MotoGP: 2015 Round 06 - Gran Premio d'Italia TIM (SPOILERS)
Circuit Information
LENGTH: 5.2 km / 3.26 miles
CORNERS: 6 left - 9 right
WIDTH: 14 m. / 45.93 ft.
LONGEST STRAIGHT: 1141 m. / 3743.44 ft.
Laps: 23
2/3 of laps: -
Total distance: 120.6 km - 75.0 miles
Weather courtesy of Weather.com
| DAY | COND | HIGH | LOW | DESCRIPTION | PRECIP | WIND |
FRI
May 29 |
| 75°F | 51° | Sunny | 0% | SW 9 mph |
SAT
May 30 |
| 75° | 53° | Mostly Sunny | 0% | SW 9 mph |
SUN
May 31 |
| 77° | 55° | Mostly Sunny | 20% | SW 5 mph |
Glory Days
Movistar Yamaha
Jorge Lorenzo #99
"Glory days". The term itself conjures images and memories of times long past. It is nostalgic, evoking memories of our misspent youth and opportunities long passed and never to be regained. At the start of the season many would have said much the same for Jorge Lorenzo. They looked back on hi wins and championships with references of by-gone eras. Then came Jerez, and what a difference a day can make. Lorenzo put on nothing short of a clinic, putting his stamp on Lorenzo-land and reminding everyone just why he was labelled an alien. After gritting his teeth for months battling injury and setup issues, Lorenzo catapulted himself to the front of the field in decisive fashion. Yet while a single win is a good start, it takes more to make a trend. Then came France and there could be no doubt that Lorenzo was, no
is, back. This can be nothing short of good news for the fans, with the eventual outcome of any given Sunday now seemingly open. We have had 3 winners in 5 races, with each of the 3 major championship contenders having had their own set of misfortunes to work through. Last yearLorenzo fought his way to 2nd place in Italy against a dominant Marquez and resurgent Rossi who still holds the records for most wins at the circuit. With Marquez floundering in a seeming technical limbo aboard the RCV and 2 wins on the trot to his name, Lorenzo looks arguably like the strongest contender for the checkered flag.
- 2014 - Yamaha Factory - 2nd
- 2013 - Yamaha Factory - 1st
- 2012 - Yamaha Factory - 1st
Repsol Honda
If a single day can make such a dramatic difference, imagine then the effect of months spent in the off season. Certainly this is the period of time that many are now looking at, wondering what specifically happened at HRC to turn the RCV from
the dominant bike to
the third best bike on the grid. Allegedly. That drops it behind the Ducati. Let that sink in for a minute. It would be easy to argue against that viewpoint, but a quick look
at the championship standings after France has Marc Marquez (the same rider who won a remarkable 10 races in a row aboard "the same bike" last year) in 4th place, 14 points behind Andrea Dovizioso aboard the red bike. The next closest bike is Cal Crutchlow's customer Honda in 6th place with a paltry 47 point tally. It comes as little surprise, therefore, that
Marquez counts himself fortunate to collect "13 golden points" when the flag dropped in France. With only 2 weeks gone by, Marquez will be hoping for a miracle from Honda's skunk works. It has happened before, but it is a tall order. Right now, Marquez's main goal is to stay somewhat in touch with the championship leaders until Honda turns its fortunes around. Should the young phenom manage to again be the spoiler to the blue-and-white party... well that would just be icing on the cake.
- 2014 - Repsol Honda - 1st
- 2013 - Repsol Honda - DNF
- 2012 - N/A - N/A
Aprilia
For their home race at Mugello,
Aprilia will be releasing the full version of the seamsless gearbox that was being tested by Alvaro Bautista earlier this month at Jerez. Fitted to both Bautista's and Mealandri's bikes, the upgrade comes as part of a technological package designed to enhance the bikes' competitiveness and continue the testing and development program that Aprilia is undergoing in preparation for 2016. Sans the seamless gearbox Bautista rode to 15th in France, earning Aprlia a single point in the championship standings.
