2020 MotoGP Discussion (NO LINKS) | Page 19 | GTAMotorcycle.com

2020 MotoGP Discussion (NO LINKS)

"egomaniacal douchenozzle"
wah-heyyy!!

it's still a fan-driven sport
and the fans don't like the way he spoke about Cal
If this was the first time Lorenzo said something people didn't like, he might have had less of a reaction. Crutchlow is also popular for being very different to Lorenzo: candid, self-deprecating, and funny. He obviously never hit the heights of the Spaniard, but some would argue he never had the opportunities, either. I suspect my opinion is heavily influenced by my news being mostly English and Italian...

I was never a fan of Lorenzo when he was racing, as Dani was my guy :)cry:). But he was an incredible talent and definitely had an effect on the borderline insane Rossi worship that was happening at the time (just ask Stoner). But you can't be an unbearable jerk to everyone around you forever without some consequences...
 
As for winning the championship based on that, then you could rationalize why 1/2 the rid didn't win it 'if it only X had happened' since it was that kind of season.

Suffice to say, this season was immensely entertaining and gripping in an otherwise very unfortunate and perilous year in just about every other measure.

I'm glad Mir won as he was my pick after Mav to be able to actually challenge Marc since he was in Moto3, and I'm glad we saw many guys display what they're capable of with Marc gone... but a part of me feels that we were also going to have a reversion to the mean if/when Marc comes back healthy. How long that takes is anyone's guess, he still has 3 years on his contract, so he's not short on money and Redbull are still paying him for PR as I saw this last night and thought it was intresting how they only focused the camera above his shoulder covered by a hoodie and was not as animated (hand gestures) as he normally is whereas in today's DAZN interview he looks like his normal self, albiet still with a hoodie on:
This season reminded me a bit of 2000, when KRJr and Suzuki took advantage of a weak Honda transitioning from Doohan to Rossi, and Yamaha still in the weeds with two talented but inconsistent riders in Biaggi and McCoy.

Honda has a lot of work to do if MM isn't the same guy. That bike has been developed 100% for him, and the results this season showed it. Yamaha has to figure out who their number one is, now that they can finally move on from Rossi. Quartararo obviosly has bucketloads of talent, but time will tell about his mental strength. Ducati is a mess, looking for another Stoner but not knowing where. I don't see Miller or Bagnaia as champion material. KTM is going to be a serious threat now that they've taken the next step. They've got the money, they've got the personnel, do they have a rider? Suzuki will likely stay where they are, but others will move forward and find some consistency, so they'll be further down the standings. And Aprilia, well, I prefer not to talk about that, it's too painful...
 
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Lorenzo is legendary for being one of the biggest egomaniacal douchenozzles in a sport full of outsized egos and competition obsessives.
I'm stil pretty Doohan and Biaggii win that, but of this era, sure... but again, he when he was successful all is forgiven.
Yamaha picked him up because he's a five time world champion, and dropped him because he is a long way from being that rider now. Taking public digs at the guy who took your job (but said absolutely nothing about Lorenzo!) only reinforces the opinions above. If you're a big factory, why would you hire such a PR disaster?

Contrast him with Pedrosa, who has helped make that KTM competitive and kept his mouth shut. Maybe Honda should hire him back to find a bike that works for anyone not named Marc Marquez, as he may not ever be the same...

I recently saw Lin Jarvis Motogp podcast as the off season is proving rather lame, and its funny because he says that was still one of his greatest achievements of his entire career; to have the 2 best riders pushing one another meant he was in constant crises mode to keep it all moving in the right direction, but I'll take Lin's word that it was worth it.

I think it's all academic, I would prefer to see JLO on that bike than Crashlow, especially if they give him any wildcards, but at the end of the day it just didn't materialize and that's how things are for now. I know who's career I'd rather have of those 2 riders, regardless of personality nothing can buy you 5 World Championships during the Alien era.

Also, Marc went under the knife for the 3rd time yesterday:

 
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Yeah, Marc is looking like he'll need time well into 2021 before he gets on the HRC bike again. Many will find his assessment immature, and is not without valid criticism, but I think his situation will have to be what sets the example for DORNA to make sure they have a body the demands they take time off before let back on a bike if surgery is required,:


I mentioned it before that interview I posted was quoted in that article, but riders cannot see past the checkered flag and their health is not even considered when they make these decisions so this needs to be dealt with some sort of punative system. DORNA stands the most to win/lose as they rely on the ticket sales to keep everything afloat, and having healthy riders means more exciting races/championships so punishing the factories if they infringe on this may be the only way to avoid such a situation occur again. It's sad, but in my experience within most motorsports (myself included) you're not dealing with mentally stable human beings with long-term views about their decisions when you're asking them to stop doing the one thing they've spent most of their life's effort towards. It's absurd to think this wasn't inevitable, and I spoke at length about why in an earlier post.

In my opinion Marc was at fault for what happened before and after the surgery, Dr. Mir's work speaks for itself, I'm afraid; but it must be said that the Doctors should have been far more stringent on the requirements to get back on the bike and demanded that he not race for at least 2-3 races before he could be given the 'all clear,' given how extensive his injury was.

Anyhow, Luca Marini is getting a Sky46 livery for his Avintia for next years season, looks like the partnership happened after all:

 
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Ahh, man... Post surgery wrap up for Marc is not looking good and 2021 may be scrapped as his return if all goes well iin the best case scenario and a 4th surgery isn't needed is looking like May.


 
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“At certain point I didn’t feel the arm was mine”,
he said in a statement that generates chills.


it sure does
at this point the concern goes beyond racing
 
Lots of discussion about the role of doctors in deciding for racers when they should return. It's part of the mythology of the sport, but this is the cost. Look at the tone of the story about Dr. Costa getting Doohan back on the track by stitching his legs together in Faster: it's told with a kind of awe, both for Doohan's toughness and Costa's skill.

There's no easy answer, though. Riders aren't going to make good long-term decisions, teams are often only tied to riders for a year, so may be subject to the same short-termism. Doctors can say no, but if they get too conservative, riders and teams may get litigious, saying they're denying an opportunity to win. And it's rarely life-threatening, including this situation. In this case, HRC clearly should have said no, but who knows what information they have. It's not like other team sports where the doctor works directly for the team.

I could take or leave Marquez as a person, but his talent is unquestionably among the best ever. He has an unbelievable ability to ride a bike beyond its capabilities, to go past the limits of grip and still pick up the pieces. He falls off a lot, though, and maybe he just got lucky for a long streak. I think of his opposite, Pedrosa, and his inability to fall off without breaking something and what that cost his career.

If Marquez doesn't come back, it'll be interesting for if this is a new era of parity and tight racing, or if it's just a lull until someone new takes over on the right package. HRC looked utterly lost without him, so time will tell if that's because Marquez papered over the cracks in the bike, or if it had been developed just for him to the point where nobody else could ride it...
 
orange graphics. I like.
looks like petrucci likes too.

 

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