- Joined
- Aug 24, 2008
- Messages
- 5,583
- Location
- Thailand
Blu cru R3 and WCR were great at Donny.
Can't they at least allow different helmets in the Yamaha Cup? I don't think this is very easy to watch.
Those guys were not particularly good in motogp though, not that I wouldn’t love to see Toprak there, although not with Honda or Yamaha except on something vastly improved from this year’s offerings.
It is very hard to judge what is going on WSBK given all the equalisation stuff, but sure performances relative to team-mates should be relevant.
Bautista's main "issue" this year is the weight. Even though I believe the Ducati is the best bike on the grid (and has been for some time now), he made it look even better and that is purely down to his size. His championships have major asterisks to it imo. I know people will say I'm just a Toprak fanboy and the funny thing is the only reason I became a fan of him is how unfair the last two seasons have been, and his alien skills of course.The relative comparison issues are quite difficult this season, imo, because so many variables have changed. Minimum weight is now combined bike/rider. Midseason performance adjustments are outlawed. The state of tune is regulated via throttle position AND fuel flow. Superconcessions have been upgraded. Fuel capacity has decline 2L.
In my estimation, it’s the fuel flow limits that are helping Toprak the most. Yamaha did not appear to be competently gaming the balance of performance by modulating fuel flow. Ducati, on the other hand, accelerated much faster in a straight line than other teams, especially with Bautista. The Panigale’s straight line advantage is less apparent this season, suggesting the “reference engine tune” provided to the FIM was quite lean in prior seasons, and the bikes were making considerably more power in race trim.
Toprak would probably be winning on a Yamaha this season, imo, but his change to BMW and the ballast on Bautista’s bike have moved him well clear of his old rival. Bautista’s injury isn’t helping his competitiveness either.