2021 MotoGP Discussion (No Links - Contains Spoilers!) | Page 9 | GTAMotorcycle.com

2021 MotoGP Discussion (No Links - Contains Spoilers!)

Jayv said:
KTM,Honda and Morbidelli will be much stronger in Portugal. As for Mir being the Suzuki leader-he hasn't gone head to head with MM yet, let's see how well he handles that challenge, Rins has had good success going one on one against #93 they will need that. Ducati won't make the same mistake with Miller as they did with Lorenzo.
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That probably doesn't matter much to Suzuki, Mir won them the championship, which was the first win to be taken from MM aside from JLO's controversial title. That speaks volumes to a manufacturer that had many amazing riders but only 2 race wins in the Marquez era and a handful of podiums. Also, it should be noted Alex has never repeated that feat since it happened, which was amazing, but more of an outliar than anything so far Rin's GP career (injuries played a role for both riders) and cannot deliver the same results that Mir has.

I think Mir is pretty resolved in knowing that Marc is the one to beat, he made that clear in the off season, and assuming Marc can get back to speed this season it will happen.

As for Ducati... I think I've learned enough about Italian teams (squadaras) internally enough to know that they seldom learn from their own mistakes: when it works, it works beautifully and hugs and kisses are abound: but when it's not it's like you see why their was so much drama from a people/country/culture since the days of Rome. They can have everything going for them, but self-sabotage is a real thing.

I'll just point to Ferrari during the Alonso era and into the Vettel era, and I was in Maranello during the Alonso era, too.

Chaos said:
www.motogp.com

Marc Marquez cleared to return to racing in Portugal

The eight-time World Champion has been passed fit by doctors to ride at the upcoming Portuguese Grand Prix in Portimao
www.motogp.com www.motogp.com
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Alright, now we get to see him have to take HRC back out from obscurity. This will make him stronger in the long run.
 
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MM93 is definitely going to compete this weekend. You can already see the Honda crew more excited in their body language.



Watching riders go over that hump between 8 and 9 makes me mildly uncomfortable.
 
rmPIyhd.jpg
 
I suspect mm and honda would be happy with a top 5, and elated with a podium. can mm be cool?

this suspense before the race is fantastic.

cannot wait for the race !
 
Baggsy said:
rmPIyhd.jpg
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God damn I just enjoy watching him ride and control that violent machine, jumping over the crest then sliding it all over the track is just something else. I just hope he stays healthy, because if I'm honest after the continued infection and the need for a 3rd surgery I really thought he'd have to hang up his leathers for good.
 
Have to feel for Bagnaia, that was a heck of a lap chalked off on a technicality, and losing 10 spots at Portimao is a big deal. At least he's got the Ducati rocket boosters to help regain some places on the start.

Vinales felt similarly aggrieved, but he was off the track, even if it was by millimeters.

Looks like another fun race coming, with lots of potential winners. Zarco continuing strong, Oliviera still quick but not finding consistency, Suzukis up and down, Even an Aprilia in the top 10 again, and showing potential for more.
 
I think we can all agree that Pedro Acosta needs to be in either Petrux's or Ikers seat when he turns 18. He may pull off a Mir and do a stont at Moto2 before makin the jump to MotoGP.

Awesome, MotoGP before Moto2! I'm so glad that is the case as I can actually get some sleep after this race.

Prediction not in order of podoum: Zarco, Mir, Fabio with Mir and Miller Top 5, Marc in the top 7.
 
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Pretty good on the predictions, @Winales_2017 , just snuck Marquez in there at 7th.

Another fun race, despite the eventual big winners gap. Absolutely blistering pace that had more than one casualty, with everyone on the limit. Quatararo asserting his dominance at Yamaha for now, and looking extremely confident. His post-race comments about having figured the bike out by just letting him feel the front have to be worrying for everyone else.

I think Bagnaia's move from 11th to 2nd was equally impressive, and wish we'd been able to see him and Fabio go at it from the start. Still, an extremely mature race, and he kept his head when all around him others were losing theirs.

KTM has to be disappointed, considering Oliviera's dominance not that long ago. Binder salvaged something, but it was a poor consolation prize.

Happy to see Aprilia continue their pace from Qatar, and that bike has clearly made massive improvements. Aleix said at the start of the season that his goal was 6th in the championship, and he's sitting there now. Hus other goal is a podium at some point, which doesn't seem as farfetched as it once did. (There was some interesting discussion after Dovi's test about adjusting the ergos of the bike for him, which is the opposite of the usual test rider situation. Still don't know what to make of that...)

Marquez was clearly destroyed at the end of the race, both physically and emotionally. He'll just get stronger as the season wears on, as long as he stays upright, so it could make for some interesting points management. Honda is still lost without him, and still last in the manufacturers standings...
 
Acosta is going to pull a Mir/Martin... He'll finish the season in Moto3, do one season in Moto2 and then land in MotoGP, almost 100% in the KTM system, and @Winales_2017 is right - he'll likely end up at Tech3 in 2 seasons. Add another bright star to the Spanish moto armada. Foggia ran a great race, but Acosta was right there and found a way through. Really talented rider.


So... 3 races... 3 wins for Yamaha. Looks like they got the 21 bike right. Quartararo is looking strong for sure. He had a strong start last season and tailed off though, so hopefully, he'll stay consistent - he is the very early championship favourite.

Suzuki is there, but their bike doesn't appear as strong as the Yamaha.

Again, early in the season, but Miller is shooting himself in the foot with a DNF. Funny enough Zarco's crash works to his advantage but Miller is going to lose his seat if he keeps making mistakes and the Pramac boys outscore him (Personally, I think Ducati want to put Martin in the seat and are waiting for the results to justify it).

Strong race for Bagnaia (if only his pole time stuck), and Morbidelli on what is now acknowledged as a 2-year old bike. Marquez' 7th was impressive all things considered. He will only get better.

Great result for Binder on what looks like a crippled KTM. More consternation about tire compatibility for that team. Binder and Oliveirs are talented but Petrucci and Lecuona are lost.

Anyone know what happened to Vinales?

Moto2 Update: Raul Fernandez wins. Another Moto3 graduate now having success on the Ajo KTM team. Ajo is a class organization.
 
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Miller doesn't seem to be handling the extra stress of being a factory rider very well...
Marc Marquez did much better than I expected - thought his strength would drop off much quicker. As much as I'm not a fan, I have to give him serious credit.
Bagnaia... well, I can see him doing beyond well if his star ever align... which somehow seems never to happen.
KTM - Michelin's change has wrecked them much more than anyone else. Wish them the best.
 
Fun race to watch, MM endurance was great to see but I thought he made some "silly" moves early on that were unnecessary. It looked to me that his strategy was to get up front ASAP and then try to break away. Regardless, his performance during FP and Q was fantastic and there's no doubt he's back and ready to give 110%

Fabio and Pecco ran a great race, was suprised Fabio went with the H rear but looks like it worked out well. I noticed in FP3(?) he stayed out on a 26 lap old tire which was odd. I guess trying to get some late race data. I think Vinales may have gone with H rear as well but his performance was terrible which is such a shame to see. I don't see his seat at factory Yamaha continuing much longer if he doesn't get some consistency in races.

Taka had a respectable finish after what looked to be a very nasty crash. They mentioned they hopped him up on pain killers but he still managed to pull thru.

Anyone know whats going on with Jorge Martin/how he is doing? Lot's of crashes this weekend but his withstanding, no major injuries it seems.
 
Good moto2 race, Beaubier getting better every race and Joe was oh so close for a podium.

Maybe Aprillia really does have a bike to challenge for a podium this year, and KTM just needs a tire from Michelin.

All three classes provided excellent racing.
 
Chaos said:
Vinales in his own words re: Portugal

www.motorsport.com

Vinales “worried” after “not normal” Portugal MotoGP race

www.motorsport.com www.motorsport.com
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It's psychological, there is no other way to explain it. Mav is a lot like Lorenzo, he is unbeatable when things are properly aligned but if things are not he crumbles every time. His qualy penalty was harsh, but they were told not to exceed track limits, and Pecco was able to make the best of a bad start, whereas Mav almost looked to have given up with yet another predictably poor start and just fell back. His championship isn't over but he really needs to overcome this if he has any chance to stay in it this year.

Long term I think he needs to get out of Yamaha next year and go negotiate for Millers bike right now that he still is in contention for the championship and Martin is injured and Miller is looking like a mistake for Ducati, he just needs a new project to rebuild himself and a bike to match since Fabio will likely continue to outperform him--JLO was pretty much mentoring Fabio him in 2019-2020 on how to extract the most out of the bike. Mav relied on Rossi who now can't seem to make the bike work at all, either.

Marc's race was really emotive, its kind of hard to fully grasp what it must have felt like to be on top of the World going on what most thought would be your 9th World championship to going through 3 surgeries, and infection, countless hours of phsyio/rehab and hours in the gym and still maybe never being able to compete in MotoGP again, but this says it all:


I know his persona rubs many people the wrong way (especially Rossi fans) and if you don't speak Castellano or Catalan you will never really see his true self, but the guy just lives for riding GP bikes competitively and sincerely can't do anything but give it his all even at personal risk to his body (he has had off-season injuries every season for the past 3-4 years), and you have just admire that, as well as his skill, if nothing else.

Also, shouts to Taka for getting it home and taking some points (P10) after that horrible crash he was the closest Honda to Marc this weekend. I'm sure had he been healthy he could have gone for a top 5 finish due to all the crashes and DNFs that happened.

Rins is further proving why Mir is the team leader at Suzuki; at no point in time can you throw away a P2 finish when you have your eyes on a championship and he keeps doing that.That small battle with Mir and Marquez (albeit injured) in the opening is why I think Mir is the only guy that will likely be able to challenge him. Joan comes off like a nice guy, like Marc, but gives no quarter on the track and he isn't afraid to swap paint if that is what it takes--he is super aggressive but clean and fair.

I really look forward to that rivalry in the future.

All in all, a really good Moto3 and GP weekend. I kind of wish we could scrap Jerez and do b2b at Portimao this weekend, Portiamo it's now on my top 5 circuits and the bumps make it a great equalizer that rewards consistency and racecraft.
 
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