Joined Jun 2008
1K Posts | 365+
USA
Joined Aug 2018
33 Posts | 2+
Atlantis
Joined Aug 2018
33 Posts | 2+
Atlantis
Hey! don't talk about my cousin the "Black Knight" like that he just a naughty boy. :giggle:
Joined Mar 2016
2K Posts | 2K+
FNQ
Out of the individual teams I have bolded whom I think will be ahead at end of season, on a teams basis..
Below is the official line up for 2019:
Team/Rider Bike Contract until
Movistar Yamaha
Valentino Rossi Yamaha M1 2020
Maverick Viñales Yamaha M1 2020
Repsol Honda
Jorge Lorenzo Honda RC213V 2020
Marc Márquez Honda RC213V 2020
Ecstar Suzuki
Alex Rins Suzuki GSX-RR 2020
Joan Mir Suzuki GSX-RR 2020
Gresini Aprilia
Aleix Espargaro Aprilia RS-GP 2020
Andrea Iannone Aprilia RS-GP 2020
KTM Factory
Johann Zarco KTM RC16 2020
Pol Espargaro KTM RC16 2020
Factory Ducati
Andrea Dovizioso Ducati GP19 2020
Danilo Petrucci Ducati GP19 2019
Satellite Teams
Pramac Ducati
Pecco Bagnaia Ducati GP18 2020
Jack Miller Ducati GP19 2019
LCR Honda
Cal Crutchlow Honda RC213V 2020
Taka Nakagami Honda RC213V 2019
Tech3 KTM
Miguel Oliveira KTM RC16 2019
Hafizh Syahrin KTM RC16 2019
Petronas SIC Team
Franco Morbidelli Yamaha M1 2019
Fabio Quartararo Yamaha M1 2019
Avintia Ducati
Tito Rabat? Ducati GP18 ?
Karel Abraham Ducati GP18 2020
Below is the official line up for 2019:
Team/Rider Bike Contract until
Movistar Yamaha
Valentino Rossi Yamaha M1 2020
Maverick Viñales Yamaha M1 2020
Repsol Honda
Jorge Lorenzo Honda RC213V 2020
Marc Márquez Honda RC213V 2020
Ecstar Suzuki
Alex Rins Suzuki GSX-RR 2020
Joan Mir Suzuki GSX-RR 2020
Gresini Aprilia
Aleix Espargaro Aprilia RS-GP 2020
Andrea Iannone Aprilia RS-GP 2020
KTM Factory
Johann Zarco KTM RC16 2020
Pol Espargaro KTM RC16 2020
Factory Ducati
Andrea Dovizioso Ducati GP19 2020
Danilo Petrucci Ducati GP19 2019
Satellite Teams
Pramac Ducati
Pecco Bagnaia Ducati GP18 2020
Jack Miller Ducati GP19 2019
LCR Honda
Cal Crutchlow Honda RC213V 2020
Taka Nakagami Honda RC213V 2019
Tech3 KTM
Miguel Oliveira KTM RC16 2019
Hafizh Syahrin KTM RC16 2019
Petronas SIC Team
Franco Morbidelli Yamaha M1 2019
Fabio Quartararo Yamaha M1 2019
Avintia Ducati
Tito Rabat? Ducati GP18 ?
Karel Abraham Ducati GP18 2020
Joined Mar 2015
2K Posts | 337+
Chertsey, Surrey, UK
Don't agree about Pecco though, I think Milller will do very well as Petrux has gone.
Joined Jun 2008
1K Posts | 365+
USA
pecco is gonna get ..... slapped by Marc. just have a feeling he's gonna get a reality check from the big boys.
Joined Mar 2016
2K Posts | 2K+
FNQ
That was a tough choice, and being an Aussie I naturally want Jack to do well. I think pecco is more talented than miller. Wouldn't mind being wrong though.
Joined Apr 2015
6K Posts | 5K+
NJ
This is going to be Dovi's best chance at a title because Petrux isn't going to be a threat to him. Lorenzo and MM swapping points may open the door for Dovi to sneak by. JL is probably going to gell with the RCV well, so it becomes a battle between him, MM and AD. Possibly MV if the M1 gets sorted out. MM still the favorite but I think this is going to be his toughest challenge to date. I look at every year and MM has always had a challenge each year. It just changes with who the challengers are.
Joined Feb 2007
11K Posts | 2K+
Tennessee
Marc’s 4 titles have been won by an average of 39 points. Take away his rookie championship and the other 3 have been by an average of 50 points. This year appears to be headed toward a 70 plus margin which is going to put his 5 title winning margin at somewhere around 45 points. Had it not been for that ........ black flag in 13, his average would basically be winning 5 titles by 2 races per title. There has been a guy who finishes 2nd in the championship in those years, but none have really challenged him except for Lorenzo his rookie year. In 15 he beat himself, in 16 with another ...... bike, he learned 2nd’s and 3rds win titles when you can’t finish first. In other words, Marquez is the only rider capable of beating Marquez. Out of curiosity , I checked his point total today compared to 2014 when he won the first 10 races and 11 out of the first 12 and he is only 23 points behind after 14 races, and that’s on the second best bike, not the dominator the 14 RCV was. It’s going to take an anomaly like Honda whiffing in spectacular fashion or an injury for him to lose a title anytime soon. He is just that good.
Joined Feb 2018
681 Posts | 535+
Italy
I feel the same even tho I have serious doubts about anyone being able to beat MM in a title hunt.
He's always had the speed but he is just too consistent nowadays.
Joined Mar 2015
2K Posts | 337+
Chertsey, Surrey, UK
I'm going to jump the gun a bit here for next year in terms of who I really would like to see up their standard and make their team mate suffer in the standings.
On the downside of the HRC garage we have Lorenzo, yes a good rider but he's like an egg thats had the contents removed as soon as something goes a bit iffy, Marc will surely bury him next year especially as we are seeing more wet races.
Much as I like Petrux he's a bit thick when it comes to race management, always chews his tyres up, so no threat to Dovi. I'd love Dovi to win a championship, he is a genuine nice guy who has at last developed the ability to stick the stiletto in when required.
Maverick, he needs to keep stum and not talk to Rossi's trappist monk, in 2019 he should make Rossi look like mid field rider like the Asparagus boys.
Best of the rest, Crutchlow, Zarco and Miller. I would like to see Miguel Olivera start off well, I like him as i can't stand the VR46 team.
On the downside of the HRC garage we have Lorenzo, yes a good rider but he's like an egg thats had the contents removed as soon as something goes a bit iffy, Marc will surely bury him next year especially as we are seeing more wet races.
Much as I like Petrux he's a bit thick when it comes to race management, always chews his tyres up, so no threat to Dovi. I'd love Dovi to win a championship, he is a genuine nice guy who has at last developed the ability to stick the stiletto in when required.
Maverick, he needs to keep stum and not talk to Rossi's trappist monk, in 2019 he should make Rossi look like mid field rider like the Asparagus boys.
Best of the rest, Crutchlow, Zarco and Miller. I would like to see Miguel Olivera start off well, I like him as i can't stand the VR46 team.
Joined Sep 2016
894 Posts | 557+
Queensland Australia
Lorenzo can be extremely quick especially on a quick bike like he has this season, but even he (and Dovi) struggle to beat Marc who can usually override the Honda and take the win...
Even if Jorge takes to the Honda quickly (which I dont think he will), I dont see it being any easier for him to beat Marc or Dovi than it is now, probably harder and thats on a good day. I see next season being much like this year with Marc and Dovi the ones to beat. It would be great to see the Yamaha's back in the mix to make things more interesting, would love to see Maverick quick on the bike again.
Joined Jun 2008
1K Posts | 365+
USA
I agree with you on this very much. Don't want to disregard those young up coming Italian riders. But being associated with vr46 academy, is rossi living vicariously through those riders. This is all going back to PI 2015, when he showed his true color. Hard to cheer for those riders with this type of stigma behind them.
Joined Feb 2007
11K Posts | 2K+
Tennessee
Yokohama sends a suttle shot across the bow to Lorenzo about what to expect at Honda.
Yokoyama revealed that one of his main concerns in terms of making the Lorenzo-Honda partnership a success is the RCV's lack of stability.
"Maybe one of the things that I'm a little worried he would struggle with is the stability of the bike. I think you can see from TV that the Honda bike is many times shaking, dancing, jumping," he said.
"Probably, he's not the guy who likes to fight with the unstable bike and from our side I guess we need to make the bike a little more stable than we have now. But also from his side, maybe he needs to adapt to a little more unstable bike.
Joined Sep 2016
894 Posts | 557+
Queensland Australia
In the closing laps of the last race you could see Marcs front tyre skidding in on the fast direction changes... If thats the type of knife edge man handling it takes for the Honda to beat the Ducati I think Jorge is going to feel like he did in his early days at Ducati. I have no doubt he will work the Honda out over time but I doubt it will be a quick process. If Lorenzo crashes as much as Cal does on the RCV in an effort to find its limits and keep up with Marc I see his confidence taking a huge dive.
Like a previous post mentioned, I doubt Honda will be going to the same lengths as Ducati for Jorge, let alone if its in detriment to the continued success of their golden goose.
Joined Mar 2015
2K Posts | 337+
Chertsey, Surrey, UK
I don't know if anyone can confirm it, (HolyPuck?) but a friend who has a cousin who lives just outside Tavullia(sp) near Rossi's ranch/track has said that there is a little trouble with some of the riders locally, he has the impression that they are all arrogant about it.
Joined Mar 2016
2K Posts | 2K+
FNQ
I don't think it's fair to tar these youngsters with the same brush. They are not Valentino. They are young sportsman taking up an amazing opportunity to develop their skills and further careers. Each rider should be ranked on their own merit. What you suggest is Rossi hating on a stupid level. If he had a child, would you hate that child just because of him?
Petty.
Joined Jun 2008
1K Posts | 365+
USA
I'm looking at it from a leery point of view and not being petty about it. Not accusing the young up coming riders of doing rossi dirty work. But him using them in a deceptive manner to drive his agenda. An open mind I will keep but, we know rossi and his people mindset. Sure the young men are there to achieve a skill set. But they are just that young, and most naive.
Joined Mar 2016
2K Posts | 2K+
FNQ
And his agenda would be to win a World Championship as team principle of VR46 race team, right?
Or is there something else you mean by this?
Joined Jun 2008
1K Posts | 365+
USA
He will be looking for that one rider, he believes may be able to breaks Marc's record. And if he does find that young Italian rider, and succeed. His name will forever be attached to that young rider. Where the glory will be more on him and less on the rider.
