Joined Jun 2007
3K Posts | 309+
UK
Joined Aug 2013
902 Posts | 509+
USA
with the power that the Ducatis have, and the long straight, they will have a massive advantage in the slip stream. If all Jack, Franko, and Zarco manage to keep the rubber side down and not crash they will finish 1-2-3.
meanwhile, Pol doesn't look to comfortable on the Honda... KTM have all but vanished... and Maverick seems to still be frustrated with starts.
meanwhile, Pol doesn't look to comfortable on the Honda... KTM have all but vanished... and Maverick seems to still be frustrated with starts.
I hope KTM sort things out. I'd love to see Binder and Oliveira win some more races this year.
Jack needs to qualify high, which should be a given, then not use his tires up early and preserve them till the end of the race, which was Dovi’s forte but not his. He seemed to have worked that aspect of things out better towards the end of last season, and is making the right noises about same now. We shall see.
Joined Nov 2015
242 Posts | 144+
Australia
Great to see 2021 finally kick off. Shame Marc isn't there for Round 1 however considering everything that has happened so far, a few more rounds off isn't going to be much in the scheme of things.
There's a lot of hype around Miller at the moment. He seems to be enjoying the attention. I agree with @michaelm, he will need to adopt some of Suzuki's end-game competitiveness to make the difference to his race results.
Maverick does seem to be frustrated with starts however it's good to see him putting in the time to try and remedy that. I remember J-Lo sourced some race-start training from a drag racer many years ago, seemed to make a difference.
Pol.E, hmm I want to see him do well, however he may end up being another proof in the pudding that the Honda isn't the most desired bike to be on. I hope I'm wrong about that.
People may be so keen to capitalize on Marc's absence that we may see some desperate moves once the lights go out. Could be very entertaining indeed.
There's a lot of hype around Miller at the moment. He seems to be enjoying the attention. I agree with @michaelm, he will need to adopt some of Suzuki's end-game competitiveness to make the difference to his race results.
Maverick does seem to be frustrated with starts however it's good to see him putting in the time to try and remedy that. I remember J-Lo sourced some race-start training from a drag racer many years ago, seemed to make a difference.
Pol.E, hmm I want to see him do well, however he may end up being another proof in the pudding that the Honda isn't the most desired bike to be on. I hope I'm wrong about that.
People may be so keen to capitalize on Marc's absence that we may see some desperate moves once the lights go out. Could be very entertaining indeed.
Joined Sep 2015
734 Posts | 1K+
Office cubicle
Joined Jun 2007
3K Posts | 309+
UK
I still think the Yamahas are in with a good chance....
It is supposed to be windy so sand on track will add abrasion and play into tire wear....tire conservation will be key...
I still like my prediction...
Joined May 2019
607 Posts | 459+
Where I am.
Joined Aug 2007
11K Posts | 3K+
Pomona NY
Great race. No drama or controversy. Just good solid racing. Suzukis generally not a fave at Qatar looked better than anticipated, will be better still at European rounds I'm sure. Vinales seems at last to found confidence for more aggressive passing. And Yamaha appears to have upped their game HP wise. Being the senior team member and not dealing Rossi's influence has to be helpful.
A great group of young riders finishing in the top ten - Miller tho, as usual, losing the thread 2/3s of the way through the race.
A great group of young riders finishing in the top ten - Miller tho, as usual, losing the thread 2/3s of the way through the race.
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Joined Jun 2007
3K Posts | 309+
UK
Joined Aug 2007
11K Posts | 3K+
Pomona NY
To be clear - not implying Rossi as some kind of villain - simply that his feedback at Yamaha wasn't resulting in development that favored Vinales.
Joined Nov 2015
242 Posts | 144+
Australia
That was a thriller even with the Miller ... fading to the back as many predicted. Staying awake on a 4:00 am race start (east coast of Australia) with only a few hours sleep can be a struggle if things get a little monotonous. It was no real surprise to see all 4 Ducati's leading the pack from the get go, however how things developed from then on, certainly kept me awake!
Congrats to Maverick, he seemed to be getting a lot of mixed attention with all of his race start practice runs but it obviously paid off with one of his most impressive races to date. Nice to see Zarco bring home the most points for Ducati as well. Can't help but feel a little sorry for Mir, however when you consider that he started from 10th and was in contention for 2nd, you can't be all sour. It will be interesting to see the contrast in the follow up (round 2) this week considering the race data everyone would have gathered.
Congrats to Maverick, he seemed to be getting a lot of mixed attention with all of his race start practice runs but it obviously paid off with one of his most impressive races to date. Nice to see Zarco bring home the most points for Ducati as well. Can't help but feel a little sorry for Mir, however when you consider that he started from 10th and was in contention for 2nd, you can't be all sour. It will be interesting to see the contrast in the follow up (round 2) this week considering the race data everyone would have gathered.
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Joined Jun 2007
3K Posts | 309+
UK
Yeah, but you could have just said Vinales seems to be taking Yamaha in the direction that suits him best....the other guy needn't have come up at all....
One thing is clear, Yamaha made 1 step forward in tire life longevity....not sure they got much more horse power out their 2020 spec engine though....
Simon C was saying the issue Ducatis was fuel consumption....they cant use all their power the whole race....so great at the start but they have to dial back the power to make it to the end of the race....couple that with severe tire wear, and they fall back down the field...
Mir should have made his move much earlier and there would only have been 1 Ducati on the podium....
Joined Aug 2007
11K Posts | 3K+
Pomona NY
Cracking race! Is this the new Mav? Or the old one on a good day? We shall see.
Fabs back to his old self. Running hard at the start, then fading as soon as he gets passed by whoever is hunting him down.
Mir making the magic happen again, just too little and too late this time for the victory. I think he is going to be a major contender, keeping the rubber side down and a thinker in the mold of Lawson.
Bags impressive, not letting himself get carried away and staying with his strategy gets him a podium.
Miller, what happened?
Going to be a great year!
Fabs back to his old self. Running hard at the start, then fading as soon as he gets passed by whoever is hunting him down.
Mir making the magic happen again, just too little and too late this time for the victory. I think he is going to be a major contender, keeping the rubber side down and a thinker in the mold of Lawson.
Bags impressive, not letting himself get carried away and staying with his strategy gets him a podium.
Miller, what happened?
Going to be a great year!
Joined Oct 2015
2K Posts | 827+
Texas
Not sure how Rossi had anything to do with Vinales' poor ability to launch his bike or deal with a full fuel tank. Vinales' needed to work on his craft to improve his riding, none of that can be blamed on Rossi. It wasn't the bike since last season Vinales was often lapping the same times as the leaders, it's just he kept botching his starts.
Joined Sep 2015
734 Posts | 1K+
Office cubicle
He also couldn't overtake V4 bikes to save his life in the past, yet he sliced through Ducatis like nothing in this race. Let's see if something has changed.
