. Seems even wet white stripes favour Marquez at the risk of riding over them. Even his 'off' was not one, and he rode on where others wouldn't have been so lucky. The Champ can bin it in morning warm up, but never it seems in a race, lol. He is f**king brilliant. No doubt about it! What can be done to stop him? It might have been a different battle up front had Rossi been up there. Which I believe he could have been going by current form and performance. But again it wasn't to be. This is the racing I want to see this season. Marquez / Rossi. Why? Because Pedrosa has been the nearly man. Lorenzo the failure man. Rossi the only man who might be in with a chance of stopping the Marquez onslaught. As for wet racing. They need to come up with a tyre that goes the distance and they all use it from the declaration of a wet race. In the case of a dry race going wet, they need then to change and stay on such a tyre even if it dries. Rocket in England | ||
| Jaimec |
I am absolutely convinced now that come August I'll be watching Marquez win his tenth consecutive ****ing race. Due to the late start, my recording of the race ended with five laps to go. It didn't matter. The boy wonder was in front and barring a meteor strike, he was going to win anyway. Screw this season. Just declare him the winner, start an early and EXTENSIVE testing season, and let's move on to 2015. There is NOTHING else to see here, especially since Dorna (in their infinite wisdom) has pretty much put an end to any significant development during the course of the season anyway. | ||
| Jaimec |
PS: In the post race interview, Lorenzo confessed he was spooked by his memories of last year's race. Everything was good... but he was too afraid of falling. He apologized to his team and his fans for his failing. You can tell he's not Australian... | ||
| Pwnzor |
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| Pwnzor |
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| Rocket_in_uk |
  Rocket in England | ||
| Trojan |
Was I interested in the performances of Dovi or Parkes. Not really. I don't mean this as a put down, but the weather played too much of a part in making the results relevant to the rest of the season. The weather was the same for everyone, which is what made things more exciting than usual. When you have multi world champions making the wrong tyre choice, then going from last to 5th, other multi world champions going from 5th to last (almost), and otherwise no hopers making superb (or just lucky) tactical decisions that get them a well deserved top 10 finish then I call that entertaining Rossi (or his team) made some schoolboy errors on both days that surprised me. maybe he would have had a coup if the weather had dried out, but if everyone else is running wets you cannot afford to make a gamble like that at this level. Likewise in qualifying, nobody thought to make space for themselves on track except A. Espagaro and Cal Crutchlow. The rest just got in each others way panicking about lack of time. Interesting race because of the weather , not in spite of it methinks Either way Marquez looks pretty much unstoppable unless he trips himself up now. | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
I don't watch any motorsport to factor in the weather to make the racing exciting. I watch because I want to see the best in the world prove that they are. To upset this apple cart with wrong, bad, poor tyre choice just compounds the problem furthermore. Luck has its place - but not too much of it. Likewise, good tyre choice shouldn't make a winner. I want the best rider winning. Otherwise you could put the entire field on soft slicks and I'd beat the lot of 'em on a Buell with a Pirelli road tyre. Doesn't mean a thing. The whole field should be on control tyres with little to no choice if they were to bring parity to the racing. No matter the weather either. Rocket in England | ||
| Jaimec |
That would only work if they were all riding the exact same bike. We already have a series like that here in the States. We call it "NASCAR." | ||
| Crusty |
I've seen some pretty exciting NASCAR races over the years. Then again, I thought Catalunya was a superb race, and it didn't rain there. I have to agree with Rocket about Rossi. I think that when things finally click with him, Marquez is going to have his hands full. And Yes, I'm a bit of a Rossi fanboy.I would dearly love to see him hand Marquez his ass like he did to Lorenzo before he went to the Duck camp. | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
We are only told that certain tyres favour certain bikes because that's how it is now. And riders for that matter. But a tyre made to race is a tyre made to race. It needs grip and longevity. The choice between tyres as it is now doesn't create parity. In fact it proved how good an open class bike can go when the weather slows the field. It allows softer tyres on open bikes to grab pole and come 2nd in the race. Whatever went on this weekend was a bit of a fiasco caused by the weather, but ultimately because the rules allow such in these situations. It's just too much of a lottery in some cases. Assen gave Marquez a green light for a win in the end. If that's down to poor tyre choice from his rival(s), and the dangling carrot is a mixed bag of fortunes for others based on the principal a wet race and the shit storm it causes will make for spectacular rides, racing, and results, I don't want it. It's a championship where the best in the world should be dicing with each other for the spoils. Not trying to predict weather and gambling on choices to be in the fight or not. Just my opinion as a Rossi bad loser Rocket in England | ||
| Trojan |
The whole field should be on control tyres with little to no choice if they were to bring parity to the racing. No matter the weather either. When it comes to wet weather they are. Ther eis no difference between factory or open class wet weather tyres. The Bridgestone 'control' tyres actually do a very good job of making things equal between riders. If you remember the 'good' old days Michelin used to make specific tyre compounds and constructions for individual riders, so they could all exploit their own unique styles with their own tyres. That is how Toni Elias managed to beat valentino rossi back in 2006 usingone of the top guys 'discarded' tyre choice from Michelin. The problem was that only the top 3 or 4 riders got that choice, the rest got what they were given adn the quality and choice varied enormously. At least now there are only a very limited number of compounds available, so every rider has to tailor his riding style to suit the tyres, not the other way around. Aleix Espagaro is a bit of a strange case, as they are given open status yet have a factory spec M1 to play with (when they entered as an Open entry they were of course supposed to be using an FTR chassis with a Yamaha engine). When it comes to tyre choice for the race on Saturday, it wasn't a choice between soft, medium or hard, or assymetric tread compounds. It was a simple choice of wet or dry. Rossi made a schoolboy error on the grid gambling that the weather would dry out quickly, and lost his gamble. Nothing to do with tyre choice available just a poor choice by the team. It's a championship where the best in the world should be dicing with each other for the spoils. Not trying to predict weather and gambling on choices to be in the fight or not. The best in the world should be capable of fighting for the win regardless of the weather. If Rossi had chosen wet tyres at the start he probably would have been up there fighting for the win, but he didn't. Lorenzo was a great disappointment as he never looked comfortable, and yet he has won in the wet before. Lastly, wet weather is a great leveller, and you tend to see how good 'lower ranked' riders really are when outright power isn't the issue, which is why I love wet races | ||
| Pwnzor |
The best in the world should be capable of fighting for the win regardless of the weather. He is, was, and did. Absolutely phenomenal. | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
My point was Matt, after they went to slicks on a not so dry track, Dovi had the advantage of a softer tyre. Give that to a rider of his caliber when the weather levels the field, he's gonna perform better on an open Ducati than he would in a dry race. As for Marquez being the best in the world. It's a little early in his career at top level for me to agree. Rocket in England | ||
| Trojan |
As for Marquez being the best in the world. It's a little early in his career at top level for me to agree. There is always the argument about who is/was the best in the world, and it is almost impossible to compare riders from different eras. Was Hailwood better because they could jump on any bike and win, riding in 6 or 7 different classes on different bikes in one day? Was Doohan better for his utter domination? All we can say right now is that Marquez is the current 'best in the world', and having won the first 8 races of the year he has emulated a feat that only one other rider has ever done, Giacomo Agostini in 1971 (Doohan won 8 races in a season but not the first 8). I have a feeling that the Marquez brothers are the start of a long period of dominiation by this dynasty, like it or not....It is very hard to see anyone currently racing who is capable of beating Marc except maybe his brother (who Marc says is a better rider!). Whatever the tyre situation last week, and the allocation of soft tyres, it hasn't made anyone more competitive against Marquez yet. Other riders could learn a few tricks from him right now. He regularly goes through practice sessions on hard tyres while others are grabbing headlines on soft rubber (although is still at or near the top of the timesheets regardless!), his tactics in qualifying have been a revelation this year (swapping bikes mid session to get more track time in 15 minutes sessions) and it is amazing that nobody else has thought of this before. I have been a Rossi fan for donkeys years, but he is making too many tactical mistakes now and making it harder for himself than he needs to. is this a sign that he is trying too hard or that he simply doesn't have an answer for Marquez at the moment? Marquez may not be the 'GOAT' but he is certanly the 'GOTE' (greatest of this era). | ||
| Jaimec |
I'm with Matt on this one, and I agree with a statement he made last year: I'd LOVE to see Casey Stoner return just so Marquez could kick his ass on a regular basis. Stoner raced against the same guys Marquez is currently racing. The difference is, Stoner occasionally LOST. | ||
| Blake |
Stoner won two championships, each time on what was arguably the overdog machine in the paddock. | ||
| Trojan |
Stoner won two championships, each time on what was arguably the overdog machine in the paddock. It isn't just about winning though to be considered 'great' and not just talented. personality and charisma come into it too, other wise you can have extremely successful sports stars forgetten within a year of retirement. Stoner was a talented rider but hopeless when it came to personality! he was never going to be considered great simply becaue he wasn't perticularly liked (you never saw a Stoner 'fan zone' at a GP like you do for Rossi, Marquez and Lorenzo (at some races anyway). Marquez is the only young rider to come into MotoGP with personality since the late Marco Simoncelli. | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
I have been a Rossi fan for donkeys years, but he is making too many tactical mistakes now and making it harder for himself than he needs to. is this a sign that he is trying too hard or that he simply doesn't have an answer for Marquez at the moment? Assen was not a mistake in the sense I believe Rossi was trying to outgun those in front due to a bad qualifying session. A qualifying where Yamaha jumped first (someone has to) hoping to beat the weather. The weather favoured those who went after Yamaha in the end. Not a tactical error surely? Regardless, people like Rossi do not make schoolboy errors. Aren't you forgetting he has transformed the Yamaha and still is an effort to overcome the best bike out there, which Marquez is on. Adapted to a new crew chief and different ways of doing things. I'm sure there's a lot going on I have no clue about, which makes Rossi's task somewhat monumental compared to Marquez's easy two seasons where all he has to do in comparison is race the easiest bike which appears to favour anyone who rides it. It's not like we ever hear of a Honda posting a poor result due to the bike itself. And let's not forget, Rossi is on his game and riding as great as ever. He is just not having the tiny bit of luck he could do with, but Marquez appears to be making his own and capitalising on it well. Very well. He is not unbeatable that is for sure. And definitely not by Rossi who will prove so in time. All it takes is Rossi to get the Yamaha 10/10th's and the story will be different. Rossi is far from done. Marquez on the other hand has a long way to go to become a GOAT. And yes I agree, as anyone would, Marquez has shown to be an outstanding racer and deserving world champion the likes of which we've not seen in a long time. Incidentally, Stoner couldn't hold a candle to him. After all, even Rossi is having a hard time doing so. But Rossi will succeed where all others have failed. It's only a question of how well Rossi will succeed. Will it be the odd race or three, or become a monumental battle of two greats. Let's hope the latter eh. Rocket in England | ||
| Trojan |
I'm sure there's a lot going on I have no clue about, which makes Rossi's task somewhat monumental compared to Marquez's easy two seasons where all he has to do in comparison is race the easiest bike which appears to favour anyone who rides it. It's not like we ever hear of a Honda posting a poor result due to the bike itself. I wouldn't call Marquez's first two seasons easy. he crashed at 200mph + at Misano last year, broke his leg and missed most of this seasons pre-season testing, and has had to come into an established team and mould it to his way of working. What he has done is show that he can work in a completely different way to other 'established' riders and is open to new ideas such as the 'bike swap' in qualifying. Rossi himself says that Marquez is the best rider at the moment and has the advanatage of being able to push hard on cold tyres from the first lap more than any other rider. This was shown after the pit stops last week when Marquez was .5 seconds quicker in the first sector alone folowing the swap than any other rider. There is agreat article on motomatters.com on the winners and losers of the pit stops. Much as I have loved Rossi and all he has brought to the sport over the years I can't see him beating Marquez, who is at the top of his game this year. | ||
| Trojan |
If it is any consolation Rocket....Rossi has signed with Yamaha for 2 more seasons... http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2014/Yamaha+and+Vale ntino+Rossi+set+to+continue+with+twoyear+contract+ extension | ||
| Jaimec |
FYI: In the 800cc era, Stoner's win/lose percentage eclipsed Rossi's BEST years (and that was even before Rossi torpedoed his career by going to Ducati). I have to begrudgingly acknowledge the little twit's talent, but that doesn't mean I have to LIKE him. In fact, Stoner's talent probably hid all the problems the Desmosedici had because no matter what they gave him, he managed to win (or at least podium) on the damned thing. It was a testimony to Lorenzo's talent that even though Stoner was on the overdog Honda, he was able to beat him for the championship once. But put Stoner back on a Honda on the grid today and I have no doubts Marquez would be beating him as handily as he is the rest of the field. Rossi, Lorenzo and Pedrosa are STILL "aliens." Marquez?? He's something altogether new... "Super Alien??" |
