MotoGP Kicks off in Qatar this weekend, Double Header runs next Weekend! (Potential Spoilers)

[OldTLSDoug]

Think anyone can beat Ducati from stating grid to turn one ? They got a hole shot no one else has, Watched a fair full race on YouTube last night.

I think it doesn't matter if they keep fading. Could be that the Ducs can't last the whole race, but Zarco proved they can. I think two or three races and it will start sorting itself out. Also, Vinales has slumped every year after testing and a stellar race or two. So I would still bet on Marquez. He will be 100% healthy and he has been dreaming and training for this for almost a year now. He has a lot to prove and when he does, he has always been fierce. My money is on him and the Ducs when we get to Euro rounds. I think the Yammies will fade again. Even Quatarro faded at the end. Rossi and Morbidelli were nowhere. Hopefully, Maverick will get a repeat win and build on it, but, like Pedrosa, he always finds a way to not win.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Will be interesting to see how Marquez comes back. Lots of riders are invincible until it is proved they are not. Many don't come back to their previous form. We'll see if Marc is really an alien when he is back on the track.

 

[Windmill]

Any rider would have this thought that has to affect the way they return, The question of "what will all that high dollar alloy in my arm do if or when I crash.
Personally I think he is an alien and will ride the only way he knows how. If he never returned would be named as one of the greats, but he will return and I like him racing. Fierce competitor, as Rossi found out (())
That close call with the flying bike had to affect Rossi and Vinales last year. I see it as worse than what Marquez went through (mentally). It would have been a closed casket if it had hit one of them. It only missed by a split second. I found it hard to even view the near miss.
Was that wisdom for Marquez and Honda to have him ride practice laps the next week after his crash.? I think people were in denial and it was for attendance money. The infected bones were quiet hush later on.
Either way Mark unloads his pockets if he ever flies commercial, which I doubt.

 

[mlinkibikr]

There are fast racks where Ducati will have the advantage but many tight ones where they won't. They have astounding top end though, wow. Too bad COTA got booted again this year. They say they "may" add it to the end of the season but I'm not hopeful. Would love to watch Cameron Beaubier (love his last name "Good Beer"...) race well this season and get a ride in the Show. Good to see the Americans back in the mix if only in Moto2.

 

[Jeff S]

Don't forget young Mir - you remember, the defending world champ? He really could/should have been on the podium, and while he isn't terrifyingly fast, he is consistent.

Could be that the Ducs can't last the whole race, but Zarco proved they can.

Yeah, and in a way that Jack just couldn't hang with. Zacro has had moments of greatness before - so seeing him outside Qatar doing well to manage that rear tire will be interesting.

Even Quatarro faded at the end.

Like a brick - that really surprised me.

Rossi and Morbidelli were nowhere.

Rossi is done, he doesn't have the fight any more. He lost something like 6 places with another bike nudged him off the racing line, and that one incident he just could not bounce back from. He used to BE the bumper, hard fighting and invincible. He doesn't have that drive, and I'll be amazed if he ever podium's again.

That close call with the flying bike had to affect Rossi and Vinales last year

Yeah - that really might have helped cool Rossi's nerves. That was terrifying.

So: my picks for top three for the season:
1. Marc
2. Mir
3. Jack

 

[Windmill]

Don't forget young Mir - you remember, the defending world champ? He really could/should have been on the podium, and while he isn't terrifyingly fast, he is consistent.


Yeah, and in a way that Jack just couldn't hang with. Zacro has had moments of greatness before - so seeing him outside Qatar doing well to manage that rear tire will be interesting.


Like a brick - that really surprised me.


Rossi is done, he doesn't have the fight any more. He lost something like 6 places with another bike nudged him off the racing line, and that one incident he just could not bounce back from. He used to BE the bumper, hard fighting and invincible. He doesn't have that drive, and I'll be amazed if he ever podium's again.


Yeah - that really might have helped cool Rossi's nerves. That was terrifying.

So: my picks for top three for the season:
1. Marc
2. Mir
3. Jack

I switch Mark 1 Vinales 2 and Miller 3 then Mir 4. Will Aprilia get a podium this season? I say yes and Binder maybe or KTM. Also bet Marquez won't run away and win it two races before season end . I would love to see Miller win championship.
looking forward to E bikes in May.

 

[philipbarrett]

There are fast racks where Ducati will have the advantage but many tight ones where they won't. They have astounding top end though, wow.

Am I the only voice in the wind that says last weekend was actually a little scary for Ducati? 2 more laps & they might have missed out on the podium completely, after starting with all 4 bikes in the lead. The "devastating" top speed was about 10 KMH faster than the Yamahas yet they couldn't hold off Vinales, Mir and almost Quartararo. And of the top 3 fastest bikes in the race, 2 were the factory Hondas which doesn't bode well if a certain Mr. Marquez shows up with game in a couple of weeks.

In other words, their lack of cornering speed is going to hurt them when we get to tracks without a 1KM front straight.

 

[Jeff S]

Am I the only voice in the wind that says last weekend was actually a little scary for Ducati?

No - I'm with ya. Crazy speed is useful, but if it burns tires and fuel so fast and if you can't stop or turn, then yeah, could be (another) long, hard season. But, if they can dial in power, save the tire, and find the right balance, then they are in a good spot. Still, their straight-line speed turned a 3rd and 4th into 2nd and 3rd in one straight.

I guess that's like saying: if they figure out how to be fast over a full race, they will win. Probably the least informative sentence you could write about racing.

 

[philipbarrett]

No - I'm with ya. Crazy speed is useful, but if it burns tires and fuel so fast and if you can't stop or turn, then yeah, could be (another) long, hard season. But, if they can dial in power, save the tire, and find the right balance, then they are in a good spot. Still, their straight-line speed turned a 3rd and 4th into 2nd and 3rd in one straight.

I guess that's like saying: if they figure out how to be fast over a full race, they will win. Probably the least informative sentence you could write about racing.

Not at all - but it's a problem that's plagued Ducati since the Rossi debacle & if you look at comparative lap times you can see the rot appear in the 4 years Stoner was onboard despite his health issues. After coming 2nd for 3 consecutive seasons, 2020 sans Marc should have been Dovi's year and we all know what happened there.

Hint; he got beat by 3 slower bikes.

 

[Windmill]

Question? Morbidelli blew motor in FP2. He is on his third motor out of the 7 alloted per year. I know last year Yamaha was penalized and accused of cheating to rectify their valve problems. What is permissible as for as motor repairs and work during season? The GP motors aren't sealed are they? Isn't Moto 2 a sealed Triumph motor?
How long can a GP engine race without a teardown ?

 

[philipbarrett]

Question? Morbidelli blew motor in FP2. He is on his third motor out of the 7 alloted per year. I know last year Yamaha was penalized and accused of cheating to rectify their valve problems. What is permissible as for as motor repairs and work during season? The GP motors aren't sealed are they? Isn't Moto 2 a sealed Triumph motor?
How long can a GP engine race without a teardown ?

Motors are sealed, once you get past your allotment you start to incur penalties for each replacement unit. As for lifespan, I think they are good for a surprising 5,000KM albeit with a lot of performance loss. And yes, Moto2 is a sealed Triumph 765cc, Moto3 is a sealed Honda 250.

 

[OldTLSDoug]

Jorge Martin....just another Spaniard. Qualified on Pole (His second ever MotoGP race), got the holeshot almost last week. Should be good racing. There are tons of guys to watch which is why we watch. I still put my money on Marquez when he gets back. Rossi may have a podium or two left in him. Worth watching for it. Pol Espargaro and Aleix Espargaro are both movers to watch this year. Pol will only get faster and Aleix loves the new bike. Going to be a great year.

 

[Tourmeister]

All three races were great today!

 

[Yeeha! Stephen]

Will be interesting to see how Marquez comes back. Lots of riders are invincible until it is proved they are not. Many don't come back to their previous form. We'll see if Marc is really an alien when he is back on the track.

Mark is the guy I love to hate. I don't cheer for him but love to watch him ride.
I hope he doesn't have a Doohan/Foggy type career-mess-up injury. Hope he waits till he's truly 100% before he comes back.

I do like the Moto 3 type parity in GP right now. Fun to see anyone can win.

 

[OldTLSDoug]

Marc Marquez cleared to ride in Portimao next week, now it will be interesting. I give him credit that he will be fast from the gitgo. I think he has been living and breathing this return for 9 months and he is probably the most motivated with the most to prove of the riders right now. Last year it seemed as if none of the riders really wanted to win and Mir ended up just being consistent. That wins championships, but so does outright drive and domination. Marquez exudes confidence and strength on the bike. Once he finds his rhythm, it will be a steady rise to the top. I still believe he is that little bit better than everyone in the field. That is what Rossi used to be as well. An old Rossi at 90% or so is still in the top 10, so get ready for the return of the King of MotoGP. It will be a show and it will be worth watching.

 

[philipbarrett]

It's going to be fascinating. MotoGP has never been this close and the list of riders who just couldn't give it the last .01% required to win after injury is very long (local boy Ben Spies counted in there). Is he going to be able to pitch it into a corner in FP1 with his former "dump it and find where the limits are" or is that little voice in his head going to recall the pain and back off just enough to avoid disaster? With mere fractions separating the podiums from the also rans, any hesitation will be costly.

Looking at the numbers (as above), the RC213V is plenty fast enough & I don't doubt that in the right hands, has the combination of power & handling to win regularly. The question is the pilot.

 

[Jeff S]

These guys did a good job point-grabbing while Marc was convalescing. Now, Marquez needs several podiums in a row - if he's in the top-three list after Jerez - which is very likely - then the master really is back. Portimao still has long back straight, so the stop-turn-go Duc's get to use their power again down there.

I'm really disappointed in the HRC guys - zero points for both after two races. Pol is coming well, and Bradl has nearly twice the points of Rossi (not saying much). Honda is in a predicament if Marc isn't immediately fast, and might be in a predicament anyway.

I dunno what the Miller / Mir shenanigans were, but I don't like seeing that crap. I heaped the praise and pressure on Jack, and he's not delivering. So, top at this point is:

***.	Rider	Bike	Nation	Points
1	Johann ZARCO	Ducati	FRA	40
2	Fabio QUARTARARO	Yamaha	FRA	36
3	Maverick VIÑALES	Yamaha	SPA	36

My picks after the first race were:

1. Marc
2. Mir
3. Jack

After the 2nd race, I think I have at least two wrong. Mir won't do that well, because last year, consistency was enough. This year is too tight, closest top 15 in MotoGP history. Mir's averaged 12 points / race last year which was good enough for the crown; Marquez did 22 the previous year including one DNF.

I think none of the Ducs will be in the top 5 after a few more races. The Pramac guys really shined in Doha, factory guys faded too much. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Mark is the guy I love to hate. I don't cheer for him but love to watch him ride.

I think this is a decent description of the camp I fall into. Never liked him at all, but he can certainly ride. I hated him even more for turning the Austin race into a ho-hum predictable event for so long.

I don't know how well he'll bounce back, but right now the MotoGP races are like watching the blender go round, when Marc comes back it'll be like hitting the turbo button on the blender. He'll certainly add to the mix.

Crazy how it wasn't all that long ago we were looking at the factory rides and everybody was so darn good that there didn't look like any room for new riders to move up, and now it's all crazy with those newer younger riders. Even more crazy how often the factory guys are getting beat by the satellite bikes. Sure does make it fun.

We need some cameras fixed on Marc's eyes though. I know he's watching the races but I bet he's still surprised on the track when he gets a taste of that Duc starting system and the power down the straight. It's amazing how other riders can't even get a decent draft tow behind one of them.

 

[philipbarrett]

Crazy how it wasn't all that long ago we were looking at the factory rides and everybody was so darn good that there didn't look like any room for new riders to move up, and now it's all crazy with those newer younger riders. Even more crazy how often the factory guys are getting beat by the satellite bikes. Sure does make it fun.

DORNA has worked hard & very successfully at leveling the technical playing field letting talent shine through. Those tires are difficult and you just don't have the electronics available to control them by technology alone. Prior to the unified ECU rumor was Honda were running over 120 data paths, now they're all restricted to 28 fixed & 1 free.

 

[Jeff S]

^ And Jorge & Dani leaving also helped usher in the new era. Vali needs to follow suit, unfortunately. The last of the 'Aliens'.

MotoGP is a totally different place in '21 that it was in '11.

 

[philipbarrett]

^ And Jorge & Dani leaving also helped usher in the new era.

2 more riders who never fully returned mentally from injury.

 

[OldTLSDoug]

2 more riders who never fully returned mentally from injury.

Pedrosa was always an also-ran. The fact that Repsol Honda basically shunted Nicky Hayden to the back and built the 800 for Dani was a shame. They chose poorly. I wonder how much better it would have been for Nicky if they had stayed behind him 100% instead of going full Spanish. One of those things. Lorenzo and Pedrosa are amazing riders but Pedrosa can't do it race in and race out. Lorenzo used to be the baddest on the block, but his head never got back into it. I agree Rossi should retire, he won't really be competitive this year anyway. I think also the parity you are seeing is the result of Marquez being gone and no one pushing the pack. Marquez forced everyone up a level and very few stepped up. I am pretty sure Marquez will hit it full speed pretty quickly and the competition better be ready. I think Zarco may hang a while, I also think Quattaro can do it, but I think Vinales will tank yet again. Going to be fun to watch. But, I will predict Marc gets up to speed quickly and shocks the field within a race or two. Go Marquez!

 

[OldTLSDoug]

P.S. Marquez won the 2019 Championship with a 151 point lead. I think that pretty much sums up my thoughts.

 

[Ocho]

I started watchig in 2018 and I’m a Marc Marquez fanboy. To me it looks like he’s on a tier of his own, and I’m not just talking a little bit better. It’s incredible that I haven’t seen any other Honda rider perform like he does, so I believe he’s just better and it’s not specifically the machine.

Give a Mercedes to 90% of the grid in F1 and they’ll consistently finish top 3. This is why I’m not a fan of Lewis and his invincible machine. In MotoGP I think the rule is just give Marc a bike and he’ll finish top 3 (although it might never be proven lol).

I love to watch him ride. I like how aggressive he is. A lot of people trash him of his recklessness but he got better by the second half of 2019. To me it is just a matter of statistics, if one is faster thus passes others a lot, not all passes will be flawless.

Anyway I’m glad he’s back. I do want to see how much he has changed. I hope he’s on the podium next week.

 

[Windmill]

If Marc drops in FP1 and gets up like nothing happened and then maybe once in FP2 then qualifies for front row , I would say he is back. Can he build that three second lead for the last laps? The problem is as someone said, ain't no body beating Ducati to turn one or down the straight for now, unless something changes.
I remember a few years back when Honda had the technology edge for top speed. I see it all coming down to the tyres. This is what separates the men from the boys, choosing the right types and managing wear for the end. Then who rides the greatest on end of the race on worn rubber.
Then if it rains, maybe Rossi could get a podium.