Motors 2014 MotoGP/WSBK/BSB Season thread

Yamaha's 2014 bike unveiled today. Just a bit more white than 2013, more sponsors to come



Also, funny rumours of Ducati offering JL $15m for the 2015 season. Sounds like negotiation tactics to me

 

[Obvious comment alert]

Doesn't LOOK any different, but it'll need more power while retaining the turning prowess if its going to stay with the Honda this year.

Can't help feeling that Ducati could offer €10bn each to JL, DP and MM and they'd not take it - show me a racer who wants an inbuilt disadvantage right from the start and getting worse throughout the race?

If I was any of their current employers, and they came to me saying the Ducati had offered them silly money - I'd call their bluffs - go on then, take it ...

Come on Cal, prove me wrong lad.

 

There was some interesting coverage in the week about Ducati allegedly considering entering into the open class meaning they'd get more fuel, engines, softer rear tyres and in-season testing in return for running a spec ECU. Might not be the dumbest idea around and if the spec ECU becomes a requirement in the future (likely) then they'll have a nice amount of time & experience behind them with that. They're already running Yonny Hernandez as an open class entrant...

PS, 8 weeks 6 days until the first practise session

 

I think they'd be better served just throwing the money at WSB - at least then they'd get some more sales of road bikes.

Don't get me wrong, I'd dearly love more teams in MotoGP - but competitive teams - not those who seem to see it just as a marketing exercise.

 

Well having a look at the times if the first practice I wonder when Cal Crutchlow is going to regret moving.

 

Forgive my noobishness, but why are Ducati starting with an in-built disadvantage?

 

Where to start?!

Mega whirlwind history:

MotoGP switch to 4 stroke 990cc bikes in 2002, Ducati enter the class
Situation normal: Ducati are a new team, they figured things out for a while. Championship continues to be Yamaha and Honda dominated (Rossi)
The Ducati is a bit of a handful but whatever, it's new
MSMA (Honda/Suzuki/Yamaha/Kawasaki) decide 990s are too fast and want to switch to 800cc bikes
Ducati (being a small outfit) are annoyed by this (much smaller R&D budgets, especially after developing a 990 from the ground up just a few years prior) but go for absolute broke and build the most insane 800cc bike ever and put Casey Stoner on top of it, who by some miracle, happens to be able to ride the damn thing
At this point, they're also having tyres custom made for them by Bridgestone (Michelin were supplying the rest of the paddock) which (as it transpires) was making up for a lot of the bike's issues
Ducati win the 2007 championship with Casey Stoner and make a complete mockery of Honda/Yamaha
Ducati think they've got it sewn up and essentially stop developing the bike, feeling all smug
The championship switches to Bridgestone as the sole tyre supplier, and the spec tyre simply doesn't work on the Ducati. Handling problems return, Casey can't ride around them any longer, and things start to go backwards.
Casey spends a couple of more seasons at Ducati, but by now the bike is truly going backwards, everyone but Ducati seems to know that the writing is on the wall
Plot twist is that Casey has health issues (lactose intolerance) so people were still sort of maybe believing that it was Casey at fault, rather than the bike
Ducati still stubbornly insist the bike is fine. Bike continues to go backwards
Meanwhile, Honda/Yamaha catch up massively
Casey tells Ducati where they can stick it and off to Honda he goes (and promptly wins the next championship by a country mile)
Rossi leaves Yamaha for Ducati due to Lorenzo. Everyone expects a miracle, Ducati included
Bike is still ****, and he spends 2 years lost in the mid field
Rossi gives up and goes back to Yamaha after the worst 2 years of his racing life
Audi buys Ducati and is so far on the 2nd wave of the management shake-up. They recently recruited across a chap from Aprilia, who is meant to be good

So that's why The bike has been under-developed since winning in 2007. Rossi forced the most change out of anyone (he got them to ditch the carbon chassis), but they still didn't ever manage to fix it to the point of being competitive. To be fair, Honda and Yamaha have improved like no one's business, as you'd expect with their kind of £, so it isn't like Ducati failed to improve at all; it's a combination of being unable to match the engineering talent and budgets of Honda/Yamaha, plus their stubbornness over failing to admit/realise it was the bike, not the riders

However, it looks like Ducati might enter the open class, meaning 12 9 engines (rather than 5) and 4 more litres of fuel (24 vs 20). Who knows what'll happen... maybe they can build another rocket like they did in 2007. But allegedly, power has never been their issue. Even if going open doesn't fix it, it may give them a head start on the open championship, which is expected to be enforced on all the teams before too long (basically: spec ECU), which might mean they're in a great position if/when that happens and be ahead of the rest once again

Either way, still backing Cal. I really hope they do manage to sort it. Either way he's in a good position: factory salary D) and if the bike is improved, he's golden. if the bike doesn't improve, everyone knows it isn't him at fault. Total win-win for him

edit: 9 billion edits

 

I'll always for the guy but in terms of winning the championship that will never happen with him on the duke. Remember no one remembers who finishes second. Money wise yes good move but progression no go.

 

Well, who knows, that's half the excitement! They might play a blinder with this open class stuff, if they do it. I largely agree with you though, I can't see them fixing it.

Rumour has it that Cal has a 1 year get out clause in his contract, and every single Yamaha and Honda factory seat is up for renewal in 2015. I imagine if the Duc stays still, Cal's luck might be in; everyone knows what he managed to make the Tech3 bike do. This is blatantly Pedro's last year at Honda, and if Rossi isn't competitive, I suspect he'll retire. Could get mighty interesting

 

Fingers crossed for Cal. Got my new lens for the GP this year cannot wait

 

If he spends the year in the middle of nowhere with the Ducati he will be considered for precisely none of those rides, especially when Yamaha already pushed him out for Espargaro.

My guess is Marquez and Lorenzo on Honda for 2015, they have the money and unless Yamaha pull a miracle this year they will have the best bike too, so they'll get the best two riders.

Espargaro onto works Yamaha, possibly both Espargaros.
Cal bcak to Tech 3 or stuck on the fat red rattle machine.
Pedrosa into retirement or WSB at the end of the season, no championship...

 

I reckon Tech 3 got the wrong Espargaro

 

There's also Suzuki

Yeah, me too

 

Crutchlow says 2014 bike not much better than 2013 to start with

 

Times for today's session:

http://motomatters.com/results/2014...tm_campaign=Feed:+MotoGPMatters+(MotoMatters)

Time to put a little bet on MM taking the 2014 championship again, I guess. He may well smash the track record tomorrow...

Some things:

Aleix Espargaro is seriously quick (compare to CE on "the same bike"). The Open Hondas are much slower than I thought they'd be. Suzuki slow, but kind of expected at this point. I thought Redding might be right up there, but he has some learnin' to get done first, I suppose.
Ianone has done the fastest lap a Ducati has ever done at Sepang since 2010.

 

Looking at the pictures over the net Cal Crutchlow looks so uncomfortable on the bike especially when entering a corner. That was one of his strengths. So very worried for him

 

Good gracious, thanks for that!

 

It has been a mad thing to watch unfold. Many, many people have lost jobs over it, so much time wasted, championships binned, argh - such a waste and sheer chaos within the team/management

 

Too true - a tale of what could have been

I also note that Iannone on the customer machine was 8th, while Dovi, Cal and Pirro were 11th, 12th and 13th respectively - oh dear