4770 replies to this topic

[Yamamoto]

Good one!

 

=D

 

In all seriousness, the racing in this series is fantastic, but it may be that we're dependent on Lorenzo to make the title race interesting. 

[ViMaMo]

Maverick Viñales believes the two-day test at Jerez proves he has the tools to win the 2019 title; “I've never been fast with the MotoGP [bike] here, and this year I could keep really good lap times.”
1m 38.066s


VR:
"For me we have a lot of work to do if we want to try and be competitive especially with Ducati and Honda, but also with Suzuki. So I hope that Yamaha continue working and pushing to have something better in February.We have to work in all the areas because we still suffer. These two tests were not so bad, especially this one. But we need to continue to work.”
1m 38.596s

Clearly MV and VR have very different requirements.

Edited by ViMaMo, 01 December 2018 - 08:19.

[MadYarpen]

It is fascinating to watch how different their interviews, body language are.

[Nova]

Honda willing to give Lorenzo and Marquez diffrent bikes

 

https://translate.go...dene-Honda.html

[messy]

Really don't agree with Austosport's season review top ten.

1. Marquez
2. Dovizioso
3. Rossi
4. Lorenzo
5. Vinales
6. Rins
7. Crutchlow
8. Zarco
9. Bautista
10. Morbidelli

For me it's a hard year to assess anyone except Marquez, to be fair. But Dovi the second best rider of the year? Not a chance. Lorenzo fourth best on the strength of about five good races? Not for me. Rins and Zarco are undermarked. Probably Crutchlow too, which is shocking given that the Brits usually get overrated. I think Rins was bloody brilliant this year myself, especially after such a stop-start rookie campaign. Zarco squeezed results out of the Yamaha nobody else could, and on what a two year old bike? I'd probably say

1. Marquez
2. Rins
3. Zarco
4. Rossi
5. Crutchlow
6. Dovizioso
7. Vinales
8. Lorenzo
9. Iannone
10. Bautista

[DS27]

I would find it hard to differentiate between the riders this year, because so many of them had an up and down season. All I can come up with is:

 

1) Marquez

2) Everyone else

[Danyy]

Really don't agree with Austosport's season review top ten.
1. Marquez
2. Dovizioso
3. Rossi
4. Lorenzo
5. Vinales
6. Rins
7. Crutchlow
8. Zarco
9. Bautista
10. Morbidelli
For me it's a hard year to assess anyone except Marquez, to be fair. But Dovi the second best rider of the year? Not a chance. Lorenzo fourth best on the strength of about five good races? Not for me. Rins and Zarco are undermarked. Probably Crutchlow too, which is shocking given that the Brits usually get overrated. I think Rins was bloody brilliant this year myself, especially after such a stop-start rookie campaign. Zarco squeezed results out of the Yamaha nobody else could, and on what a two year old bike? I'd probably say
1. Marquez
2. Rins
3. Zarco
4. Rossi
5. Crutchlow
6. Dovizioso
7. Vinales
8. Lorenzo
9. Iannone
10. Bautista

Lorenzo won three races how can you put him 8th, how many (bar Marquez) did the people you put above him win?

[realracer200]

I'd probably say

1. Marquez
2. Rins
3. Zarco
4. Rossi
5. Crutchlow
6. Dovizioso
7. Vinales
8. Lorenzo
9. Iannone
10. Bautista

 

Rossi ahead of Dovi, Vinales and Lorenzo? Congratulations on your logic.

Edited by realracer200, 16 December 2018 - 12:24.

[Andy35]

I would find it hard to differentiate between the riders this year, because so many of them had an up and down season. All I can come up with is:

 

1) Marquez

2) Everyone else

 

Funnily enough mine is

 

1) Everyone else

2) Marquez

 

Alberto Puig still seems to be the MotoGp equivalent of the common cold which keeps re-appearing.    He gets  my  germ of the year award.

 

Andy

[statman]

Honda boss: Rossi struggling to accept his time is over

[messy]

Rossi ahead of Dovi, Vinales and Lorenzo? Congratulations on your logic.

On having a different opinion to you? Er, thanks.

Probably did underrate Lorenzo, though.

Thing is, it is a very hard season to assess. When one rider is so far ahead. Personally, I wasn't impressed with Dovizioso this year really. Best bike? Performances of the other riders on the same bikes said yes, easily. Performance on the track often said so. But Dovi didn't remotely make a go of it too often when all up to the race it looked like a Ducati win was a formality. And Lorenzo at best was a bit inconsistent. Vinales? He did ok at the end but for a lot of the year was really struggling especially early in the races and then came up with pace at the end that made you wonder what he'd been doing up to there.

For me, Rins was a star and Zarco was excellent on the old bike.

Edited by messy, 16 December 2018 - 13:46.

[Nova]

Honda boss: Rossi struggling to accept his time is over

 

 

Well that was not biased at all

[realracer200]

On having a different opinion to you? Er, thanks.

 

Not for that reason but for example how can Rossi be 3 places ahead of Vinales? I don't understand that, Vinales actually won a gp while Rossi crashed out the last two. I mean I am not saying that Vinales was better this season probably Rossi was but there were close not 3 places difference for sure.

[messy]

Not for that reason but for example how can Rossi be 3 places ahead of Vinales? I don't understand that, Vinales actually won a gp while Rossi crashed out the last two. I mean I am not saying that Vinales was better this season probably Rossi was but there were close not 3 places difference for sure.

Looking objectively Vinales outqualified Rossi 11-6 and was probably the quicker, at least potentially. As he should be, really. But in the races it changes to 9-5 Rossi in races where they both finished, and the trend was Vinales making horrendous starts, dropping way behind and only coming to life late in the races. I think it was a very odd season, to be honest and feel Rossi made more of the bike at his disposal than Vinales over the spread of the season. If I was Vinales, a 23 year old with designs on being a credible long-term rival to Marquez for years to come, I think being beaten by a 59 year old grandpa on the other bike wouldn't really be top of my 'to do' list.

On Lorenzo, aside from his summer purple patch where for five races he suddenly started to look like the Lorenzo of old, I thought he was massively hit and miss again. Another who had an extremely strange year. Crutchlow was better over the season for me.

But debating this is what makes the end of season top tens such fun isn't it.

[NorwegianRudo]

On Lorenzo, aside from his summer purple patch where for five races he suddenly started to look like the Lorenzo of old, I thought he was massively hit and miss again. Another who had an extremely strange year. Crutchlow was better over the season for me.
 

 

But Lorenzo broke his arm (or whatever it was) shortly after that and never really recovered before the end of the season. How you can call that inconsistent while bigging up Zarco who basically went missing for a huge section of races in the middle of the season I don't know.

Edited by NorwegianRudo, 16 December 2018 - 17:40.

[ch103]

I am biased but I think Rins did an incredible job this year.  Had it not been red flagged I think he would have won the last race of the year.

[messy]

But Lorenzo broke his arm (or whatever it was) shortly after that and never really recovered before the end of the season. How you can call that inconsistent while bigging up Zarco who basically went missing for a huge section of races in the middle of the season I don't know.

Obviously I'm not calling Lorenzo's end of the year 'inconsistent' because he wasn't there. Early season though? Zarco was hampered by a completely outdated bike and I don't think he ever really 'went missing'.

[NorwegianRudo]

Obviously I'm not calling Lorenzo's end of the year 'inconsistent' because he wasn't there. Early season though? Zarco was hampered by a completely outdated bike and I don't think he ever really 'went missing'.

 

Lorenzo struggled all early season until they changed the tank for him. Then he was dominant and then he got injured. Is that being inconsistent?

 

Zarco had two seconds before he fell at Le Mans. Then his results were 10, 7 ,8, 9, 7, 9, 10, 14 until he got a 5th in Thailand.

[Lazy Prodigy]

https://www.autospor...boss-resentment


I have never thought highly of Puig. He used to messed with Nicky right in the middle of 2006. And was wrong about his prediction of Pedrosa beating Rossi is 05. He should be thankful he is still at Honda and Suppo stepped down. He is lucky to have Marc.

[DS27]

Puig has never come across well to me whenever he is being spoken to.

 

The comments about Pedrosa are crass and unnecessary. Good job Dani has some dignity.

[Ncedi]

No 2019 thread yet? Just wanted to say it seems so odd seeing Jorge in HRC kit but Im looking forward to the battle!