Maybe he is playing a deeper game, because Honda are certainly playing games as well. David Emmett who admittedly is not infallible contends that Aldridge is in a cleft stick since the MSMA are actually responsible for the current tech regs which all agreed upon, and Aldridge has no alternative but to interpret them as he has ie believe what a manufacturer says about the purpose of a bike part.
Honda certainly seem to have a position against aerodynamics on bikes, for whatever reason, perhaps because they think it bad for bike racing which might be correct, but also possibly because they think an innovative engineer like Gigi might be able to steal a march on them. The smaller/newer manufacturers doubtless think this is another area where they can be out engineered or outspent by better resourced factories.
I am opposed to major aerodynamics on bikes, maybe even the winglets were a bridge too far particularly if there was a safety issue, but this small device with no apparent safety implications and which Gigi can apparently demonstrate does have the cooling effect claimed for it doesn't fuss me overly. Are they going to have a rule that you can only have such devices if they have a negative effect aerodynamically?. Also, while admitting I am something of a Ducati partisan, I believe people need to differentiate between the treatment Ducati have received in WSBK, obviously quite favourable at times particularly under the previous ownership of the fabulous flying Flammini brothers, and motogp where they have often been screwed.
Yamaha looking good btw and Valentino remarkable at age 40, fair chance of a podium finish I would have thought.
Joined Feb 2007
11K Posts | 2K+
Tennessee
If it’s dry, Marquez wins by whatever margin he sees fit. If it’s mixed, same thing. I think Dovi needs to score consistent points the next 3 races as Marquez will be the overwhelming favorite to win all three. He can’t give away 25 points and find himself down 30 -40 points after 5 races. Marquez is to good and can control the championship if you let him jump on you early in the season. If it is wet, Marquez can take more chances as he is capable of making up 30-40 points , I’m not sure Dovi is.
Joined Aug 2008
6K Posts | 748+
Thailand
Joined Mar 2015
2K Posts | 337+
Chertsey, Surrey, UK
Naked bikes, why not, certainly save some money spent on plastics.
However for as long as I can remember bikes have had fairings in racing (professional that is), its the appendages that need eradicating.
BTW have you seen how these wings can actually help make a bike faster as well as gripier when they can be affected by speed, ie they alter shape according to speed.
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Joined Aug 2013
902 Posts | 509+
USA
You can't win a championship this early in the season, but you censure damage your chances if you make mistake... So its going to be interesting to see what kind of pace the leaders set, especially with riders like Miller and Quartararo who will be riding aggressive trying to win a race.
Joined Aug 2007
11K Posts | 3K+
Pomona NY
Bit of a snorer. Gutted for Cal. Vinales continues to disappoint. Rossi continues to retain his racecraft and picks the perfect place to pass Dovi where there was zero grip at the edge of the track, whilst riding an underperforming Yamaha. Dovi, with his "magic rear spoiler" looking hang-dog at race's end (but then again he almost always does). Morbidelli completely ..... up - looks forward to being reamed by Yamaha. Rins once again waiting too long to get aggressive. Lorenzo does ....-all.
Moto 2 was a much better race.
Moto 2 was a much better race.
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Mastercraft from Marquez.
Great old guy.
Hilarious dancing....
Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk
Great old guy.
Hilarious dancing....
Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk
Strange that Rossi’s pass on Dovi at turn 13 was never shown....
Half a second per lap, with such parity is unbelievable. As already said total masterclass.
Good ride from Rossi, outsmarted Dovi in the end.
Maybe Yamaha should use one of Mavericks test days having him do race starts.
Not sure that Crutchlow jumped the start there. If he did it looked like everyone else may have as well.
Half a second per lap, with such parity is unbelievable. As already said total masterclass.
Good ride from Rossi, outsmarted Dovi in the end.
Maybe Yamaha should use one of Mavericks test days having him do race starts.
Not sure that Crutchlow jumped the start there. If he did it looked like everyone else may have as well.
It will be this way from here now. Nobody will stop MM, even more riding a very balanced bike (for him).
Now I ask: what's the difference from nowadays with all that stupid rules prohibiting everything compared to 2006-2012? The field is more packed, but so what? The races are disappointing even more IMHO, riders keep riding carefully inline, one behind another til the end to preserve the tire, where we see one ....... pass at most with 1 lap remaining.
Dorna is so stupid as the people who keeps claiming more and more constraints in a vain attempt to make racing more funny. It has never, never worked. It's not funny, and will not be anymore funny. The only thing, in my honest opinion, that can make racing cool, is the freedom to develop the bike and to choose your tire.
6 years, 5 of which got won by only one rider. Now we are heading to one more to the same rider. Congratulations to those in charge.
Now I ask: what's the difference from nowadays with all that stupid rules prohibiting everything compared to 2006-2012? The field is more packed, but so what? The races are disappointing even more IMHO, riders keep riding carefully inline, one behind another til the end to preserve the tire, where we see one ....... pass at most with 1 lap remaining.
Dorna is so stupid as the people who keeps claiming more and more constraints in a vain attempt to make racing more funny. It has never, never worked. It's not funny, and will not be anymore funny. The only thing, in my honest opinion, that can make racing cool, is the freedom to develop the bike and to choose your tire.
6 years, 5 of which got won by only one rider. Now we are heading to one more to the same rider. Congratulations to those in charge.
If you have this version of Marquez the same advantages that Rossi enjoyed through most of his championship years or even the same advantages that he himself had in 13-14 Marquez would clear off more often than not like he did today I suspect. He is just head and shoulders above everyone on the grid right now and maybe better than anyone who has ever ridden a bike.
I agree with you about the procession until the last few laps, it’s IMO very artificial.
1/2 a second a lap in good weather with the current parity shouldn’t be possible but he made it so.
Joined Sep 2015
734 Posts | 1K+
Office cubicle
The "procession" would end if they had more than the usual suspects competing for the top stop with consistency, as it stands Marquez and Dovi risk a lot by trying to push when nobody can consistently challenge them. In the past season, the races where Lorenzo added himself to the mix were very entertaining. If Jorge regains his level, Yamaha sorts its .... and Suzuki improves, then we would see riders taking more risks early in the race. IMO it's a problem of 2 riders being way ahead the rest. We'll have to wait until the European rounds to see how it goes.
Joined Jun 2007
3K Posts | 309+
UK
In this scenario of yours, does MM get the same electronics that Rossi had back then as well?
And I assume you are not talking about the 500 two stroke days...
Good race but not great ... entertaining enough
Joined Mar 2015
2K Posts | 337+
Chertsey, Surrey, UK
Moto 3 as well.
I was very disappointed with the race, as has been pointed out, its turning into a Moto 3 type of procession until the last couple of laps.
Vinales should ask Yamaha to end his contract at the end of the season and go back to another team where he doesn't have someone like the t-shirt salesman.
I was really pleased for Oliveira, only one and a half tenths behind P. Asparagus and a top 10 finish in his rookie year, wonder how long it'll take him to make Asparagus look ordinary.
Joined Aug 2007
11K Posts | 3K+
Pomona NY
To be fair - there are others riding on what is essentially the same bike as Marquez's - and none of those riders produce results like his. This was true when he was in Moto 2.
Moreover - people continually complain that the race doesn't get fierce until the last few laps - expecting these guys, week in and week out, to ride a 300 Hp beast for 25 laps like it was a 10 lap sprint. Has no-one considered that the limits of the human beings who ride these bikes may well be pretty much outstripped by bike technology in it's current state? These are not Moto 2. bikes. Races where that happen are far and few between in the premiere class. Maybe that could change if tire technology made a quantum leap, but as things stand the riders are all - to the best of their ability - trying to get the most out of the tires they have without constantly crashing.
Even when there were tire wars - Stoner when he had his fave tire - regularly walked away from everyone like they were standing still; so that scenario existed then and couldn't be blamed on a control tire. It's just awesome talent.
Joined Jun 2016
642 Posts | 244+
Santa Cruz, Cal
Seriously? In case one has not noticed. The rules are more even than EV-AR. And Marquez is still the fastest man on two wheels, even when he doesn't have the fastest bike. You can ..... and moan about all kinds of crap, but now that Honda finally has a bike equal or better than the other guys, again, Marc is going to kick .... I thought Stoner might have been the best I ever saw ride a cement orientated motorcycle ...... until Marquez. He is really that good.
And Rossi is the ..... Second best rider out there. He proved it today for sure. My hat is off to the YOUNG man. He ran a fantastic race.
And Rossi is the ..... Second best rider out there. He proved it today for sure. My hat is off to the YOUNG man. He ran a fantastic race.
Guys, I mean the only way to compete with the likes of Marc Marquez is giving "normal" riders some kind of advantage.
At least they should allow for engine development. That would help Yamaha and Suzuki.
At least they should allow for engine development. That would help Yamaha and Suzuki.
Joined Aug 2008
6K Posts | 748+
Thailand
My point being the defining of "aero devices" is not as "easy" a task as you seem to believe.
