Amazing lap by Cal, thoroughly deserved. Amazing laps by Zarco and Lorenzo, putting their team mates to shame.
Yamaha are in trouble. They have no more excuses. Either Zarco is an enigma who is making the 2016 bike look much better than it is or Yamaha have made 2 consecutive bikes worse and worse. Last yr Vinales was blamed but now Yamaha themselves cannot hide, and the blame has to lie with both riders.
Who would have bet against Marquez not crashing and still being off the front row?
It is live on the Eurosport antenna that Laurent Fellon, friend, partner and manager of Johann Zarco, explained why the latter will ride on a factory KTM from 2019.
Attention, every word is important and that's why we report here as accurately as possible all his words, despite the hubbub of motorcycles in the background ...
Laurent Fellon : "It's my decision because ... we'll go backwards: Éric de Seynes, who helped us a lot, did his best. I say Eric de Seynes, because no one from Yamaha came to see us. He did everything to take the necessary steps and bring us a Yamaha. And it did not happen because Valentino blocked all roads. I can say it now. After, Honda, put Johann next to Márquez, it's not good, because Márquez is Márquez. At Suzuki, they had us out, so go back to someone who puts you out ... they just had to think. On the other hand, KTM is a European factory, which has what it takes to do the development. With Red Bull, they are behind Johann, they want a driver like Johann. I think that with Red Bull, it will give wings to Johann, and above all, they will make a good bike because, already, seeing what they did yesterday with Kallio and Espargaro ... Knowing that Espargaro was on the Yamaha of Johann, the same as this one, it was said that the Yamaha Tech3 was not good, so there, the KTM, I think that as soon as Johann will ride on it, he will be in the game and he will be able to brawl in front.
The most important fact, and it is clearly stated, is of course that Laurent Fellon made the decision. A decision that, apart from Yamaha which was the initial choice of Johann Zarco, seems to have partly taken place "by elimination".
That's ........, the riders are only part of the equation. The crew chiefs and engineers are responsible for taking what they riders say and ask for and making the proper adjustments and developing the right parts to improve the motorcycle. The riders are just easy to point the finger at since they're the most visible part of the team, but make no mistake if the engineers are failing at their job the riders will suffer. You have no proof Vinales and Rossi are providing poor feedback to the team.
Yet you, others and Rossi were so quick to blame Vinales last year...
So... Zarco's manager has sounded off on French TV. No one at Yamaha has helped us. Rossi has actively blocked us.
Fellon is delusional.
The KTM going to battle at the front? It's not.
Being next to Marquez isn't a bad proposition since you're getting full factory support from a team that's been doing this for a few decades with very little in the way of fallow times.
At least we know Rossi is a cockblocker like usual. Yamaha letting a 39 year old has-been dictate that is pathetic. But no shock, can't have Zarco demolishing Rossi on a factory bike. Those t-shirt sales might start going down.
You're mistaken. I've never made a single post on here blaming Vinales for anything.
I don't think it's impossible though. Compare Zarco and to the current KTM teams results on tech 3. So the idea that KTM won't dramatically improve while being ridden by Zarco isn't crazy.
It sounded a lot like Zarco wasn't confident of beating Marquez on the same bike TBH.
That's my mistake then.
However the point still stands that Rossi blamed Vinales solely for the problems Yamaha had last year.
That's ........, the riders are only part of the equation. The crew chiefs and engineers are responsible for taking what the riders say and ask for and making the proper adjustments and developing the right parts to improve the motorcycle. The riders are just easy to point the finger at since they're the most visible part of the team, but make no mistake if the engineers are failing at their job the riders will suffer. You have no proof Vinales and Rossi are providing poor feedback to the team.
So Zarco has the best Yamaha Engineers?
I'm not so sure. It was early in the season (or preseason) when Rossi was vocal about there being problems with the 2017 bike. Vinales couldn't of had anything to do with whatever Yamaha developed over the winter so I'm sure initially Rossi knew the engineers had ...... up. Vinales had a great pace early last year and he didn't think there was a problem... until the tires changed and he had similar issues to what Rossi was complaining about all along. Rossi may have felt Vinales wasn't helping by claiming the 2017 bike was perfect. Rossi was able to feel the difference between between the 2016 and 2017 bikes when Vinales had only had the Suzuki as a prior reference point.
So Zarco has the best Yamaha Engineers?
If the bike wasn’t flawed in Vinales’ hands on the intial (approved by majority vote) 2017 tire why exactly did that tire need to be changed, and how was Vinales supposed to otherwise judge the bike?.
Is it better to lose on the “right” tire than win on the “wrong” tire?.
I never had any problem with the new “Rossi” tire being made available, but the “old” tire should have continued to be available, something that has now actually been recognised by a regulation.
Is Zarco on the 2016 M1?
You're in the land of conspiracy if you're thinking the tire was changed for Rossi. The tire change didn't really help Rossi much either. You have to stop thinking Michelin gives a .... about Rossi and understand what they're responsible for while adjusting to being the new tire manufacturer.