The Official Losail Moto GP Thread - With Spoilers

[FourWheelDrift]

Well VR46 looks like topping at least 1 class today.

[FourWheelDrift]

Kornfeil 2nd, 0.046s behind............spooky.

[Apriliaer]

Lincsblokey said:

Apriliaer said:

...running Open ECU, which allows Yamaha to have an input in the ECU's development until it is regulation.


There are only two classes, Open and Factory now. Ducati are going full factory with their own ECU and have all the benefits of Open until they start to get podiums and wins. Essentially Yam and Honda are in the same class, but the benefits are not available to them because they've won in the past year.

I think it's actually quite good for the sport/us viewers. I feel a bit sorry for the Honda customer teams - they need an upgrade quick!

Nope, thats changed again, even if ducati win this year they are not losing the tyres or engines, just fuel, david emmett (motomatters) was writing about it yesterday

??? - What this article from MM? "In 2014 and 2015, there will be only two categories - Open and Factory Option - with the set of rules agreed at the end of last year. The new proposal sees manufacturers without a dry weather win in three years to compete as Factory Option entries, but with all of the advantages of the Open class - more fuel, more tires, no engine freeze and unlimited testing. However, should they start to achieve success, they will start to lose first fuel, and then the soft tires."

"Should Ducati win 3 races in the dry, they will also lose use of the softer rear tires which the Open category entries can use."

I can't see any other rule changes since that?

[Dare2Fail]

Apriliaer said:

Lincsblokey said:

Apriliaer said:

...running Open ECU, which allows Yamaha to have an input in the ECU's development until it is regulation.


There are only two classes, Open and Factory now. Ducati are going full factory with their own ECU and have all the benefits of Open until they start to get podiums and wins. Essentially Yam and Honda are in the same class, but the benefits are not available to them because they've won in the past year.

I think it's actually quite good for the sport/us viewers. I feel a bit sorry for the Honda customer teams - they need an upgrade quick!

Nope, thats changed again, even if ducati win this year they are not losing the tyres or engines, just fuel, david emmett (motomatters) was writing about it yesterday

??? - What this article from MM? "In 2014 and 2015, there will be only two categories - Open and Factory Option - with the set of rules agreed at the end of last year. The new proposal sees manufacturers without a dry weather win in three years to compete as Factory Option entries, but with all of the advantages of the Open class - more fuel, more tires, no engine freeze and unlimited testing. However, should they start to achieve success, they will start to lose first fuel, and then the soft tires."

"Should Ducati win 3 races in the dry, they will also lose use of the softer rear tires which the Open category entries can use."

I can't see any other rule changes since that?

I think you are both correct (kinda). When the rule was first announced there was some confusion and people thought that if Ducati won a race this year they would go back to the full Factory rules (20litres of fuel etc.) for 2015 as they would have "won a race in the previous year". It has since been clarified that this is not the case, but the success penalty clauses will still apply (I.e. Reduced fuel and potential loss of soft tyre).

The clarification does not mean that there are no longer any success penalty clauses for Ducati (and Suzuki next year).

[Apriliaer]

edit: not trying to be argumentative - where has he got the 'only having their fuel reduced' bit from.

What I read says soft tyre too.

This is what I'm going off:

The Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Ignacio Verneda (FIM Executive Director, Sport), Herve Poncharal (IRTA) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA), in an electronic meeting held on 18 March 2014 in Qatar, unanimously approved the following matters concerning the MotoGP class.

The Championship ECU and software will be mandatory for all entries with effect from 2016.
All current and prospective participants in the MotoGP class will collaborate to assist with the design and development of the Championship ECU software.

During the development of the software a closed user web site will be set up to enable participants to monitor software development and to input their suggested modifications.


With immediate effect, a Manufacturer with entries under the factory option who has not achieved a win in dry conditions in the previous year, or new Manufacturer entering the Championship, is entitled to use 12 engines per rider per season (no design freezing), 24 litres of fuel and the same tyres allocation and testing opportunities as the Open category. This concession is valid until the start of the 2016 season.

The above concessions will be reduced under the following circumstances:
Should any rider, or combination of riders nominated by the same Manufacturer, participating under the conditions of described in clause 2 above, achieve a race win, two second places or three podium places in dry conditions during the 2014 season then for that Manufacturer the fuel tank capacity will be reduced to 22 litres. Furthermore, should the same Manufacturer achieve three race wins in the 2014 season the manufacturer would also lose the right to use the soft tyres available to Open category entries.

In each case the reduced concessions will apply to the remaining events of the 2014 season and the whole of the 2015 season.

Edited by Apriliaer on Thursday 20th March 16:16

[orangeknight]

great to see the bikes back on TV and good to hear Julian Ryder commentating…. but fk me Keith Huewen is annoying, think he needs to have done a bit more homework on bike & rider recognition.

[Dare2Fail]

Apriliaer, no idea as that is what I am going from too. The MotoGP site says exactly the same thing, so it is definitely correct.

Anyway, back to the racing and Lowes is really struggling. Looks like his sore foot is really hindering him here.

[Lincsblokey]

as above, was some confusion, however that doesnt tell how it is.

[FourWheelDrift]

Dare2Fail said:

Anyway, back to the racing and Lowes is really struggling. Looks like his sore foot is really hindering him here.

Tendonitis in the arm I think?

[Dare2Fail]

Sorry, arm. I am getting my off-season rider injuries confused.

[Dare2Fail]

Lincsblokey said:

as above, was some confusion, however that doesnt tell how it is.

Do you mean that you think they won't use the soft tyre, despite the official MotoGP press release, website and various journalists saying that they will? Do you have a source for that?

[FourWheelDrift]

Top in Moto2, pick your face.

[Lincsblokey]

Dare2Fail said:

Lincsblokey said:

as above, was some confusion, however that doesnt tell how it is.

Do you mean that you think they won't use the soft tyre, despite the official MotoGP press release, website and various journalists saying that they will? Do you have a source for that?

No, this is half the confusion.

it doesnt matter if they win, they wont lose the soft tyre and will only go down to 22 litres, and they have 'given' there own software to dorna to be used as an option on the control ecu, so basically gaining the soft tyre and fuel for the sacrifice of next to nowt.

gigi is a clever mofo

[Apriliaer]

But they don't have to use control software because they've entered as a FACTORY Option anyway.

And everything I can see says they will lose the Soft Tyre (as well as fuel based on success).

Mucho confused! Not that it matters, I'll decide if it's a st rule based on the racing!

Edited by Apriliaer on Thursday 20th March 16:51

[Dare2Fail]

Lincsblokey said:

Dare2Fail said:

Lincsblokey said:

as above, was some confusion, however that doesnt tell how it is.

Do you mean that you think they won't use the soft tyre, despite the official MotoGP press release, website and various journalists saying that they will? Do you have a source for that?

No, this is half the confusion.

it doesnt matter if they win, they wont lose the soft tyre and will only go down to 22 litres, and they have 'given' there own software to dorna to be used as an option on the control ecu, so basically gaining the soft tyre and fuel for the sacrifice of next to nowt.

gigi is a clever mofo

If they win three times they WILL lose the soft tyre. That's what the new rules announced on Tuesday are. I agree that it probably isn't a big loss in the unlikely event of it happening as the soft tyre is unlikely to last race distance, but the rule is that they will lose it.

[Dare2Fail]

graphene said:

FourWheelDrift said:

Dare2Fail said:

Anyway, back to the racing and Lowes is really struggling. Looks like his sore foot is really hindering him here.

Tendonitis in the arm I think?

11th now, so not too bad.

edit: 13th at close

Edited by graphene on Thursday 20th March 16:42

Could prove a good weekend for him if his arm isn't proving to be a hindrance come Sunday. I think he could be a real dark horse for success this year.

[Apriliaer]

Dare2Fail said:

Could prove a good weekend for him if his arm isn't proving to be a hindrance come Sunday. I think he could be a real dark horse for success this year.

+1

[Johnny]

Afternoon all

Looking forward to this

[Lincsblokey]

yonny boom.

[Dare2Fail]

Did he blow up, or was that just dust blowing back onto the track from his trip through the gravel?