MotoGP | 2023 | Silly Season

But goes to shit when there’s more than a handful of laps worth of fuel on board…

 

They should start him with a half fuel load and pit for a splash and go. He'd probably finish ahead of where he is now. lol

 

Must be big dollar sponsorship bucks coming from the new Top Gun movie.

 

Kind of surprised they didn't go after Pol.

 

Maverick underperforming on a race-winning bike.... Where have we seen this before?

 

It’s probably at least 50% PR. They’re doing well and need to shake the reputation of going through riders like used tissue. Maverick is also a known quantity and a useful reference point. He was winning on the M1 before he attempted to blow it the fuck up.

 

https://www.autosport.com/motogp/news/aprilia-and-rnf-join-forces-from-2023/10311101/

 

Really starting to doubt that Razlan Razal should be running a MotoGP team

 

Why would the Aprilia switch make you say that? That team can’t really do worse than they currently are. The Aprilia is probably also a cheaper lease, and Aprilia will probably treat them as a partner rather than a dirty unwashed customer.

 

Aprilia seems to be on the up swing while rnf seems good at turning good things into garbage

 

How you figure? When Fabio was with them, he performed quite well. But the equipment they've been provided had become arguably the worst bike on the grid. Admittedly, their rider choice this year is a bit baffling but not sure what else brings you to this conclusion.

 

He was doing very well in the Fabio/Frankie days.

Then he got dealt some bad cards.

• Petronas out, not really his fault.
• Was 'handed' Rossi, ...didn't have much choice.
• Frankie mushed out his knee.
• This year he rolled the dice on Dovi which ended up a dud. Most people thought this was a good move.
• He got Bradle Jr because of contractual obligations, M2 team was folding.

Hopefully Aprilia will be a good option.

 

If that TV show is even 10% real, he seems like a real shit bag. Who would want to work for someone like that? I don't see that team going anywhere no matter what bike they have. With Mav staying on i think Aleix is the only hope Aprilia has for success in the foreseeable future.

 

same feeling I got from him

 

The lease costs are kind of moot, Dorna pays that. Spares, replacement parts, updates and the hookers and blow are where they might save some bucks. Like you said, aprilia will probably treat them like a partner and not just a revenue source.
Who rides the bikes is going to be the interesting part of the news.

 

Can a guy dream about about Dorna prioritizing (funding) getting am American in one of those seats? If my dreams come true, who would it be?

If Cam continues his upward trajectory this year, I say he's in the running for that seat.

 

Or does RNF go after Rins, or Pol...or young Moto2 rider? Aldeguer? Do you think they try to get at least one young Italian on the team like Vietti?

 

Like others have said, Razlan really showed his ass in MotoGP Unlimited so I have no faith in his team. He simply got lucky and struck gold with Fabio and Franky, and got cocky enough to believe he had the midas touch. Lets take a further look into these points above, the "bad cards" he was dealt:

• Petronas out, not really his fault.
  
  He rejected the initial offer from Petronas. They said it was that deal or nothing, so they took their ball and went home. Absolutely his fault.
  
  
• Was 'handed' Rossi, ...didn't have much choice.
  
  Was gifted a factory bike, sponsorship, and the most popular rider on the planet for free, yet managed to complain and squander it all away. He should've been leveraging all of that to benefit the entire team.
  
  
• Frankie mushed out his knee.
  
  Only really impacted the team for a few races before he got called into the factory team because of Maverick.
  
  
• This year he rolled the dice on Dovi which ended up a dud. Most people thought this was a good move.
  
  Who are these "most people"? Dovi got that ride because WithU is cutting the 7 figure checks and Yamaha needed a test mule on the grid. I don't think anyone besides Razlan actually thought Dovi would produce, especially when Aprilia said "no thanks" after having him test the RS-GP multiple times.
  
  
• He got Bradle Jr because of contractual obligations, M2 team was folding.
  
  A MotoGP ride being the result of a Moto2 contractual obligation that wasn't strictly related to performance....man this guy really is dumber than I thought.

 

Razali said he wants to be a true JR team. Bring up guys. Given the current talent availability having one of those seats filled by Rins or P Esp. sure seems smart. Doubt Joe gets a second ask, but Cam would be cool. Could even be a nice change of scenery for GG. I can dream… I say that while also having doubts about RNF and Aprilia.

 

If Aprilia/Piaggio/RNF prioritize youth plus marketing, Somkiat (vespa, etc in asia) and Beau/Roberts (Ape in US) make sense…. Actually, if Somkiat’s form keeps up and Honda doesn’t put him on a LCR bike/pay a lot to keep him in M2, I believe Somkiat to RNF is a lock… As for the Americans, could see Dixon or Arboloni getting the nod… From the racing potential aspect, Tony would be a great choice….