2024 Round 16: Motul Grand Prix of Japan - Mobility Resort Motegi

There's a small aero drop in 2027

Re Acosta, from Mat's article: of 48 podium positions so far this year, only six have been filled by non-Ducati riders and four of those by Acosta

Sennas_Caress said:

Re Acosta, from Mat's article: of 48 podium positions so far this year, only six have been filled by non-Ducati riders and four of those by Acosta

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I don't see where Acosta's specialness requires any defence. As with anyone who is above average comes around, the tendency to discredit follows, with whatever motivates such a tendency being quite varied... the main one being that he will likely shake the 'establishment', i.e., be a threat to established reputations, dominance, and their fans.

warthog1 said:

Harder to overtake and processional racing is the result.

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I agree with everything you said but I thought the racing was more processional in 2022 when ride height systems were used by everyone but the aero wasn't as extreme yet. The racing gradually got better during 2023 and 2024 though it's obviously nowhere near the 2016-2020 golden era.

The reason it's slightly better though is that the riders are pulling last-lap moves every lap.

JFM01 said:

2016-2020 golden era.

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You think that’s the golden era?



More overtakes than the entire 2024 season probably.

And this happened in the age of processional racing no less.

That classic Fiat Yamaha livery. So smart.

misfit said:

I don't see where Acosta's specialness requires any defence. As with anyone who is above average comes around, the tendency to discredit follows, with whatever motivates such a tendency being quite varied... the main one being that he will likely shake the 'establishment', i.e., be a threat to established reputations, dominance, and their fans.

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Actually a few of the MM fans on motorsport.com are getting peeved about comparisons with Marquez, so you are absolutely correct. Amusing to see people who complain about Rossi fans bristling in regard to Marquez.

The article is perhaps a little premature, and it could normally be said would place too much pressure on Acosta, but in his particular case I don’t think will worry him.

He has pace you can’t teach, sticking with Bagnaia who is about as it gets on a GP24 on a good weekend like the recent one is seriously impressive, and he certainly seems to have the attitude of a winner, and there is no reason why he can’t be consistent with a year’s experience and better equipment, having managed same in the junior classes. That stage of his career followed the same lines as Rossi and MM closely, a learning year followed by a dominant title win. As a Stoner tragic I have no problems with comparing his season this year with Stoner’s rookie season in 2006, a comparison I have made myself.

As said by most including me this season is only a prelude to greatness if he subsequently becomes great, but I wouldn’t bet against him doing so. Part of all this is Acosta lighting a fire under KTM in my view, and if they don’t deliver he will go elsewhere for better equipment, where he will be in great demand even on the basis of what he has already shown. 10 years or more at at the top like Rossi or MM requires luck or good judgement in regard to injuries and career moves as well as keeping the fire going that long though, and even someone as intrinsically fast as Casey Stoner was didn’t manage that.

JFM01 said:

I agree with everything you said but I thought the racing was more processional in 2022 when ride height systems were used by everyone but the aero wasn't as extreme yet. The racing gradually got better during 2023 and 2024 though it's obviously nowhere near the 2016-2020 golden era.

The reason it's slightly better though is that the riders are pulling last-lap moves every lap.

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Go back before the aero and it was better.
Turning it into F1 will not make it more exciting.
Sorry, for me F1 is a yawn fest.
I don't care if they drop the technology and slow it down. We can get back to seeing people stuffing it up the inside out of shape more often.

It’s up to Dorna to bring out regulations that prevent development that makes the racing less entertaining

mikesbytes said:

It’s up to Dorna to bring out regulations that prevent development that makes the racing less entertaining

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No, Dorna is the promoter.
FIM is the one who should make up the regulations which they can’t because in MotoGP the manufacturers have veto power and nothing gets passed unless the decision is unanimous.

The only time the FIM can do anything unilaterally is if it is safety regulated.

synn said:

You think that’s the golden era?



More overtakes than the entire 2024 season probably.

And this happened in the age of processional racing no less.

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Well you just said Catalunya 2009 happened in an age of processional racing. Doesn't sound like a golden era to me.

Between 2016-20 every race was nuts. In 2011-15 the battle for the win was between two Repsol Hondas and two factory Yamahas barring unforeseen circumstances.
Now it's between four Ducatis barring unforeseen circumstances.

Between 16-20 the field was incredibly wide open. It wasn't just the factory teams of Yamaha, Honda, Ducati, Suzuki and later KTM battling in out, some customer teams were right in the mix as well.
You never know what would happen in a race. A rider could win one week and finish 15th the next week.
Gosh how much I miss those years.

warthog1 said:

Go back before the aero and it was better.
Turning it into F1 will not make it more exciting.
Sorry, for me F1 is a yawn fest.
I don't care if they drop the technology and slow it down. We can get back to seeing people stuffing it up the inside out of shape more often.

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I agree, I don't care about new lap records every weekend if the racing suffers.

F1 has reacted to that by scaling back aero in 2022 though, MotoGP hasn't.

synn said:

No, Dorna is the promoter.
FIM is the one who should make up the regulations which they can’t because in MotoGP the manufacturers have veto power and nothing gets passed unless the decision is unanimous.

The only time the FIM can do anything unilaterally is if it is safety regulated.

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I believe ride height is something they would've loved to ban but when the rules were written no one thought anyone could come up with that stuff.
They couldn't ban ride height later because Ducati already had an advantage so unanimous consent couldn't be reached.
They tried to outlaw aero in 2017 but Gigi quickly found a loophole.

Aero can be curbed if they can make an argument along the lines of it leading to dangerous situations.

The loss of breaking when being sucked into the wake of the bike in front is in my view a prime example of what the FIM should exploit.

Also regarding to overtaking, the turbulent caused by the aero leads to more pressure on the rider trying to overtake. And the tyre pressure going through the roof because of the aero is a third.

All combined, and more added, I can't see how they could not scale back aero much more.