2022 Portimao - Grande Prémio Tissot de Portugal

Bern1 · Apr 24, 2022

Didn’t Rins qualify on the front row just a race or two ago?

As far as Fabio is concerned, I doubt it will be easy. There will be tracks that suit the Duc and tracks that suit the Honda.

I think the championship is wide open, with the best chances going to the most consistent finishers of course.

mylexicon · Apr 24, 2022

Bern1 said:
Didn’t Rins qualify on the front row just a race or two ago?

As far as Fabio is concerned, I doubt it will be easy. There will be tracks that suit the Duc and tracks that suit the Honda.

I think the championship is wide open, with the best chances going to the most consistent finishers of course.

As long as Yamaha don't forget how to setup a bike, they should be in good shape for Jerez. There are a few corners where fast and loose work best, but they fast flowing turns after dry sac usually favor bikes like the Yamaha.

Bern1 · Apr 24, 2022

warthog1 said:
It was only Pol on the hard rear.
None went well.

Got it, thanks for the clarification.

Obviously, the new Honda needs sorting out.

It will be interesting to see how it gets sorted out and who does the sorting and who derives the most benefit.

So far it appears Pol is just as lost as Marc.

Times they are a changing. Or not.

Will be an interesting season in any case.

warthog1 · Apr 24, 2022

Marc will never have the gap he had again, I think.
There is just so much depth in the grid.
They need to sort it for his preference it appears.

Fabio was 29 secs in front of the next yam in Dovi.
That is a long way!

#22 · Apr 25, 2022

warthog1 said:
The new Honda tested well hey?
How's that proceeding so far? [emoji6]

'This is a clear message that Honda is back'

Pol - March 2022

Honda has "serious problems" with 2022 MotoGP bike

Pol - April 2022.

To be fair, the articles published online take Pol's post race interview slightly out of context but his flip in attitude is hilarious.
It appears the main issue (at least in Portimao) was that the bike lost the rear grip that it had at the start of the season so now has no rear grip and a low grip front end. Marc said they basically had to choose between side grip and drive grip from the rear.

Not helped by the fact they had 20 minutes dry time before the race, but as Marc said 'If the bike is good it doesn't matter how little dry track time you have before the race'

mylexicon said:
Quartararo rode a peerless race. Looked like Lorenzo circa 2010. I guess they got the rear grip issue sorted or maybe the conditions suited the M1. Dovi and Morbidelli still incapable of achieving anything, though. Starting to look like Ducati 2007.

Without Fabio, Yamaha would be last.

Vinales was nowhere after teasing podium pace. I guess he meant for Aleix? Morbidelli is driving down the value of the entire Yamaha organization, and Dovi is helping. Yamaha needs to ditch them both.

So Vinales doing what he always does....

MichaelBolton said:
I wonder if Morbidelli has an untold confidence problem after that huge injury of his? hasn't been the same really.

Certainly a possibility

Despite how much he loves to complain about the bike, it's looking like another easy championship for Quartararo. Everyone else is way too inconsistent except for the older Espargaró (who won't hold) and Rins, who needs to get wins and the qualifying issues sorted to be a real challenger IMO.

I'd have bet my house on Bagnaia walking the title this year given his ed of 2021 form....

mylexicon · Apr 25, 2022

#22 said:
Pol - March 2022
I'd have bet my house on Bagnaia walking the title this year given his ed of 2021 form....

Beware the curse of Melandri

In Italian rider is more likely to finish P1 in a mental hospital than in the MotoGP championship, if they choose to ride for the factory Ducati team.

Glad we only have a few more days before the festivities in Jerez. Should be a good weekend, though I suspect it will be the race of 100 muggings, as the Spaniards tilt at windmills.

Bern1 · Apr 25, 2022

Yes, the Pol flips are indeed kind of funny.

I am now doubting that he will really bring anything to the table in terms of testing, input or results.

It seems unbelievable that Honda would design another “unrideable” bike.

They need to sign somebody who is capable of helping them deliver a rideable bike, then actually listen to what that person says.

mylexicon · Apr 25, 2022

Not much post race chatter in the press. Pol whining. Rins congratulating himself for ruining and then un-ruining his weekend, while claiming no one believed in him.

Could be that everyone is already looking ahead to Jerez or maybe no one cared about Portimao?

michaelm · Apr 25, 2022

Bern1 said:
I thought that was another measured ride from Aleix, good performance. Zarco kept his cool

Miller……not helping his precarious tenure at Ducati.

Awesome ride from Rins.

Marquez missing a step? Or Honda just missed the setup and gambled on the wrong tire?

Great start to the Euro campaign.

Bad error by Jack, but I would also say his precarious tenure at Ducati is not helping Jack.

There is something fundamentally wrong with how Ducati runs things, they keep ending up at odds with their riders, and as someone said after the previous race they seem to have opted for a scattergun approach this season. Perhaps Jack doesn’t try that move without the talk that Martin already has his seat. Even Bagnaia whom I along with others expected to be dominating unless the old MM returned seems to be unhappy and not melding with the bike.

mylexicon · Apr 25, 2022

michaelm said:
Bad error by Jack, but I would also say his precarious tenure at Ducati is not helping Jack.

There is something fundamentally wrong with how Ducati runs things, they keep ending up at odds with their riders, and as someone said after the previous race they seem to have opted for a scattergun approach this season. Perhaps Jack doesn’t try that move without the talk that Martin already has his seat. Even Bagnaia whom I along with others expected to be dominating unless the old MM returned seems to be unhappy and not melding with the bike.

In Oxley's latest article, Ducati claim they are reverting back to the GP21 settings. This won't fix their managerial problems, but perhaps it will change the dimension of the 2022 championship.

We'll have to see if Jack likes the '21 settings on the '22 bike and tires. Who knows, maybe the changes are just an attempt to save Pecco's career or maybe Ducati was always planning to change settings at the old European circuits?

propagandhi · Apr 25, 2022

mylexicon said:
Oxley: How Suzuki Raised Its Top Speed

Good article, except the part where he claims MotoGP bikes are making 19,000rpm and 30m/s mean piston velocity. Those numbers are optimistic to put it mildly. Anyway, still a good exposition, even if the top speed numbers are less important in Europe. Could come in handy at Mugello though.

one of my big regrets in life is that oxley isn't a f1 journo.
The bmw would have made a toleleumtastique 2000hp by now

#22 · Apr 25, 2022

Bern1 said:
Yes, the Pol flips are indeed kind of funny.

I am now doubting that he will really bring anything to the table in terms of testing, input or results.

It seems unbelievable that Honda would design another “unrideable” bike.

They need to sign somebody who is capable of helping them deliver a rideable bike, then actually listen to what that person says.

I was hoping Jorge Lorenzo was that guy, but alas.

michaelm said:
Bad error by Jack, but I would also say his precarious tenure at Ducati is not helping Jack.

There is something fundamentally wrong with how Ducati runs things, they keep ending up at odds with their riders, and as someone said after the previous race they seem to have opted for a scattergun approach this season. Perhaps Jack doesn’t try that move without the talk that Martin already has his seat. Even Bagnaia whom I along with others expected to be dominating unless the old MM returned seems to be unhappy and not melding with the bike.

Claudio Domenicalli....

mylexicon said:
In Oxley's latest article, Ducati claim they are reverting back to the GP21 settings. This won't fix their managerial problems, but perhaps it will change the dimension of the 2022 championship.

We'll have to see if Jack likes the '21 settings on the '22 bike and tires. Who knows, maybe the changes are just an attempt to save Pecco's career or maybe Ducati was always planning to change settings at the old European circuits?

Ducati need to understand the phrase 'One more brush stroke can ruin a painting'

mylexicon · Apr 25, 2022

Vinales complaining that he can't get any feeling from the bike and tires early in a race.

Looked at the lap analysis. Checks out. He is terrible in the opening laps, then he has top 5 pace. At Algarve, his late pace wasn't enough to salvage his weekend.

Interestingly, Pecco has the same problem. Opening 5-6 laps are subpar.

#22 · Apr 25, 2022

mylexicon said:
Vinales complaining that he can't get any feeling from the bike and tires early in a race.

So as I said before, the problem is Vinales and not the bike.

#22 · Apr 25, 2022

mylexicon said:
Interestingly, Pecco has the same problem. Opening 5-6 laps are subpar.

For all races or just Portimao? Because he was injured and taking it easy for the early laps this race.

Bern1 · Apr 25, 2022

As I recall, Mav having a race with sub par opening laps is nothing new.

Of course, he is also capable of jetting off at the start and dominating the race.

I don’t pretend to understand him. Definitely an enigma with big highs and lows.

mylexicon · Apr 25, 2022

#22 said:
For all races or just Portimao? Because he was injured and taking it easy for the early laps this race.

Should have specified. Chronic problem for Vinales. Bagnaia was just at Algarve. You're probably right about Bagnaia's early pace being related to injury.

In other news, German website MotorsportMagazin.com claims the Finnish Grand Prix is in jeopardy again. According to rumors, the track and pits are complete, but the Fins have accomplished nothing else since 2019. Final decision will be made at Jerez.

German language website. Spielberg mentioned as possible replacement round if Finland falls through. I'll let fans figure out where this leak is coming from, if the story isn't completely made up.

https://www.motorsport-magazin.com/motogp/news-276726-motogp-droht-finnland-gp-auch-2022-die-absage/

mylexicon · Apr 25, 2022

propagandhi said:
one of my big regrets in life is that oxley isn't a f1 journo.
The bmw would have made a toleleumtastique 2000hp by now

True

and 5 years later he'd be reporting they make 2500hp

To be fair to Oxley, MotoGP bikes can reach 19,000rpm.....if someone kicks it into 4th gear on the main straight at 350kph.

Someone in the paddock was probably messing with him, by quoting an rpm figure in a braking zone. Either that or he lazily carried that number forward from the 800cc era.

propagandhi · Apr 25, 2022

I suspect that oxley knows .... all about moving objects.He writes opinion like this all the time.
A story guy, not someone that knows machinery. Imagine a balding Michael Scott after a particularly bad weight cut.
19k? maybe the gp7 and gp8.

PRS717 · Apr 25, 2022

Bern1 said:
As I recall, Mav having a race with sub par opening laps is nothing new.

Of course, he is also capable of jetting off at the start and dominating the race.

I don’t pretend to understand him. Definitely an enigma with big highs and lows.

Hasn't Mav been notoriously bad with a full fuel tank or is that just Matt Birt BS?

2022 Portimao - Grande Prémio Tissot de Portugal

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