Thread: 2015 Moto GP...
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Old 2 Aug 2012, 07:35 (Ref:3115089)   #42
JohnnyFiama
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Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 258
JohnnyFiama should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
This is sounding like a lot of sour grapes... it is inevitable that the championship will have a lot of Spanish riders and teams. Motorcycle racing is huge in Spain and Italy, all the kids ride bikes (no doubt helped by the weather), it is a massive sport there. Whereas most kids in the UK who enjoy motorsport want to be Lewis Hamilton or Jenson Button most Spanish and Italian kids want to be Pedrosa, Lorenzo or Rossi.

They have more riders, more spectators, more sponsors, more money and so, of course, more success in world championships. It would be like the Spanish complaining there aren't enough Spanish cricket players...

The rookie rule wasn't removed because of some Spanish conspiracy theory, it went because none of the privateer Honda teams wanted to have Marquez for a year. They have their own engineers and long-term sponsors so Marquez turning up for a year with his own crew and painting the bike in Repsol colours would cause a huge disruption. When he then left after a year to join the works team they would have to pick up the pieces and try to carry on.

Riders like Spies and Edwards have had a good moan about "having to have the right passport" but I didn't hear them complaining when the American arm of Yamaha funded their careers. Likewise, Hayden (who to be fair hasn't complained) has lasted so long at Ducati because he's American and has helped sell a huge ammount of bikes in an important market for Ducati.

Over the years, the organisers have put a lot of money into getting riders from different natiionalities into MotoGP, there was a lot of pressure (and money) put into getting Toseland at Tech3, I didn't hear any complaints about that at the time.

The last few years with Stoner v Lorenzo v Pedrosa v Rossi will be looked back on as a golden era, enjoy it while you can. Unfortunately, on this forum and many others all you hear is moaning.
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