2015 Moto GP...

[chunder]

IN all honesty a deal worth millions is not really anything to do with family is it, these guys live in a different world to you and me, he lives in a tax haven and has done for about 6 years so has been earning tax free since then, hardly needs the money.

Have never understood why folk compare elite sportsmen to normal people in terms of money, they have the best financial advisers, the best managers, he will have millions put all over the world that are untouchable, same as Shakey Byrne did and he hardly earned this much!

And the difference between signing for Suzuki and Ducati is simple, the best rider of his generation couldn't make them build what he wanted so Cal certainly wont manage it either, at Suzuki, signed as number one in 2014 he might be able to get the bike built around him, that is never going to happen at Ducati.

I guess some folk think taking the money is fine, but its not like our world, these guys earn all sorts of incomes, not just salary from a team. And putting that before your long term future to me is naieve and rather disappointing. AT Suzuki (who would surely sign him, maybe for not as much dough but hey) he is more likely to have a future, they are new, coming back, exciting, Audi haven't shown a damn thing yet at Ducati and have simply bought a brand, like Mercedes bought Chrysler or VW bought Seat, Skoda and bits of Porsche. They don't want to do anything with it, they just want to own it, see what they get from R&D, see if there is anything worth keeping, and move it on.

[Aurora]

I'd just like to add a couple of points to this discussion, firstly there is no guarantee that Suzuki can build a competitive MotoGP bike, in fact their history suggests that they can't. Times from testing are interesting but they don't always translate into results. Personally I'd suggest that they'd be better of going the Aprillia/BMW way via WSB, then sneaking in the back door with a CRT bike.

Regarding Cal, like most top riders he's got an ego the size of a small planet and the only way to feed that is with a factory ride. You can bet that he was seething last year that Andrea got the Ducati ride and not him. The fact that Andrea's no longer a top runner clearly makes no difference to Cal.

As for Hayden, while he's a nice guy and a former champion I don't think that anyone can argue that his best years are behind him. When was it he won his title, 2006? I think that he's done well to stick around considering how few podiums he's had since then.

Personally I hope that Ducati work out how to build a fast bike again, I just find it so depressing how slow they are in MotoGP and WSB.

[chunder]

Suzuki have already built a good GP bike on current spec, it tested at Aragon and was not far off the pace, hence my comments!

[JohnnyFiama]

But testing isn't racing! They have none of the fuel restrictions or engine reliability concerns. If it was ready to go why isn't it racing next year? I imagine because they can't make it go that fast with 5 engines per season (or 9 as they will be counted as a new manufacturer) or last a race on 20 litres of fuel.

Completely agree with the points on ego. Becoming a works rider for Ducati elevates you in to the superstar bracket even if you're not as successful as you would have been on a privateer Yamaha.....

[chunder]

Well my idea on Suzuki was they employed de Puniet to ride it, he has recent experience of a GP bike and more importantly going fast on the tyres, the issue with using guys like Aoki and the like is they are perhaps 2 or 3 seconds a lap off the pace, de Puniet would be closer to a second off, so would do more for the bike and give much more data.

They didn't sign up I believe coz they wouldn't be able to offer engines next year to other teams, or maybe they just couldn't afford it just yet.

Eitehr way, the bike looked right, when they look right they usually are, and this bike was quick, whether it was low fuel or not, do you think the other GP teams testing weren't? How many times do you see a GP team test after a race weekend and go quicker, usually coz they are developing stuff, using full gas, special engines etc. Its normal.

I believe if Suzuki cam in next year with Cal and say Bautista they would beat Ducati,, Smith and Espag and maybe Bradl sometimes.

With others riders no chance

[JohnnyFiama]

I hope you're right, I would love to see Suzuki up near the front, I was very disappointed when they left.

Crutchlow and Bautista would certainly be a good line-up. I do fear for Bautista though, even Dorna now seem to realise there are too many Spaniards in the series and Bautista seems to be near the top of their list of riders they could lose. It's a shame as I've always quite liked him, he does seem to have more personality then Pedrosa and Lorenzo put together.

The fuel rule annoys me more every time I hear about it, you can't help but feel it's just a way to allow Honda and Yamaha to sit at the top. A new manufacturer will end up spending millions in electronic development just to stand a chance.

Loosen the rules and you might have some more manufacturers tempted. Can you imagine if Suzuki, BMW, Aprilia and Kawasaki joined in? At the moment the stupid fuel rules mean it costs too much for most manufacturers.

[chunder]

It is Ezpeleats way of trying to blackmail into CRT, he wants it, they don't.

He knows the show right now is rubbish with TC and tons of electronics, and he knows the only way he can get rid of the factory bikes per se is to make it almost impossible for them to run, or to make CRT so much freer that they are quicker.

I don't have much respect for him usually, but in this point I do, the show would be better with outside frame builders, factory engines and no electronics, the manufacturers don't want it clearly, but Ezpeleta is trying to see the most boring series in bike racing at the moment, and struggling, he knows its not good enough

[NaBUru38]

Kevin Schwartz is concerned about the tyres:

The Bridgestones are really sensitive to cooling and if you're one of the top guys and you can just go out and put your head down and not care who's coming, then they're fine. But it's not a good steppingstone for some of the kids trying to learn.

Any time we have a wild card or someone gets a one-off ride, the new guy spends the entire week trying to learn how to use these tires. That shouldn't be the way it is; it should be about trying to learn the motorcycle.

It's like they've built the tires specifically for the elite and the rest are left trying to make it work, but now it's gotten so edgy that it's biting the elite guys, too, unless they go flat-out from the word go each time they leave the pits.

Do you think that MotoGP rules should show the gap between the good and great? Or should it be a little more friendly for rookies?

[chunder]

Well I dont nor mally buy the comic (MCN) but as interested to read Mike Scott'scolumn this week abotu Cal.

He basically agrees with me, which was nice! IN that its a deal about money rather than giving yourself the best opportunity now or in the future to win races!

[JohnnyFiama]

Originally Posted by chunder

He basically agrees with me, which was nice!

And just to balance it out, here's an interesting article which basically agrees with me, which is also nice!

"A Leap In The Dark? Why Cal Crutchlow's Move To Ducati May Be Smarter Than It Looks"

http://www.motomatters.com/analysis/...chlow_s_m.html

[chunder]

Lol

I tend to believe Mike Scott over everyone I am afraid, he's been invovled in GP writing for 30 or more years!

But everyone has their spin, we will soon see I guess.

[gomick]

Yep, wait & see if that get out clause gets used...

[chunder]

I really did think this was a joke

But Silverstone really are charging for parking your car at the track at the bike GP, I have never known this at any race track in the world, let alone one that has thousands of acres of parking available! And not just a few quid either, 15 quid a day or something! Insanuty

It simply staggers me that these cretinous idiots alienate people so readily and quickly in these times of economic struggle.

Simply means I will never go there again. How stupid are they really.

[gomick]

Why wouldn't they include the parking fee in the cost of the ticket to go to the event? Ya don't want to have to fork out twice before you even see a wheel turn in anger...

[chunder]

Exactly

I mean its not a new thing for events I suppose, things like NEC show etc, but for an event where there is stacks of parking space, charging for it seems utterly greedy!

To be fair, thw WSB crowd was appalling, so they are I guess hoping the GP crowd will be massive, but things like this don't help, certainly puts me off going on any day, why on earth should I pay to park!

[gomick]

Marquez is due a rookie dnf - won't win the title

[Articus]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this before here but does anyone else see a STRIKING parallel between Crutchlow's move to Ducati and Lewis Hamilton's move to Mercedes? Both had very decent rides prior, Tech 3 and McLaren although Lewis was winning races...Both Brits made team switches that had everyones head spinning saying, "What are you doing!!". In going to Mercedes and Ducati, two teams who were both struggling prior to the arrival of the Brits...Is it possible Ducati will come back to the fore in 2014 with Crutchlow and Dovi?

This is probably my first post in this section of the forum. Marc Marquez has got me watching MotoGP. I imagine he's brought a whole new following to the sport.

[chunder]

Lol, depends if you like him or not

Personally I cant warm to Marquez for a number of reasons, mainly he has had a lot of things in his favour, mainly they left the weight rules in place in Moto2, despite it being utterly insane that tanagers were being forced to starve themselves to stay light, but the rules were only changed AFTER he won on a Suter buit around him

Then he moves onto a factory bike in GP, only AFTER the rules were changed to allow rookies into factory teams

He doesn't need that much of a leg up and is going to utterly dominate and ruin GP racing for 10 years, he is a winning machine just like Schumacher and though he rides a bit loose, its no different to Stoner or Hayden did when they came in

Just cant warm to him sadly, and in the past he has proved to be damn near suicidally ruthless, though that seems to have worn off a little in GP

[Articus]

Also as a complete noob to motorcycle racing. What is this thing the riders are doing where it almost looks like oversteer on the brakes into a corner where the rear tire looks like its headed for the front. How are they able to keep under control?

The reason I have taken liking to Marquez is because he always loses a ton of places at the start and then just picks them off! Picking off guys like Lorenzo, Post Ducati Rossi, Pedrosa! I like it because he is competely destroying MotoGP world order which said Dani Pedrosa vs Jorge Lorenzo. He's brewing up a storm in HRC as well. Pedrosa never imagined this one...

Im kind of short sighted on this bit I know it will eventually get boring to watch (like the Seb Vettel Show that aired two years ago in place of the 2012 F1 season) but for now I love what Marquez is doing. As long as he doesn't starting holding the lead into turn 1 on the first lap. Its great to watch for now.

[gomick]

Maybe you could give points for qualifying & have reverse grid races

[canamman]

That Siverstone round was crackin good ! Top 5 MotoGP race I have ever seen. Marqueze might be the man to rewrite the Rossi record book.
Can't say enough about Lorenzo. That man has been torn to shreds this
year and still delivers. What a year for Moto GP.

[chunder]

Well

Its great rght now, but in 10 years when he was multiple titles I think you will be as bored as I am already of this winning machine

[Articus]

Marquez dislocates his shoulder in warmup? and then goes on to Almost win the race? One things for sure. He's got youth on his side. Only a 20 year old is gonna pull that off. It's nice to see this won't be a Marquez walkover. Now the top 3 are nursing injuries. Maybe its time to bring out the Doc...and not the medical kind

[GORDON STREETER]

It will be interesting to see how Maria Herrera will cope in her wild card ride in Moto3. She has won in the National Moto3 once and has been a consistent rider but not at this level.

[gomick]

Imagine if Marquez & Bradl where on the others bike at the start of the season - would Marquez still be challenging? Really is a pity we missed out on seeing what he could do on the non-factory Honda