MotoGP: 2024 Round 1 Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar

#22 · Mar 10, 2024

MdubSTYLIE said:
What do you mean whats up with Marini? He is not that good and the honda is the biggest pile of .... in motorcycle racing. I am actually impressed with Zarco. Not only is the bike ....... but the honda formally known as repsol looks like .... I didn't like it when I saw it but it looks horrible on track. I guess they wanted a livery that matched its performance. Mission accomplished.

People bought into the hype over the winter that Honda have made real progress. Sure, they made progress in making the bike less of a rider killer, but that's it.

Seeing Marini say in Valencia "the bike isn't so bad" reminded me of when Scott Redding rode the 2009 Ducati and said it was not bad. Stoner replied with "when you get to 0.5s of the pace, you will say differently"

Same thing here. Since he's had to push (from the Sepang test), he's complained that there is no rear grip.

Best career decision Marquez ever made.

gui22a · Mar 10, 2024

#22 said:
If Maverick keeps a factory ride for 2025 then he definitely has details of someone on Epsteins list.

That was a very good one ahahahahhaha. I'd bet Ezpeleta was on that list.

gui22a · Mar 10, 2024

#22 said:
People bought into the hype over the winter that Honda have made real progress. Sure, they made progress in making the bike less of a rider killer, but that's it.

Seeing Marini say in Valencia "the bike isn't so bad" reminded me of when Scott Redding rode the 2009 Ducati and said it was not bad. Stoner replied with "when you get to 0.5s of the pace, you will say differently"

Same thing here. Since he's had to push (from the Sepang test), he's complained that there is no rear grip.

Best career decision Marquez ever made.

Agree. Question is: will mm93 remains at Ducati or get out? Imagine you spending a whole year learning a new bike and then at the end of the year you have to move to another one totally different, again (KTM?). It would be a terrible decision. Unless Honda make some sort of miracle progress throughout this year (0.1% chance), MM will have only these 2 choices: remaining at Gresini with updated contract to own the lastest bike iteration (my bet) or go to KTM (very unlikely).

#22 · Mar 10, 2024

MdubSTYLIE said:
When it comes to sponsorship, loyalty is only as deep as the pockets.

Can't disagree.

#22 · Mar 10, 2024

gui22a said:
Agree. Question is: will mm93 remains at Ducati or get out? Imagine you spending a whole year learning a new bike and then at the end of the year you have to move to another one totally different, again (KTM?). It would be a terrible decision. Unless Honda make some sort of miracle progress throughout this year (0.1% chance), MM will have only these 2 choices: remaining at Gresini with updated contract to own the lastest bike iteration (my bet) or go to KTM (very unlikely).

I agree that KTM is unlikely, but I also think he will want a factory contract so it's going to be Pramac or Lenovo imo.

gui22a · Mar 10, 2024

#22 said:
I agree that KTM is unlikely, but I also think he will want a factory contract so it's going to be Pramac or Lenovo imo.

Ducati could offer Gresini factory spec bikes, why not? MM knows he's not welcome at Lenovo team, by a number of factors (VR involved) and also this thing regarding energetic drink sponsors. Pramac is the same, and it's a junior team. It doesn't make sense for him to go to Pramac and start with a new team all over again, he's demonstrated several times that he likes to keep the same guys around him and doesn't seem to like changing. So I think most likely he's gonna want to stay where he is (provided he does a good season) but with a factory bike and maybe some money bonuses from Ducati. If I were Ducati I'd sign Martin for the factory seat as soon as possible. I personally wouldn't give a .... if sometimes he call someone "maricona". Actually I would like him to do that just for making Mat Oxley angry lol. Btw, a couple of weeks ago I asked him if he was gay cause guy was obsessed with homophobic jokes and all that stuff. Man... even his wife comes around in the thread to strike me, "hey I'm Mat's wife and he's not gay" ahahahahahha.

Bern1 · Mar 10, 2024

I thought it was a good race. I liked that there were not many crashers, off track excursions or riders running somebody off the track. Looks like the crop of young riders from 2-3 years ago have got their wits about them now. I hope it lasts.

Aprilia and KTM need at least one winner. Promise is good.... for a while, like 1 season, not 3. If the bike can be put on the pole or score a fastest lap, I'm thinking it could win. Acosta was fun to watch. Brad looked good....at times. As usual. We'll see what happens at that team.

Fabio Q needs a change to stay relevant.

Great start to the season in any case. Last year I was apathetic. Something is different this year and I'm all in. Bring it on!

mikesbytes · Mar 10, 2024

M Marquez was the first rider not on the current 2024 factory spec bike and was ahead of Bastainini who is on the 2024 factory Ducati (Ignore Morbidelli)

warthog1 · Mar 10, 2024

As others have said, happy to see him restrained and no real Banzai overtakes. Looking forward to seeing how he goes on a track he has had better results at. Yeah should be a win here or there but the 24 Ducatis will develop as the season goes and Pecco and Martin are bloody good on them.

Yeah Pedro was good. He has a great future it appears. Crafar picked that the others were saving their tyres and he was not. Bloody good speed on his first full length race nontheless.

michaelm · Mar 10, 2024

warthog1 said:
As others have said, happy to see him restrained and no real Banzai overtakes. Looking forward to seeing how he goes on a track he has had better results at. Yeah should be a win here or there but the 24 Ducatis will develop as the season goes and Pecco and Martin are bloody good on them.

Yeah Pedro was good. He has a great future it appears. Crafar picked that the others were saving their tyres and he was not. Bloody good speed on his first full length race nontheless.

Yes the 2024 bikes should be better now or will be better with development over the season or Gigi is not earning his money, and those 2 guys are very fast.

I am encouraged if anything by MM’s performance, this has never been a track where he dominates, he has actually had 4th and a 5th placings in title winning seasons, and his approach on the weekend suggests to me anyway that he is at least starting the season intending to compete for the title, no frantic first lap moves etc as in recent previous years, which were his only chance of a high placing. We will have to wait for a more favourable track methinks to see if he can outride the Ducati, and I imagine he is also still working out tyre preservation strategies etc and still learning whether he can ride worn tyres better than others as he did in his pomp on this new bike.

warthog1 · Mar 10, 2024

michaelm said:
Yes the 2024 bikes should be better now or will be better with development over the season or Gigi is not earning his money, and those 2 guys are very fast.

I am encouraged if anything by MM’s performance, this has never been a track where he dominates, he has actually had 4th and a 5th placings in title winning seasons, and his approach on the weekend suggests to me anyway that he is at least starting the season intending to compete for the title, no frantic first lap moves etc as in recent previous years, which were his only chance of a high placing. We will have to wait for a more favourable track methinks to see if he can outride the Ducati, and I imagine he is also still working out tyre preservation strategies etc and still learning whether he can ride worn tyres better than others as he did in his pomp on this new bike.

Given the way Martin gapped him at the end, not yet.

JFM01 · Mar 11, 2024

Keshav said:
Lots of passing.

Umm what?

gui22a said:
I think M93 will have his best match at Sachsenring and COTA and also will fight for podiums at Spanish tracks. But that's it for him this year.

I don't think so. Qatar was his first race on that bike and he never excelled at this track. Yet he finished less than 3.5 seconds behind the winner. He's gonna be a contender for sure .

gui22a said:
He'll need to learn how to manage the tires. No man can debut and make miracles with current MotoGP condition and tires anymore.

And that sucks. Pedro is the only one who experienced some kind of tire falloff. Prosecco was running the same lap times from start to finish.

MdubSTYLIE said:
What do you mean whats up with Marini? He is not that good and the honda is the biggest pile of .... in motorcycle racing. I am actually impressed with Zarco. Not only is the bike ....... but the honda formally known as repsol looks like .... I didn't like it when I saw it but it looks horrible on track. I guess they wanted a livery that matched its performance. Mission accomplished.

I thought Honda looked a little better than last year actually (the pace, not the paint scheme).
Mir was 18 seconds back. Marini lost 42 seconds to Frantisek. If he's still riding at that pace when they get to a shorter track like the Sachsenring he's gonna be in danger of getting lapped.

warthog1 said:
Given the way Martin gapped him at the end, not yet.

He only gapped him in like the last two laps. I don't think Marc shot his tires, he just gave up at the end.

warthog1 · Mar 11, 2024

JFM01 said:
He only gapped him in like the last two laps. I don't think Marc shot his tires, he just gave up at the end.

Perhaps, however when Martin went at the end Marquez couldn't match those lap times. Giving up aint the character of Marquez, but yes he is riding in a more measured way as he learns the Duc.
Yes it isn't a track MM has a good history at too.
Hope to see him faster at other tracks.

mikesbytes · Mar 11, 2024

M Marquez's result was reasonably consistent with his history at Qatar
2013 3rd
2014 1st
2015 5th
2016 3rd
2017 4th
2018 2nd
2019 2nd
2020 -
2021 -
2022 5th
2023 11th
2024 4th

#22 · Mar 11, 2024

gui22a said:
Ducati could offer Gresini factory spec bikes, why not? MM knows he's not welcome at Lenovo team, by a number of factors (VR involved) and also this thing regarding energetic drink sponsors. Pramac is the same, and it's a junior team. It doesn't make sense for him to go to Pramac and start with a new team all over again, he's demonstrated several times that he likes to keep the same guys around him and doesn't seem to like changing. So I think most likely he's gonna want to stay where he is (provided he does a good season) but with a factory bike and maybe some money bonuses from Ducati. If I were Ducati I'd sign Martin for the factory seat as soon as possible. I personally wouldn't give a .... if sometimes he call someone "maricona". Actually I would like him to do that just for making Mat Oxley angry lol. Btw, a couple of weeks ago I asked him if he was gay cause guy was obsessed with homophobic jokes and all that stuff. Man... even his wife comes around in the thread to strike me, "hey I'm Mat's wife and he's not gay" ahahahahahha.

The main issue is going to be Ducati themselves. They refused to supply a 5th GP24 to VR46 so I'm not confident they would to Gresini.

michaelm · Mar 11, 2024

mikesbytes said:
M Marquez's result was reasonably consistent with his history at Qatar
2013 3rd
2014 1st
2015 5th
2016 3rd
2017 4th
2018 2nd
2019 2nd
2020 -
2021 -
2022 5th
2023 11th
2024 4th

Yes the only time he has won at Qatar in the premier class was in his very dominant season in 2014 when he won the first 10 races starting with Qatar.

As an MM fan I see the recent weekend as fairly neutral as I already said, except for him not throwing ihis bike down the road or attempting anything overly audacious. It could be inferred he thinks he has some chance and is serious about contending at this stage rather than going for an individual race result. On the other hand it would be brave to draw any inference from this race that he can challenge Bagnaia or Martin riding a GP 23 Ducati against their GP 24s.

warthog1 · Mar 11, 2024

True. Way more chance than he had on the Honda though.

Keshav · Mar 11, 2024

warthog1 said:
Perhaps, however when Martin went at the end Marquez couldn't match those lap times. Giving up aint the character of Marquez, but yes he is riding in a more measured way as he learns the Duc.
Yes it isn't a track MM has a good history at too.
Hope to see him faster at other tracks.

Like you, for now, I’m taking a glass half-full approach to Marquez’s first race results. If he has indeed matured, and is taking more measured, non-banzai approach to winning - it’s a sign of his being smarter, wanting to have an injury free season. Pecco and Martin looked impressive in this first race, but historically they’ve both shared the propensity to get overconfident and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. If Marquez is to finish well this year, given the level of talent, it will be by a thin margin, which should make for a good year.

gui22a · Mar 11, 2024

#22 said:
The main issue is going to be Ducati themselves. They refused to supply a 5th GP24 to VR46 so I'm not confident they would to Gresini.

But they are gonna lost a concession for the next year, so they will have a team less under their belt, most likely VR46 will get out to whatever place. And this would open up space on their budget to afford 2 more factory spec bikes for Gresini. For sure they can't pay MM what he's worth but maybe he'd just be satisfied with some bonuses and a modest rise in his salary backed by Ducati Corse, guy just want to be champion again, he doesn't need any more money to be honest. In fact, this is the best scenario possible for both MM93 and Ducati. I'm gonna call Gigi right now to make the deal.

#22 · Mar 11, 2024

Keshav said:
Like you, for now, I’m taking a glass half-full approach to Marquez’s first race results. If he has indeed matured, and is taking more measured, non-banzai approach to winning - it’s a sign of his being smarter, wanting to have an injury free season.

I think the effect of the Honda is underestimated here, and Qatar showed just how much he has been dragging that bike around over the limit. Now he has a bike he doesn;t have to over ride to to be fast, that is going to have a big effect on his approach IMO.

Keshav said:
Pecco and Martin looked impressive in this first race, but historically they’ve both shared the propensity to get overconfident and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. If Marquez is to finish well this year, given the level of talent, it will be by a thin margin, which should make for a good year.

If Marquez got a 5th in the sprint, and 4th in the main race for every event in 2023, he'd have finished 3rd in the championship by a clear margin. I agree with you that the jusry is still out on Pecco and Martin for now. They have followed the form of 2023 so far (Martin winning sprints, Pecco winning main races) but this happened last yr, then Pecco binned it in ARG and COTA.

gui22a said:
But they are gonna lost a concession for the next year, so they will have a team less under their belt, most likely VR46 will get out to whatever place. And this would open up space on their budget to afford 2 more factory spec bikes for Gresini.

Not sure I get what you are saying here? Ducati have no concessions, so that can't lose any. Did you mean customer (team)? VR46 may go to Yamaha, but at the moment, their preference is to stay with Ducati.

gui22a said:
For sure they can't pay MM what he's worth but maybe he'd just be satisfied with some bonuses and a modest rise in his salary backed by Ducati Corse, guy just want to be champion again, he doesn't need any more money to be honest. In fact, this is the best scenario possible for both MM93 and Ducati. I'm gonna call Gigi right now to make the deal.

We will find out sooner or later, that may very well be the way it goes down.

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