157 replies to this topic

[OvDrone]

*Disclaimer:

 

*One things I find tiresome on this forum is the MotoGP thread. It's too big and clunky when I try to follow it on a race weekend. So, my proposal is, make a silly or super serious or both, main race thread. And keep the general banter about the season as a whole in that thread. So here goes my attempt:

 

Ok, dudes, dudettes and whatever Iannone is, the next two wheeled Formula 1 race is nigh and someone seems excited.

 

 

Where:

 

 

Kevin Schwantz seemingly helped design the warm, fuzzy track so I guess that's a plus, right? At least I love it.

 

When:

 

Sunday, 13th April, local time (GMT -5):

 

Moto3

11:00

Moto2

12:20

MotoGP

14:00

 

Why:

 

like, duh...

 

What happened last year:

 

Marquez showed Pedrosa what a real man is.

 

TV Schedule:

 

What damn TV? Nigerian all the way.

 

What is the deal with the 2014 season:

 

It started with the BahrainGP 2.0 in some sandy motorsportless location. Marquez (the lad) and Rossi (the gent) had a balls to the wall battle for the lead. Just like them good old days with past rivals of the Doctor i.e. Biaggi, Gebernau, Stoner, only this time it was with respect and common courtesy. Marquez won, with a half broken leg I might add, forcing me to really dig deep and rearrange my past notions of the lad.

 

At first, I disliked him because of:

 

 

and

 

 

and

 

 

and that shove he done on Luthi once. I can't find a video.

 

I was highly critical but the way he won last year's championship and his formidable on track performances made me think: 'Yeah, I know what? The dude's all right. One of the greats definitely. Shame Stoner isn't here to get seriously pissed.' So it's up to Jorge to get pissed instead. About him, last race he did this:

 

 

Which made me shiver with disgust, seeing I am a big fan of the man. Fortunately Rossi and Marquez made it up with that battle I mentioned earlier. (if you didn't know by now about that battle, why are you a motorsport fan, WHY? look at a god damn mirror). Pedrosa was in the race. I completely forgot. Like always. It's Pedrosa, ya know? I had to google the race results to see if he partook in the affair. It's seems he did. Funny that.

 

My dad told me, last race day: 'Marquez smiles, wins, is a champ. He is everything Pedrosa isn't.' Spot ****ing on. *que the slow nod*

 

Aleix Espargaro finished 4th in his new Honda. The Honda with which he jaw dropped many a MotoGP fans in pre-season testing. Dude is quick. I can't remember what the deal was with his actual dude-bro, but I remember something about a nasty ass shunt before the race. That's that, don't quite like Pol, to be honest. The Ducatis were next, with Cal behind Dovi, to the absolute disgust of the BBC commentary team. I like the Dukes. I don't mind them forcing their hand with the open spec electronics rules. Gigi knows his sh*t. If you want to read about the details, I suggest you look up the main Moto thread. There are dudes and dudettes there who know their sh*t.

 

Smith is worthless, Bradl was somewhere, Redding slightly impressed finishing in front of the Kentucky Kid and the Tornado and Iannone rounded out the top ten. The rest don't matter. As always.

 

So bring on those Pedrosa tears,

 

 

and them Jorge wins,

 

 

and let's have a ****ing race.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Seanspeed]

Marquez wins.

Brought to you from: the future.

[eronrules]

com'on doc vale ... give marquez some of your OLD medicine (i hope not expired)

 

also, that Bautista guy is kinda growing on me ... dunno why. lad's fast and bit reckless.

 

i'm afraid soon Marquez will soon join the illustrious club of 'he needs to prove himself by joining other team' alongside a certain German if he keeps winning like that.

 

pedrosa = Barichello 

[Seanspeed]

i'm afraid soon Marquez will soon join the illustrious club of 'he needs to prove himself by joining other team' alongside a certain German if he keeps winning like that.
 
pedrosa = Barichello 

This isn't F1. Marquez has proven himself beyond any doubts.

[Trust]

I have just one wish: Rossi to be on form like in first race, just to confirm he can compete for the top this year.

[sopa]

Rossi was second at Qatar last year too. But struggling in USA. I don't think we can draw any conclusions from Qatar. It is possibly Vale will struggle in US. After all, last year there was a lot of discussion Rossi tends to struggle on newer circuits on the calendar.

 

But obviously Marquez is the favourite. Eager to see, how well can the "Open" bikes go this time.

[HaydenFan]

Hope to see the Duc's get through the issues from Qatar.

 

I think that last round showed a bit that Marquez has some competition. Lorenzo had pulled a few bike lengths before his fall, and with Rossi blasting from 10th to 2nd and being only on the coat tails of Marquez at the finish. 

 

As for the Open class. I think they were definitely closing the gap to the rest of the grid. Espargaro (Aleesh, I know it's spelled wrong.), was a rocket before his qualifying crashes. And the Honda's are not as bad as people are not making them out to be. Redding and Hayden were borderline top 10 before the late crashes.  

[paulb]

I can't see how anyone will beat Marquez, even George.

 

Aleesh has been phenomenal.  I hope both Forward bikes are quick.

[Atreiu]

I can't see how anyone will beat Marquez, even George.

 

Aleesh has been phenomenal.  I hope both Forward bikes are quick.

 

Apparently they'll use the 2013 tyres again this weekend, which should make the M1 instantly more competitive. So I won;t be surprised to see Lorenzo win.

[Nova]

Marques won round 1, Lorenzo fell. Honda 1 and 2 last year. All logic say Marques for the win.

 

I guess.

 

1. Lorenzo

2. Marques

3. Rossi

[Risil]

i'm afraid soon Marquez will soon join the illustrious club of 'he needs to prove himself by joining other team' alongside a certain German if he keeps winning like that.

 

I'd love to know Kenny Roberts' reaction to being told he needed to ride something other than a Yamaha to "prove himself". I don't think it would be exclusively verbal. 

Edited by Risil, 09 April 2014 - 20:39.

[chunder27]

The thing was with Ronerts though that the Yamaha was rarely the quickest or best machine when he rode it, maybe for a couple of years, but not before or after. RG500 was often quicker and more powerful and later on Honda had Spencer and the NS500, a better package. But maybe for his titles Kenny had the best overall package.

 

Much like the Yamaha when Rainey won titles on it, the 1990 bike was very good, but the other two were badly developed and looking for something that wasn't there, he simply rode ound the issues to win races and titles.

 

Why, for me, he is the best champion of the modern era. Most of the others won on the best bike. 

 

Those that didn't include Lawson in 89, Roberts in 99, Hayden in 06 (Pedrosa's bike was good, Nickys was a bitza dog that he just rode well), possibly Uncini in 82 and in other classes, Alzamora's 125 title, Harada's 250 title aswell as Aoyama's. Any time someone wins on not the best bike is good.

[Afterburner]

Marquez v. Rossi rnd 2, plz. Me likey.

[OvDrone]

More like Jorge vs. Marc. Prepare the booze.

[manmower]

Am I alone in thinking the bike thread was fine as it was? I don't see what's "big and clunky" about it, you're only ever reading one page at a time. Your OP full of pics and YouTubes has managed to make this thread more cluttered than the general bikes thread from the very first post. I like having everything in one thread (including SBK etc.) and I don't think it gets quite busy enough in there to warrant splitting it. This is just creating more overhead by requiring bike fans to monitor multiple threads when there was nothing wrong with the single thread.

Speaking of things that are "tiresome" on this forum... I think the real reason for starting these threads is so people can take turns at writing those awful trying-hard-to-be-funny OPs. The bike thread always seemed like the kind of place where posters are less interested in that sort of showboating and more into discussing racing. Guess I misjudged that completely, lol.

[lbennie]

and whatever Iannone is

 

 

[Afterburner]

Am I alone in thinking the bike thread was fine as it was? I don't see what's "big and clunky" about it, you're only ever reading one page at a time. Your OP full of pics and YouTubes has managed to make this thread more cluttered than the general bikes thread from the very first post. I like having everything in one thread (including SBK etc.) and I don't think it gets quite busy enough in there to warrant splitting it. This is just creating more overhead by requiring bike fans to monitor multiple threads when there was nothing wrong with the single thread.

Speaking of things that are "tiresome" on this forum... I think the real reason for starting these threads is so people can take turns at writing those awful trying-hard-to-be-funny OPs. The bike thread always seemed like the kind of place where posters are less interested in that sort of showboating and more into discussing racing. Guess I misjudged that completely, lol.

Not to get too off-topic here, but those 'afwul trying-hard-to-be-funny OPs' have managed to get quite a few additional people interested in forms of racing other than Formula One (especially IndyCar). When you hide all the activity for a series in one thread, people are more likely to scroll past it without contributing or getting interested. When you give each race its own thread--especially one with an opening post that was given some effort--you generate interest in a series. You're far more likely to let people know a series is having a race weekend when a new thread for that race pops up than you are by hiding it all in a little clubhouse--and lo and behold, if the quality of the opening post for said thread is good, people who weren't originally fans might actually watch the race and perhaps even start following the series. Most of that 'showboating' isn't driven by ego as much as it is driven by an attempt to generate interest in a particular series.

Maybe it doesn't bother you that 95% of the activity on this board is F1 related--and that a good portion of that is fanboy nonsense--but it is called 'Racing Comments', not 'F1 Comments', and as a fan of all forms of racing, I for one applaud those who are making an effort to show the membership of this forum that there's more to racing than just Formula One. Much, much more.

[chumma]

Marcy Marc to dominate! 2 fromm 2 hopefully the legs at least 90% and he can push all the way, Jorge to bounce back i think he'll be strong in S1 but Marcs balls will prove too big!

[Richard T]

Again, truly looking forward to this. MotoGP never fail to deliver these days  
Bring on Marquez and the Yama-boys, let em duke it out!

OH YEAH! I nearly forgot, the satellite bikes are quick as duck this year... Aleix or Alvaro FTW?
Last year Honda power was dominant from the go.

In Moto2 I couldn't bother but if Moto3 can deliver anything close to the excitement of Qatar it will be an all nighter on Sunday.

Props to three quality OPs this weekend for the three US events  

Edited by Richard T, 10 April 2014 - 19:08.

[slideways]

Did anyone else notice the 16 ish days in between Autosport MotoGP news articles? Edit - and 4 months since the last feature!!

 

I don't think they had such a gap of coverage since they started doing 2 wheels, and the articles they did do are just regurgitated press statements.

 

Can people point me towards some better 2 wheeled news services?

Edited by slideways, 10 April 2014 - 06:25.

[Afterburner]

Did anyone else notice the 16 ish days in between Autosport MotoGP news articles? Edit - and 4 months since the last feature!!

I don't think they had such a gap of coverage since they started doing 2 wheels, and the articles they did do are just regurgitated press statements.

Can people point me towards some better 2 wheeled news services?

If you've got Windows 8, the Bing Sports app is pretty good. Add it as a favourite sport and you're all good.

[OvDrone]

Did anyone else notice the 16 ish days in between Autosport MotoGP news articles? Edit - and 4 months since the last feature!!

 

I don't think they had such a gap of coverage since they started doing 2 wheels, and the articles they did do are just regurgitated press statements.

 

Can people point me towards some better 2 wheeled news services?

 

Usually I go to MotoMatters for in depth articles for MotoGP. Can't recommend the site enough, it's really really good.

 

Other than that, I say go to Motorsport Magazines website (I know it's a AS rival) but I highly recommend that as well. Feature and articles about most of the various forms of motorsport.

[manmower]

Not to get too off-topic here, but those 'afwul trying-hard-to-be-funny OPs' have managed to get quite a few additional people interested in forms of racing other than Formula One (especially IndyCar). When you hide all the activity for a series in one thread, people are more likely to scroll past it without contributing or getting interested. When you give each race its own thread--especially one with an opening post that was given some effort--you generate interest in a series. You're far more likely to let people know a series is having a race weekend when a new thread for that race pops up than you are by hiding it all in a little clubhouse--and lo and behold, if the quality of the opening post for said thread is good, people who weren't originally fans might actually watch the race and perhaps even start following the series. Most of that 'showboating' isn't driven by ego as much as it is driven by an attempt to generate interest in a particular series.

Maybe it doesn't bother you that 95% of the activity on this board is F1 related--and that a good portion of that is fanboy nonsense--but it is called 'Racing Comments', not 'F1 Comments', and as a fan of all forms of racing, I for one applaud those who are making an effort to show the membership of this forum that there's more to racing than just Formula One. Much, much more.

OK, so it's loud, annoying and flashy on purpose to attract more attention and generate a larger proportion of posts about MotoGP regardless of the quality of said posts. I think that's a terrible idea, but fine.

Still curious to see what's "tiresome, big and clunky" about the other thread though, or was that just an excuse like I thought it was?

[HaydenFan]

OK, so it's loud, annoying and flashy on purpose to attract more attention and generate a larger proportion of posts about MotoGP regardless of the quality of said posts. I think that's a terrible idea, but fine.

Still curious to see what's "tiresome, big and clunky" about the other thread though, or was that just an excuse like I thought it was?

Main issue is probably having to due with it only being the only place for motorcycle news. At least that's my biggest issue with the big thread. 

 

But saying that, I honestly cannot find another good forum that covers motorcycle racing. Some could be better, but have even less participation than the motorbike thread here. 

[HaydenFan]

Because it's more important than my last post, I separated them. 

 

Colin Edwards retiring might not be big news even in MotoGP, but his retirement just leaves Hayden and Rossi as the only riders to have been riding longer than 2006 (Pedrosa). Really showing how young the grid is in MotoGP right now. 

[Atreiu]

2006 seems like yesterday.

[Ross Stonefeld]

I'm totally in favour of having individual MotoGP race threads, and maintaining a general news/offseason/between races thread like NASCAR and Indycar have.

[Richard T]

I'm totally in favour of having individual MotoGP race threads, and maintaining a general news/offseason/between races thread like NASCAR and Indycar have.

 

+1

[Ellios]

I'm totally in favour of having individual MotoGP race threads, and maintaining a general news/offseason/between races thread like NASCAR and Indycar have.

 

But this doesn't happen easily, it takes lots of hard work, dedication and most of all team work!

[Risil]

I'm totally in favour of having individual MotoGP race threads, and maintaining a general news/offseason/between races thread like NASCAR and Indycar have.

 

I had an idea circulating in my head during the offseason that you could have individual threads, but instead of being organized event-by-event they could be weekend-by-weekend. So this weekend the thread would contain WSBK at Aragon, MotoGP at Austin, Supercross in Seattle etc. I like the way the bike threads attract people who follow a wide variety of motorcycle sport but I'm not so keen on a season-long epic thread. They're a huge turn-off, whatever the quality of the posting.

[Spillage]

 

pedrosa = Barichello 

I actually think Pedrosa = Fisichella is quite a good comparison. They're both pretty fast, but just nowhere near assertive enough to really make it happen for them.

[Arn]

You must be kidding. Pedrosa has been a championship contender every year since 2008. Unluckily for him, his bones are made of glass and he is riding during one of the most competitive periods ever. Since 2007 there has only been one dry race that was not won by someone other than Rossi, Stoner, Lorenzo, Marquez and him self. And even in that race, Lorenzo, who was on the same bike as the winning one, was taken out on the first lap.

 

He even has more victories than Kenny Roberts, and that is during this period where practically no one can get a victory because of the high level of the mentioned riders.

 

He will be remembered as the best rider ever to not have won a premier class championship. You can hardly say that about Barrichello or Fisichella.

 

I would to see Pedrosa and Lorenzo swap bikes next year. I think it would do good for his reputation.

 

About the coming race, you would be brave to bet against MM93 here. Biggest challenge should come from Pedrosa and Lorenzo, like always...

 

Also I expect Rossi to struggle. There have been a clear tendency for him to do relatively well on the classic tracks and less so on the for him newer ones.

Edited by Arn, 10 April 2014 - 23:30.

[AVA1]

I think the top 3 will mirror last year, Lorenzo maybe pushing Pedrosa harder for 2nd this time round.

This track is pure Marc Marquez, can't wait to see him doing his thing through the final sector.

[chunder27]

I can happily wait to watch a bloke decimate a field

 

Bores me to tears Im afraid.

 

second and a half up after FP1, not really sure why everyoine else bothers.

[Atreiu]

I think Pedrosa is closer to Massa. Barrichello and Fisichella were never even serious WDC contenders.

 

Rarely has he been lucky with injuries, but even so he had enough clear chances.

 

I'm sure Lorenzo will improve. Him being 2 seconds down on Marquez is never normal.

[Ellios]

Enjoying the BT Sport coverage with Ben Spies, Marc Márquez is in a class of one on this track

[Trust]

Can anyone explain me how Marq is this dominant here?

[chunder27]

Awesome listening to Ben Spies on BT on me dodgy feed!

 

"there were two guys racing when i was in GP that made me say "I can't do that", Marquez and Casey"

 

I think we all know that, but from the guy that took it to Mladin and beat him hands down, won the WSB title on a slow Yamaha and has won GP races and podiumed on a satellite bike.

 

Respect is due Elbowz, top bloke and the insight was magnificent.

 

Listnening to him explain why Yamaha are struggling, coz they have to pick up the bike more to get the fat part of tyre grip compared to Honda, expained it all perfectly as to why some of these guys are struggling.

And his Lorenzo stories were brill, apparently once the front ride height on the spre bike was 5 mill differnet, a huge amount, and Ben would ahve been nowhere, Jorge lapped just as fast!! 

 

Best pieces of punditry I have ever heard.

[DS27]

Can anyone explain me how Marq is this dominant here?

You may find as the season goes on that the word "here" is not required in the above statement.

[Atreiu]

No idea. I doesn't seem as if he unnaturally smooth and fast, just his usual wild and fast.

[LeMans86]

Ducati fast?? Cool!
Marquez also a full second clear in FP2

[Arn]

Its crazy that the gap from Marquez to second place is bigger than the one covering the next ten riders. Even his first flying lap in FP2 was not bettered by anyone else before the last few minutes.

[Arn]

Keep in mind that the Ducatis times were done with rear tires that are 2 compunds softer than what Marquez and Pedrosa used.

[Risil]

Austin for Marquez is Stoner's Phillip Island. Tremendous riding.

[AVA1]

^^

He's going to have this place in his pocket for years to come.

[tyker]

I can happily wait to watch a bloke decimate a field

 

Bores me to tears Im afraid.

 

second and a half up after FP1, not really sure why everyoine else bothers.

There are some of us who appreciate watching a genius at work

[chunder27]

I guess

 

But for me watching a bloke batter the whole field is fine for a while, but he is 21.

 

Imagine what its going to be like in 8 years. There is noone at all in any class right now at his level, not Vinales, not Salom, not anyone.

Will you be so enthralled then?

 

No, you will have turned off like everyone else maybe.

 

I do like watching him ride and he is a talent sure, but he will not be in that special envelope of Gods until he has won on something else, like Rossi, Lawson and one or two others. And I am sure he will do this as he will get bored too eventually. As Rossi did.

 

Up to now his whole career has been smoothed, no rookies on GP class, banned for Marquez, no weight penalty in Moto2, let's wait til Marquez wins.

 

He doesn't need that help, and we are seeing that now, and though I admire his riding, long term utter domination by one man never does anyone much good.

 

Rossi dominated, but did it with style, cunning and never really making it look easy. Marquez can just about do the same I feel.

 

but remember the Doohan days?  Because of him, the crowd at Donington in 99 was 13,000. Thats the reason domination never works for the fanbase largely.

[Risil]

Rossi dominated, but did it with style, cunning and never really making it look easy. Marquez can just about do the same I feel.

 

but remember the Doohan days?  Because of him, the crowd at Donington in 99 was 13,000. Thats the reason domination never works for the fanbase largely.

 

 

Domination by a genius is genius but can be a sterile exercise in technique. Like watching Duke Ellington doing five-finger exercises.

 

I was looking around the internet for some confirmation of those attendances figures (I'd heard stories about the pathetic 1997 crowd, but not '99) and found this programme from the 1997 event:

 

 

Never mind the fanbase! Look at the literary talent!

[Jamelon]

Most likely an easy win for Marquez followed by Pedrosa some 5 seconds behind. The Yamahas won't have a chance to fight for the win here. The main interest for me is on the relative pace of Rossi vs Lorenzo.

[Richard T]

1 lap attack from Maq 

You heard it here first