Sure, was answering a specific poster and aping his comment, I should have said an element among Rossi’s fandom as I usually do. He was a great rider who gave fans every reason to be fans by his riding, and I readily acknowledge there are many who are genuine fans of both Valentino and the sport.
2025 Silly Season
- Thread starter mikesbytes
- Start date
Help Support MotoGP Forum:
I think his sway is underestimated in the media in the English speaking world, and while Synn is not correct about much he is correct that I at least am verging on old fogeydom. Fans of Rossi from his heyday are hardly likely to be particularly young now either however, and I am told MM has engaged a younger demographic, who will obviously get old in turn.
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2023
- Messages
- 75
- Location
- Vancouver
If I was Jorge Martin, I would have just did another one year deal at Pramac. Take the ego hit and stay with the bike that has the best chance of a title. This power move to Aprilia has shades of Fernando Alonso. Alonso has pulled fast ones on teams because he didn't think they were respecting him enough. And usually, Alonso was bolting to the wrong team.
Who knows what this Aprilia bike is really. Everyone blames the riders for the inconsistency. I guess we will find out.
Who knows what this Aprilia bike is really. Everyone blames the riders for the inconsistency. I guess we will find out.
Marc won it as a rookie unlike Vale , and winning after 3 years plagued with injuries and four surgeries would be comparable imo.Meh. Marquez is talented, perhaps the fastest ever, but Marquez politicking his way into the best team is much different from Rossi leaving the best team and building a dynasty at a manufacturer that hadn't won in a decade.
Rossi the man is lame, but his resume is still the best. Marc will need to win an 850cc title with KTM or Aprilia to achieve something comparable, imo. HRC are so terrible these days, an 850cc title with Honda might count
Idk, I was born 34 years after Hailwood's last world title.
I don’t think Martin needs to take any hits to his Ego.
He’s genuinely one of the fastest guys on the grid, absolutely box office and not even in his prime. He comes from humble beginnings and has paid his dues, so he absolutely deserves the prestige and financial advantages (Even though Aprilia isn’t the best paying factory on the grid) that a factory contract brings.
Ducati clarified a couple of months ago that they will only pay two big salaries from next year on, which obviously go to the Lenovo team. Which leaves Pramac to pay its own riders (Which could be one reason they are considering Yamaha ). And While Morbidelli has reached the “Will work for pasta” stage of his career, Martin is too good for that.
I genuinely like what Massimo Rivola has done to turn around the train wreck that was Aprilia and I do think Martin will be the guy who will take them to the next level.
Fair comment, he couldn’t have done much more last season and so far this season other than actually win the title last year.
It is rumoured he was being paid more than Bagnaia last year because of all the win bonuses, which I believe also happened with Casey Stoner in 2007.
Ducati reputedly made an assessment MM was more likely to beat them on an Aprilia than Martin, but even I could see irony if they are proven wrong. I don’t underestimate Bastianini either, but my gut feeling is the Aprilia may be a better bike currently.
Audi are of course starting an F1 programme, which seemed to take focus and funding away from their MotoGP endeavour when Honda did the same.
While Audi and Ducati aren’t as vertically integrated as Honda and HRC, the current penny pinching at Ducati Corse might indeed be a byproduct of the F1 project.
- Joined
- May 8, 2024
- Messages
- 532
- Location
- Home
Yet, Ducati has the current World Champion, the current championship leader and the rider with most titles. All three. Plus they'll be adding the biggest current talent from Moto2.
While KTM have the biggest talent to emerge in the last ten years.
If those two are the worst, the other bikes must truly be awful.
True, but I was semi agreeing that Ducati had thrown a number of riders aside while arguing against a seeming contention that they should have kept every rider they ever hired until retirement rather than that their bikes are no good. I still have my doubts about the KTM being good at all tracks and wonder whether the indeed prodigously talented Acosta may be flattering their bike.
If the end justifies the means they are both obviously doing pretty well in terms of current riding talent, KTM having signed Bastianini as well and Binder being no slouch. Imo Gigi has mainly displayed good judgement and not overly played favourites while exercising his own fairly savage will to win/perhaps obsessive pursuit of excellence.
Last edited:
Re: the second Aprilia seat, Viñales is known to make some very questionable decisions regarding his career, starting from his Moto3 days; and I fully expect him to continue down that path and choose to sign with HRC or something.
Carlo Pernat is one of the shrewdest negotiators in the paddock and I am sure he will get Bastianini the better paying Tech3 seat. Which leaves probably Bezzechi to take the second Aprilia seat, which I can actually see work. Rivola apparently has a good relationship with Bez, which can’t hurt.
Carlo Pernat is one of the shrewdest negotiators in the paddock and I am sure he will get Bastianini the better paying Tech3 seat. Which leaves probably Bezzechi to take the second Aprilia seat, which I can actually see work. Rivola apparently has a good relationship with Bez, which can’t hurt.
Sure, could see that, would give Aprilia an Italian rider as well.
Oliveira is another guy who has played his cards badly imo though, not all that many riders on the grid with 5 wins in Sunday races.
As I remember, he was close to signing with Gresini , but his dad convinced him to go with RNF. The injuries didn’t help either.
Unfortunately for him, R. Fernandez has rediscovered his form and Joe Roberts is doing some exceptional things in Moto2. He might end up being one of the unlucky ones without a seat next year.
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2023
- Messages
- 1,113
- Location
- Australia
Hence why no one wants to race the 25 bike. For Honda to get competitive again they need to learn how to make improvements without making something else worse
Pecco will have another years experience so perhaps will ride a little smarter
Agree that staying at Pramac would be a good choice, Martin is proving that its possible to become world champion at Pramac
^^^^ Michael and I have been saying that Martin is less of a threat than MM on an Aprilia or KTtM. To win the world championship you have to ensure that no one else beats you and Ducati have ensured that MM can't beat them as MM is on their side.
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2007
- Messages
- 11,379
- Location
- Pomona NY
That’s a really good observation. The whole Rossi cult-of-personality thing really drove Dorna’s bottom line. That’ll never happen with Pecco, who always comes off as a poncey, self-entitled ....-prince, with zero charisma.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2008
- Messages
- 5,928
- Location
- In Cider
True. But, I'd argue that single handedly winning the 2019 rider, constructor and teams title on a bike that ended his triple WC team mates career could fall into that category
Nothing go forum
MotoGP forum
He is a very good rider, probably the guy who rides the aero bikes best, and doesn t seem to want much except to win races and titles. His continuing association with Rossi including having him in the pits when he is the principal of another team annoys me, but that is me, and I perhaps anticipate less of that next year. He is not the first guy to want a compliant team mate either, although this didn’t characterise my actual heroes.
MotoGP forum
Perhaps a little harsh.
He is a very good rider, probably the guy who rides the aero bikes best, and doesn t seem to want much except to win races and titles. His continuing association with Rossi including having him in the pits when he is the principal of another team annoys me, but that is me, and I perhaps anticipate less of that next year. He is not the first guy to want a compliant team mate either, although this didn’t characterise my actual heroes.
- Joined
- May 13, 2009
- Messages
- 6,313
- Location
- Shovel's Club
I hope they have a camera on every time Rossi stumbles into the Ducati pit next year. Do you think he will finally shake Marc's hand? I hope they build a wall made of Lenovo laptops and empty monster cans between the two garages.
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2008
- Messages
- 5,928
- Location
- In Cider
Interestingly, Ducati came up with an option for Marc and Jorge to 'fight to the death' for the 2025 factory ride. Predictably, neither rider wanted to play that game, because neither of them had to.
https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/n...n-track-for-2025-ducati-motogp-seat/10619999/
https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/n...n-track-for-2025-ducati-motogp-seat/10619999/
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2007
- Messages
- 11,379
- Location
- Pomona NY
Just my very subjective opinion. But one I believe is shared. He always comes off a bit prissy and wary of being in front of the camera, distracted and not fully present when being interviewed. He's always seems to be very quick to turn and walk away after interviews, as if he needs to go sit in a closet and collect himself. Marc on the other hand really enjoys being interviewed. The camera loves him, a quality he shares with Barry Sheene who only won one championship, but was worshipped for his personality, fans wanted to be like Barry. Nobody wants to emulate Bagnaia.
Last edited:
