MotoGP Discussion (SPOILERS!)

[union]

Exciting race. Happy for the podium guys, lol at MM93.

Moto2 and GP were a crashfest. Entertaining but what a mess. Some really weird offs.

I thought Marc looked really good. That crash happened a bunch of time this weekend. He is still the only one that can seem to ride that pile Honda has out there.

Kind of wish they could limit the number of bikes each manufacturer could have out there. Yamaha is in a really bad spot with only two bikes and seemingly only one person that can ride. Maybe it is time to reconsider concessions and let them have a bit extra to get rolling again. It clearly has worked out for KTM and Aprillia.

[union]

Scary crash ion P2 with Marquez and Zarco. Luckily both were ok. Not sure how I feel about this one. Really a combination of things caused this one. For Marc it seemed like a pretty basic front end crash. Seemed to go real early and not all the uncommon there. He is certainly trying to make up for the bikes deficiencies. I think Zarco has to hold a bit of the blame. Is it normal to be on the outside of that corner when coming out of the pits? If it is then that is a track issue. If not then why would he be out there?

I don't know what to say about Honda at this point. Riders do get hurt throughout the season but this is ridiculous. The bike is unsafe. It is hurting the riders and the people around it. Maybe it's time Dorna tells Honda this is enough. You're parked until you can figure out what is going on. Don't know if they can do that but Honda is the only one having these issues.

[union]

Was a good race to watch. Some nice moves. Honda has some soul searching to do. What a mess for them. Yamaha isn't doing much better but at least they are putting their riders out of action. Marc looked like he was riding an old school 500 with those highsides this weekend.

[MUZ720]

Hondas got one healthy rider. Casey Stoner to the rescue.

[jim v]

Seems Honda doesn't have the traction controlled dialed in - many of the crashes are high sides. Don't recall the last time I saw another bike high side in the dry

[MUZ720]

most of the crashes have been front end washing out. looks to me like Honda changed something to put more weight on the front causing the rear to lose traction. he was sliding the rear in Friday practice then lost the front in 1 taking out Zarco. They just can't find a good balance with the bike.

[union]

Was an ok race. A bit of a crashfest. After todays comments I think Marc is done at Honda. No idea where he will end up. Ducati and KTM have too much talent so there is no spot for him. Heard rumors of Him and Acosta on a KTM team next year. I think that is unlikely. Maybe he lands at Yamaha but they arent in a much better place then Honda and with only two bikes getting them running up front will be tough. Only time will tell. Now for the 5 week break.

[gixxer72]

Was an ok race. A bit of a crashfest. After todays comments I think Marc is done at Honda. No idea where he will end up. Ducati and KTM have too much talent so there is no spot for him. Heard rumors of Him and Acosta on a KTM team next year. I think that is unlikely. Maybe he lands at Yamaha but they arent in a much better place then Honda and with only two bikes getting them running up front will be tough. Only time will tell. Now for the 5 week break.

At least there are 3 wsbk weekends during the break. The downside is it’s pretty obvious who’s going to win them all. AB has won 14 of 15 races so far, total domination.

[Philkinson]

I'm getting DESTROYED in the fantasy league this year. I thought trading Nakagami for Vinales was a good idea last week, they were valued the same.

That's what I get for betting on Vinales!

[OreoGaborio]

You made the right decision just at an unlucky time.

Viñales is actually the best bargain of the entire bunch right now with that huge price drop he just got. If you go through all the riders, take their total points earned so far and divide it by their current price, he's one of the highest point per million riders now... unfortunately he's volatile.

Takka's just as volatile but his highs aren't as big.



The name of the game is points per million... if you get around 10 points per million on your riders, manufacturer and team for that weekend you're doin really well.

[JettaJayGLS]

I stopped updated fantasy after like round 2. You're welcome for boosting your stats.

I would be sad if Marc leaves Honda. Moreso dissapointed in other mfgs for taking him on. For YEARS the game has been how do we beat this guy. They FINALLY did it. To just go buy him, after all that work, would make me sad.
I would like to see Marc and Honda turn it around - I'm rooting for them at the moment, but they're years behind on aero and devices.

I don't want to say Marc has lost his skill, but prior to injury, Alex Rins was riding the Honda just as well as him.
If you asked me a couple seasons ago, I'd say Marc would walk away with the championship on a Ducati...now...I'm not so sure. I have a hunch that the way to ride a motoGP bike has changed, with all the aero, and that special sauce that Marc had won't work as well on the new style of bike. Just a hunch.

[Paul_E_D]

I could be the absolute worst fantasy player on the planet!

[loudbeard]

The Marc question is interesting, it's really more of a Honda question.

Ducati and KTM have put substantial effort and resources into developing a talent pool in lower classes. Ducati through VR46 Academy, KTM through KTM Factory Racing (all juiced up on Red Bull money.) In another 2 years I'm expecting that KTM will be at or above the level Ducati is currently based on the resources they've put into their program.

Honda (and Yamaha) have done neither; their inability to develop talent has directly led to their inability to field a competitive bike. I think Honda acquiring Ken Kawauchi is a step in the right direction for their bike development, but does not address the root cause. It will take them years to get back to winning regularly....if they allocate the resources. Marc will be gone by then, and he should. I wouldn't wait around either.

[MUZ720]

Both Yamaha and Honda need to get the consentions . And its there own fault as they fell into a trap of having one great rider and no support systems. Yamaha needs a satellite team just for data. There should be no restrictions on the number of bikes a manufacturer can provide if you have paying customers why hold back. Ducati satellite teams can beat the factory. So I am all for it makes for better racing.

[loudbeard]

*Pecco has entered the chat*

[Philkinson]

I could be the absolute worst fantasy player on the planet!

No way man, I'm fighting for that title this year!

[Mustang]

I could be the absolute worst fantasy player on the planet!

No way man, I'm fighting for that title this year!

You both can suck it. Like Jay, I stopped updating after Round 2 this year (because, as experienced in previous years, me updating weekly doesn't change my performance). I am firmly in penultimate place.

[loudbeard]

OK, super happy for Aleix (remember, I am a recent convert!) That was really an awesome race, great finish. Changing conditions with 4 bikes fighting for the podium. That was peak GP racing.

[Paul_E_D]

Moto3 was epic!

[OreoGaborio]

That was indeed a faaaantastic GP.

Can't wait to watch Moto3. Sounds like it was a real a banger.

Did anyone watch Moto2 and/or catch Jake Dixon's super embarrassing whine-fest after the incident with Darren Binder?

I haven't caught the race yet but I sure as well will after seeing that interview Who knows, maybe he's got a leg to stand on and maybe I'll even side with him, but I don't think I'll be able to excuse that kind of emotional outburst. It seemed completely unprofessional.

[union]

As usual Moto3 was the best of the weekend. It was outstanding. MotoGP and Moto2 were also good but not as good. Was a great weekend for the first back from break.

IDK about Dixon. I only saw one replay and it looked like a racing incident. Don't really feel like Binder did anything wrong. He just has that rep that follows him from his Moto3 days. Dixon shouldn't have even been in that position to begin with.

[OreoGaborio]

Yeah I watched the race & only saw one replay and to be honest I'm surprised he even got a long lap penalty.

[ctbandit]

Looks like Sean Dylan Kelly may be getting the boot for the remainder of the season. Not sure how true it is, but if so that would be really F'd up on the part of the American Racing Team .

[isaac_]

Looks like Sean Dylan Kelly may be getting the boot for the remainder of the season. Not sure how true it is, but if so that would be really F'd up on the part of the American Racing Team .

Performance or something else?

[ctbandit]

Performance or something else?

His performance hasn't been great but I've also read a couple people talking about the team possibly having financial problems, so maybe the replacement rider is bringing sponsors or something.