Like I said months ago lol. I wasn't making that crap up http://forums.13x.com/index.php?threads/honda-boots-lorenzo.360425/
https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/n...6paEjGmWil-_OiLzTYgSIq61r_jLrWvUTkoJYEgEHhkH8 Lorenzo approaches Petronas Yamaha for 2021 MotoGP deal
If anything, I admire Bautista even more for this move. He know his worth and wasn't going to settle for less. Good luck to Ducati next year though. I personally think Bautista is a stronger rider than Redding, but only time will tell!
Another interesting tidbit to come out of FP2 was that Petronas Yamaha has yet to execute their option for Quatararo for 2020.
It's amazing how this has become a point worthy of discussion in early August. Riders used to find out where they were going early in the fall and there was nothing wrong with that. That gave them the chance to prove their worth and teams enough time to evaluate performance.
Agreed. It's insane that riders and manufacturers are already plotting their moves for 2021 in August of 2019. Look at Scott Redding last year. Not that he ever really gelled with the Aprilia, but he barely stood a chance at getting a contract in 2019 since major contract moves were happening before the lights even went out in Qatar.
I think this a reflection of the fact that everyone is trying to come up with a strategy to actually beat MM. Nobody wants 2nd place, so there are plenty of risky moves being contemplated. Its no longer good enough if a rider can even podium most rounds.
I don't know about that. I remember the first shot (but I can think of) being fired long before Marc Marquez raced his first GP. Johns Hopkins. I can't recall if that was the moved to Suzuki, or to Kawasaki but he's the first guy I can remember signing more than a year before his move. Early signatures did not become routine until a while later but I'm not sure I would say it started because of Marquez.
I hope Rossi retires at the end of THIS year. Totally F@ck up everyone's long term plans and go out like a strong handed pimp.
Possibly around the same timeframe, but didn't Lorenzo sign his deal with Yamaha back in 2006 as well? Bet nobody thought that'd become the norm a decade or so later.
During that time frame, Kimi signed “secretly” for Ferrari and such was already the case in F1. Big money was in both paddocks compared to now where yes, there’s money - just not as much being spent.
Márquez is what, 26? Ain’t no one beating him until he decides to quit. He’s only crashed 6 times this year, so crashing himself into early retirement looks less likely than ever. His little brother may have the same last name but he has no where near the same talent level. Rossi is old and a has been. Lorenzo is now taking Pedrosa’s spot of being severely injured in crashes. Dovi has taken sete’s spot as fast but mentally defeated. No one else is anywhere close to Márquez