Boom! Good for Smith and good for KTM. Smith's extremely analytical nature should suit them well! http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2016/03/20/ktm-signs-bradley-smith-as-motogp-factory-rider/196087
Of that list, Rins seems like the only one that Yamaha would actually care about. Zarco seems to have his future in MotoGP, but I doubt with Tech 3. The rest of those guys are already GP veteran status and they haven't been strong enough prospects to eventually fill the shoes of Valentino Rossi or Jorge Lorenzo.
I was thinking that was wild speculation but yeap, KTM for 2. Interesting choice, Not the worst one. Who will be running the bikes, AJO?
Maybe I'm way out of line on Zarco but he seems to go near perfect when the bike is perfect. When it's not 100% he seems to be rattled and has lost the race before it starts. Even on a Tech 3 he'd be that small percentage off. Factory Yamaha or nothing.
My post wasn't an endorsement of Zarco. I just don't think that he and Tech 3 are good match for a few reasons. He's not going straight to Factory Yamaha either.
So... Maverick may be chained to Suzuki against his will, Rins is looking more and more likely to get Pedrosa's Repsol Honda spot, and the hottest seat on the grid may wide open for the taking right now. The plot thickens! (See second half of the article attached) https://motomatters.com/news/2016/04/14/suzuki_private_test_on_progress_with_the.html
I'm surprised that it's happening. I surely thought the Thugs of Rufea would squash that possibility. Can you imagine if he comes into that team the same way that Marquez did? 2017 could be intense!
I was wondering if it was Rins that had the beef with the Marquez clan. Don't recall the details either, but that could definitely make things interesting in the Honda garage.
Rins is good, but is he really THAT good? Marquez went straight to factory because he was god damned unstoppable. But how is Rins blowing peoples doors off?
Well this might have shaken things up a little bit. No more 24th grid spot for 2017. https://motomatters.com/news/2016/05/02/24th_grid_slot_for_2017_withdrawn_due_to.html
Okay, I'll say it. Suzuki, you blow dead monkeys! You need the 3rd and perhaps a 4th bike to help develop your motogp bike and at the very least, you could supply "last year's" bike. That PR pisses me the f@ck off.