Winales_2017
Well-known member
Pretty close,, and yeah it was fun!
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2021 MotoGP Discussion (No Links - Contains Spoilers!)
- Thread starter Chaos
- Start date
Incredible Q1 and Q2, tomorrow is going to be sweet. Happy to see the Yamaha's up top but unfortunate they seem to be slacking in sector 4. Jack Miller looked really pumped tail end of Q2 but didn't make any significant improvements. My bets for tmw is Pecco/Jack/Fabio
I think spoilers are fine here. I'll make a note of it.
Winales_2017
Well-known member
And Moto2 still yields a mediocre race, despite it being a very close finish.
I don't know what it is exactly, but I cannot be bothered with Moto2, I start to look for things (anything) to do instead, and it serves as an interlude and segue between the insanity that is Moto3 and the main show in GP. I think it's kind of sad to see guys like Luthi languishing in what is a graveyard of racers, but nothing seems to make it work: the triumph engines didn't deliver on more exciting racing.
But Moto3 was awesome, and now its time for GP! The crowds looked so nostalgic, too.
Prediction: 1 Ducati, 2 Yamahas (don't know which given the dirty track and win) with Mir in the Top 5!
Priller
Well-known member
I enjoyed the battle for 3rd in Moto2, especially with the Gresini angle and some great racecraft from Di Giannantonio to time his pass on a defensive Bezzecchi.
But yes, overall I agree about the class being a bit blah. I think the problem for me with Moto2 is the spec motor, it just takes the exotic quality out of GP racing.
Sounds like the wind is dropping, good news for Ducati.
Green flag!
MotoGP done. Great Race!
That Ducati launch control was something.
Vinales really surprised me - I really thought he was chewing up his tires as was going to fall off pace but it never happened. I thought both Zarco and Bagnaia were saving their tires, but their speed never really changed, and both the Yamaha and Suzuki was pulling up. Very impressive by Vinales.
Great result for Bastianini. 2-year old equipment and has an impressive result - 10th
****** day for KTM, Honda and especially SRT.
That Ducati launch control was something.
Vinales really surprised me - I really thought he was chewing up his tires as was going to fall off pace but it never happened. I thought both Zarco and Bagnaia were saving their tires, but their speed never really changed, and both the Yamaha and Suzuki was pulling up. Very impressive by Vinales.
Great result for Bastianini. 2-year old equipment and has an impressive result - 10th
****** day for KTM, Honda and especially SRT.
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Winales_2017
Well-known member
Gutted for Mir, and still within my prediction but damn, that was harsh. He deserved that podium.
But, at least we know he wasn't a fluke, the guy is the real deal and I knew it when I first saw his first race in Moto3 (he rides a lot like a young Rossi) and now I want to see him take on a healthy Marc. Mav has no chance against either, but he had a good race today and he needs to remain this aggressive.
Fabio is playing the 2nd rider role? I would have thought he would have tried to assert dominance from race 1. I'm really happy to see it was Zarco on that podium.
But, at least we know he wasn't a fluke, the guy is the real deal and I knew it when I first saw his first race in Moto3 (he rides a lot like a young Rossi) and now I want to see him take on a healthy Marc. Mav has no chance against either, but he had a good race today and he needs to remain this aggressive.
Fabio is playing the 2nd rider role? I would have thought he would have tried to assert dominance from race 1. I'm really happy to see it was Zarco on that podium.
Priller
Well-known member
Definite statement of intent from Vinales. Had pace way earlier than I expected. Bagnaia made interesting comments post-race, saying he'll try a different tactic next week to save his tires.
Very impressive from Zarco, life in the old dog yet.
Feel for Mir, was on pace for a very impressive second, but blew that last corner in his fear of the Ducati speed. Still, he's picking up from last year with solid and steady. If everyone else is as inconsistent as last year, he'll be very happy.
Quatararo definitely underwhelming and needs a lot more to avoid being relegated to support rider role.
I'm happy but not thrilled with Aleix on the Aprilia. Good start, awful first lap, found his feet and just barely stayed in touch with the lead group. Hopefully this is the start of something they build on, not just a track Aleix does well on...
Pol saved a catastrophic weekend for Honda. MM or no, their pace is awful and embarrassing for a brand like HRC. Thought they'd be better. KTM similar, but they've never been able to figure out Losail.
Very impressive from Zarco, life in the old dog yet.
Feel for Mir, was on pace for a very impressive second, but blew that last corner in his fear of the Ducati speed. Still, he's picking up from last year with solid and steady. If everyone else is as inconsistent as last year, he'll be very happy.
Quatararo definitely underwhelming and needs a lot more to avoid being relegated to support rider role.
I'm happy but not thrilled with Aleix on the Aprilia. Good start, awful first lap, found his feet and just barely stayed in touch with the lead group. Hopefully this is the start of something they build on, not just a track Aleix does well on...
Pol saved a catastrophic weekend for Honda. MM or no, their pace is awful and embarrassing for a brand like HRC. Thought they'd be better. KTM similar, but they've never been able to figure out Losail.
You were dead on with the predictions!
Winales_2017
Well-known member
Close enough... I was actually expecting another Yamaha and only one Ducati not 2, but I did know that Mir has always been a Sunday man and had a chance of getting on the podium--like Rossi he is a poor qualifier but is always there on Sunday.
You'd be foolish to discount Mir storming back up the field like he did last year since Austria and after the 2nd lap in Qatar 1 I knew Rins was no match for him as his pace was just way better.
Suzuki finally have a leader they can build a team around for the long term and invest in to return them to their former glory, and oddly enough Mir was way more level headed about his defeat than I expected him to be. He is only a little older than Fabio who, just like Maverick, is prone to childish tantrums when things go wrong instead of just focusing with his team on what needs to be improved in de-briefing.
This was something Marc learned the hard way (from crashing all the time) and has served him well which led to HRC putting everything behind him and subsequently him delivering a dominance in Motogp unlike anything we've ever seen.
Honestly, I'm convinced that no one else can take on a healthy Marc but Mir now; and it was very telling that Mir said Marc was the only one he considered a rival in the entire field, everyone else was not even worth consideration when he asked about the 2021 season.
Sidenote: I wish I had saved it, but their was an interview where Mir said he wanted to be like and ride like Rossi, and not Marc, when he first came on the scene in Moto3 on Spanish TV (movistar). His colors reflect that as he always wore that same blue and yellow AGV and Dianese scheme since his LeoPard days, then in Marc VDS and now in Suzuki. I always wondered why he never went to the 46 camp, but this could be because Rossi doesn't want non-Italians in his ranks and now likely holds an almost ambivalent view towards Spainish riders given his relationships with JLO and Marc.
Interesting info from Oliviera.
www.crash.net
Could be nothing, but if it's something, then KTM is going to have problems all year.
Oliveira: KTM cannot compete with this tyre compound
Miguel Oliveira and KTM forced to settle for 13th place in the Qatar MotoGP season opener; 'It is not our free choice to use a soft tyre, we use it because we cannot use another one'
www.crash.net
Could be nothing, but if it's something, then KTM is going to have problems all year.
BigEvilDoer
Well-known member
Well, I don't think it's going to be indicative of the season.Interesting info from Oliviera.
Oliveira: KTM cannot compete with this tyre compound
Miguel Oliveira and KTM forced to settle for 13th place in the Qatar MotoGP season opener; 'It is not our free choice to use a soft tyre, we use it because we cannot use another one'
Could be nothing, but if it's something, then KTM is going to have problems all year.
Qatar doesn't fit KTM's strengths -- Hard trail braking, corner drive. When they try to tip in for higher speed corners to let the bike flow, the geometry of the bike doesn't work and stresses the tire, leading to premature degradation. Qatar flows at high speeds - Yamaha and Suzuki excel. Ducati has crazy speed, which was negated by strong headwinds in the straights (up to 14km/h down from FP4!!!!).
Oliveira says the tires offered just didn't work for the KTM - and, no sense to make a bike to suit a certain tire when it won't work elsewhere. I think the KTM's will be fine once they're out of Africa and into Europe.
I wonder if Michelin offered an asymmetrical front at Qatar if KTM wouldn't be more competitive there.
So in the spirit of distracting myself from my job (don't judge), I have been thinking why Moto2 is the dullest of the 3 series. Here are my thoughts:
One of the things that keeps motogp interesting is that each bike/engine combo has different characteristics, so each have pros and cons even within the same lap. Parts of a track favour one bike over the other, and if their one-lap times are reasonably close, you will see a lot of on-track action. At the moment, we are in a time where the bikes are all reasonably close so you have a lot of on-track potential. Of course, there were times where one bike package was more dominant than the others (e.g. late 90s Honda) or sometimes a rider is just that much better than the field (Rossi, Marquez).
In moto2, everyone uses a spec engine, so any potential variance due to engine is gone. And for all intents and purposes, Kalex is the dominant chassis, with Speed Up (now Boscoscuro) occasionally putting up a fight. but their chassis designs are not likely that far apart from each other. So in the end it all comes down to rider and bike setup. Also, while Moto2 is full of talent, I dare say the spread of talent is wider, so when you have spec bikes, the gaps between riders is more pronounced.
You can also argue that Moto3 is effectively a spec series (the Honda and KTMs are very close in performance), but the limited nature of the bikes (small displacement on big tracks) always keeps them bunched together (unlike moto2), and drafting is most pronounced in that series, also adding spice.
All that to say, I don't know what Moto2 can do to improve its product. You don't want to create artificial competition, but you also want to keep the fans entertained. I like Moto2 - I think it's a great developmental series and you can see who the talented riders are, but I will admit I do sometimes fast forward through the race when the gaps get really wide.
One of the things that keeps motogp interesting is that each bike/engine combo has different characteristics, so each have pros and cons even within the same lap. Parts of a track favour one bike over the other, and if their one-lap times are reasonably close, you will see a lot of on-track action. At the moment, we are in a time where the bikes are all reasonably close so you have a lot of on-track potential. Of course, there were times where one bike package was more dominant than the others (e.g. late 90s Honda) or sometimes a rider is just that much better than the field (Rossi, Marquez).
In moto2, everyone uses a spec engine, so any potential variance due to engine is gone. And for all intents and purposes, Kalex is the dominant chassis, with Speed Up (now Boscoscuro) occasionally putting up a fight. but their chassis designs are not likely that far apart from each other. So in the end it all comes down to rider and bike setup. Also, while Moto2 is full of talent, I dare say the spread of talent is wider, so when you have spec bikes, the gaps between riders is more pronounced.
You can also argue that Moto3 is effectively a spec series (the Honda and KTMs are very close in performance), but the limited nature of the bikes (small displacement on big tracks) always keeps them bunched together (unlike moto2), and drafting is most pronounced in that series, also adding spice.
All that to say, I don't know what Moto2 can do to improve its product. You don't want to create artificial competition, but you also want to keep the fans entertained. I like Moto2 - I think it's a great developmental series and you can see who the talented riders are, but I will admit I do sometimes fast forward through the race when the gaps get really wide.
Priller
Well-known member
Apparently KTM are ****** because they spent a lot of time last year and this offseason developing for a medium tire that Michelin then stopped including in their allocation at Qatar. The new medium doesn't work for them, forcing them to use the soft, which their bike chews up too quickly. At least that's the Coles Notes version I read. Not sure if they'll reintroduce that other medium for other rounds. As someone pointed out, though, teams who have bad weekends tend to be the ones complaining about tires...
abkdt41
Well-known member
Priller
Well-known member
I think Morbidelli would be in board with that after having his stuck on for the entire race.
The Ducati one definitely made qualifying almost meaningless last week. Jorge Martin looked like he was shot out of a cannon. Still, part of the sport is tech, and if Ducati does it better, it's up to the others to catch up, I think...
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