'23 Argentina GP

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Any win in the wet is well deserved, especially if done from the front for the entire race. Hats off to the lad.

Zarco striking like a cobra. A thinking man’s race from him, good job managing it.

Hats off to Morbidelli as well, keeping the level up all weekend, no mistakes.

Glad to see only a couple of crashers, I honestly expected more. It looked miserable out there.

I’ll take everybody’s word for it that the sprint race was good. I watched the first one last week. I’ve decided to not watch any more. To me a race weekend culminates in a race. I’m also going to turn the sound off. How many times do I have to hear Rossi’s name? Enough already, I’m not going to listen to the announcers bs drivel. They have no information and no insight.

See y’all at the next race!
 
They have opened pandoras box with sprint races. They are shorter and more exciting than the actual race. Even if they are a snooze fest they are shorter therefore less boring. They ...... themselves as people in todays day and age are going to gravitate towards the shorter more exciting races.
 
I agree.

If anything it makes more sense to have 2 shortened races if they intend to keep new fans entertained.

So far the Sunday races have offered a pale comparison in the entertainment stakes.

I'm not a huge fan of the new sprint format, but to be honest it is difficult to look past the entertainment factor. I also happen to think it would lend itself to stronger tech regs if this is the way they want to go. The machines are far too "razors edge" to keep the riders safe during a sprint in my opinion.
 
Bern1 said:
...

Zarco striking like a cobra. A thinking man’s race from him, good job managing it.

...
Click to expand...
The funny thing is that in the post-race press conference, Zarco admitted that although his apparent race management was not as it seemed. Despite trying, he couldn't safely keep up with the others at the front during the early stages of the race, then later, the race just came to him in that he kept performance while others were losing. I guess Morbidelli will have a similar story in that he didn't come to the races this weekend with a wizard of a setup. The performance was just there and he did well staying on the bike.
 
MdubSTYLIE said:
They have opened pandoras box with sprint races. They are shorter and more exciting than the actual race. Even if they are a snooze fest they are shorter therefore less boring. They ...... themselves as people in todays day and age are going to gravitate towards the shorter more exciting races.
Click to expand...

I think they will now cater to a wider audience. We have seen the edge of seat racing that the sprint races offer so far. OTOH, The longer races allow for performances like Zarco's, Fabio's and falls like Pecco's . I am liking both formats. Why one or the other necessarily? My only concern is with the injury rate, but I doubt this is down to the sprints, but more down to the style of racing that's a lot more close with risk taking. I worry during the sprints since, unlike the longer races where riders may feel they have time to settle down and build their race, they are more impatient in the sprints. There's therefore a lot more contact and audacious overtaking.
 
misfit said:
I think they will now cater to a wider audience. We have seen the edge of seat racing that the sprint races offer so far. OTOH, The longer races allow for performances like Zarco's, Fabio's and falls like Pecco's . I am liking both formats. Why one or the other necessarily? My only concern is with the injury rate, but I doubt this is down to the sprints, but more down to the style of racing that's a lot more close with risk taking. I worry during the sprints since, unlike the longer races where riders may feel they have time to settle down and build their race, they are more impatient in the sprints. There's therefore a lot more contact and audacious overtaking.
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Good point. There will be over 40 races this season. Although I am not fan of the sprint races I have enjoyed them. Its a tangled web they have woven.
 
MdubSTYLIE said:
They have opened pandoras box with sprint races. They are shorter and more exciting than the actual race. Even if they are a snooze fest they are shorter therefore less boring. They ...... themselves as people in todays day and age are going to gravitate towards the shorter more exciting races.
Click to expand...

Have they or, as I suspect is it a 'sample the market' exercise?

There are places where the fans are outright staing they want more shorter races and less long ones as 'the bikes are closer' type of commentary (some enjoying the 'rubbing is racing aspect' (well unless one Marquez is involved else all is acceptable).

Think WSBK with same length races on Saturday and Sunday.

Think dollars, as that is what drives DORNA. Going to 2 races per weekend increases the revenue for all aspects, TV rights, advertising etc.

To date, I have not watched a sprint and doubt I will as for me, 12 laps or whatever it is remionds me way to much of club weekends where the aim is to get everyone a few races as they pay enough. MotoGP is the pinnacle and should be the pantheon of our sport and yet all talk is about the foreplay that is Sprints




Edit to add:
Of interest is that teh sprints have already cost the main show 2 riders across the first two weekends and yet, little chatter appears and the organisation does not seem overly concerned.

Yes, a rider can get injured in one of the practice sessions, but ast hey all say, racing is different. .
 
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Gaz said:
Have they or, as I suspect is it a 'sample the market' exercise?

There are places where the fans are outright staing they want more shorter races and less long ones as 'the bikes are closer' type of commentary (some enjoying the 'rubbing is racing aspect' (well unless one Marquez is involved else all is acceptable).

Think WSBK with same length races on Saturday and Sunday.

Think dollars, as that is what drives DORNA. Going to 2 races per weekend increases the revenue for all aspects, TV rights, advertising etc.

To date, I have not watched a sprint and doubt I will as for me, 12 laps or whatever it is remionds me way to much of club weekends where the aim is to get everyone a few races as they pay enough. MotoGP is the pinnacle and should be the pantheon of our sport and yet all talk is about the foreplay that is Sprints




Edit to add:
Of interest is that teh sprints have already cost the main show 2 riders across the first two weekends and yet, little chatter appears and the organisation does not seem overly concerned.

Yes, a rider can get injured in one of the practice sessions, but ast hey all say, racing is different. .
Click to expand...

I completely agree this is a marketing thing. The reason I say they opened pandoras box is because they won't be able to stop doing them without losing a new more casual fanbase. The long time fans like you and I love and understand what the regular races involve, full gas tanks, tire wear, attrition, ect. But the new fans and younger generation are going to thoroughly enjoy these quick fast paced races. The sprint race this weekend was fantastic. I say that hating the sprint races. Its going to be hard to ever drop the new format without alienating a new fanbase.

WSBK also has that weird ... super pole race which is ridicules.

Agree a rider can get injured in practice but its different because this happens complete due to rider error not because of race incidents and bad pass attempts. If you attempt to pass and clobber a rider in practice there will be a stiff penalty and a Marc Marquez esk witch hunt over it.
 
MdubSTYLIE said:
I completely agree this is a marketing thing. The reason I say they opened pandoras box is because they won't be able to stop doing them without losing a new more casual fanbase. The long time fans like you and I love and understand what the regular races involve, full gas tanks, tire wear, attrition, ect. But the new fans and younger generation are going to thoroughly enjoy these quick fast paced races. The sprint race this weekend was fantastic. I say that hating the sprint races. Its going to be hard to ever drop the new format without alienating a new fanbase.

WSBK also has that weird ... super pole race which is ridicules.

Agree a rider can get injured in practice but its different because this happens complete due to rider error not because of race incidents and bad pass attempts. If you attempt to pass and clobber a rider in practice there will be a stiff penalty and a Marc Marquez esk witch hunt over it.
Click to expand...
To me it is like air travel, when nearly all problems arise on take off or landing.

There are now twice as many starts/opening laps, on the first occasion for the sprint race when early position is even more critical to the race result than in longer form racing, and twice as many last laps.

Have they increased the number of engines allowed etc btw ?, although I guess the normal race on the Sunday and practice and qualifying laps still make up by far the majority of laps.
 
MdubSTYLIE said:
They have opened pandoras box with sprint races. They are shorter and more exciting than the actual race. Even if they are a snooze fest they are shorter therefore less boring. They ...... themselves as people in todays day and age are going to gravitate towards the shorter more exciting races.
Click to expand...
For me the sprints are revealing the magnitude of the dysfunction within the paddock. The goal is to operate a sport (whatever that may be), which when properly operated is inherently entertaining.

The manufacturers are not particularly keen. They want the trappings of sport with the benefits of a tech parade, decided years before the lights go out by engineers in late night R&D sessions and financiers.

Dorna, in theory, are supposed to check the ambitions of the manufacturers, but the sprint races indicate the initiation of a new era of dysfunction. Rather than fighting for the entertainment of sport, Dorna have merely engineered a new side show. So the manufacturers have turned Sunday into something of a predictable parade (unless it’s wet), and Dorna are operate a bumper bikes clown show on Saturday to pad the YouTube highlight reels.

Husband and wife have found a way to stick together—live completely separate lives pursuing their vice of choice. How long can this really last? And how screwed up will the kids (riders) be when Mom and Dad sober up?
 
Haven't watched the sprint race yet.
Enjoyed the main event.
Bezzechi, or however you spell his name, rode very well. Just rode away.
Pecco chucking it away closed the points up.
Good to see AM on the podium and Zarco too. He was flying at the end.
Morbidelli showed something for the first time in about a season and Fab came back a bit after being shunted.
Will watch the sprint after my wife goes to bed so I can watch it whinge free. ;)
 
michaelm said:
To me it is like air travel, when nearly all problems arise on take off or landing.

There are now twice as many starts/opening laps, on the first occasion for the sprint race when early position is even more critical to the race result than in longer form racing, and twice as many last laps.

Have they increased the number of engines allowed etc btw ?, although I guess the normal race on the Sunday and practice and qualifying laps still make up by far the majority of laps.
Click to expand...
Good analogy Michael. I am actually interested in Stoners opinion of the sprint race. I have a feeling he would have had nothing good to say about them.
 
MdubSTYLIE said:
Finishing is the new goal for Mir. He hasn't had enough track time to make a single tiktok.
Click to expand...
The last time a former motor racing champion had as bad a start to a season with a new team as Mir, was Senna in 1994...

Keshav said:
Love the sprint. As said before, hope it doesn't lead to injuries that affect the main event. Honestly, the sprint race is more my idea of racing. It separates the balls-out riders from the tacticians. The only reason the main event race is really necessary, is that Dorna needs to have ..... in seats long enough to justify the cost of entry and the sale of advertising space. How many MotoGp races have we watched where there was little-to-no passing, leaving us trying to come up with reasons why we thought the race wasn't boring?

Don't know what hair got up Morbid Delicatessen's ..., but it sure was fun to watch. Not expecting any repeats further on.

Binder = Total Class.

By end of season, Joan, will be known as Schmeer.
Click to expand...

MdubSTYLIE said:
They have opened pandoras box with sprint races. They are shorter and more exciting than the actual race. Even if they are a snooze fest they are shorter therefore less boring. They ...... themselves as people in todays day and age are going to gravitate towards the shorter more exciting races.
Click to expand...
I think Portimao was a perfect storm given it was the season opener on a new track (for the season opener) and the sprint race being new. After Argentina I'm more enjoying the sprint race.

MdubSTYLIE said:
Good analogy Michael. I am actually interested in Stoners opinion of the sprint race. I have a feeling he would have had nothing good to say about them.
Click to expand...
They should have a GP legends exhibition Sprint :D
 
Finally got around to watching the grand prix. Plenty of craziness to digest. Bagnaia deserves a big pat on the back for having a non-score in grand prix. A few more of those and we might have an interesting season.

Bezzechi rode an immaculate race. Not sure how he was able to get so much from the tires over race distance, maybe he was hitting every puddle (hah!). Zarco also did an amazing job racing to second place (nearly first) after struggling to get pace from the tires early in the race. Fabio seems totally lost. Alex Marquez is definitely this year's cruising caretaker. We'll have to see how the season evolves though. Decent work by Morbidelli, too, even if he lost the podium in the closing stages.

Seventeen bikes to start the grand prix? Five injuries and two missing Suzukis has thinned the grid worse than the financial crisis.
 
The other thought I had is that the sprint race and Dorna’s wished for parity are at odds.

As has I believe been said there don’t seem to be the same number of crashes and injuries in WSBK with 2 races per weekend. Perhaps it is a question of becoming accustomed to the format as has also been said but there are really only 3 or 4 riders in genuine contention in WSBK, as against a whole field of Ducatis for a start in motogp all of which seem to have competitive bike performance and are mostly ridden by hard charging young riders.
 
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A bit off topic but why was the Moto2 race the only race shortened to 2/3 distance? All the races were wet.
 

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