2020 MotoGP Discussion (NO LINKS)

I suspect that when Pol was upset at the red flag, he hadn't seen what had happened yet (or had, but hadn't yet processed what could have happened). We are extremely lucky to have all MotoGP and Moto2 riders accounted for as of right now. There was another red-flag crash in Moto2 that would have ended very differently had the rider come off the bike to the other side, or not slid as far off to the right as he did.

I've been making a list of MotoGP tracks that I want to ride. (I've checked two off the list so far.) I'd have to say, RedBullRing a.k.a. A1Ring is not one of them.
 
TK4 said:
www.superbikeplanet.com

These aren't the droids you're looking for...

These aren't the droids you're looking for...
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Click to expand...

Yikes. I'd heard it was some sort of issue with the pneumatic valve springs, and they were getting a technician to top up the gas reservoir after the sighting lap - which would suggest that the gas pressure is leaking down too quickly - which would suggest a clearance/tolerance issue.

Say what you want about Ducati, but they won't have that particular problem.
 
So now the gun shot question is: is Red Bull ring a safe track? I bet that question will make the rounds the next few weeks.
 
Another great photo from Reddit

1597615056294.png
 
Chaos said:
So now the gun shot question is: is Red Bull ring a safe track? I bet that question will make the rounds the next few weeks.
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It is not "safe" but that is a question of degree, since there will always be risks. The riders have been complaining about it for several years, to no avail. While there are other tracks having a high-speed left leading to a hairpin right (or vice-versa), this one is particularly extreme.

www.google.ca

Red Bull Ring · Red Bull Ring Str. 1, 8724 Spielberg, Austria

★★★★★ · Car racing track
www.google.ca www.google.ca

The corner in question is the one at top left. The "left" leading up to it is extremely gentle, which leads to it being done near top speed. Although it wasn't an issue in this particular incident, run-off doesn't look particularly generous, either.

Someone on Twitter pointed out that Honda Corner at Phillip Island is also like that - and I've ridden there and don't recall it being a particular issue - so I looked it up. Same scale as above map:

www.google.ca

Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit · 381 Back Beach Rd, Ventnor VIC 3922, Australia

★★★★★ · Car racing track
www.google.ca www.google.ca

The corner in question: See "visitor centre" ... move your mouse pointer right until you get to an almost-180-degree hairpin right ... that's the one. It's not as tight as the hard right at Red Bull Ring, and the corner leading into it is an actual corner as opposed to a gentle sweep on a straightaway.

The other scary incident in this weekend's events was the crash in corner 1 in the Moto2 race. Bottom center of previously-posted track map. The issue there is that the corner exits slightly uphill then crests and drops off. The problem is that if someone goes down exiting that corner (as happened here) they can (and did) end up on the ground mid-track in a position not visible to subsequent riders exiting that corner.

Here's what you see as you are going through that corner - notice how the view of the wall on the opposite side drops out of view (and this is from the viewpoint of a StreetView camera way up high): Google Maps

Fortunately, in that case, the rider slid to the right away from the path of subsequent riders. That's not guaranteed to happen.

Corner 3 at RedBullRing looks like the hairpin at Shannonville ... except you're not coming into the hairpin at Shannonville at 330 km/h.
 
Good thing it got red flagged...i thing Val and Vin had to go change there shorts....
 
www.motogp.com

MotoGP™ grid reacts to the Spielberg smash

A complete round-up from the MotoGP™ paddock of one of the most shocking crashes in premier class history
www.motogp.com www.motogp.com

A few riders pointed out that there is a need to look at what happened and possibly change something about the track to prevent this from happening again. (But, evidently, concerns have been raised before about this situation, and nothing has happened.)
 
You might have to register to see the video, but you can see in the background how the originating crash was caused. Zarco took a different line to pass Morbidelli but then got into the same line as Morbidelli and i guess was starting to brake - Morbidelli had nowhere to go. Racing indicent? Zarco's fault for not holding his line and/or being too aggressive?

edit: read somewhere about slip streaming that i had not considered - zarco moved in front of morbidelli causing a slip stream. Zarco was braking, and I assume Morbidelli started to as well, but the slipstream caused too much accelaration to brake effectively without hitting Zarco from behind.

Rossi and Morbidelli were both harshly critical of Zarco (understandable under the circumstances); it remains to be seen what a few days will do to calm nerves for sober reflection.

www.motogp.com

Every angle from one of the most petrifying MotoGP™ crashes

FREE VIDEO - check out all of the views from the horrific premier class crash at Turn 3 in Austria
www.motogp.com www.motogp.com
 
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Very eventful weekend, I'm glad Mir finally got his podium after all the chaos, but it was well deserved!

He needs to work on his qualifying, for sure, but he really proved that he can fight with much quicker bikes and still take the position in the end. Miller gambled on the soft/soft combo but that Ducati's straight line speed was more than enough to take the defensive line and cancel out the corner speed the Suzuki's can take. Rins was really strong, it's a shame but he really has nothing to lose and with the injury it was worth it.

The crashes today were horrible, I actually watched Moto2 today on replay and the crash was really bad, Syran's body flailing like that was terrifying. The close encounters with the Yamaha guys was enough to make me yell out loud, that was really scary. Mav wasn't slow because he was scared after the restart, he had a clutch issue for 5 laps:

www.gpone.com

MotoGP, Vinales no 'miracle worker' as his Yamaha always has problems in the race

MotoGP: "Like this it's hard to find motivation, I could win but everyone is faster than us on the straight. Risks are part of the sport, there's no point in worrying"
www.gpone.com www.gpone.com

He does sound dejected and almost like he is already ready to abandon this year's title pursuit, I honestly prefer(ed) to see him at Ducati at this point. The Yamaha was a good project for him and improvement from Suzuki (at the time) but I think with Fabio on the works team and JLO as test rider its not likely to favour his aggressive riding style and the Ducati could be a better platform and worth the risk. Dovi said there is 'no chance' to stay at Ducati and from the 3 possible contenders for that seat I think they could probably get a frustrated Mav for cheap and see how the project develops next to Miller with a similarly aggressive style.

I need to re-watch MOto3 as I was only 1/2 paying attention.
 
Chaos said:
You might have to register to see the video, but you can see in the background how the originating crash was caused. Zarco took a different line to pass Morbidelli but then got into the same line as Morbidelli and i guess was starting to brake - Morbidelli had nowhere to go. Racing indicent? Zarco's fault for not holding his line and/or being too aggressive?

edit: read somewhere about slip streaming that i had not considered - zarco moved in front of morbidelli causing a slip stream. Zarco was braking, and I assume Morbidelli started to as well, but the slipstream caused too much accelaration to brake effectively without hitting Zarco from behind.

Rossi and Morbidelli were both harshly critical of Zarco (understandable under the circumstances); it remains to be seen what a few days will do to calm nerves for sober reflection.

www.motogp.com

Every angle from one of the most petrifying MotoGP™ crashes

FREE VIDEO - check out all of the views from the horrific premier class crash at Turn 3 in Austria
www.motogp.com www.motogp.com
Click to expand...

My opinion: Zarco's fault. Morbidelli is following the racing line. Zarco makes the pass - aggressive, but OK - but rather than stick to the side, he drifts across directly in front of Morbidelli and gets hard on the brakes. He has barely passed another rider at very high speed and should have held a more predictable line rather than swoop across like that and get hard on the brakes. I can understand Rossi's and Morbidelli's anger.

I'm kind of disgusted that nothing's been said by the people in charge - Race Direction, Dorna, FIM or whoever. That was a horrific crash that needs to be investigated - and for the love of God, don't take as long as Ianonne's case to come to some sort of conclusion. Yes, it's a dangerous sport with obvious risks, but they should always be considering ways to minimize the possibility of incidents like that happening - and yesterday showed that more can be done to protect the riders and the sport - whether it's discouraging what Zarco did with harsh penalties, more of or redesign of safety barriers, track layout, or whatever.
 
Brian P said:
I suspect that when Pol was upset at the red flag, he hadn't seen what had happened yet (or had, but hadn't yet processed what could have happened).
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Seems like he didn't have another medium rear for the restart - understandable frustration given that he was doing so well up to the red flag.
www.gpone.com

MotoGP, P. Espargarò: "The red flag ended my race, not the fall"

MotoGP: "Back in the pits, I realized I didn't have another new rear medium, so I had to mount the soft, losing all my potential. The fall? Oliveira and I didn't see each other."
www.gpone.com www.gpone.com
 
Data logging from Zarco's bike suggests that he braked later on the lap in question than on previous laps.

Freeze-framing the "every angle" video posted by MotoGP indicates that Zarco was further to the inside than the other riders as he began overtaking Morbidelli. They are side-by-side passing through the kink with Zarco to the inside (of the kink). Zarco then ran a bit wide exiting that corner and passed in front of Morbidelli while doing so. But he is on no wider a trajectory than another rider a couple positions ahead, who was attempting to overtake.

Zarco's pass looked like a questionable dive-bomb, but Morbidelli ought to have known he was there. Whether he would have been able to do much about it while already leaned over at 300+ km/h is another matter - not much time passed between Zarco dive-bombing past and the collision ... about 1 second based on freeze-framing the video.

IMO Zarco did the dive-bomb but went in a little too hot and blew the corner, and the trajectory took him across the front of Morbidelli. It's on Zarco but not for braking early or abnormally - but rather for attempting a dive-bomb that couldn't be safely completed.
 
Look's like MM is out for a while,

Marc Marquez ruled out for "two to three months"
Repsol Honda and Marquez have decided not to rush his return to action

Tags MotoGP, 2020, Marc Marquez

Eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) together with HRC, has consulted with and compared the opinions of a number of specialists in regard to the injury to the humerus of the right arm that he suffered on July 19 at the Spanish Grand Prix. As a result, all parties have decided to modify the planned recovery process.

The objective of both Marquez and the Repsol Honda Team is to return to the MotoGP™ World Championship when Marc’s arm has fully recovered from the serious injury that occurred in Jerez. It is estimated it will take between two to three months before the Spaniard can return to the RC213V. HRC has not set a Grand Prix for the return of the reigning World Champion and will continue to report on the evolution of his recovery.
 
Brian P said:
www.motogp.com

MotoGP™ grid reacts to the Spielberg smash

A complete round-up from the MotoGP™ paddock of one of the most shocking crashes in premier class history
www.motogp.com www.motogp.com

A few riders pointed out that there is a need to look at what happened and possibly change something about the track to prevent this from happening again. (But, evidently, concerns have been raised before about this situation, and nothing has happened.)
Click to expand...


If you have a chance to see the track this weekend the corner has been reworked to add an additional barrier that looks to be 30 feet longer or so.
 
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