MotoGP | 2024 | Silly Season

that KXRP youtube live concert series has provided so many new to me bands in recent years… cool varieties that I’d never come across otherwise….

Idles are too thrash punk for me… but they rock for sure

 

I just lost all interest in the remainder of the 2023 season.

 

The problem isn't Cal, it's Yamaha.

 

https://x.com/IntactGP/status/1709481601720066127?s=20

 

I hope that Yamaha does take testing seriously, as I'd like to see FQ and whomever gets Morbidelli's seat have a chance.
It makes it more interesting.

Cal, IMO is not the right guy, even if Yamaha were to get serious.
@Bruce ^^

 

Alex Rins

 

Yamaha can test whomever they want but until they and Honda spend some serious coin on R&D they are gonna be left behind. Be interesting to see team budgets for R&D, bet you Ducati outspends them all.

 

I think "spending some serious coin on R&D" is oversimplifying the answer. Any fool can spend money and get nowhere. It's where you spend that coin that is the key, and you have to have the right people that understand where it must be spent. Gigi Dall'igna is the example that comes to mind. But even more important is that the Japanese factories must fundamentally change the way they think about how to improve their bikes. That will be hard.

 

smart move. at least the Yamahahahaha doesn't intentionally try to kill you every turn.

 

The question for the Japanese factories is how they can improve while still saving face and living up to the Japanese cultural expectations. Its like they need to fight ducati but with only allowing themselves 1/4 of the needed tools.

I suspect they'll look for a way to exit the motogp paddock altogether. They need an excuse like war or financal depression.

 

Consider the decision within the context of the absolutely-known condition of the Honda.

 

Alex Márquez on Instagram
“I know that today has not been an easy day for you, but you are brave and life rewards those who value it! Few of us know what you've been through since 2020 and it's time for you to go back to 100% of what you like the most.”
#MotoGP

 

Haven’t really watched this season other than following post race reports etc. so I can’t handicap those. I was referring to classic grands prix. I think the GPs are more indicative of overall performance anyway.

Sprints, I’m sure he’ll win relatively more than GPs since the older machine and non-factory support will be less of a factor.

Marc could make a very strong case for the championship on the basis of winning plenty of sprints and being always competitive in races. If Bags throws away races he doesn’t have to as is his wont Marc can take it.

I’ll stand by my earlier prediction and throw a 40% chance of Marc winning the title out there, if he is indeed going to Gresini and there’s not something out of left field happening.

Zarco’s secretly a cat. I wouldn’t be that surprised to see him land at Yamaha circa 2025 actually. Why not? If Quart ejects as he definitely should, Rins can win races and contend for titles and Zarco can be the stable old head who won’t win titles but is damned fast and knows his role. He’ll be a French version of Colin.

Yamaha I can imagine leaving. The bike has been degrading consistently since the switch to Michelins and control ECUs. They’ve never shown any real signs of improvement since then. Honda? They’ve been a stalwart of GP and are the winningest factory since they joined. They have the resources to turn it around but they’re going about it in slow burn Japanese fashioned compared to the Euros. Honda is also doing way more than Yamaha to evolve if not enough.

Soicihiro fashioned them as the most Americanized large company in Japan, it’s too bad they’ve seemingly lost much of that spirit. I think they still have enough fire to recover though.

Eventually the worm will turn and Honda will return to winning. Honda is too stubborn and prideful to run. Yamaha? They keep spinning their wheels (literally too) and have never seemingly made lasting directional improvement the past 7 or so years.

A fair point, but it still takes a lot of courage to trade in the devil you know for the one you don’t. Especially when you’re giving up tons of money, resources of the winningest team in GP, and have to actively break your contract instead of just non-renewing.

 

A couple comments. Japanese companies like Honda and Yamaha are such big companies that offer so much more then motorcycles. Which also means red tape, when it comes to spending and budgets. Shifting dollars to other business units etc.. Also, I would think what is going to drive sales. I dont follow Honda stock, but I do follow Yamaha stock and they are doing very well over the past 5 years. Ducati is a small "mom and pop" shop compared to the big Japanese companies. They can be very focused and easier to get budgets etc..

Second. I think the Yamaha is a better turd than the Honda turd. Meaning I think Yamaha can get to the front sooner than Honda. The Honda turd was masked a little bit because of Marc's talent. Now that he is gone.... It will expose even more how bad that bike is. It will force Honda to make some drastic changes or depart MotoGP.

In reality, I think MotoGP is going to go away due to more companies leaving, electric takeover, etc.. Prob 10 years max until it is replaced.

 

Ducati is owned by Lamborghini which is owned by Audi which in turn is part of Volkswagen group.
Ducati has bucks backing them up not just from VG but from sponsors throwing cash at them.

is Phillip Morris out of racing now? Ducati had Marlboro as a sponsor up until a year or two ago, is it gone now?

 

Going on a guess but my guess is Marc will be on better equipment then lead on to believe. I doubt he will be riding on 2 year old hand me down bikes.

 

No one is. It's one year or current.

 

He had the balls to leave a championship winning Honda, and go the the complete turd of a Yamaha, and immediately win on it. Takes more balls to do that IMO, than cut short a contract early and jump ship from an employer that stood by you while you were injured, to one that has a near monopoly on race winning motorycles........

 

That was one giant rectal slurp, my friend. Rossi is gonna be winping up for days.

 

Game over next year.