Win Moto2, and MotoGP with Sprint races should be ok to VR46 fans. They will have very little excuses then (but cant guarantee having seen what happened till now though)Lorenzo is higher on my favorites list, and he didn't win more world titles during the Lorenzo-Rossi career overlap; however, they did beat each other head-to-head twice. Rossi was a kick away from making it 3-2 during the overlap and 3-1 in head-to-head
Anyway, Freddie was long before my time. I was just trying to think of something dramatic that Marquez could do that even the Vale fans would have to concede defeat.
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Same Gigi also says Pecco is one of the greatest driver, but we do conveniently ignore that. We just pick what we want
But I am happy to see the next 3 yrs fight between these 2 and Pedro
It will be a close run thing I expect. Pecco is very good and has already won twice on the Ducati, with established working relationship with the team. Should be good.
The best way for Pecco himself to win titles, and possibly for a Ducati rider to win titles, would be to have Pecco as the definite number 1 rider, his team mate basically a test mule a la Edwards with Pecco’s mentor, and no full factory bikes for satellite teams, and this would seem to be Pecco’s preference a la his mentor going by some of his pronouncements. Ducati are not under any obligation to do this for him though, and even though I am critical of their management in general imo they are entitled to run things as they see fit, and find it somewhat admirable they allow their riders to fight each other from the sporting viewpoint. It also seems to be be Gigi’s belief that this approach has allowed them to develop their bike as they have.Same Gigi also says Pecco is one of the greatest driver, but we do conveniently ignore that. We just pick what we want
But I am happy to see the next 3 yrs fight between these 2 and Pedro
In the other hand perhaps it is a continuation of a long time Honda like view that it is their bike which is winning rather than a rider or riders.
Yea, this may be true but in Rossi's defense, he (Rossi) didn't feel the need to post pictures/videos of himself doing squats days after breaking his leg. And let's be honest, that was a horrific injury. Call me crazy but I always thought that Marc's push-ups may have done damage and the whole window story was just that, a story or the trigger for aggravating the injury from damage by the push-ups. As someone who has dealt with lower back issues my entire adult life, I know about the old; "I just bent down to tie my shoe and my back went out." The back is compromised long before tying the shoe. That bit is just a trigger for the inevitable. If not the shoe then maybe a sneeze. I've done both and many more. Always felt Marc's opening the window was the equivalent to the shoe or the sneeze. It was going to happen.
This is what I really like about the current Ducati (or more so Gigi), they dont cowe under pressure from their riders (until this Marquez signing, which I think is a very tactical decision)
The whole thing with MM’s arm fracture initially was ridiculous. That was a quite atypical fracture due to a direct blow from the the wheel of his bike, was always going to take a fair amount of healing and was never going to cope with the stress of riding a MotoGP bike, which is likely what loosened/damaged the plate rather than the opening of a window. Sure the other things you mention were probably ill advised as well. A humerus is not like a clavicle which is largely non weight bearing.
I never realised at the time, but Doohan apparently was also motivated by getting back to riding the earliest rather than the best approach for his injury as well.
Rossi’s injury with the bone penetrating the skin/a compound fracture was also pretty horrendous at the time and I wondered it it somewhat affected him going forward, although it didn’t look that way at Motegi 2010. He was in a way fortunate though, his leathers contained the compound fracture and he didn’t have the usual complication of contamination of the open wound allowing primarily closure which is usually not possible early on.
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They're a different breed.
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Given the current exchange rate, the Aussie dollar is worth 67 American cents so by my calculation . . .
I don’t think the Honda was the best bike for at least MM’s last 3 titles, one of which he won with a fairly severe shoulder problem for which he had off season surgery.The rookie season triumph does put Marc in rarefied air. Maybe he should try to win the Moto2 and MotoGP title in the same year?
Winning a title on a year old Ducati would be a fair achievement if not particularly likely imo. If he wins a Ducati title later on it will likely be against a 3 or more time world champion on equal equipment at age 32 or older, and he will have gained the ride by a leap into the dark onto a superseded bike.
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Nah . . . I met Spencer back in his Superbike days, and he was despite being an incredibly dominant racer, a very sweet unassuming guy. Clearly too soft and a bit of a depressive. Marquez is totally cold blooded.He might end up like Freddieand it is a more packed season now.
Just before I started watching but yes that was very impressive!
LOL.
I myself see it as a close contest between KTM and Ducati for the worst man management, but you are overegging the pudding somewhat.
They moved heaven and earth for Rossi while admittedly not providing him with a competitive bike. They are also not obliged to keep every rider they sign till he retires, Dovi got a pretty fair run, and there were better riders available to them than Petrucci, Crutchlow, Iannone and Miller when the contracts of those riders were up at a time their recent performances had not been stellar. I shared your view about Martin, until it was pointed out to me he was the one who demanded the factory Ducati seat rather than it being promised to him then or there being any indication they wouldn’t continue to support him on a current bike.
Every indication was that MM would have been happy with a factory bike riding for Greseni, and your boy Valentino may have contributed to that not being offered, and certainly to MM not wanting to go to Pramac.
Bottom line is that Ducati thought MM would be more threat to them on an opposition bike than Martin or Bastianini. We shall see whether they are correct. Even I can see a case for them just backing Bagnaia and not worrying about MM though.
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Would you consider him greater than Mike Hailwood if he did that?
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The irony now I would argue is that from a marketing perspective for multiple entities because of the stories that could be sold, things have changed. If Dorna could determine the outcome, I believe it would be MM winning the title because it would make them, and by proxy Liberty Media an ungodly sum of money. I think on the commercial side, the pendulum has swung in the other direction, and they realize now how badly they need Marc. Moments like the French GP print money, something that unfortunately none of the past several champions are capable of doing. Kind of is unfortunate to think in those terms considering how fast they individually are/were, but Pecco is not a great face for the product in spite of his success these past couple of seasons.
Agree with this, and it fits with what Lex has posted previously himself, that people tend to go with the current or recent hegemon, sometimes unfairly/to the detriment of well performed newcomers, cf Hayden, Stoner and possibly Lorenzo with Rossi, which is now probably happening again with the likes of Bagnaia not getting due credit because of the shadow of MM.
Imo MM has not weaponised his fan base against his rivals as Rossi did, but having a large fanbase was doubtless influential in him getting the Ducati Corse ride. I personally would have preferred to see him on a factory bike with Gresini, and would have found it more interesting fo see him on an Aprilia.
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I think Pecco is going to feel he has to win at all costs next season. So I'm wondering what this is going to look like. Will he start trying to pull Portimao and Jerez type moves? Or will he be more circumspect with his riding? Same can be said for Marc who to date has ridden as cleanly as I've ever seen him ride. Probably part of making the case to Ducati that he can ride without crashing.
While I think Marc is ruthless as they come in the confines of a racetrack, I think outside of that environment he isn't of the disposition to weaponize his fanbase against any rider. He's to me the anti-Rossi. I likewise would have preferred to see him on a GP25 with Gresini. The Aprilia would have been a fascinating destination.
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Has anyone else ever done that? Used their fanbase to provide such pressure against rivals?
Seemed it became part of Rossi's modus operandi. Certainly applied to MM more than anyone else and still applied.
Thankfully Marquez always identified it for what it was and rather than be cowed, has used it as motivation it seems.
A satisfying aspect of his signing for Ducati Corse is that he has circumvented it yet again.
I don't think anybody else had the fanbase to do it effectively.Has anyone else ever done that? Used their fanbase to provide such pressure against rivals?
Seemed it became part of Rossi's modus operandi. Certainly applied to MM more than anyone else and still applied.
Thankfully Marquez always identified it for what it was and rather than be cowed, has used it as motivation it seems.
A satisfying aspect of his signing for Ducati Corse is that he has circumvented it yet again.
Not only that, being that one that sold papers and made money, the media and Dorna let him do it because it meant $$$$.
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Possibly, Marquez has now you'd expect.
I don't think anyone else has been such an arsehole either.
VR is the undisputed GOAT at that.
Not true for everyone, I was a huge fan of Rossi but also a fan of MM, he is in Rossi's head and many fans but not mine. I liked the talent, not the toxic sideshow.
