As an acid test, I think Assen provides the perfect 'neutral' environment. Not too pro-Ducati like Austria and not too pro-Marc/Honda like Sachsenring.
I can't wait. I also think that Vale and the Yam' will be tip of the spear at Assen too.
I can't wait. I also think that Vale and the Yam' will be tip of the spear at Assen too.
Joined Feb 2018
681 Posts | 535+
Italy
I really appreciate that in this forum no one seems to be a bandwagoner, people here are simply able to give credit where is due (or at least this is how it appears to me
).Anyone who would deny that Jorge has been anything but spectacular in the last 2 GPs isn't a fan of this sport.
Now if the OTHER guy riding a factory Ducati would get a win soon, too, I wouldn't be too mad.....
Joined Nov 2015
872 Posts | 420+
Stratosphere
I really appreciate that in this forum no one seems to be a bandwagoner, people here are simply able to give credit where is due (or at least this is how it appears to me
Anyone who would deny that Jorge has been anything but spectacular in the last 2 GPs isn't a fan of this sport.
Now if the OTHER guy riding a factory Ducati would get a win soon, too, I wouldn't be too mad.....
While we're reaching for things from the wishing tree, I'd love to see Dovi bounce back and have the season's best battles be between the two with it going down to the wire for the championship at the last race of the season. Lorenzo's resurgence was so totally unexpected. One of those times I'm glad to have been wrong.
Joined Feb 2018
681 Posts | 535+
Italy
That's the "problem", tho. Not only for Dovi but for anyone else on the grid.
Lorenzo is a particular case: while he is in his proper beast mode only when he has everything as he wants it to be, he becomes superpowered when he reaches that mode.
I think that a fully-in-shape (by that I mean bike, mind & body wise) Lorenzo is unbeatable for everyone and I do mean everyone. This has been proven many times including in the last 2 races.
Not to mention the difference he could make in the Ducati-oriented tracks such as Austria, Japan, Malaysia....
IF jorge has really found his Mojo many people, including Dovi, will be having a hard time in the next few Sundays....
Joined Aug 2007
11K Posts | 3K+
Pomona NY
That of course is what makes this so interesting in that Lorenzo and Dovi haven't really battled each other (in this class) whilst both on top flight bikes. Only speculation, but perhaps if Dovi had been on a full factory HRC (that wasn't dialed down to keep him from taking points from his teammates) he'd have had the opportunity to dual with Lorenzo back in the day, tho as has been pointed out, when Lorenzo gets a few seconds lead on the pack it takes extraordinary chops to track him down; but we saw Dovi do exactly that to MM (arguably, a better rider than Jorge) multiple times last year.
The business about him not being competitive at Repsol because of factory shenanigans may of course be a bit of sour grapes; wishful thinking on the part of folks like me who just naturally picked him as an underdog to root for. It's probably more likely that he just never gelled with the tires or the RCV.
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A long term debate on here. I and several others think there should be a wider range of tires to suit a wider range of bikes and riding styles, and that there is at least the potential to mix up the results by mixing up the tires.
I would think the last 2 rounds are due to Michelin’s ineptitude rather than anything sinister. Bridgestone did seem to be able to provide tires which suited both Jorge and MM/Valentino, and it then came down to the track conditions and ambient temperature etc which rider had the advantage.
I only heard JB in the post-race discussion, but he is reputed to have said pre- race that Valentino was best suited by a quality hard rear tire, as was Stoner and as is MM I guess.
I really appreciate that in this forum no one seems to be a bandwagoner, people here are simply able to give credit where is due (or at least this is how it appears to me
Anyone who would deny that Jorge has been anything but spectacular in the last 2 GPs isn't a fan of this sport.
Now if the OTHER guy riding a factory Ducati would get a win soon, too, I wouldn't be too mad.....
I think an influx of true bike racing enthusiasts such as you and McZee has helped. I might be forced to start being positive about Valentino at this rate, not that I have ever denied he is riding remarkably well for someone rising 40.
Joined Oct 2007
4K Posts | 744+
Tuscany, Italy
Seems at least "one" (and what one!) has bought the story:
https://www.gpone.com/it/2018/06/18/motogp/rossi-come-lorenzo-nuovo-serbatoio-per-i-test.html
Yeah -- but these things are done all the time, they are the easiest rider's requests to satisfy. They can even change some details according to the track. And they can only be done on demand: it can never be the team to try and guess what ergonomics a rider might need, it is always the rider asking.
That's why it is rather difficult to believe it took so long to Lorenzo get a tank of his liking from Ducati, and that such a simple mod would come so late (assuming it was requested long before) and be so decisive.
Absolutely, I didn't think that there was anything untoward going on, just that maybe, out of pure coincidence, the current batch of tires have worked for Horhay and not many other people.
Although, as I understand it, the race tires for this weekend were taken from the testing a couple of weeks before hand, during which Mav' was quickest and declared that he had "found something."
However, fast forward to race weekend and we have a track temp' roughly 12C higher than testing and the tires are duff for everyone with the exception of Horhay.
Even though Marc came 2nd, the rubber was far from ideal for him.
Just to re-iterate, I don't think that there is a plot going on here, just that I would be more inclined to believe that the tires have had a greater impact on results than the tank extension and the degradation of performance for other riders would insinuate (to a degree) as such.
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I agree. It has always mostly been about tires for Jorge, and my hypothesis has been either he has learnt to ride the Ducati to preserve the tires better, or they have done something with the bike in that regard. He has had fairly good 1 lap pace and early race pace not infrequently for a while.
The only thing Maverick finds these days are Cheeto crumbs between the cushions of his couch.
Joined Feb 2018
681 Posts | 535+
Italy
Thank you for your nice words
As per what I said tho, it's "based on experience" as I have attended several forums, even co-owned one in the past, but never found a place as chilled as this. I'd say a good 90% of the people in here all feel like a pleasant-bike-chat-with-a-beer that I could have at the bar with my mates.
As per Valentino.....like or dislike the guy, that's up to the individial, I have no problem admitting that I'm not a fan, but he's obviosly a legend of this sport. It is also rude to be mean to elderly people, so I am limiting my jokes about him
Joined Feb 2018
681 Posts | 535+
Italy
I hate to say this but I think last season isn't enough to fully consider Dovi a REAL top rider. This should be his "confirmation" season (does this expression exist? I made a rough literal translation from Italian
) but is not going too well so far.Jorge, despite all the .... that has been said about it, is the only rider who was able to win a title in the Marquez era.
If Jorge will keep winning and Dovi will not be as good as 2017 that's ok. On paper is expectable.
It would freak everyone at Ducati out for sure, but as I don't work there....
Could be, I don't think a piece of plastic could be so decisive, think more Jorge was in his comfort zone until the water raised up to neck, and so he woke up. But according to Gigi, there was other parts brought to the bike that may have helped in such way in Barcelona tests.
About Honda, many people are assuming he will adapt quickly, much more than the Ducati. There's nothing more to do about those statements than laugh.
I'm sure Jorge will have a really, really hard time with RCV, a bike that has absolutely nothing to do with his style. Already Jack Miller and Cruchtlow said the Desmo turns better in the middle of the curve, and is much more stable. Honda is much shorter and therefore unstable in the center of the corner. We know how much Jorge loves this. The strongest point in RCV is braking very deep. Have I missed the point where Lorenzo needs that? as far as I know, he loves to break earlier entering the corner with great speed. Also, every Honda rider have constantly repeated the bike is unstable because it needs to be ridden on the absolute limit, just the opposite to Lorenzo.
Well, starting from 2019, Jorge will take another 2 or 3 years to lead a race again. It will take ages for Honda build a bike to his style.
The only reason HRC hired Lorenzo is to remove from the field one of the few Marquez opponents. Marquez? He is happy, because he knows Lorenzo will not do it with RCV.
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Joined Jun 2018
143 Posts | 97+
New York
It is also rude to be mean to elderly people, so I am limiting my jokes about him
As someone 5 years Rossi’s senior, I resemble that remark.
I have been, am, and always will be a VR fan. Having met him twice, I can say he is a down to earth guy who has, in the past, made himself very accessible to the fans. There can also be no doubt he puts on one hell of a show when he is on his game. That being said, I am also a MM fan and a JLo fan. I’ve rooted for Nicky Hayden from his time in the AMA until his death. He’ll, I was a Biaggi fan back in the day. Lol. What these men do on the track is just phenomenal. I would kill for just a percentage of their talent.
Yes, but they've improved the understeer issue a lot.
As soon as the Dall'Igna bike debuted in Qatar 2015, Dovi was fighting Rossi for the win.
He certainly deserves credit for adapting his style. Jorge is extraordinarily talented.
