2025 Silly Season
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Without wanting to offend Synn, someone who has improved the forum significantly and whom I value and appreciate as a poster, I have wondered more whether it was the other way around, and that Valentino possibly might have chosen to stayi at Ducati at least partly to thwart MM/keep him off a current Ducati. I thought a GP25 at Gresini was a good option for MM (and Gresini) but likely an option which VR46 could thwart.
This is all speculation, but it is crazy if he is going to carry this grudge for the rest of his life, he never needed the 8th/10th title to surpass Ago, everyone knew he had already proved himself to be superior, and MM obviously didn’t take the 2015 title away from him, Jorge Lorenzo who rather wanted a 3rd title himself did.
This would have been unlikely, as Gresini doesn’t have the sponsorship package to afford a current gen motorcycle (Unless Marquez’s personal sponsors chipped in).
From everything I’ve read, Mooney and Pertamina were both insistent that the team stays with Ducati, so I am curious how the team will sell this Yamaha option.
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Synn has been a great poster...much enjoy the discussion with him about all topics even if we might not agree on that one particular one.
But regardless, I do think Valentino is going to go to his grave over 2015. I think it's stupid to still be indulging this after almost a decade. He could have let it quietly die but it seems there is not any intent to ever do this for whatever his reasons are. Though I've often wondered if it's a matter of pride since he can't go back on what he said for unknown reasons. Just find it ironic that the guy who told Casey that it was just racing is the same one who has held onto it far longer than Casey ever did.
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I honestly thought perhaps a combination of Red Bull and Repsol could have kept MM on the Gresini, but maybe the ask was more than they felt comfortable paying to the team which unfortunately is a satellite at the end of the day no matter how you slice it.
If I had to bet with the VR46 main sponsors, I bet it will also be sold by Dorna themselves. I honestly hope they do become the satellite Yamaha team as I've never been shy about having issues with him running Ducatis when he has forever been linked to Yamaha.
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Yes, I do agree with you on that. I don't blame him since he seems intent on staying in GP for as long as he possibly can.
Can I just confirm something please? When a team leases a factory bike from certain manufacturers ( maybe all?) im aware that they’re not allowed to try and alter the engine and alectronics in any way, But do the same rules apply to the suspension and braking?
Am curious because I’ve read a couple of posts saying Bez can’t brake as well on the gp24? Can’t his brakes and disc setup be altered to suit him?
Am curious because I’ve read a couple of posts saying Bez can’t brake as well on the gp24? Can’t his brakes and disc setup be altered to suit him?
This is a good point and is very likely.
Come to think of it, Indonesia, where Pertamina is from; is a huge market for Yamaha; not so much for Ducati; so it might make some commercial sense afterall.
All teams except KTM and GasGas use Öhlins suspension and all use Brembo brakes, but they are free to request whatever spec they want (But there are minimum brake disc diameter requirements for hard braking tracks such as Red Bull Ring). Of course, the factory teams get the newer stuff first.
The problem with Bez, as he explains; is not so much to do with the brakes, but the engine braking character of the GP23. With the 22, he could trail brake into the corner, but with the 23, when he does that, the engine braking pushes the bike wide and he loses time.
Pecco, Martin, Diggia etc brake in a straight line and uses more of the rear brake as well, so they are not affected as much last year and this year respectively. Bastianini; whose style is the closest to Bez’s did suffer from the exact same issue last year when he was on the 23.
All this Toprak talk makes me think this is more about Kenan wanting to push Toprak to MotoGP than Toprak himself wanting it bad.
Which is a bit ironic because Kenan was smashing it in WSSP, went to Moto2, had a miserable time and went back to WSSP.
https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/n...-genuine-solution-for-a-motogp-team/10627559/
Which is a bit ironic because Kenan was smashing it in WSSP, went to Moto2, had a miserable time and went back to WSSP.
https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/n...-genuine-solution-for-a-motogp-team/10627559/
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Sky Sports Italy is announcing the Pramac-Yamaha partnership as a done deal.
I think it's about cultivating options. Like the time Bernie Ecclestone helped King Kenny by seeding a fake news article about him switching to Formula 1. Also, Rossi pretending he was going to race for Ferrari or he was going to race WRC or whatever. Dorna probably know how much Toprak is worth to World Superbike, and Sofuoglu wants them to pay for the privilege.
The issue is that Kenan doesn't have a great track record in this department. He was not able to convince Kawasaki to pay him in WSSP, and he left a couple of times for less fertile pastures. Hopefully he won't convince Toprak to end his career with HRC, but maybe they will pay so much that Toprak won't care. I think they are both aiming for Dorna and BMW to give him a pay bump......but shouldn't that have been negotiated last silly season? I guess Kenan didn't negotiate for enough performance bonus?
Or maybe Toprak actually wants to move up for a new challenge, and Kenan hopes it will raise his profile in Turkiye as a talent manager and agent?
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A possible move to MotoGP would carry no consequences for Toprak even if he fails, after two years he'll be offered the hottest seat in WSBK again, and he'll be a lot richer by then. The only ones who have to lose if Toprak fails in MGP are future WSBK riders who would like to move up to MotoGP
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Yeh that is true, we see a migration from MotoGP to WSBK so why wouldn't it happen to Raz especially as he is a proven WSBK rider
Thanks for the reminder that my memory ain’t what it used to be!
There is a ready explanation if he didn’t succeed in MotoGP, his size.
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I think Toprak being the absolute monster on the brakes that he is, I could see him making up for his stature with some creative riding. Certainly more than Scott Redding could ever have.
I don't really see the downside in him going to GP even if it's for what passes as HRC these days. He'll just bring more eyeballs to the sport, though at the expense of WSBK. Could make for a nice side story in 2025 when the fireworks start going off between Marc and Pecco.
The last person who successfully moved over from SBK to MotoGP was Crutchlow, and even he had more bad days than good.
Now Toprak is in another league for sure, but I’d be surprised if he’d be immediately competitive (but I’m willing to eat my words on this).
Everyone who went the other way recently, eg Bautista, Petrucci etc. said that the differences between the Pirellis and Michelins are bigger than most think.
