Motorsports Thread

[Pumpkin the robot]

The WSB have been my sport of choice of tv viewing over the past few seasons. I like the constant excitement as they push to challenge on virtually every corner, as opposed to only having a few opportunities per lap like in F1. Team orders don't seem to count either, and it's every man (and occasional women) for themselves.. Although, I am still a bit suspicious as to how Bautista could storm to victory in the first 11 races and then suddenly start falling off and crashing ever since! All credit to Johnny Rae though for never backing off with the pressure and biding his time

I have heard rumours that they have lost 500rpm. As they were so far ahead, they have a "penalty" The same has happened in BSB in previous years, which then had a few riders sand bagging, so they did not win the races by huge distances and get penalised.

I've totally lost my interest in MotoGP...

Sick and tired of Honda doing to Marquez's team mates what Ferrari used to do to Schuey's. Plus Marquez isn't above deliberately punting his own team mate off.

Still can't forgive him for his antics costing Dani Pedrosa the WC a few years ago.

Marquez is just head and shouders above anyone else, especially anyone on a Honda.
He qualified third, the next Honda is 13th. That bike is terrible, only Marquez being on the bike is giving Honda the title. Whatever they are paying him, it is not enough.

 

[Reynard]

Aeroscreen looks better than the flip-flop... sorry, halo... but would be a PITA in the wet.

They do race in the wet over t'other side of the pond, but only on road courses. Believe me, on a high speed oval, you really wouldn't want to be racing in the wet.

 

[Reynard]

Marquez is just head and shouders above anyone else, especially anyone on a Honda. He qualified third, the next Honda is 13th. That bike is terrible, only Marquez being on the bike is giving Honda the title. Whatever they are paying him, it is not enough.

Or rather, what equipment are Honda giving him that the others aren't being given...

Forgive my scepticism about all the Hondas actually being equal. It's Schumacher and Ferrari all over again. Or Senna and Lotus...

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

The HRC bikes will always be latest development. The rest of the "factory" bikes will be slightly behind, but Marquez will be the rider they are developing the bike for, it will suit his style of riding and quite rightly so. At the moment there is not a rider that can touch him. Lorenzo cannot tame the Honda and on his day he is one of the quickest riders (although those days seem to be further and further in the past)
It seems to be a similar situation when Stoner was at Ducati, nobody else could ride the bike. Even Rossi underestimated how bad the bike was (I seem to remember his crew chief saying it only needed a few small mods, look how that turned out!) Sometimes you just have to accept that the rider flatters the bike.

 

[Reynard]

Plus we don't know what's in the contracts - those aren't going to be aired in public.

Marquez is good, but IMHO not *that* good... Pedrosa was more than matching him at Honda until they decided that Marc was their "Golden Boy" and the machinery stopped being equal. Plus he still has a talent for throwing it at the scenery...

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

Pedrosa never had it on the big bikes. Too many crashes that ended up in major injuries.
MM will probably win more world titles than Agostini in the end, he virtually has 6 already. That does not happen by accident, especially when the bike has not always been the best on the grid.

 

[Reynard]

To be fair, Dani couldn't have have so many consistent 2nd and 3rd place finished in World Championships and several hatfulls of MotoGP wins spanning across multiple seasons without being more than just a teensy weensy bit good. Sometimes it's simply how the luck falls; he was never one to chuck it gratuitously at the scenery.

Guess he didn't bounce quite as well as other riders did.

Yes, I'll openly admit I have no great love for Marc Marquez. But if you look at the quality of the current grid, you've got a few up and coming kids, some past stars that are getting rather long in the tooth, and the rest are well, average, haven't really shown the potential that they should have done or have been weirdly AWOL when it comes to race performances. You can only beat the opposition that's put in front of you. As the saying goes, in the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king...

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Aeroscreen looks better than the flip-flop... sorry, halo... but would be a PITA in the wet.

They do race in the wet over t'other side of the pond, but only on road courses. Believe me, on a high speed oval, you really wouldn't want to be racing in the wet.

I suspect that if the aeroscreen is adopted by F1 wipers will quickly make an appearance.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

but Marquez will be the rider they are developing the bike for, it will suit his style of riding and quite rightly so

I believe this to be the real reason, they have built the bike around him, do others have to adopt to it & can't

Marquez is good, but IMHO not *that* good... Pedrosa was more than matching him at Honda until they decided that Marc was their "Golden Boy" and the machinery stopped being equal. Plus he still has a talent for throwing it at the scenery...

I 'think' that is said with rose tinted Dani glasses on & not your usual objective view. Pedrosa was good on his day, but he had too many off days, maybe he wasn't as talented as he thought he was, must admit I expected him to be World Champion & would have been happy to see it, but it never happened he always managed to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

I believe this to be the real reason, they have built the bike around him, do others have to adopt to it & can't
I 'think' that is said with rose tinted Dani glasses on & not your usual objective view. Pedrosa was good on his day, but he had too many off days, maybe he wasn't as talented as he thought he was, must admit I expected him to be World Champion & would have been happy to see it, but it never happened he always managed to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.

I think it is a case of MM being able to ride through the problems and save it when things go a little bit wrong and others can't do that (I'm looking at Cal Crutchlow here AKA the gravel badger)

Spoiler

Another title for MM against a bunch of also rans

 

[Reynard]

I 'think' that is said with rose tinted Dani glasses on & not your usual objective view. Pedrosa was good on his day, but he had too many off days, maybe he wasn't as talented as he thought he was, must admit I expected him to be World Champion & would have been happy to see it, but it never happened he always managed to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.

Maybe... I've been a Dani Pedrosa fan since, well, like, forever.

Although MotoGP has been more broadly competitive at the sharp end in past years than it is nowZZZZZZZZZZ. I've barely been watching the highlights for the last couple of years because it's so bloomin' predictable. So it's back to comparing apples and pears really.

 

[Reynard]

Anyways, I had a fine morning watching the live power stage from Rally GP while making leek and potato soup.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I went to Bicester Scramble. All manner of exotica, competition and non-competition.

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

Maybe... I've been a Dani Pedrosa fan since, well, like, forever.

Although MotoGP has been more broadly competitive at the sharp end in past years than it is nowZZZZZZZZZZ. I've barely been watching the highlights for the last couple of years because it's so bloomin' predictable. So it's back to comparing apples and pears really.

The last 4 or 5 races have had last lap/corner overtakes for the win, imho it has been some of the best racing for years!

 

[Reynard]

The last 4 or 5 races have had last lap/corner overtakes for the win, imho it has been some of the best racing for years!

Fair enough. I just guess when you've lost interest, you've lost interest...

And as I said upthread, it's also now behind a paywall to watch live, and I can't justify stumping up the cash. If it was on FTA, I'd probably watch it and maybe my interest would re-ignite.