MotoGP | 2023 | Silly Season

I thought he was a free agent after this year?

 

"That’s also something that Beirer alluded to in his Speedweek interview, dismissing initial reports of an escape penalty of €1.3 million but not quite ruling out that it was going to cost the highly-rated Spanish rookie to get out of his deal.

“This amount is incorrect. But Raul Fernandez, like Miguel Oliveira, has a contractual relationship with us. And that should be properly resolved."

Link to the article regarding his potential move to Aprilia here.

 

Toprak in morbidelli out

 

If that's true, that's amazing and awesome.

If true.

 

Cite?

 

Just reading between the lines in a couple articles. Less sure about toprak but pretty confident morbidelli will be gone for 2023

 

Here's one part of the equation
https://www.motorcyclesports.net/ar...tion-i-believe-they-will-comply-but-who-knows

 

Normally I’d agree but this does appear to be extenuating circumstances. He’s sitting 19th with only 25 points over halfway into the season while his teammate is leading the championship. That’s a tough pill for any team to swallow.

 

I really like Morbidelli, but in Yamaha’s position it’d be stupid to continue with him. They’ll only have 2 bikes on the grid next season, they can’t afford to have half their team languishing down in 20th.

I feel really bad for Morbidelli, he was going like stink in 2020 and it looks like the knee injury permanently derailed his career. If I were in Yamaha’s position though, I’d cut him loose. Morbidelli isn’t suddenly going to turn it around next season. Better to just take a flyer on someone else. Toprak makes a lot of sense in the context of taking a gamble.

 

Completely agree and Toprak would be my choice as well.

 

But MotoGP doesn't 'seem' to be Toprack's choice...

 

With a legit factory Yamaha contract in front of him, I’m sure he’d make new choices right quick.

 

I wouldn't be so sure. Hell, I wouldn't even be sure that his current contract is specifically restricted to superbikes. It wouldn't be the first time Yamaha has given someone an open-ended (for lack of a better term) contract.

 

Don’t need him, plenty of other proven talent already established.

 

I'd be real curious to know if the telemetry from topraks time on the GP bike showed a similar riding style to quateraro... Wouldn't that be interesting?

 

So if you were running the Yamaha team, who would you chose over him? They already have Quart, so they aren't hurting in MotoGP, but we all know they don't want a Mark Marquez situation.

I can totally understand, it would be easier to leave Toprak in WSBK if he really wants to stay, which it seems like he and Sofuoglu do, and try to dominate WSBK. Then you don't get a bummed out rider, like Fernandez with KTM, being forced to MotoGP when he didn't want it.

 

Sending toprak to gp would feel a bit wasteful. Current setup gives yamaha very good opportunities for double championships. Don’t see anyone in yamahas pipeline filling topraks shoes if he vacated his wsbk seat. Moving him now guarantees no wsbk championship. And to gain what? A potential 1,2 in gp at best when the #1 spot is already in hand?

 

Another thing to consider is Toprak is at the top in a series that seems to be in a growth state. MotoGP is at a peak (how long will it last) and he’s a great rider with an interesting story, but with no guarantee of success.

 

Dorna doesn't care about superbikes. Their bread-and-butter is MotoGP.