MotoGP, Sepang Test | Feb 2019

I think the pointy end of the grid right now is too good for them to out right win a dry race, but I wouldn't be surprised by a podium or 2 in a dry race, or a wet win.

I'm looking forward to watching Quartararo this year. I think that guy is going to cause a few guys in the front pack/top 10 some headaches in a very Simoncelli way. I doubt he'll have the consistency or race distance stamina (tire conservation ability) to constantly challenge for the podium, but I predict some flashes of brilliance/entertainment. Very entertaining riding style. I'll go out on a limb and say rookie of the year.

4 weeks, can't wait. This off season feels like it has gone by much quicker than years past.

 

Final day 2

Read that outright lap record was 1:58.830 set by Lorenzo last year in testing. Maverick is knocking on that door.

 

good to see Piano company at the top. but it's practice, so not holding my breath. MM93 going to win another championship.

 

Does anybody work harder than Tito? Guy almost always puts in the most laps. Wish he was on a better bike/team, as I always thought he had much better potential.

 

No kidding - based on Maverick's first season of testing on the Yamaha a couple years ago you would have thought they gave him the trophy before they even got to Qatar.

 

and he won the first what 2 races or whatever...but then reality set in and MM93 was like hold my beer.

 

I think there is going to be some more gamesmanship than usual in this test. Have a feeling there are a few teams that really don't want to show all their cards, even up through the Qatar test in a couple weeks.

I would love to think we'll get a season akin to 2016 with 9 different race winners, but then MM could steamroll everybody again.

Next four weeks are going to feel like forever....

 

I would say those exact words about Morbidelli though, not Quartararo.
I expect both Bagnaia and Morbidelli to outperform him, should be an awesome season either way.

 

I wonder if Iannone is starting to realize how good he had it last year and maybe he should have tried harder.

 

I forgot about Bagnaia. Yeah he'll be mixing it up in there too. He's on a capable bike and good team, so he's got potential. Also rookie of the year potential. He'll probably be a much more consistent finisher than Quateraro. But ya never know. It will be entertaining that's for sure. The 2nd pack of riders behind the leaders is going to be a complete mob fest.

It will be interesting to see what Morbidelli does this year now that he's off the Honda. 2nd tier Honda's (except for Cal) have never been good for rookies to show potential. I hope Petronas has enough Bucks to get the good stuff from Yamaha otherwise it will be a long frustrating crash filled year for those 2 talented guys to keep pushing 2nd tier equipment past it's envelope.

Suzuki needs to get a satellite team out there. Even 1 more bike will help take the weight off Rins from doing all the Donkey work. I don't think Mir will catch on quick enough to be anywhere near the front this year. Maybe a couple top tens due to attrition, but mostly fighting just for points. I could be wrong, and I'd love to be, but the rest of the field and satellite bikes are just too thick now. KTM is getting really serious now, Aprillia, well, they're just in it because "Italian and racing". But I really don't get Suzuki's involvement with only 2 bikes. It's like they just keep lobbing hail mary's into the air hoping one of these rookie sensations is going to catch the ball and run it into the end zone like Marquez. They really fucked up letting Iannone go IMO

 

I wonder if Suzuki is going to regret their decision as well? Mir sucks so far.

 

Yep..I feel that Petronas bike and rider combo is going to be better than some factory efforts.

 

Sepang Test: take an in-depth look at Day 2

Fast forward to 1:03:35

Cal his usual cheery self.

 

Crutchlow has a factory bike.

 

I know that but it's still not a factory "team" with all it's resources, thus second tier. I guess you could say the rest of them are 3rd tier if you wanted to get technical. I'd consider any bike on the grid that's not a direct factory bike, with a direct factory team in factory colours to not be top tier.

 

Honda has a history of giving factory bikes to "2nd tier" team riders who show potential, and if the rider challenges the factory team guys, the rider gets full factory support. For example, Gibernau was on a 2nd Tier team with Honda. He got Kato's factory bike after Kato died. When Gibernau started challenging Rossi for the title, he got full factory support, despite the fact that Rossi was riding a Repsol Honda.

 

Yamaha is giving Petronas a factory bike without the factory engineers. Think sandbox has the same deal with Honda. Ducati's Bert does work with the other teams and bikes.

 

Mission Winnow Ducati? WTF

 

Marlboro money loophole

 

Mir will get better and has a great attitude. Iannone had suspect effort and bit$hed all the time. From a corporate perspective that's a no brainier.