MotoGP | 2024 | Silly Season

Definitely a good rider, but the bike that he's using isn't hurting his cause either. You think Fabio DiG would do as well on another bike

 

Tough to call. The Duc is great, no doubt, but maybe certain guys riding styles would fit other bikes a bit better.

 

Valentino *can’t AND won’t pay his lil bro like a factory can. In 2 years I think Honda will be fine, they’re Honda. Marini would just have to survive until then. Might be worth the risk, unless he thinks he’s going to get a factory Aprilia or KTM but that competition will be hot. Yamaha could be a possibility but I think they’re liable to pull a runner like Suzuki if things don’t shape up. That program is straight up in danger of going away.

Yeah eventually a factory team needs results no matter the context, but Pecco and Jorge Martin eventually came good after some slumps they can give Enea the same benefit of the doubt. Bastianini has the most accurate nickname on this grid, he is an absolute beast.

Not only would it be terrible optics to dump him right now, but if he can return to his previous form he will beat the piss out of the grid. I don’t think we’re going to see a Morbidelli like terrible injury-poor results pipeline especially since the bike is amazing.

There is one possibility of him being dumped. It’d be terrible optics too if Martin wins the championship and they leave him on a satellite team, so the only way I see Ducati dumping Enea this season is if Martin wins the title and Enea also doesn’t perform the rest of the season. Even then, they’d do a straight swap with Martin and probably give him full factory support. Enea will be just fine next year and will become a hot property again even in this scenario. Maybe we’d see him at a revitalized Honda.

 

Ducati could care less about rider optic with the best bikes on the grid. Look at what KTM did to Gardner/Fernandez on those shitbox Tech3 bikes. The game is the game. This is also the reason they're trying to create a formal rider's union.

On the plus side, it'd appear they are removing some power from toxic Tardozzi...

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1039807/1/ducati-set-appoint-new-coach-factory-riders

 

He only needs to concern himself with 2024. Honda doesn't seem to be willing to give anyone two years until they know for certain that Marquez is not coming back. That's why the Zarco is staying with LCR.

 

It would be interesting to know what was, if anything said between Marc and Honda in regards to reuniting if Honda gets the ship straightened out.

 

That mystery engine with the strange sound that was tested at Jerez today might be the first clue.

 

Any video of said engine?

I have no doubt Honda will figure this out. I think ridding themselves of Marquez will help them make the technical leap they need to make.

 

Link?...

 

Sadly, no. Just written testimony.

 

What are we talking about here? Different firing order? And, why would a WSBK test be related to MotoGP?

 

Because it’s Jerez (close to home for most of the GP teams) and there’s a few motogp test riders sprinkled in.

 

That's what happens when Bradl joins the test with two 2024 RCV213 sounding vastly different from one another. I guess they didn't turn him away at the gate.

Or it was a planned joint test.

 

Shit, I had no idea MotoGP bikes were allowed at post season WSBK tests. That fact has eluded me all these years!

 

if Honda is as desperate as they should be stuffing a hot rod test mule in a bike for the test would be a good start.

 

They are with the test riders. You’ll almost never see their times listed on the timing sheets, they usually run without the transponders (but you can sometimes find hand timed out there on the gorenets).

Edit: the aprilia and Ducati are running transponders at this test, Honda is not.

 

Can a manufacturer test their bike at their own facility? Honda owns Motegi and Suzuka, can they just test their bikes there? I'm thinking no.

 

I think they can test stuff but don’t have access to tires unless it’s an official test. Without the tires it would be questionable how useful any data would be.

Never thought about it but that makes me wonder if anyone has ever tried to have copycat tires made..

 

Just call Rossi, I hear he has connections, maybe he can fly you in some special tires