2021 MotoGP Discussion (No Links - Contains Spoilers!)

[BigEvilDoer]

Marc Marquez to miss Qatar test, but is targeting the Qatar race.

'I'll miss Qatar test' - Marc Marquez, Espargaro present 2021 Repsol Hondas

Marc Marquez joins new MotoGP team-mate Pol Espargaro in Repsol Honda colours for the first time during 2021 Repsol Honda presentation. Marquez says he will miss Qatar test; 'Step-by-step I feel better but I don’t know when I will be ready to return'.

www.crash.net

 

[Chaos]

Marc Marquez to miss Qatar test, but is targeting the Qatar race.

'I'll miss Qatar test' - Marc Marquez, Espargaro present 2021 Repsol Hondas

Marc Marquez joins new MotoGP team-mate Pol Espargaro in Repsol Honda colours for the first time during 2021 Repsol Honda presentation. Marquez says he will miss Qatar test; 'Step-by-step I feel better but I don’t know when I will be ready to return'.

www.crash.net

AND he is hedging that he won't be back until Round 3 - Portimao.

One day, an entire book is going to be written about Marquez' injury. It went from missing 6-7 weeks to missing 4 to now missing 10 months

 

[Chaos]

...

 

[800over]

AND he is hedging that he won't be back until Round 3 - Portimao.

One day, an entire book is going to be written about Marquez' injury. It went from missing 6-7 weeks to missing 4 to now missing 10 months

Even if he misses two races would anyone bet against him? I have him winning the Championship in a cakewalk if he misses only two races this year (and a case of beer behind it).

 

[Chaos]

Terrible news: Fausto Gresini has passed away

Remembering Fausto Gresini

MotoGP™ and Dorna Sports are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of legendary Italian, Fausto Gresini

www.motogp.com

He was fighting Covid since Xmas time, including long stays in hospital under intensive care. Unfortunately, he finally succumbed.

 

[Priller]

Terrible news: Fausto Gresini has passed away

Remembering Fausto Gresini

MotoGP™ and Dorna Sports are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of legendary Italian, Fausto Gresini

www.motogp.com

He was fighting Covid since Xmas time, including long stays in hospital under intensive care. Unfortunately, he finally succumbed.

Heartbreaking. Gresini Honda had an incredible run, and the list of riders that went through that team is impressive. It's a shame he was never able to bring Aprilia's MotoGP efforts to the same heights, but that was always a tall order for so many reasons beyond his control.

The paddock is a poorer place for his absence...

 

[Chaos]

Heartbreaking. Gresini Honda had an incredible run, and the list of riders that went through that team is impressive. It's a shame he was never able to bring Aprilia's MotoGP efforts to the same heights, but that was always a tall order for so many reasons beyond his control.

The paddock is a poorer place for his absence...

It was hard to see Gresini lose his place in the Honda hierarchy. He helped bring success to Honda with Kato, Gibermau, Melandri

If Aprilia had not stepped up when they did, I am not sure we'd still be seeing the Gresini team in MotoGP

 

[boyoboy]

Even if he misses two races would anyone bet against him? I have him winning the Championship in a cakewalk if he misses only two races this year (and a case of beer behind it).

I don't know...
mm been out a long long time, and still not fit for qatar test? maybe do the race ?
sounds like the injury may remain an issue in 2021

let me check the piggy bank; do you take home brew on bets?

 

[Priller]

I don't know...
mm been out a long long time, and still not fit for qatar test? maybe do the race ?
sounds like the injury may remain an issue in 2021

let me check the piggy bank; do you take home brew on bets?

Even if everything else is perfect, he's been in a brace for a long time, so it'll take quite a while to rehab back to full strength. Guaranteed the arm has lost a lot of muscle. How long it takes to get back may define the season...

 

[800over]

I don't know...
mm been out a long long time, and still not fit for qatar test? maybe do the race ?
sounds like the injury may remain an issue in 2021

let me check the piggy bank; do you take home brew on bets?

Then lets make it a six pack. Marquez misses two races and wins the Championship. You get the field. If he misses more.....the bet is off. I would like a 6 pack of cheap ass Landshark please.

 

[Winales_2017]

Even if he misses two races would anyone bet against him? I have him winning the Championship in a cakewalk if he misses only two races this year (and a case of beer behind it).

That's a bold claim, I personally expect him to suffer in the mid-pack (at best) until at least mid to late season assuming he is there from testing and race one--though I'd be the first to admit I want to be wrong. I find it hard to believe someone like JLO could fall off the pace that much after getting so close to his old record laps in Sepang during testing after failing so bad on the Honda and then on a M1 in the mid season be so off the pace off in Portimao, it's if not impossible to be on point without getting tons of miles under his belt due to COVID/injurybut it's very unlikely and I'm a 93 fan.

I'm sure Honda would allow him to be at Suzuka or Catalunya on a fireblade right now just to get the feeling back, even if he gets caught like Fabio did last year the pay off is worth it in the long run if he comes back stronger. His contract alone is worth 10s of millions and the data he provides would be instrumental to get Taka and Alex and maybe Pol up to speed faster on what the Honda needs to be able to be in the front again.

My real worry is if he will be the old Marquez in time, if at all, I honestly fear 2020 may be the last time we saw him completely destroy the field made up of perhaps what is the most talented riders in GP's entire history with relative ease and made them look like they were on Moto2 bikes in the way only Marc could. I still go back to that race, and up until that high side it was seriously looking the race of his entire career as P2 was certain and P1 was within his grasp after falling so behind. It'd be a shame, and the racing is so much better since e has been sidelined: I even started to watch live again in 2020 for most of the season.

 

[sid_for_speed]

What ever happens, Fabio will NEVER replace Rossi...

 

[800over]

That's a bold claim, I personally expect him to suffer in the mid-pack (at best) until at least mid to late season assuming he is there from testing and race one--though I'd be the first to admit I want to be wrong. I find it hard to believe someone like JLO could fall off the pace that much after getting so close to his old record laps in Sepang during testing after failing so bad on the Honda and then on a M1 in the mid season be so off the pace off in Portimao, it's if not impossible to be on point without getting tons of miles under his belt due to COVID/injurybut it's very unlikely and I'm a 93 fan.

I'm sure Honda would allow him to be at Suzuka or Catalunya on a fireblade right now just to get the feeling back, even if he gets caught like Fabio did last year the pay off is worth it in the long run if he comes back stronger. His contract alone is worth 10s of millions and the data he provides would be instrumental to get Taka and Alex and maybe Pol up to speed faster on what the Honda needs to be able to be in the front again.

My real worry is if he will be the old Marquez in time, if at all, I honestly fear 2020 may be the last time we saw him completely destroy the field made up of perhaps what is the most talented riders in GP's entire history with relative ease and made them look like they were on Moto2 bikes in the way only Marc could. I still go back to that race, and up until that high side it was seriously looking the race of his entire career as P2 was certain and P1 was within his grasp after falling so behind. It'd be a shame, and the racing is so much better since e has been sidelined: I even started to watch live again in 2020 for most of the season.

For the record I am just hedging my bets...I hate how Marquez has destroyed the field in the past. This year was the best year to watch in a long time simply because he wasn't around. I think he wins in a walk though if he starts all the races save two. Any one of 6-7 riders had a chance with 4 races left. But if Marquez comes back at 70% he still podiums every second race which would have won last year I think. I mean Mir only won once!

 

[Priller]

This year was the best year to watch in a long time simply because he wasn't around. I think he wins in a walk though if he starts all the races save two. Any one of 6-7 riders had a chance with 4 races left. But if Marquez comes back at 70% he still podiums every second race which would have won last year I think. I mean Mir only won once!

I know I'm in the minority, but I much prefer a season with two to four riders going toe-to-toe vs a season with almost random results. If it's a tight battle with a few top teams, there's no doubt you're watching the best duke it out. When it's any one of seven, with riders bouncing between podiums and out of the top 10 round-to-round, then it's a lot about luck and hitting a setup with a bike that works with the tires for that track on that weekend. For that, you might as well watch NASCAR.

The legendary seasons are usually about two or three teams fighting tooth and nail. Roberts vs Sheene, Spencer vs Lawson, Rainey vs Doohan/Schwantz, Edwards vs Haga/Corser, Rossi v Biaggi/Gibernau/Hayden/Lorenzo. For the parity seasons, it's usually the steady guy that wins (Roberts Jr., Mir), which is a lot less fun than the crazy guy who wins or crashes.

Don't get me wrong, parity is more fun than one guy crushing everyone else. But I like the heavyweight fights between teams with different strengths and rider styles. If someone were to step up and take it to a slightly weakened Marquez, with a solid package, that would be my ideal. My worry is that the tires and cost-cutting will result in another free-for-all where the guy who finishes 6th to 3rd every week wins the title. I want to see guys riding the wheels off the bikes, not playing tortoise to the hares...

 

[Chaos]

My worry is that the tires and cost-cutting will result in another free-for-all where the guy who finishes 6th to 3rd every week wins the title.

IMO...

This is why victories should be worth more points than they are. I think victories are under-rewarded in the current point system. I would go so far as to double the points for winning.

So: 50 for 1st; 20 for 2nd....

 

[Priller]

IMO...

This is why victories should be worth more points than they are. I think victories are under-rewarded in the current point system. I would go so far as to double the points for winning.

So: 50 for 1st; 20 for 2nd....

That's definitely one solution. But that can create all sorts of other issues with a guy streaking to a championship win early on the back of a strong early season.

The current system has worked okay for a lot of seasons since 1993, though. I'd prefer to see tires that were a little more predictable and less sensitive to track and temperature changes so bike development could be more focused and effective. It's hard to know how much is Covid related and how much is tires, as the big two were definitely caught flat-footed last year.

 

[800over]

I know I'm in the minority, but I much prefer a season with two to four riders going toe-to-toe vs a season with almost random results. If it's a tight battle with a few top teams, there's no doubt you're watching the best duke it out. When it's any one of seven, with riders bouncing between podiums and out of the top 10 round-to-round, then it's a lot about luck and hitting a setup with a bike that works with the tires for that track on that weekend. For that, you might as well watch NASCAR.

The legendary seasons are usually about two or three teams fighting tooth and nail. Roberts vs Sheene, Spencer vs Lawson, Rainey vs Doohan/Schwantz, Edwards vs Haga/Corser, Rossi v Biaggi/Gibernau/Hayden/Lorenzo. For the parity seasons, it's usually the steady guy that wins (Roberts Jr., Mir), which is a lot less fun than the crazy guy who wins or crashes.

Don't get me wrong, parity is more fun than one guy crushing everyone else. But I like the heavyweight fights between teams with different strengths and rider styles. If someone were to step up and take it to a slightly weakened Marquez, with a solid package, that would be my ideal. My worry is that the tires and cost-cutting will result in another free-for-all where the guy who finishes 6th to 3rd every week wins the title. I want to see guys riding the wheels off the bikes, not playing tortoise to the hares...

I agree 100% but we haven't had a close championship race in 5-6 years. I'd love to see someone battle Marquez. I just don't see anyone doing it without Mark falling.

 

[Chaos]

That's definitely one solution. But that can create all sorts of other issues with a guy streaking to a championship win early on the back of a strong early season.

The current system has worked okay for a lot of seasons since 1993, though. I'd prefer to see tires that were a little more predictable and less sensitive to track and temperature changes so bike development could be more focused and effective. It's hard to know how much is Covid related and how much is tires, as the big two were definitely caught flat-footed last year.

Fair enough. I admit some of this is seeing riders who win the most races not with the championship, which in my opinion, is not ideal.

 

[Chaos]

2nd post on the thread has all the team launches as they come. Today was Pramac.

So far, no radical changes to any livery other than Tech3.

 

[Chaos]

Aprilia added. Looks like the factory Aprilia livery again this year. Interesting looking front elements - pretty aggressively large.

I am now wondering what will happen with the Gresini outfit. Aprilia was going to apply for its own seat licence, moving away from Gresini

Gresini was hinting at new plans forthcoming. But now that he's passed away, I wonder if the team will continue at all.