The first half of the race was stunning, best dice of the year. But I believe electronic intevention has taken over to such an extent that once you've got more than a half second lead it's game over. The only way forward now is even more electronic intervention. To their credit, Dorna are at least trying to do something about it. CRTs and control ECUs may not be everyones' cup of tea, but if it (eventually) brings about closer racing then maybe it'll be worth it. The obvious cry would be to ban electronics, but you can't do that. Every modern motorcycle has traction control, ABS, etc, and it is relevant to modern motorcycling, so it should be there in GPs, but it makes for a poor spectacle unless, like Jorge and Marc, you're prepared to hang your balls out, and no-one can do that for an entire race. Looking at the success of moto2 racing, perhaps more external intervention is the way forward.
Bradley Smith vote 5 Anonymous A race truly anonymous, all of it to forget. His apprenticeship is becoming difficult and perhaps the thought that has passed too early from the MotoGP Moto2 starts to put some doubt. Read more: MotoGP, Pernat: Lorenzo abbandonato per Marquez was he watching the same race?
I agree with it all, except that almost all modern cars have traction control and ABS and F1 banned traction control a few years back and ABS ages ago and yet it hasn't impacted us in our road car. Once a technology has been developed and proven in MotoGP it should then be banned, why not? It can still filter into their road products which is what they want, but can also still be the ultimate test bed. So my idea, for example seamless shift gearbox. Recognise 2013 as the first year of it being an accepted technology (ie more than one manufacturer) then it gets an expiry time, ie 2 years. Long enough for them to perfect it and if needed filter it into road production or drop it and come up with the next thing. Seamless shift may be a bad example but hopefully u get my drift...?
Yamaha are so far behind now its not even funny. It may not look like it in the race but the pace of the HRCF bikes is blistering. I cant see Lorenzo going through another yr of that next season ? Its funny, its like Lorenzo against HRC all on his own. Stone faced Jarvis didn't even want to give Lorenzo the new gearbox they have until next yr. What sort of mad crazy decision is that?
Lorenzo can still stick it to Marquez - as we saw in the opening laps. But what can you do when the Honda is manifestly faster? Much the same story with Crutchlow and Bautista.
At the start of the season I wasn't convinced Bradley Smith had the raw speed for MotoGP. However, you look at how the Mistral is doing in Moto2 without him on it, and the quality of the job he did is obvious. He's progressed throughout year, going from being behind the factory Ducatis to comfortably ahead of them. Being in sight of Cal and Alvaro at the end of the race isn't a bad job at all. That said, I think he'll struggle next year. The HRC proddy racer will probably be highly competitive - should be good enough to at least beat the Ducatis at the start of the season. Meanwhile the Forward Yamahas will have an FTR frame (IIRC) and more petrol - whilst the satellite bike should handle better, the Forward bikes should be able to run more power. As Lorenzo has seen, the Honda's sheer grunt drags it up and beyond the Yamaha. As someone said earlier, it really is Lorenzo v HRC, and Yamaha's management need to take a good look at the MotoGP programme. Honda appear to have built an engine that makes more power, is better on fuel and isn't being used up at the same rate as the Yamaha's. The Yamaha's handling advantage is now very slight and the seamless gearbox should have been brought in much sooner. Meanwhile, Jarvis has failed for a number of years now to bring in a title sponsor to offset some of the costs of programme and the wages of Lorenzo and Rossi.
I believe Yamahaha impeded Cal......apparently, its too strong a rumour for him to be going backwards this late in the season. Re Jorge, its a loosing battle, HRC will only go forward. If Yamaha have a bike for him to be quicker on I will eat my hat, but I cant see it.
Where can Jorge go though? Unless Pedrosa quits there's no other seat for him, none worth having anyway. That's the problem in motogp - there's only two bikes in it.
ive said from the start the hrc bike is streets ahead. and while hes a class act. marquez is made to shine with a streets ahead bike
So the fact he's destroyed the rider whom the bike was built around - in his rookie season - counts for nothing then..?