Rumour has it that Ducati may run their bikes in the 'Open calls with more fuel and engines. MotoGP, Dovi: a Sepang la decisione finale Desperate times.......
I can only see that as a good thing. They know that they're not going to win in its current form unless the rest of the field gets wiped out on the first bend
OK so they get more fuel and other benefits but I can't see demoting themselves the way forward. Once they're out of the pure prototype league I recon it'll be hard to go back. Or are Ducati thinking they might get hammered by the open class Hondaha's so less embarrassing if they're running in the same class?
Cal and Dovi won't be happy running in the 2nd league. With only 8 bikes in Prototype, would that be the beginning of the end of them? Is this what Dorna wants? Honda won't be happy.
I'd be interested to see how Suzuki react to this. 1 manufacturer in the open class = "we've given up". Majority of manufacturers in the open class would be a very different story. If BMW/Apillia/Kawasaki are looking, where would they pitch in?
Think it's a great idea. Ducati reckon the softer Bridgestones that the Open class bikes can use will suit the bike better. More fuel and more engines means they can really turn the power up - although perhaps at the expense of tyre life and breaking performance. Most importantly, with the spec software, it's one less thing to worry about, and they can use the additional testing time being an open class entry to make the necessary changes to the bike. The level in MotoGP is now so high there's little point having the likes of Battaini ride the bike, because they can't push it hard enough - all they can do is prove it runs. The spec software will be coming for all MotoGP bikes (I predict), so Bologna are giving themselves a head start. If it gives Cal and Andrea more competitive machines, I doubt they'll care if it's an MSMA or Open class bike!
Personally I think it's a bit like giving up. But if they get results it may boost confidence enough to get them back to the big league. It does seem a bit like they are moving to be a big fish in a small pond syndrome.
I hope it is the beginning of the end of them, in their current form. Expeletia only wants a standard ECU to bring a rev ceiling and stop this ridiculous panacea of electronic rider aids. If we were to ride one of these machines we - can't wheelie - can't spin up - can't slide the front and 50 other things... in short there is only one way 'allowed' to ride them... and that surely is the end of competitive racing !
Well if you are going to eat humble pie, its a whole lot cheaper to do it this way than pay Casey £15million a season
As soon as the new regs were announced I thought to myself this would be a good but bold move for the manufacturers, eventually the plan is for the Dorna ECU to be the only ECU out there so whoever jumps ship first will have the upper hand (remember the single tyre rule and how Ducati dominated in the first year). I think ink it's only one bike (Pramac) but it's a start and a look to the future, good call IMO.
They [the 8 riders] keep bitching about Dorna restrictions but so would we if any rule changes meant that rather exclusive club had more members. Question is, did skill or money get them to the top? and all this gripe about spec ECU's doesn't cut it against riders bought up on breaker-less ignition and throttle cables. I ask you. Pedrosa's -ha ha joke- spectacular get off at Aragon (I think) after Marquez cut thru the rear wheel speed sensor cable was totally fukin amateur machine control. When Neil Hodgson tried out a Fila replica 999 on the road at the IOM he crashed it after about two corners, now what is the use of a World Champion rider behaving like a retard on anything less than World Champion equipment? Dorna's got no use for ex-GP1 riders who are total knobs.
Surely if the bike doesn't handle (which it clearly doesn't seem to), then it won't handle any better if raced in the 'Open' class. The only benefit then being that they can argue that they are doing well within the class they are racing in.
No the point is they get more engines and more fuel plus softer tyres, engines means they can redesign it and not be hit by the already tight engine limits, and if Dorna gets its way all bikes will run the Dorna ECU so getting a head start on the electronics also. Carrying on as they are is going to get them nowhere so this gives them an opportunity to test ideas in race conditions.
From what I've read Ducati aren't confirming the report but personally I think they may as well go for it. for starters I don't think Ducatis electronics are that advanced that switching to a spec ecu will do them any harm at all, so why not?thats the only difference in the class. it's not like it stops being a prototype, of course it still is, in fact it could be better because of the more open testing and development. If you run the spec ecu you get more fuel and more tyres, both are things I think we've been missing because it means more power and a wider spread of set up. im all for it, in fact I can't think of one reason to not do it.
Is there not a minimum number of moto-gp bikes for there to be a race . If so this will surely dip them below that number which will cause problems for the series .
Not going to happen according to Matt Oxley..... And he knows his stuff most of the time. Let's see if he's right.
