MotoGP | 2024 | Silly Season

I know it was a V5 then too but I don’t think his was the best in those years as they shrunk it for Pedrosa among other things iirc… when VR rode it was when SG15 was winning on one too, and others I think, and it was more like the Ducs are today as being the best bike in the earlier 00s imo

the 800s changed it all with Stoner kicking ass then the Yamaha was good too… I don’t think the Honda has been the best bike since o3/04ish…

edit: and damn! I’m talking 20 years ago now… ffs where does the time go?!?!

 

Puig and Marquez inherited the bike that Livio Suppo and Stoner developed (the same duo that won a championship on a Ducati). The Honda slowly devolved into an unridable piece of shit. I know who I would get rid of and it ain’t the riders.

 

Yo @Sweatypants , I've been meaning to ask: is Repsol-good still a thing? Asking for a friend who has won two clubman races and is thinking about applying for the gig. He's pretty sure he couldn't get a LCR ride, as that hooptie actually won a race this year. But Repsol seems attainable.

 

you don’t forget a fucking thing! Ever

 

Now they’re saying that Luca Marini is leaving VR46 team to ride the honduh…at least they’re keeping people entertained with the rumors

 

^^^ This won't go away, will it?

Honestly, look at the talent in line for the Ducati factory team: Pecco, Martin, Beast, Bez, AMarquez... Does that make Marini 6th in line? Maybe this fuels Luca's desire to switch to a factory team?

Luca has always been the thoughtful, methodical type. He could be the Italian savior of the Japanese program to keep the Spanish sponsor! (For the record, I agree with @cpetit and would change "other things" as well.)

-T

 

Dude from VR46 said on TV before the race that "the rumors are true" and that they are flattered that HRC has approached them to get one of their riders.

 

Interesting

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1040722/1/vr46-turn-attention-moto2-talent-replace-luca-marini

 

If HRC passes on Fermin A. for Marini I think that is a mistake. Honda have Zarco, Mir, and Nakagami (and test riders) to do bike development. Bring in some young talent.

 

In their situation, I think that experience trumps natural ability. They need all the help they can get. Also, I feel that are of people underestimate or even outright dismiss Marini because he's " just" Rossi's brother. I'm not saying you're running a championship but I'm not convinced that his long-run ceiling is lower than Zarco's.

 

I feel like I'm in the twilight zone... I can't, under any plausible explanation, fathom why Marini would leave the team. Possibly for money, but we have to assume the Rossis have all the money they would ever need and I'm pretty sure VR is not shy about sharing with his family. I'm at a complete loss to explain this.

 

Bro wants his shot at making his own name and his own buck. Can’t blame him. Gotta go out of your comfort zone sometimes. A Factory Honda Ride is still a prestigious and I’m assuming well paying gig. Also, it’ll be a new bike, and new experience. He’s done the Ducati thing and there’s no notion of him being up for a factory Ducati seat any time soon.

 

Exactly. That's actually the easiest thing to understand.

 

Yea but when your brother is one of the GOATS you should listen to him

 

I wouldn't be surprised to hear that his brother fully supports the move.

 

I heard/read that he does, but I can't remember where.......

 

as surprising as the development is to us all, I bet VR is not only supportive but an architect of the entire thing… remember he stayed at Ducati even when they couldn’t fix it in 15 min… took his money and went back to Yamaha

Luca has a huge line of talent in front of him for a factory Ducati seat… Honda will have him and Mir and after losing MM and Rins maybe they’ll build a decent bike again… no way VR is letting Luca make a move that isn’t the best for him… hopefully not just financially but he did just get married… maybe he wants a factory gig and pay and then be done and live the family life…

 

Funniest quote of the year was MM93’s saying they had to break some kind of record this year when asked about his record breaking 27th crash

they said Mir isn’t far behind him and both of them missed all kinds of races this season too!
Records are made to be broken

 

50 crashes between them. MM-27.JM-23. With each missing 9 races.

 

He probably read some old dusty book and is wondering "what if he never tried it".