MotoGP | 2024 | Race 9 | Germany | Sachsenring | July 5-7

The nerve!

 

Jumping around like a couple of looney tunes - Pffft!

 

I love how everyone wants to just paint this all as black or white. If the overtaking rider's front wheel is only going to be even with the rear wheel of the rider that went off-line, then the overtaking rider needs to back off. This happens frequently. If the overtaking rider is going to be even with or ahead of the off-line rider, then go for the overtake. The off-line rider typically sees the rider coming through and cedes the spot. In between those two is the grey area. As the overtaking rider, you can go for it, but it may not end well for one or both riders, so you need to be sure the risk is worth the reward.

I believe in this case MM was pretty close to even when they made contact, so pretty reasonable to go for it.

 

Plus the risk paid off handsomely.

 

I’m inclined to agree - these situations aren’t black and white.

But rear wheel even or not, it’s still the off-line rider who initiates contact with the on-line rider. Ideally, if I know someone’s right behind me and I go offline badly enough that I have to swoop back to the right line, I’m assuming the rider right behind is me has capitalized on my mistake and is now on the correct line (where I want to be), and I’m accounting for that instead of just bowling-balling my way back on course to reclaim the position I just gave up.

 

I think “go offline badly enough” is the key phrase. To your point then it’s real obvious you at least need to look and see if someone has swooped in and adjust your line accordingly.

Thinking of the older (recent) GP days I always remembered guys running wide would look over their shoulder to see if someone was trying a pass and not just kamikaze dive the apex.

In the current GP era with the lap times being so much faster and hundredths of a second separating the top pack they’re so tight it really is a gray area and I think that’s why we’re seeing more of the close tight passing and having these discussions. It’s a product of the advancement of the bikes and riders.

Bottom line is each situation is different and as mentioned before it’s not all black and white except in some obvious situations.

 

I got Rossi

 

Agree with this. And I’ll add to it that if I blow the turn, run wide, and then try to get back to the apex, that’s just asking for a front tire oopsie. At that point I just ride it out and get back on line as soon as I can.

 

MM93's weekend and especially the feature GP race was eventful:

- Multiple technical issues severely limited track time
- 2 crashes did the same resulting in bruised ribs and a broken index finger
- Bradl effed Marc in qualifying so he had to start 13th
- Binder left a grapefruit sized rubber patch on Marc's thigh from contact early - of course Marc didn't flinch with a KTM wheel riding shotgun with him.
- Frankie realized it's contract time and showed some Huevo's this weekend but ran wide and clipped Marc on the cut-back resulting in a broken windscreen for Marc and his airbag deploying - right onto his damaged Ribs - Hodgson said the airbag causes you to lose 2-3 breathes completely then it's another 15 seconds before it fully goes down yet Marc gathered himself, re-passed Bastianinni, and closed the 1.4 sec gap back to Frankie and passed him.
- made up 2 seconds on his brother in the final 4 laps and gapped him to claim 2nd in the race.

Overall Marc made up 12 points to Jorge but lost out to Pecco on the weekend - he's still a LONG way back for the title hunt but far from out of contention.

Kudos to the Trackhouse team - impressive weekend for 2 other "contract time" riders.

 

Everyone with a Honda between their legs can say the same thing…

 

I think MM has matured this year, he just seems happier, probably because he's not risking his life every time he rides when he was on the Honda.
I can't believe how happy he is to just get on the podium.

 

Now he's a happy douchebag!

 

Right....they had 3 wks off, then 2 races and now 4 weeks off....2 races in 2 months basically. unacceptable.

 

I just noticed Luca Marini scored his first point of the season with his 15th place finish. Thats sad.

 

He had to actually put in some effort with Bradl in the race. Taking his usual spot of last placed Honda wasn't going to cut it there.

 

Incoming rant: no disrespect

I’ve expressed this before and can’t understand how any racer thinks otherwise… but… there is no “oops I blew the corner better check up and make sure nobody is coming” I can’t fathom that mentality at any level in a competition. In practice maybe…in Q’s ok… in a race no fucking way… furthermore i’ve never been in a race ever when a competitor checked up after blowing a corner for anyone but themselves… from starting in Wera to decades of AMA Superbike… it’s the passing riders responsibility to make it through safely… and everyone is responsible for their own front tire… protect it…

MM didn’t say a negative word about Morbido cutting back and hitting him… he was in front it was his line… he used it for motivation and kicked ass..

funny long Grattan story…

One of my very good racing friends from when I started is a big dude… 6’7” 230… I’m 6’2” 180 so not small for a racer… I was on my way to the front of a race that started by points in a series that I didn’t usually run… my lines at Grattan are very different than everyone’s… (I drift wide in the sweeper from the bowl to the outside of the seam and stand on the pegs as it wheelies over the rise at full lean… I love that corner!) Well DD was in my way as the entire pack, except me, comes tight mid track back to the inside for the hairpin… (I push the front across the outside bumps and throw it back left to wheelie up the hill)

so us being such good friends and I trust him as he’s a solid rider… in 99 he’s still on an overbore Superbike F3, that was fast, weighing 430lbs plus him… I’m on the 360lb R6…

In one of the smoothest motions I’ve ever had on a bike I drifted wide and without any bump or impact smoothed up into him and applied pressure to make him go wide out to my line so I could get on to the front…

we were side by side perfectly in line like one solid bike instead of two… he looked at me… mind you we’re well over 100mph by then and accelerating… and looked to his desired apex and decided “not today Firehawk” as he told me after… he did what I thought was impossible… he pushed me to the inside of the corner from the outside! I was shocked and surprised and proud of him! I was laughing in my helmet giving him the “come on follow me” hand gesture as we wheelied up the hill and set out for the front… I won but I was cheering for him to beat me as odd as that sounds… these memories are the true treasures of racing

 

Luca was 15th in the Sprint which only gives points for the top 9, and he finished 16th on the feature race for zero points, there must have been a late penalty I’m not aware of that bumped him up? Someone dinged for tire pressure or something?

 

He was 15th on Sunday. He is now only 12 points back from the leading Honda rider.

 

The results page from motogp.com has him listed in 15th in both the sprint and the race. The season standings page shows him in 23rd place with 1 point.

 

Was that Mir’s first finish of the year too? I thought I saw that somewhere… I’m guessing Zarco has 13 points?… wow…