Moto GP Thread 2023

[hiccy18]

The problem for the stewards was the first occasion could have been a mistake, the second time confirmed that it was a deliberate ploy, the actions of Fernandez then confirmed that it was a team plot. No one wants to see a championship settled by lawyers, but in hindsight the second act should have been penalised, and the lack of action against both Masia and the team has set a precedent for "acceptable " behaviour in similar circumstances in future.

[Hungrymc]

I agree that the first one could have been a mistake. That's where the warning would have been appropriate (the riders are responsible for their mistakes and the impacts they have). A penalty maybe harsh for the first one on balance, but a warning not.

But I think the second one should have been a penalty irrespective of had a warning been issued or not.

[520TORQUES]

RiseUp said:

Pecco also nearly had a life changing accident in Barcelona due to a dodgy tyre. Definitely honours even in that regard I think.

Was that a dodgy tyre, or was that a cold tyre being pushed too hard too soon? It looked like your typical cold tyre high side to me, but maybe you have other official information?

[epom]

Hopefully Martin just gets on with it now and goes balls out for the last ones.

[Freakuk]

epom said:

Hopefully Martin just gets on with it now and goes balls out for the last ones.

It's all he can do and hope Pecco chucks it down the road or DNF's

[BunkMoreland]

Freakuk said:

It's all he can do and hope Pecco chucks it down the road or DNF's

TBF Pecco has a habit of chucking it under pressure, so there's still hope for Jorge.

( And since he chucked his hire car into a wall in Ibiza, never publicly apologised and was never sanctioned by his team or the sport for "disrepute" I've hoped he never wins another title. But as often in life we don't always get what we want...)

Bigger question is how a tyre company the size of Michelin can consistently have bad tyres get as far as being put on a bike

[LF5335]

Was it a bad tyre? I k ow he’s claiming that, but there was a shot on BT Sport earlier in the weekend of him doing practice starts and going sideways on those tyres in more or less exactly the same way. Would be weird for all his tyres to be bad for his race and practice starts.

[hiccy18]

I don't think so much the start, as you say he had loads of bad practice starts, but his pace was poor, over a second off and he claimed he couldn't get it stopped.

I see Paolo Ciabitti is speaking up for Diggia, shame he didn't do it earlier!

[Stan the Bat]

I see the circuit is called Lusail , I could have sworn when it first opened it was called Losail circuit ?

[LF5335]

Stan the Bat said:

I see the circuit is called Lusail , I could have sworn when it first opened it was called Losail circuit ?

The city is called Lusail, the circuit started out as Losail, but has become Lusail over time. It’s something to do with Arabic spelling and pronunciation. Lo and Lu are both acceptable, but the pronunciation is more like Lu.

[Stan the Bat]

Wonder why they used Losail in the first place then if the city is Lusail .

[Johno]

poo at Paul's said:

Johno said:

Masia - overly aggressive, got a conduct warning as thats what it warranted.

...and yet, I cannot recall that particular warming being issued to anyone else ever, certainly not this season. So it seems they are just making it up. But then, they have another Spanish Champion now, dont they?

Earlier in the season, I think it was Morbidelli or Marini got a long lap for overtaking on a right hander when someone went wide, and he passed without contact, but the rider rejoining the line had to sit up a fraction.
But deliberate running on and forcing a rider off line, twice by both team riders goes completely unpunished. Funny that.

Not all of the conduct warnings have been dash issued, some are post session - Bezecchi had one after contact with Marquez in practise at an earlier round.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but I don't subscribe to the Spaniards for Spaniards rhetoric. The rules were amended in 2021 I believe to include these warnings. We should be careful we don't demand more severe warnings or penalties, then moan when the racing isn't close and aggressive.

However, I absolutely will agree the stewardinig and their decisions has been laughable this year and massively inconsistent.

Edited by Johno on Monday 20th November 19:58

[carlo996]

LF5335 said:

Was it a bad tyre? I k ow he’s claiming that, but there was a shot on BT Sport earlier in the weekend of him doing practice starts and going sideways on those tyres in more or less exactly the same way. Would be weird for all his tyres to be bad for his race and practice starts.

It seems a long shot tbh. What are the odds of a rogue tyre at this limited level of production?

[Yazza54]

carlo996 said:

LF5335 said:

Was it a bad tyre? I k ow he’s claiming that, but there was a shot on BT Sport earlier in the weekend of him doing practice starts and going sideways on those tyres in more or less exactly the same way. Would be weird for all his tyres to be bad for his race and practice starts.

It seems a long shot tbh. What are the odds of a rogue tyre at this limited level of production?

It's definitely not normal for him to struggle that much... Just look at what he did the day before. If not the tyre, what? Gigi fiddling remotely?

[rodericb]

Yazza54 said:

carlo996 said:

LF5335 said:

Was it a bad tyre? I k ow he’s claiming that, but there was a shot on BT Sport earlier in the weekend of him doing practice starts and going sideways on those tyres in more or less exactly the same way. Would be weird for all his tyres to be bad for his race and practice starts.

It seems a long shot tbh. What are the odds of a rogue tyre at this limited level of production?

It's definitely not normal for him to struggle that much... Just look at what he did the day before. If not the tyre, what? Gigi fiddling remotely?

Is Martin a touch more aggressive on tyres? He seemed to have a bit of trouble in the test starts. He knackered his tyres at Phillip Island, Qatar is hellishly dusty. He's a bit more full-on with things than Bagnaia it seems. That burnout on the start wouldn't explain the problems with the edges of the tyre unless it was a tyre quality issue - but was it more a dusty track issue and bike setup? The MotoGP commentators said that his bike setup remains pretty constant through the rounds....

I was thinking that the stuffup on the start may have just rattled him that tiny bit, he started trying too hard and ate his tyres. He had to preserve what he had, hence the slow times mid race onwards and hope that everyone in front also started losing tyres nearer the end of the race (which didn't happen).

Edited by rodericb on Monday 20th November 22:00

[Yazza54]

His setup certainly worked just fine on Saturday. Very strange whatever it was. He didn't look remotely comfortable from the off, this is the guy that's made everyone else look very average for the last few months. Feel sorry for him. The cock up at Philip Island and that other race where he crashed out with a chunky lead. Big shame.

Suppose it's not over yet but it more or less is. I can't see Pecco dropping the ball under pressure like he has done before.

[FourWheelDrift]

Seems Gresini chose "Mapping 8" as a cheeky message for Fabio to push, but using the same code as Ducati used for Jorge Lorenzo not to attack Dovi a couple of years back

https://twitter.com/MotoGP/status/1726315965917298...

[LF5335]

Yazza54 said:

His setup certainly worked just fine on Saturday. Very strange whatever it was. He didn't look remotely comfortable from the off, this is the guy that's made everyone else look very average for the last few months. Feel sorry for him. The cock up at Philip Island and that other race where he crashed out with a chunky lead. Big shame.

Suppose it's not over yet but it more or less is. I can't see Pecco dropping the ball under pressure like he has done before.

Yes and no. Saturday is a much shorter race, so difficult to compare as you can hammer your tyres and not have to worry about the longer distance. It’s easy to get rattled though and spinning up on the grid might have just put that small bit of doubt in his mind about how well the tyres were working. He has benefited from a similar number of mistakes by Bagnaia (COTA, Barcelona, Argentina, France, India)) so both have had an equal share of self inflicted balls ups.

I’d have liked him to win it as it would mean another different champion and four individual winners on the bounce. Agree it’s very unlikely though.

Edited by LF5335 on Monday 20th November 22:26

[Yazza54]

LF5335 said:

Yazza54 said:

His setup certainly worked just fine on Saturday. Very strange whatever it was. He didn't look remotely comfortable from the off, this is the guy that's made everyone else look very average for the last few months. Feel sorry for him. The cock up at Philip Island and that other race where he crashed out with a chunky lead. Big shame.

Suppose it's not over yet but it more or less is. I can't see Pecco dropping the ball under pressure like he has done before.

Yes and no. Saturday is a much shorter race, so difficult to compare as you can hammer your tyres and not have to worry about the longer distance. It’s easy to get rattled though and spinning up on the grid might have just put that small bit of doubt in his mind about how well the tyres were working. He has benefited from a similar number of mistakes by Bagnaia (COTA, Barcelona) so both have had an equal share of self inflicted balls ups.

I’d have liked him to win it as it would mean another different champion and four individual winners on the bounce. Agree it’s very unlikely though.

Yes obviously it's a different context and gameplan to the sprint race but he didn't look right from the get go even when the tyres were fresh. I don't believe that a bit of wheelspin off the line is enough to headfk someone at this level.

Either way it is what it is, I feel a bit robbed of a barnstorming season finale .. I guess we could still be in for a surprise, but I doubt it.

[LF5335]

Yazza54 said:

Yes obviously it's a different context and gameplan to the sprint race but he didn't look right from the get go even when the tyres were fresh. I don't believe that a bit of wheelspin off the line is enough to headfk someone at this level.

Either way it is what it is, I feel a bit robbed of a barnstorming season finale .. I guess we could still be in for a surprise, but I doubt it.

It shouldn’t but with the pressure and expectation it can screw you up. Heads have gone in this game before, Gibernau never won again after the punt at Jerez and Rossi getting in his head, Lorenzo clearly had had enough after that last big crash. I know those examples are a bit more than Martin and a spining tyre, but we just don’t know.

Agree that we’ve been robbed of a cracking end of season battle.