MotoGP™: Unlimited

[timtune]

Is all communication still thru the pit board?

 

[Lightcycle]

Is all communication still thru the pit board?

No, a few years ago, they instituted a one-way shore-to-ship messaging system for the teams to communicate with the rider via messages on their dash. These messages are also displayed to the viewer at home and typically take the form of "Change to Mapping 4" for engine maps. I don't think they are supposed to convey any messages about other riders, but commentators and other viewers have suspected that certain "mapping numbers" may be secret code about the state of their closest competitors. Sometimes you will also see Team Orders displayed on the dash, like "Drop 1 position" to let their team mate who's in title contention take a spot ahead.

Race direction also is able to display information on the racer's dash, like penalties and black flags.

 

[Priller]

No, a few years ago, they instituted a one-way shore-to-ship messaging system for the teams to communicate with the rider via messages on their dash. These messages are also displayed to the viewer at home and typically take the form of "Change to Mapping 4" for engine maps. I don't think they are supposed to convey any messages about other riders, but commentators and other viewers have suspected that certain "mapping numbers" may be secret code about the state of their closest competitors. Sometimes you will also see Team Orders displayed on the dash, like "Drop 1 position" to let their team mate who's in title contention take a spot ahead.

Race direction also is able to display information on the racer's dash, like penalties and black flags.

I thought they specifically weren't allowed team orders, hence why JLo was getting non-existent map suggestions ('Mapping 6' or something) from the pit as a code to let Dovi by a few years go?

There's definitely a preset list of messages, as they needed a few weeks to add one to the system about wardrobe malfunctions after Fabio couldn't resist showing off his chest mid-race at Catalunya...

I can only imagine the danger if they allowed radio like F1. Limiting the messages also puts more on the rider to make decisions, which is as it should be...

 

[Lightcycle]

I thought they specifically weren't allowed team orders, hence why JLo was getting non-existent map suggestions ('Mapping 6' or something) from the pit as a code to let Dovi by a few years go?

Ah yes, you're right. I misremembered that one. The Team Orders msg was the secret code.

 

[Ash]

The qualifying shenanigans are much worse in Moto3, where having someone to slipstream can improve your lap time by over a second per lap. I think one of the reasons they adopted the Q1/Q2 qualifying format in Moto3 was so that there would only be 16 guys at a time on track messing around waiting for a tow rather than the full field of 32.

They're starting to heavily crack down on the Moto3 guys doing this, because it's seriously dangerous to have a cluster of bikes cruising around at walking speed while other bikes are going flat out. One of the criticisms is that the officials aren't cracking down on the MotoGP guys that are doing the same thing. It's a double standard, but they haven't been willing to give a big name like Marquez a grid penalty for the same offense.

 

[bastak]

I'm kind of amazed at how much subtitles bother some people, as they are not an issue for me at all. Maybe because I watch a lot of Euro dramas? We started watching Squid Game with the dubbing, and it was unbearable. I'm actually really enjoying hearing the racers and teams speak naturally and freely, as English for them is the language of PR. "In a good moment.." here and "I have a good feeling..." there. Listening to Aleix Espargaro lose his sh*t in Catalan is so much more revealing than stilted English. I just wish the subtitles were better done, as even my rudimentary Italian reveals they were written by someone who knows nothing about the sport.


Give it some time to widen their scope. Every episode gets more and more interesting stuff. We just finished episode 5 last night, and I'm kind of amazed how much the SRT (now RNF) team allowed them to show (including Razali's barely veiled dislike of Rossi - he clearly was reluctant but needed Yamaha to keep paying the rider salaries). You also get lots of time to enjoy Davide Tardozzi, Lin Jarvis et al showing lots of emotion. I think the reason they started with the end of year awards is because it took some time for the various riders, crew chiefs, mechanics and team managers to get used to being followed by cameras in places they usually have to themselves, so the first episode would have been very stiff without. There's a moment with Vinales when he's sitting out the second race at Spielberg that's very revealing. I'm curious how the remaining episodes go, and whether the subjects continue to get more relaxed in front of the cameras.

The show will never match Drive to Survive in popularity. First, almost everyone has driven a car, so it's much easier for most people to understand car racing vs bikes. Second, a huge reason for the popularity is the glamour of F1, with celebrities, oligarchs, billionaires, and various other scuzzy folks attaching themselves to the sport. This attracts the TikTok influencer (and influenced) crowd, and man, do I hope that crap stays as far away from MotoGP as possible. Third, Drive to Survive has been accused of employing some of the good old 'reality TV' bag of tricks, including faking conflict and manipulating timelines to 'heighten the drama'. I don't get the sense that there is any of that in this show. Fourth, Amazon Prime is still nowhere near as slick as Netflix, and all the dub/sub/region locking crap proves it.

Selfishly, I'm grateful that they haven't catered too much to the novice crowd, and haven't dumbed it down too much in an attempt to broaden the audience. I'd actually prefer something much more bike-race-nerdy, but that show would have a very small demographic...

In the 90s I'd watch both F1 and MotoGP (500cc) and enjoy both equally - the Schumacher and Doohan era. Since then, Valentino, Hayden, Lorenzo, Marquez, etc have kept me interested in MotoGP, sometimes at arm's length, but always enough to get me back into it whenever I was able to get it on TV. I've been hooked since the VideoPass was made available - my wife too, she's a Morbidelli fan - we watch the pre-race press conference, qualifying, race and post-race presser every race weekend without fail. Interest in F1 has waned ever since I actually went to a few F1 races and didn't feel it - enjoyed CSBK live way more. Drive to Survive hasn't changed that. Bikes are just more relatable - even with all the high end tech in MotoGP, an R1 or RSV4 doesn't seem miles away, and there are plenty of those at your local track day - not unachievable to own one of those if you set it as a priority in life. When it comes to 4 wheels, I'd rather watch something like Rotax Max karting or WRC...

MotoGP Unlimited has been great to see the more human side of the sport. I am also surprised by how much is revealed in some of the episodes e.g. Razali's comments on Valentino. I agree with most comments here that you need to know quite a bit about MotoGP to really appreciate it - not for the newcomer. Someone mentioned that the title was limiting in terms of audience, and after watching most episodes it seems that fans might be more the target audience anyway. I do think Dorna has done an incredible job with the VideoPass. There's so much content for fans of the sport...

For the nerdy bike stuff, Simon Crafar's insights during the race weekends are great!

 

[Priller]

The qualifying shenanigans are much worse in Moto3, where having someone to slipstream can improve your lap time by over a second per lap. I think one of the reasons they adopted the Q1/Q2 qualifying format in Moto3 was so that there would only be 16 guys at a time on track messing around waiting for a tow rather than the full field of 32.

They're starting to heavily crack down on the Moto3 guys doing this, because it's seriously dangerous to have a cluster of bikes cruising around at walking speed while other bikes are going flat out. One of the criticisms is that the officials aren't cracking down on the MotoGP guys that are doing the same thing. It's a double standard, but they haven't been willing to give a big name like Marquez a grid penalty for the same offense.

After the tragedy last year, and all the other close calls, I'm really surprised at how long it's taken race direction to sort it out. They have stuck with the mentality that there has to be an incident rather than just dangerous riding to really sanction a rider, which lets some guys get away with all sorts of stupid crap.

I know it's not going to eliminate all the nonsense, but I really like Jurgen van den Goorburgh's idea around limiting the long top gearing that only works with a tow. I know Dorna has been reluctant to limit the insane spectacle of Moto3, but it has gotten totally out of hand (along with SSP300 on the WSBK side). If you at least limit the absolute need to use the slipstream, then riders may have options to be safer without being slower. Or move to a staggered TT-style start for qualifying, with any interaction between bikes resulting in cancelled times. It's heavy handed, but nobody has listened to sense.

Beyond that, there needs to be harsh consequences for messing around on a live track, even if there's no incident. Weave on the straight? Penalty. Sit up on the racing line? Penalty. Sure, some riders may feel unjustly punished, but the danger has become so severe that extreme measures need to be applied, as much for the stars in MotoGP as the kids in Moto3.

Mostly, race direction needs to find their balls. Stop being scared of the teams and manufacturers. And Dorna needs to back them 100%.

 

[Ash]

There's a weird separation of duties between Race Direction and the FIM Stewards that I still don't fully understand:

Race Direction and FIM Stewards: Vito Ippolito explains

FIM President Vito Ippolito has given an interview in which he explains what has changed in terms of the disciplinary procedures since 2016.

www.motogp.com

I believe Race Direction is the same set of people for every race, but the penalties are handed out by the FIM Stewards which are not the same set of people from race to race. So there's some inconsistency baked right into the system. And maybe because the race stewards come and go, they're less likely to make a bold decision to penalize a MotoGP title contender?

Riders 'unanimous' in criticism of MotoGP stewarding - The Race

MotoGP riders are "unanimous" in wanting to see changes to stewards' decision-making, according to Aleix Espargaro

the-race.com

 

[Sochi]

Here's a (turns out not so) quick summary for a typical MotoGP weekend (Moto3 and Moto2 will move before and after, depending on venue, but are usually similar) :

Thursday
Arrive at track, do media interviews, local promo stuff, set up pits and all the infrastructure for the weekend (hospitality, medical, tire supply from Michelin, etc.)

Friday (or Thursday if race day is Saturday)
Free Practice 1 (FP1) - 45 mins in morning
Free Practice 2 (FP2) - 45 mins in afternoon

Usually this is the day where riders try to get a good baseline setting for their bike, usually running race simulations and experimenting a bit. Times give a sense of who's quick if averaged, but top times are usually riders to do a 'time attack', running soft tires in short stints (often about 5 laps including out and in laps) in preparation for qualifying. They are also trying to figure out which of the various tire compounds that Michelin has selected for the round will best suit their bike over race distance. There's often a trade-off between early speed with a softer tire vs. consistent speed at the end of a race with something harder. The tires work best under a very narrow temp range, so each rider will choose based on their riding style, what works with their bike, how grippy the track surface is (some tracks are very grippy but destroy tires), and what the weather may be.

Saturday
Free Practice 3 (FP3) - 45 minutes in morning
Free Practice 4 (FP4) - 30 minutes in early afternoon
Qualifying No. 1 (Q1) - 15 minutes in afternoon
Qualifying No. 2 (Q2) - 15 minutes in afternoon

All the times from the first three FP sessions are aggregated, and the 10 riders who turned the fastest single lap automatically advance to Q2 (FP4 doesn't count towards qualifying, so it is used to work on a good race setup, and can often give a hint as to who will be fast in the race). The remaining 14 riders go to Q1 to do a session that decides the back half of the starting grid (12 places). The two fastest single lap riders in Q1 will advance to join the 10 riders already in Q2, with times all erased. Then those top 12 riders set their fastest laps to decide the starting order for the front half of the grid. As these sessions are short, but the lifespans of soft qualifying tires even shorter (not to mention trying to run with the lightest fuel load possible), most riders do their qualifying sessions in two shots, out for a few laps to set a good baseline, in to the pits, then out again for a final dash to put it all on the line. It's not unusual for the two riders who advanced from Q1 to do well in Q2, as they have that little bit of extra track time to really dial in a good setting.

The grid is typically eight staggered rows of three bikes spaced 9 meters apart (I think?).

As the time gaps have gotten much smaller over the past few years, qualifying (or quali, or QP) has taken on a much larger importance. It used to be that starting on the third or fourth row was bad, but if you had good race pace, you could still make your way though to win. Rossi was famous for this, as he was never the best qualifier. Now, it can be catastrophic to be off the first three rows, as making up that distance is just too difficult, especially for bikes like the Yamaha, which prioritise corner speed over straight line speed. Also, as aero has become a much larger part of the bikes, being behind can be both a help and a hindrance. Again, the Yamahas tend to work best out front in clear air, as being behind heats up their tires, changing the pressure and taking away grip. Last year, Quartararo was incredibly consistent in qualifying, regularly on the front row, which helped massively with his race times and was the foundation of his championship. This year, he hasn't been as fast so far (at least in preseason testing and the first race), so Yamaha will have to find a way to improve his qualifying performance in order to successfully defend the title.

I've actually started enjoying watching the two QP sessions almost as much as the race, as it usually offers lots of drama with riders jumping to the top of the sheets right at the end of the sessions, or a badly timed crash invalidating a fast lap due to yellow flags. Having a bad session can ruin your weekend. Brad Binder was someone who really suffered with poor qualifying on his KTM last year. He regularly started 12th or worse, but was able to make up a bunch of places and run similar lap times to the podium riders in the race. But because he started so far back, he would end with a heroic 5th, or thereabouts.

Sunday
Warm Up (WUP) - 20 minutes in morning
Race - ~40-45 minutes in afternoon

The big day. Warm up is often used to try to fine tune a setup, especially if the weather has changed from the various FP sessions. A few degrees difference in track temperature can massively change how a certain tire performs, so they may also make last-minute changes with their tire selection based on data from the warmup session. Typically, teams who feel comfortable will stick with their tire plans, while teams who are struggling may gamble with a compound different from the consensus in hopes of getting lucky. This gamble rarely pays off.

During the race, you can have what's called a flag-to-flag, where riders are permitted to change bikes if rain stops or starts so they can have tires appropriate to the conditions. This can get very dramatic, as some riders may change bikes early while others change late or not at all. Riding slicks in the rain has been compared to riding on bowling balls with no brakes, as the rubber gets rock hard and the carbon brakes can't generate enough heat to get sticky. The second race in Austria last year is a great example of how wild flag-to-flag races can get, though I'm personally not a fan, as luck can play as much a part as skill.

Whew. This was supposed to be just a short bit listing the session timing, but as usual, I've typed a novel. Hope it helps the shape of the weekend make sense...

(Oh. one other thing that may be confusing: track limits. The used to have dirt or grass outside the curbs, which naturally presented their own discouragement from riding there - though Rossi famously used the dirt to win some big races. As a safety precaution, they paved many of those areas, but painted them bright green. To keep riders from using those sections to their advantage, the instituted a harsh 'track limits' system, where lap times for qualifying don't count if even a sliver of a tire hits the green, and if they hit the green in the race, they get what's called a 'track limits warning'. If they hit the green again, they have to do what's called a 'long lap', where they have to run a predetermined corner on a lengthened stretch off the track as a time penalty.)

Awesome write up, thanks for the effort!

In the documentary they highlighted a bit Qualification when riders are seeking for the free "tow" - that's looks like fun to watch live

And since when they start using wings on bikes? I saw them a few weekends ago on a new Duke V4 and happy owner said "like in MotoGP" so I had to look closer to those race bikes - wow, like F1 now with all the air direction control?

And what about that magical device what Mir started using on his Suzuki only in the middle of the last season? what does it do in corners to make bike faster?

 

[Ash]

And since when they start using wings on bikes? I saw them a few weekends ago on a new Duke V4 and happy owner said "like in MotoGP" so I had to look closer to those race bikes - wow, like F1 now with all the air direction control?

And what about that magical device what Mir started using on his Suzuki only in the middle of the last season? what does it do in corners to make bike faster?

MotoGP bikes are now so powerful and tires are so sticky that the big limiting factor in their overall speed isn't how much horsepower they have, it's the ability to prevent wheelies under acceleration. Wings showed up on Ducatis a couple of years ago to counter the wheelie effect and give downforce while cornering, and all the other manufacturers followed soon after. Wings are tricky though, since if they're tuned to work well at relatively slow speed they will generally add drag which can limit top speed. Bikes aren't allowed to use movable wings like airplane ailerons or like F1 DRS flaps though; they have to be fixed.

The other magical device is a suspension ride-height device. Ducati was the first to start using a holeshot device on race starts. Like a motocross holeshot device, it was pretty simple and just locks the suspension in a compressed state to prevent wheelies on the launch. And so all the other manufacturers had to come up with their own holeshot devices too. Ducati then went a step further and was the first to make a ride-height device that could be triggered by the rider while riding, which is typically used on corner exit (again, to prevent wheelies). You can actually see these devices working when the bike abruptly squats down when exiting a corner. All the other manufacturers were compelled to come up with their own versions in order to be competitive. Due to the wording of the rules that were in place before these devices existed, they can only be triggered manually by the rider using mechanical or hydraulic activation. No electronic suspension is allowed.

The drawback of all of these wings and devices is that they cost a lot of money to develop, so teams/manufacturers that have less funding (like Aprilia) are at a disadvantage. Wings in particular are very expensive to develop, due to the need for access to a big wind tunnel and complicated modelling software. There are also some safety concerns with wings sticking out the sides of the bikes, so the rules are trying to prevent manufacturers from going crazy with them.

 

[Ash]

Here's an article talking about the ride-height devices. Check out the pictures of the ridiculous amount of crap hanging off the left handlebar:

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/motorcycles/motogp/should-motogp-ban-shapeshifters

Pretty much everyone has a lever or paddle for the dynamic ride-height device, plus a lever or paddle for the rear brake, plus all the buttons for the electronics, plus a remote adjuster for the front brake lever, plus the regular clutch...

Aprilia:

Ducati:

 

[GreyGhost]

MotoGP bikes are now so powerful and tires are so sticky that the big limiting factor in their overall speed isn't how much horsepower they have, it's the ability to prevent wheelies under acceleration. Wings showed up on Ducatis a couple of years ago to counter the wheelie effect and give downforce while cornering, and all the other manufacturers followed soon after. Wings are tricky though, since if they're tuned to work well at relatively slow speed they will generally add drag which can limit top speed. Bikes aren't allowed to use movable wings like airplane ailerons or like F1 DRS flaps though; they have to be fixed.

The other magical device is a suspension ride-height device. Ducati was the first to start using a holeshot device on race starts. Like a motocross holeshot device, it was pretty simple and just locks the suspension in a compressed state to prevent wheelies on the launch. And so all the other manufacturers had to come up with their own holeshot devices too. Ducati then went a step further and was the first to make a ride-height device that could be triggered by the rider while riding, which is typically used on corner exit (again, to prevent wheelies). You can actually see these devices working when the bike abruptly squats down when exiting a corner. All the other manufacturers were compelled to come up with their own versions in order to be competitive. Due to the wording of the rules that were in place before these devices existed, they can only be triggered manually by the rider using mechanical or hydraulic activation. No electronic suspension is allowed.

The drawback of all of these wings and devices is that they cost a lot of money to develop, so teams/manufacturers that have less funding (like Aprilia) are at a disadvantage. Wings in particular are very expensive to develop, due to the need for access to a big wind tunnel and complicated modelling software. There are also some safety concerns with wings sticking out the sides of the bikes, so the rules are trying to prevent manufacturers from going crazy with them.

It would be amazing to learn about wing design on a bike. Downforce in a straight line is outward force in a corner which should reduce cornering speeds. Obviously you are cornering a bit slower so that helps but I suspect they are trying to spoil the flow when leaned over (passively) so you lose the downforce. Now, if you could get downforce when leaned over (wing down from axle?) you could increase cornering grip. In that case, you'd want that wing out of the airflow while vertical (tucked in behind flow around tire when speed exceeds x?). Cool stuff and much different than car aero.

 

[Ash]

It would be amazing to learn about wing design on a bike. Downforce in a straight line is outward force in a corner which should reduce cornering speeds. Obviously you are cornering a bit slower so that helps but I suspect they are trying to spoil the flow when leaned over (passively) so you lose the downforce. Now, if you could get downforce when leaned over (wing down from axle?) you could increase cornering grip. In that case, you'd want that wing out of the airflow while vertical (tucked in behind flow around tire when speed exceeds x?). Cool stuff and much different than car aero.

Yup. Ducatis now have small, nearly vertical wings on the lower fairing that are extremely close to and parallel to the ground when the bike is leaned over. The idea is that they're trying to get a ground effect of some sort.

Cool engineering. Ugly as hell though.

 

[Priller]

There's a weird separation of duties between Race Direction and the FIM Stewards that I still don't fully understand:

Race Direction and FIM Stewards: Vito Ippolito explains

FIM President Vito Ippolito has given an interview in which he explains what has changed in terms of the disciplinary procedures since 2016.

www.motogp.com

I believe Race Direction is the same set of people for every race, but the penalties are handed out by the FIM Stewards which are not the same set of people from race to race. So there's some inconsistency baked right into the system. And maybe because the race stewards come and go, they're less likely to make a bold decision to penalize a MotoGP title contender?

Riders 'unanimous' in criticism of MotoGP stewarding - The Race

MotoGP riders are "unanimous" in wanting to see changes to stewards' decision-making, according to Aleix Espargaro

the-race.com

To be honest, I'm not certain how it's currently structured. I know Freddie Spencer is one of the guys who makes a call about penalties, because he got a lot of criticism last year, so I assume that's the stewards. But in the Unlimited episode on Quartararo's wardrobe malfunction, it was Mike Webb who was apologising and saying they screwed up. According to the second link, it's Fast Freddie, some AMA guy (WTF?) and a rotating third member on the stewards panel. Maybe they went with Americans to avoid any accusations of bias between the Spanish and Italian sides of the paddock?

European soccer is struggling with similar inconsistency with their Video Assistant Referee system. Part of the problem is rules that are so vaguely worded that it almost seems intentional...

Awesome write up, thanks for the effort!

Glad it helped. If nothing else, I hope I got across that every session in a race weekend matters, a lot! Testing time is now so limited (due to keeping development costs down so the big boys like Honda have a harder time spending their ways to championships), every single minute of track time for these riders is valuable.

In the documentary they highlighted a bit Qualification when riders are seeking for the free "tow" - that's looks like fun to watch live

It can be, for sure, but the tow stuff can also be very dangerous. There has historically been a gentleman's approach, where if someone says they don't want to be followed, you either back off or go around. Marc Marquez has thrown that out the window and flat-out ignored riders who clearly don't want him on their wheel. The most egregious example was him following Vinales last year, but he did it for most of the season. Lots have defended him, saying he's not technically breaking the rules and actually complimented him for doing whatever it takes to win, but my issue is that by being so obvious about it, he's actually forcing a need to make some rules where there didn't need to be before him. And there are so many grey areas around tows etc. that it opens a whole can of worms around making rules that are enforceable, make sense, and don't leave too much room for interpretation. If he'd just stop being a jerk about it, all that crap goes away.

And since when they start using wings on bikes? I saw them a few weekends ago on a new Duke V4 and happy owner said "like in MotoGP" so I had to look closer to those race bikes - wow, like F1 now with all the air direction control?

And what about that magical device what Mir started using on his Suzuki only in the middle of the last season? what does it do in corners to make bike faster?

Bah. Had a much longer response typed up, but @Ash above summarised it better and more succinctly than I was going to...

MotoGP bikes are now so powerful and tires are so sticky that the big limiting factor in their overall speed isn't how much horsepower they have, it's the ability to prevent wheelies under acceleration. Wings showed up on Ducatis a couple of years ago to counter the wheelie effect and give downforce while cornering, and all the other manufacturers followed soon after. Wings are tricky though, since if they're tuned to work well at relatively slow speed they will generally add drag which can limit top speed. Bikes aren't allowed to use movable wings like airplane ailerons or like F1 DRS flaps though; they have to be fixed.

To add, they have to allow for 65 degrees of lean while also not pushing the tire away from the apex! Much more complex than cars for that reason.

The other magical device is a suspension ride-height device. Ducati was the first to start using a holeshot device on race starts. Like a motocross holeshot device, it was pretty simple and just locks the suspension in a compressed state to prevent wheelies on the launch. And so all the other manufacturers had to come up with their own holeshot devices too. Ducati then went a step further and was the first to make a ride-height device that could be triggered by the rider while riding, which is typically used on corner exit (again, to prevent wheelies). You can actually see these devices working when the bike abruptly squats down when exiting a corner. All the other manufacturers were compelled to come up with their own versions in order to be competitive. Due to the wording of the rules that were in place before these devices existed, they can only be triggered manually by the rider using mechanical or hydraulic activation. No electronic suspension is allowed.

Ducati also freaked everyone out by adding a front shapeshifter this year, but I was watching FP1 in Indonesia last night, and Simon Crafar was saying that they'd removed it. Maybe not ready for primetime? Or maybe a concession to avoid them being banned altogether?

The amount of stuff these riders have to manage in the course of a lap is just mind boggling. Millimeter perfect lines, crawl all over the bike to help weight distribution, hang out legs to settle and block passes, latest possible braking points and feel of the front on corner entry while handling 2+ g of deceleration, lean angles so steep that the limiting factor is the space between the bike and ground for the rider to squeeze into, throttle management on exit to save your tire over 20+ laps, and now a bunch of levers to lower your bike on corner exit. It's no wonder these guys are up there with pro cyclists for fitness, as any fatigue advantage gives you that teeny bit of added brain capacity to handle it all. It's really incredible.

The drawback of all of these wings and devices is that they cost a lot of money to develop, so teams/manufacturers that have less funding (like Aprilia) are at a disadvantage. Wings in particular are very expensive to develop, due to the need for access to a big wind tunnel nd complicated modelling software. There are also some safety concerns with wings sticking out the sides of the bikes, so the rules are trying to prevent manufacturers from going crazy with them.

Ironically, Aprilia has benefitted from this stuff more than most. They had a ride height device very early, and their aero package is visibly more aggressive than anyone except Ducati. It's the Japanese factories who have struggled, as they tend to be very conservative with new elements. All three Japanese teams have been behind the curve with aero in particular, and Yamaha apparently got it wrong again this year by making a wing that's too big for their (lower power) motor, at least at Qatar, with the negative effect on top speed outbalancing the improved acceleration.

It would be amazing to learn about wing design on a bike. Downforce in a straight line is outward force in a corner which should reduce cornering speeds. Obviously you are cornering a bit slower so that helps but I suspect they are trying to spoil the flow when leaned over (passively) so you lose the downforce. Now, if you could get downforce when leaned over (wing down from axle?) you could increase cornering grip. In that case, you'd want that wing out of the airflow while vertical (tucked in behind flow around tire when speed exceeds x?). Cool stuff and much different than car aero.

They must take advantage of the fact that bikes (even race bikes with rock hard suspension) change their pitch attitude a lot more than cars. The reason forks are still the go-to for front suspension is they allow for carefully tuned geometry changes on corner entry, lowering the front to sharpen the steering to the apex. Then on exit, the nose lifts (as does the rear on a normal bike, due to chain lift), which is when you want those wings to be at their most efficient. Making non-adjustable aero work under such a huge variety of conditions is incredible.

They do seem to want some downforce while leaned, as all the wings are curved, though I'm not sure if that's for corner exit or entry.

 

[Ash]

It can be, for sure, but the tow stuff can also be very dangerous. There has historically been a gentleman's approach, where if someone says they don't want to be followed, you either back off or go around. Marc Marquez has thrown that out the window and flat-out ignored riders who clearly don't want him on their wheel. The most egregious example was him following Vinales last year, but he did it for most of the season. Lots have defended him, saying he's not technically breaking the rules and actually complimented him for doing whatever it takes to win, but my issue is that by being so obvious about it, he's actually forcing a need to make some rules where there didn't need to be before him. And there are so many grey areas around tows etc. that it opens a whole can of worms around making rules that are enforceable, make sense, and don't leave too much room for interpretation. If he'd just stop being a jerk about it, all that crap goes away.

I've now finished watching the Unlimited series. It is really very good. The first couple of episodes felt pretty choppy and superficial, but it gets stronger starting with episode 4 and 5. Even so, there's so much that a casual observer won't get, like how absolutely dominant Marc Marquez has been throughout his career, and how much controversy has followed him for his tactics. They easily could have done an entire episode on him.

Like at one point they introduced a completely new penalty points system, in large part to attempt to address some of his worst behaviours: MotoGP's Penalty Point System Is No More

There are quite a few rules in the book that were clearly instituted by a particular incident, like the new Quartararo rule that basically makes it crystal clear that "your riding gear must be correctly fastened at all times while on track", but it takes a special kind of rider to trigger the creation of an entire penalty points system.

 

[Sochi]

There are quite a few rules in the book that were clearly instituted by a particular incident, like the new Quartararo rule that basically makes it crystal clear that "your riding gear must be correctly fastened at all times while on track", but it takes a special kind of rider to trigger the creation of an entire penalty points system.

haha, i just watched that episode with french guy riding with his skinny bare chest right into the camera and everyone in control room totally got lost about what to do for a second

I also would note that shows like this helps to get understanding human side of these crazy kids - Marc looks so innocent and nice off the bike
and I am def a fan of Maverick now - I thought his a total as**le based on TV reports him revving his engine, but in reality he's just so extreme and sensible: 100% good or 100% bad - no middle ground (lol, reminds me of younger self) .. and watching him with his baby, ooh..

 

[Priller]

I've now finished watching the Unlimited series. It is really very good. The first couple of episodes felt pretty choppy and superficial, but it gets stronger starting with episode 4 and 5. Even so, there's so much that a casual observer won't get, like how absolutely dominant Marc Marquez has been throughout his career, and how much controversy has followed him for his tactics. They easily could have done an entire episode on him.

Very glad to hear it stays good. We're stalled before episode 6, but 4 and 5 were great. I've always liked Aleix Espargaro (even if he is a bit of a hypocrite sometimes by complaining about other riders doing the same as him), but he's been the star of the show for me. A guy who is a giant bundle of emotion, and who rides with a lot of passion. You can see why he's stayed in the paddock despite a lack of results.

It's hard to explain to people who don't watch regularly just how supernaturally talented he is (was?), visibly doing things on a bike that even other champions simply couldn't do. I remember a comparison of a corner a few years ago where both he and Lorenzo washed out the front in the exact same spot. Marquez pulled off one of his patented miracle saves, while Lorenzo was picking gravel out of his helmet.

Like at one point they introduced a completely new penalty points system, in large part to attempt to address some of his worst behaviours: MotoGP's Penalty Point System Is No More

There are quite a few rules in the book that were clearly instituted by a particular incident, like the new Quartararo rule that basically makes it crystal clear that "your riding gear must be correctly fastened at all times while on track", but it takes a special kind of rider to trigger the creation of an entire penalty points system.

To be fair, Rossi was another one who bent and broke rules regularly to win. Both Gibernau and Stoner have legit complaints that were ignored because of Rossi's status, and they're far from the only ones. But Marquez doesn't have Rossi's charm (even if I think he is/was a better rider), so it's easier to cast him as a villain.

Not that I'm defending him. His games drive me crazy, and I really don't ever want to return to the days of his utter dominance. I got to see him be probably the greatest motorcycle racer of all time, but I'd be happy if those days are behind us. I can appreciate him without liking him...

 

[Ash]

I also would note that shows like this helps to get understanding human side of these crazy kids - Marc looks so innocent and nice off the bike
and I am def a fan of Maverick now - I thought his a total as**le based on TV reports him revving his engine, but in reality he's just so extreme and sensible: 100% good or 100% bad - no middle ground (lol, reminds me of younger self) .. and watching him with his baby, ooh..

Knowing the personalities of the riders is a huge part of the race experience, so I hope the Unlimited show helps draw new people in. Watching a race without knowing who any of the riders is isn't nearly as engaging as when you know who they all are.

I don't watch World SuperBike/SuperSport (WSBK) for this reason, because I already watch all of MotoGP/Moto2/Moto3 and some of CEV Moto2/Moto3 (the European junior feeder series for MotoGP/Moto2/Moto3). I just don't have room in my brain to keep track of the riders in yet another series.

Like @Priller mentioned, Aleix Espargaro is the standout personality in the show for me that I wasn't previously very familiar with. Like Petrucci, he's toiled at the back of the field on uncompetitive bikes for years, so it's good to see him get some success and recognition.

 

[Priller]

Finally got to the end. Absolutely loved the last five episodes, with so many highs to celebrate. Aprilia and Aleix's maiden MotoGP podium, Pecco's first MotoGP win, and Quartararo's title all left me with a lump in my throat. You really saw how much of a team sport it is, and how many people have put so much time into getting 24 riders around a track 24 or so times as fast as possible on a Sunday. I've seen a bunch of bits and pieces through the Dorna MotoGP app, but adding the friends and family element really filled in the character of many of the riders. I think it was David Emmett, the GP journalist, who said that very few people seemed to see the riders as he saw them, making assumptions about their character based on post-race interviews etc. He thought the series did a much better job of showing who these racers are in reality.

I'd love them to follow some of the background folks in upcoming seasons, whether it's the data analyst geeks or the wrench spinners or the Ohlins/Showa/WP suspension folks or Michelin tire gurus. Seeing the consequences of a crash for example, with the late nights required to rebuild an impeccable and pristine motorcycle in time for the first session the next morning.

There were some odd omissions, most notably Zarco, though I'm not sure if that was because of brevity and not having time to introduce so many players or because those riders weren't interested in participating. It felt weird to not even mention Zarco except in the top three list they showed before each round, especially when he was leading the championship for a bit.

The subtitles seemed to improve as well, at least for the Italians, not sure if Amazon updated them.

 

[Hardwrkr13]

It definitely gets better around ep4/5 and I’m guessing if they do season 2 it’ll focus more on the team instead of getting to know the rider which will be good.
My view on a few people has changed. I like Aleix and Lin Jarvis more, and Maverick less.