MotoGP | 2025 | Silly Season

Started with anti tobacco groups but the French were the executioners of tobacco money. PM were the last in motogp but I think BAT is still around in the shadows of F1.

Then there’s the “gentleman’s agreement” in Europe about beer money.

energy drinks are the latest target.

I think it was gypsy tales that spoke about how much Monster spends in supercross alone a year. Luke could run his motogp team for half of what they spend in flying dirty bikes.

 

I can understand the ‘backer money in sports. Hey, it’s risky and it harkens back to a day when men were men and women were encouraged to have oral fixations.

All this “energy drink” shit is beyond me. Only way a Red Bull was palatable was when it was drowned in vodka, and the rest of them just put a near-lethal dose of thiamin in them and charge you $7 for a 10oz can. Thanks, I’ll drink my coffee and get my B-vitamins the old fashioned way, by carving the ass off the nearest passing cow and tossing it on the grill.

 

May I suggest a neutral party?

Check out Mat Oxley's opinion of the Joe Roberts vs Ogura situation in this week's Paddock Pass Podcast "Thursday Notes" episode (about 12 minutes or so in, if you want to save time). He knows a thing or two about GPs.

 

@HPPT I'm A bit tied up today and can't get to it until late today, what does he say? A quick, short version works. Appreciate it.

 

Oddly enough, same shit I was saying a few weeks ago somewhere in here. He talks about how Roberts got stuck a situation that wasn't right for him at Italtrans, with a contract he couldn't get out of, and about how the jury's still out on whether Ogura is better. Oxley thinks he's not. Some shit about marketability too, but you know I don't give a crap about all that ghey sponsor shit that you love, so I already forgot. But it's positive.

 

Thanks, Brah.

oh, you're on my shit list today but this moves you down.

 

I wonder if the Ogura to track house stuff is coming more from Ogura's team trying to use it as leverage against securing a better deal with Honda/LCR/Idemitsu. It looked like all but a formality for him to inherit Taka's seat eventually, but maybe his management team didn't like whatever offer is on the table and is shopping around to apply some leverage. That leverage could also work the other way for Trackhouse trying to apply some leverage against Joe. I agree it doesn't really make sense for Trackhouse, IF, you assume that trackhouse being an American team is interested in funneling Americans into Motogp. Take away that assumption, and they become just another team trying to run a race team, securing riders on merit, and cost availability. Joe's Passport is pretty meaningless in that regard especially considering an American passport is probably the same value or slightly less than a Japanese one. The biggest economy in the world doesn't give a shit about motorcycle racing. My $0.05 anyway.

 

Is that before or after he cleaned out Bezz in the sprint? Man I really like Franky, and think he's still something special, but it's getting harder and harder to defend him......

 

The only way Ogura of makes better sense than Roberts is even believe that he's going to be a multiple race winner or even championship contender in the next couple of years. But if the difference is going to be 13th vs. 16th, the performance aspect of it doesn't matter much.

Now, does anyone believe that Ogura is a future championship contender in MotoGP? Heck, baby steps: does anyone believe that he is better than Fernandez?

 

The shit an American passport isn't extremely valuable in motogp now! All the reports are that teams, Liberty and factories are shopping for US sponsors. Look at F1 and the number of huge dollar sponsors are from the US now and more are rumored to be interested. Fudge, everyone was fighting for the VISA sponsorship package in F1.

Joe is an okay stopgap for American riders.

Most Americans don't care about motogp because most Americans have never seen it. It's like a few years ago with F1 where Americans didn't give a shit about it. All it takes is packaging it right for Americans and getting Joe Sixpack and Jane Bottleofwine to see it.

Problem that Liberty has is the current riders are boring personality wise and unless you pay attention you can't tell Bastini from Bagnini and what's a Jorge Martin? Miller was extremely marketable to Americans because an Australian is just an American with a mullet and a stupid accent. Marquez could be easily packaged and sold to America. Acosta? Yet another Spainard and what's a Gasgas (yeah, KTM next year)?

 

This is helping his cause...


[Highlighted one I'm impressed with. Diogo is the only rookie leaving an impression this year.]

 

Ogura vs Roberts as a money draw: Roberts is Californian, good looking (even if he Zoolanders in photos), you can sell him to sponsors worldwide and he won't say something idiotic.
Ogura is a hand job on your 7th wedding anniversary. It doesn't suck but in a month, who cares? He and his riding for X might sell a quart of oil in Osaka but will he sell a liter of sterilgarda cow juice in Rome?

 

Notes show requires a subscription right? I generally just listen to their weekend recaps and hear them reference the notes show but pretty sure they said it’s for subscribers through whatever service (patreon maybe?).

and to be clear, I’m not claiming that Ogura is a better choice. More that you can probably count on one, maybe (maybe) two hands how many people on this board have the insight to make an informed opinion on the situation and none of the people bitching about Trackhouse’s possible choice fall in that category that I’m aware of.

 

Interesting theory on the leveraging. Only thing is the commentators pretty much made it sound like a done deal this morning. Though I suppose it’s not like they’re always right either. They tried to goad Hopkins into speaking on Joe’s future during Q2 this morning, going as far as to suggest it looks like Joes window for GP is closed, but he didn’t bite.

 

Little John interview is coming up on Gypsy Tales. Killer clip where they discuss Marc Marquez is up now on the youtubes.

Edit: Turns out this is an older interview but it's still great.

 

Not Thursday.

I found out today that Friday does.

 

Definitely disagree. There's only one reason why Logan Sargeant is racing in F1, and it isn't because of his skills. He's only there because he's the best American they could find and they wanted to make sure there is an American on the grid regardless of skill.

 

It's bare because there are no good options.

Did you know that Dorna's TV contracts require them to have at least one Spanish rider in MotoGP?

This would be no different. American eyeballs jump dramatically with an American rider, and would be a great selling point for whoever jumps on the next broadcast agreement. It is 100% a financial interest, because this is their biggest growth market.

 

lol you can keep speaking to me as if I don’t follow this shit religiously but it doesn’t change that you’re forming uneducated opinions. Tell me, on what data are you basing your claim that the US is their biggest growth potential? Anything other than your own desire for it to be?

Did you know that’s not the only contract of its type in GP? Britain had the same thing and I’m sure there are others. And it has absolutely fuckall to do with Dorna and everything to do with the broadcaster. Because in their country, where motorcycling is a significant part of their culture, it makes a difference. That’s not every country.

As far as good options for F1… really? Again what are you basing this on? There’s certainly a larger pool to choose from by an order of magnitude.

 

So it took 10 years to come to the conclusion that was a good idea? Do you know for sure that Liberty had anything to do with that contract?