Joined Oct 2007
4K Posts | 744+
Tuscany, Italy
Problem is, both Arrivabene and Domenicali had/have to answer to absentee landlords who do not really care (but for the $$$) or have too many other preoccupations.
Sure, but they are the guys who chose to publicly trash 2 world champions in Ducati’s employ, including the rider who had won Ducati’s only title just 2 years after that victory in Arrivabene’s case.
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Arrivabene had too much sway I always thought. A Marlboro man making accusations/judgements about a health issue being faked was a little rich for me.
Interesting about the current situation, I take you at your word both in general and in particular in regard to Ducati; so the Germans thought they knew all about bike racing despite being car guys who probably don’t even know much about bikes per se at all. I still thought Domenicali’s public comments about Jorge were over the top, although they have probably helped Jorge, who is nothing if not cussed, fire up which I am happy about and his prospects at present of having the last laugh would seem fairly good.
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Joined Jun 2015
488 Posts | 303+
Cornwall England
Joined Mar 2016
2K Posts | 2K+
FNQ
If Jorge wins the WC now that would be funny eh
If Jorge won the championship this year it would have to be the greatest comeback in the sport ever. One of the greatest in sporting competition of all time.
Joined Oct 2007
4K Posts | 744+
Tuscany, Italy
True. What remains to be seen, is who will be the eventual loser in the Ducati-Lorenzo divorce.
Probably both imo. On current form Jorge may have been a real chance at the championship on a Ducati next year at least, and I fear neither Jorge nor Ducati will be winning the 2019 title now.
Jorge is still in a vastly better place than he was 1 month ago though.
Like michaelm, I also think both will.
Can't see Ducati fighting for the title with Dovizioso next year, he's done. Even some wins I think won't happen. And Giorgio lol... it will be funny to watch him all over again throwing his RCV on the ground after crashing battling with Alvaro Bautista for 11th.
Joined Oct 2007
4K Posts | 744+
Tuscany, Italy
You know, I find people are dismissing Dovizioso a bit too quickly now, just as they have very quickly concluded that Lorenzo will now be the best Ducati rider at all tracks (or that Vinales is done, for that matter). All these things are certainly possible but hey, let's wait at least until mid season...
.Hi all, back for more and glad to see the new civility reigning on this forum! Great to get back to racing.
Hats off to Jorge, even as a diehard fan I was starting to doubt. Of course it remains to be seen if that form continues. So what if it took 20 tanks to get him one he likes?
With Dovi’s recent results or lack thereof, I believe Ducati willl continue to support their investment, in spite of his lame duck status.
Now as to the move to Honda, I think it’s great and look forward to seeing what he can accomplish there. While a lukewarm Honda fan, like many others I think Marquez is one of the greats, maybe the greatest so far. It’s going to be good, kind of like having Lawson and Rainey on the same team.
If Lorenzo could deal with Rossi, he can handle Marquez. Historically, Honda has made much about their engineering prowess and how that is more important to them than individual riders/drivers. (Exception is Honda clearly favoring Senna over Prost, which is where my dislike for Honda started.)
If they do that with Marquez Lorenzo next year, I will really be pissed and back to watching flat track and local racing.
Until then the rest of this season is going to be interesting, to put it mildly.
Hats off to Jorge, even as a diehard fan I was starting to doubt. Of course it remains to be seen if that form continues. So what if it took 20 tanks to get him one he likes?
With Dovi’s recent results or lack thereof, I believe Ducati willl continue to support their investment, in spite of his lame duck status.
Now as to the move to Honda, I think it’s great and look forward to seeing what he can accomplish there. While a lukewarm Honda fan, like many others I think Marquez is one of the greats, maybe the greatest so far. It’s going to be good, kind of like having Lawson and Rainey on the same team.
If Lorenzo could deal with Rossi, he can handle Marquez. Historically, Honda has made much about their engineering prowess and how that is more important to them than individual riders/drivers. (Exception is Honda clearly favoring Senna over Prost, which is where my dislike for Honda started.)
If they do that with Marquez Lorenzo next year, I will really be pissed and back to watching flat track and local racing.
Until then the rest of this season is going to be interesting, to put it mildly.
You know, I find people are dismissing Dovizioso a bit too quickly now, just as they have very quickly concluded that Lorenzo will now be the best Ducati rider at all tracks (or that Vinales is done, for that matter). All these things are certainly possible but hey, let's wait at least until mid season...
This board has always been like that.
After Le Mans, most were claiming that he's not good enough for the Suzuki and that Ducati should throw him to the wolves.
Suddenly, with hindsight, Ducati are madmen for letting him go, etc.
The only truth in MotoGP these days is that form and fortune can come and go very quickly (other than for Marquez! He's always fast!).
You know, I find people are dismissing Dovizioso a bit too quickly now, just as they have very quickly concluded that Lorenzo will now be the best Ducati rider at all tracks (or that Vinales is done, for that matter). All these things are certainly possible but hey, let's wait at least until mid season...
If Jorge has come to grips with the Ducati as the winner of 46 premier class races and 3 titles while I don’t expect him to dominantly win every remaining race I expect better from him than Dovi last year when conditions didn’t suit, maybe no lower than 5th, although we still don’t know whether his renewed confidence will translate to damp conditions.
If Dovi goes back to riding as he did last year, which he doesn’t seem to be doing currently after showing great signs at Qatar, then I see him going back to winning races, but probably not the championship. 3 DNFs, 2 due to outright riding errors and the other due to a chain of circumstances initiated by a fairly desperate pass attempt which was never going to stick, is Crashy Crutchlow territory and hardly confidence inspiring, and Jorge has been not very arguably the better rider over his whole career other than last year. He has also got to grips with the bike quicker than Dovi did in terms of race winning, although this may be somewhat related to that bloke with the eyebrow of course.
