Keshav

Well - It's been an interesting year.

Last to be decided - who is runner up?
And Rookie Of The Year?

Silly season is starting late this year.

Will Dovi ride for Repsol again? Or go to WSBK? (I think not) Stoner, Lorenzo and Pedrosa didn't.

How will Crutchlow do as a test rider at Yamaha? How long before he starts bitching about them?

MichaelBolton

I reckon the Yamahas will do well here, maybe Mav and Quarta can get back to business now that the pressure is gone.

Woodstock

I think Morbidelli and Rins will be pushing to try and secure second in the championship. Pol will have his last chance for a win with KTM so I’m expecting him to push hard too. I really hope Nakagami finally gets a podium in his last race of the season. I don’t think Mir will be on the podium now he has secured the championship.

misfit

I agree here.

With us speaking about Nakagami in this way, I can't help but imagine how some of these races would have gone with Marquez senior around!

Woodstock

Yes it would have been interesting! I’m sure he would have won the championship.

Bern1

Interesting day.

Zarco has to win his first GP someday......or not. But might be a good bet. He doesn’t have anything to lose. Bagnaia seems mired in the doldrums of late, as did Zarco. Zarco will have a sharp stick ready.

I tend to also think Mir will not step out of character. A points racer will hardly change his colors with the title secure. I like him and admire his race craft but he just doesn’t seem to be cut of the Doohan-Rainey-Marquez winning is all that counts cloth.

On a Yamaha, Mav has something to prove, as does Fabio. Fabio just doesn’t seem up to it though. He will manage to psych himself out, even if he is in position to challenge.

Dovi, fuhgedaboutit. Out to pasture, you put a good mid pack run in, with a few highlights here and there. Enjoy the retirement!

Wild card, Miller!

michaelm

A little harsh perhaps on a guy who has won a title on a Suzuki. I am not sure how many riders out there would be faster than him in qualifying/have better one lap pace than him on fresh tyres on a Suzuki riding against Yamahas and Ducatis etc, but am fairly sure few would be able to make use of the bike’s late race pace as well as he does.

Bern1

Good points. I’m sure Mir will develop further. I’ll admit to being harsh on some accounts, not only on his!

It goes along with thinking of racing as “civilized” warfare.

michaelm

After the most recent practice sessions and qualifying you obviously have a point as well, Rins on the same bike showed better in qualifying this week-end and has done so previously as well.

I don’t see Mir as a points accumulator though, just as someone who at this stage in his career is not great at qualifying and perhaps early in races when everyone has fresh tires and a full fuel load. He is an out and out racer including being a demon passer once the bike comes to him during a race.

I agree with the racing as warfare thing, as exemplified by some of my favourite riders such as Gardner, Schwantz, Rainey, MM and my long term idol Mick Doohan, as well as by Valentino Rossi in his pomp of course. I still found Casey Stoner the most thrilling to watch as far as actual riding was concerned, I could watch that guy ride a lap on his own at full throttle all day, particularly around PI, and he made war on the limits of his bike and on the circuit de jour more than on his rivals.

Barbedwirebikerr

New track, new set ups. The better garages will be up front. I think morbidelli has the best crew chief aside from Marc. Nakagami should profit from HRC experience also. Wild card for me is Johann zarco.

KTM looks fast also. Oliviera looking the best so far.

Top 5 prediction.

Morbidelli
Nakagami
Miller
Oliviera
P. Espargaro