A very intense race today.
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A very intense race today.
I'm not sure I agree because they're not equal right now. Fabio is on last years spec Yamaha that was terrible and on a satellite team. I bet on the newer bike with full factory support he'd even better.
Also not equal is that Marc's in his 7 year on a top class machine on these tracks. That's a lot of experience and time to learn them at speed. Everytime Fabio gos out there it's literally his first time racing on a top class gp machine.
He's not like zarco was later year, he's way better. This kids the real deal and if he finds his way on to a full factory bike that's not a KTM or Aprilia he's got a great shot at beating Marc.
To recap the last two races he's taken it down to the wire and he's on an inferior machine without full factory support and as rookie that as never raced these tracks on a top class machine. All things being equal they aren't equal at all.
I agree with the experience thing. Nothing beats that but with each year he gets more experience so doesn't Marc which I also think is currently on an inferior bike. Then next Honda was in 12th and it was last years spec. His teammate was in 18th and Lorenzo is a multiple world champion. Fabio also got an extra 500rpm. I'm not smart enough to know what that does besides he can rev an extra 500rpm. Like the Honda I think last years Yamaha is better then the current one. Fabio is showing that by beating the factory bikes on a regular basis. Without Marc in the championship I have no doubt Fabio would be in the running. He would have at least 2 wins. He is the real deal but he is up against a once in our lifetime rider. Since Marc has come to the premier class his worst finish in the championship was 3rd which was one year. Every other year he won.
I think Fabio could rival Marc for the championship. He is good but I also thought Zarco had a chance until he folded this year. I'll hold my final opinion on Fabio until he makes his move to a factory team. I really do hope he does well because it makes the racing interesting and fun to watch. My biggest concern is he is currently on a bike almost anyone can ride. Just look at Zarco. Yamaha has Lorenzo to thank for that as does Ducati.
Its a weird time in MotoGP.
I don't think the Honda has been any good the past couple years - Marc is just that good. Honda is wasting resources on everyone but Marquez. Without him, I think the bike would be completely different. They need to shake it up and ditch all their riders.
Ducati is also wasting resources on their entire team, except maybe Jack. The bike could win the championship, but not with the current riders. If you gave this to Marc I think he would win every race. i like how they gave Pecco a shot, maybe in another year he'll have figured it out but he hasn't done anything to really impress me on it.
Yamaha might have the best bike right now. It just can't beat Marc. They're also wasting resources on Valentino - and dare I say it Maverick. They need a mix up with serious Moto 2 talent.
Suzuki is doing okay I suppose.
KTM is kinda killing it. They're using parts no one else is (WP suspension, steel trellis frame) and have second tier riders getting on pole and top tens. Give it another year or two and get them a star rider.
I still really really really want to see Marc on the KTM. It would be incredible. Then push Fabio to Honda and see if he can repeat some of the things Marc has been able to do on it.
Huh?
News Flash - Zarco to replace Nakagami on the LCR Honda for the final 3 races. Apparently Nakagami has been riding with an injured shoulder and would like to have surgery sooner rather than later to be ready for testing and the 2020 season
https://motomatters.com/news/2019/10..._nakagami.html
I think Honda will be comparing Lorenzo and Zarco very carefully. Lorenzo finished 47 seconds behind MM at Misano and 55 seconds back at Buriram. If HRC feels Zarco will be more able to help make the RC rideable for humans not named Marquez they'll leave Jorge at the curb
Also, I'm glad KTM isn't enforcing their contract to keep him from riding - better for the sport
FP3 Save by Alex Marquez! Holy shit the slowmo was awesome.
Weird watching live on a Saturday! Moto 2 was entertainment start to finish.
I really like KTMs strategy. Throw all the new guys at it and see if someone’s style jives with the bike.
They have Dani and Pol to keep on pushing the development. They need to find a "Marquez" or at least something close. Short of Marc getting injured, no one in the current MotoGP paddock is going to beat him through methodical improvement of the rider/bike. Fabio is the only one that might, but I'm still not convinced he is that close to Marc. He might be the second best rider but that can still be a long way from Marc. Also, Fabio is a ROOKIE with mediocre results in the junior class - more support that a new rider is what the teams need.
Need to keep on looking for the Fabio's and quit paying the Rossi's, Lorenzo's, and Dovi's.
Friggin JL99 has fallen off the hind tittie all together.. What a fall from the top.
While I agree the Honda is probably not the best bike, it IS the best bike for Marc. Like it is specifically and uniquely tailored to him and his riding style. He definitely is that good, which is why he has won even in years where the bike was struggling, but Honda has developed the bike for him and him only. Each year Dani and the other riders have had me results, and this year Marc is having his most dominant season ever. The bike is working better for him than ever.
I agree that at this point it seems like the only way to beat Marc is to find the next Marc. That said, Lorenzo was a fart and a bad decision away from a very competitive season if he had stayed at ducati. He really turned things around in the second half of his last season at Ducati and there's a big "what if" left by his departure. He's been injured almost the entire time since and now it's hard to see a future, but it was just last year it was looking like he might mount a real challenge.
And unfortunately for the sport, Rossi pays the bills. Take away his fans from an event and things aren't looking so hot. He's far and away the biggest draw, and his brand brings the series a lot of money.
This morning I saw a clip of JL and MM trading paint during a FP at Phillip Island. They are claiming JL was at fault. What are they seeing that I am not? I mean yes I see they traded paint but why was JL at fault?
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I don't think Honda built a bike tailored to Marc. They built a bike according to their engineering models, and Marc is the only one who can ride the damn thing. The problem is that it proves that their engineers were "correct" and so the bike doesn't get any radical changes to make it ridable by anyone else. Marc has repeatedly said that his comments are consistent with Cal and the others.
Honda knows knows their bike needs to be more rider friendly. From an interview with Takeo Yokoyama, HRC technical manager. HRC is typically very tight-lipped, the fact that he is openly admitting this to journalists tells you how concerned they are
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yokoyama
Yeah, I don't think they fully showed what happened in front of Jorge though. I rarely give him the benefit of the doubt, but if he was already leaned over and something happened causing him to slow while he was switching directions, it probably would have been more dangerous for him to swing out drastically to get off line than finish the corner, and you can't really cut the curb on the inside there. If Marc wasn't in top ten it would have been a much bigger deal, but I think he still improved with that lap.
If I were Marquez at this point I'd was Lornezo gone. I get he has had some tough injuries but he has only been a distraction all season. This is not the first time they had an on track incident. He is a multiple time world champion and hes riding a factory bike around with the like of Karel Abraham while his teammate is pretty much winning everything. He doesn't even have a top ten this year. He is not a good teammate. Pulls shit like having a barrier put up so he doesn't have to share with his teammate. If Honda was smart they would buy him out of his second year and get someone that can actually help the bike ride better and is capable of fighting up front.