Discussion
HybridTheory said:
Portofino said:
Whilst watching the proceedings today was thinking why so many Spanish & Italian riders?
Better weather, sponsors preference or do the UK bike nutcases prefer things like the IOM TT?
It's just not really an English thing my boys 11/14 have never shown any interest Better weather, sponsors preference or do the UK bike nutcases prefer things like the IOM TT?
Look at F1 instead and the Brits are very well represented - Hamilton, Norris, Russell, Albon (raised in UK despite racing under a Thai flag) and Oli Bearman - out of 21 racers 5 (if you include Albon) are British.
Quality race on Sunday..... I wonder what another 2 laps would have produced ??
Ducati Factory team senior management have got a right headache trying to choose who will be Pecco`s team mate. MM did come out and say yesterday that he doesnt care what colour he is in so long as he has the latest spec bike. I wonder what deals have already been done under the table. I think I heard Mr Emmet mention that Pramac could lose one factory bike that gets given to Gresini. That would certainly make the Red Team decision a bit easier - Regardless of that , someone is gonna be disappointed and as it stands at the moment that someone is Bastianini based on current form. He is not doing bad by any stretch BUT the others are just doing better....... !
Ducati Factory team senior management have got a right headache trying to choose who will be Pecco`s team mate. MM did come out and say yesterday that he doesnt care what colour he is in so long as he has the latest spec bike. I wonder what deals have already been done under the table. I think I heard Mr Emmet mention that Pramac could lose one factory bike that gets given to Gresini. That would certainly make the Red Team decision a bit easier - Regardless of that , someone is gonna be disappointed and as it stands at the moment that someone is Bastianini based on current form. He is not doing bad by any stretch BUT the others are just doing better....... !
Just listened to the latest oxley bom podcast, oxley makes a good point that if Martin doesn't end up in red he will probably go to Aprilia and Gigi won't want that. Bom disagrees and says he thinks Marc is the man.
I'm torn, certainly the former scenario is very logical and they just give Marc a factory gp25 at Gresini, but I think Gigi may go with emotion and heart over head and put Marc in red. I also want to see Martin on an Aprilia, that bike is a weapon but we aren't consistently seeing it's full potential.
There is also the possibility that Marc staying on a Ducati is not as much of a sure thing as everyone seems to think, he will be talking to every team and manufacturer going, but I don't think deep down he will want to go through another adaptation and risk it not working out.
I'm torn, certainly the former scenario is very logical and they just give Marc a factory gp25 at Gresini, but I think Gigi may go with emotion and heart over head and put Marc in red. I also want to see Martin on an Aprilia, that bike is a weapon but we aren't consistently seeing it's full potential.
There is also the possibility that Marc staying on a Ducati is not as much of a sure thing as everyone seems to think, he will be talking to every team and manufacturer going, but I don't think deep down he will want to go through another adaptation and risk it not working out.
If he wins the title on the Ducati then he will want to do it with another team too. Titles with three different manufacturers would be too much of a draw for him to miss out on. He might not swap next year though. Taking two more titles means he overtakes Rossi with ten.
Having said that I think that’s a dream scenario for him and winning even one more title will be a huge ask. He’s got a big deficit to make up already this season.
Having said that I think that’s a dream scenario for him and winning even one more title will be a huge ask. He’s got a big deficit to make up already this season.
I can't see MM not on a Ducati next year. He clearly loves the bike, and is only just starting to adapt it to him (rather than himself to the bike). Whether it's at the factory team/a satellite factory bike/last year's bike. I think Gigi wants him in red though.
Martin has made an amazing start to the season and has a good lead, but theres more to come from other riders and a lot of points left to win.
Martin has made an amazing start to the season and has a good lead, but theres more to come from other riders and a lot of points left to win.
Condi said:
HybridTheory said:
Portofino said:
Whilst watching the proceedings today was thinking why so many Spanish & Italian riders?
Better weather, sponsors preference or do the UK bike nutcases prefer things like the IOM TT?
It's just not really an English thing my boys 11/14 have never shown any interest Better weather, sponsors preference or do the UK bike nutcases prefer things like the IOM TT?
Look at F1 instead and the Brits are very well represented - Hamilton, Norris, Russell, Albon (raised in UK despite racing under a Thai flag) and Oli Bearman - out of 21 racers 5 (if you include Albon) are British.
If I look at all the kids my lad races with at BSB, nearly all of them come from racing families and they've grown up watching their dads race
Plus, as a result of the profile of Bike sports in Spain and Italy, they just have more facilities and infrastructure to progress through the junior ranks onto the big tracks
i found the sprint race as dull as anything, they do seem to be settling down to a follow my leader bore fest currently. Certainly when compared to the full GP on Sundays.
Sprints are just banzai, no issues with tyres, qualifying is king, after initial 2 laps it's all over. At least with tyre management and issues we have better racing. For all the criticisms of tyre life, pressures etc. if we didn't have that we'd have even less racing on a Sunday.
I also sense that factory Ducati just don't go a bundle on Martin's character and persona. Tough call though for Gigi though .... I hope he goes with Marquez. I don't believe Martin will have the same success on another factory bike that's currently available. I suspect if he went to Aprilia, he would challenge inconsistently and Aprilia would screw it up for him, he would criticise them publicly a lot and the relationship would sour over time. It'd be even worse if he went to Honda for example.
Sprints are just banzai, no issues with tyres, qualifying is king, after initial 2 laps it's all over. At least with tyre management and issues we have better racing. For all the criticisms of tyre life, pressures etc. if we didn't have that we'd have even less racing on a Sunday.
I also sense that factory Ducati just don't go a bundle on Martin's character and persona. Tough call though for Gigi though .... I hope he goes with Marquez. I don't believe Martin will have the same success on another factory bike that's currently available. I suspect if he went to Aprilia, he would challenge inconsistently and Aprilia would screw it up for him, he would criticise them publicly a lot and the relationship would sour over time. It'd be even worse if he went to Honda for example.
Cracking weekend Sprint and Main races.
Marc certainly has figured out a lot of the Ducati puzzle, give him a few more races and he'll be winning I'm sure.
When he signed I knew Gigi would have a huge problem with bums on seats, signing Fermin is a good move, but also means someone is out of a ride - I assume Morbidelli, but he's starting to show promise no he's getting some well needed miles.
Who deserves to be Pecco's team mate is really hard for Gigi.
Martin is the obvious choice, 2nd last year, leading the championship this year, able to win both sprints and main races the guys is a force and will win championships and is young to boot.
Marc, there's nothing really to say here, 8 time world champion and currently 5 rounds in on a sub-spec bike and now getting podiums, beating a two time WC. He's a force to be reckoned with, marketing dream and what a line up Ducati would have.
Bastianini - As daft as it seems, he's in the title chase and going un-noticed, he really needs to win some races to stand any chance of retaining his seat.
Ducati won't let Marc go, but will they let Jorge go? I think they will let Bastianini go unfortunately, maybe he would drop down to Gresini again?
Then we still don't know what Pramac will do - stay or go to Yamaha, if that happens then Fermin has to go to Gresini, unlikely VR46 will change IMO and poor old Bez has nowhere to go.
I think until the Pramac thing is understood and they're now saying end of July everything could remain as is until then, or some riders are going to get shafted. Marc won't ever swing his leg over a Yamaha so he's best signing a Ducati contract and get a GP25 sorted and let Ducati figure out which team if nothing else IMO.
Marc certainly has figured out a lot of the Ducati puzzle, give him a few more races and he'll be winning I'm sure.
When he signed I knew Gigi would have a huge problem with bums on seats, signing Fermin is a good move, but also means someone is out of a ride - I assume Morbidelli, but he's starting to show promise no he's getting some well needed miles.
Who deserves to be Pecco's team mate is really hard for Gigi.
Martin is the obvious choice, 2nd last year, leading the championship this year, able to win both sprints and main races the guys is a force and will win championships and is young to boot.
Marc, there's nothing really to say here, 8 time world champion and currently 5 rounds in on a sub-spec bike and now getting podiums, beating a two time WC. He's a force to be reckoned with, marketing dream and what a line up Ducati would have.
Bastianini - As daft as it seems, he's in the title chase and going un-noticed, he really needs to win some races to stand any chance of retaining his seat.
Ducati won't let Marc go, but will they let Jorge go? I think they will let Bastianini go unfortunately, maybe he would drop down to Gresini again?
Then we still don't know what Pramac will do - stay or go to Yamaha, if that happens then Fermin has to go to Gresini, unlikely VR46 will change IMO and poor old Bez has nowhere to go.
I think until the Pramac thing is understood and they're now saying end of July everything could remain as is until then, or some riders are going to get shafted. Marc won't ever swing his leg over a Yamaha so he's best signing a Ducati contract and get a GP25 sorted and let Ducati figure out which team if nothing else IMO.
Zarco said:
What happened?
MM & Martin had a huge coming together on the sighting lap..... They showed footage of it but I can't find it anywhere nowETA - found it but can't play it :
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&...
Edited by Far Cough on Tuesday 14th May 15:22
It's funny how the media, TV commentators, social media is all gushing about Marquez about his results and riding on a year old bike, when this time last year, Bezzechi had already won 2 races on a year old Ducati, and was leading the Championship, and Rins had won one on the dog of a Honda! 
poo at Paul's said:
It's funny how the media, TV commentators, social media is all gushing about Marquez about his results and riding on a year old bike, when this time last year, Bezzechi had already won 2 races on a year old Ducati, and was leading the Championship, and Rins had won one on the dog of a Honda!
There was plenty of gushing about Rins and Bez. Rightly so.Marquez is just a bigger deal all round. Him leaving Honda was a massive story in itself last year, and dominated the rider market.
Kazakhstan possibly being brought back to replace India which hasn't paid Dorna yet.
https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1048443/1/update...
https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1048443/1/update...
poo at Paul's said:
It's funny how the media, TV commentators, social media is all gushing about Marquez about his results and riding on a year old bike, when this time last year, Bezzechi had already won 2 races on a year old Ducati, and was leading the Championship, and Rins had won one on the dog of a Honda!
Bezzechi had also had a year on the Ducati in 2022. Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff