To be fair, the racing was very close and the Ducati was 3rd by not very much at all. It could quite easily have won. So, the Panigale is now competitive (and we should all rejoice). The question is, is it competitive just because of rule changes, and if so, which ones have benefited it? Or is it competitive because it is now different in some departments compared to last year? My other question is where is Yam? Is the R1 really no good at this sort of thing? Everyone else seems to be part of the party and there isn't much between the bikes, which can only be good for the interest of the racing.
If I managed to pick up the salient points of the rule changes from all the verbose crap, Ducati were running engines last year that already met the 2015 rules. Kawasaki and Aprillia had to go back to the OE pistons and rods instead of the trick ones they had been running. For me the evidence of the effectiveness is Sykes lack lustre (for him) performance. Having ridden that bike for the last 3 years, the changes made a difference to him. Rea having not ridden the bike before didn't know any different and clearly the bike suited him. Whether I'm talking sense or utter rubbish, it was fantastic racing and having got very bored with WSBK, I'll be watching every round, along with MotoGP and BSB. Andy
Admitted and I didn't include the control ECU. It's going to be an aggregation of all the changes but I think the loss of horsepower at a circuit like Phillip Island probably made the most difference. Could still be talking a load of bollocks but the close racing has just fired my enthusiasm . Andy
Was nice to see Leon H running up front again, he has shown a lot of spirit to keep going through the las few years what with injuries and poor bikes
Well after dipping out on points for grid positions I am well chuffed to be joint 14th with Dangermouse, who was obviously thinking along the same lines as me as team is near Identical apart from one rider in the MotoGP group Roll on March.
Well If Chaz Davies comments to Jack Burnicle are to be believed then the Panigale will perform even better at some of the slower, stop, Go circuits
The Ducati was tonking on at 200 mph, so not exactly slow. I'm not sure I see much of a horsepower deficit there.
Watching the end of the straights it could barely get alongside never mind draft past. Where the kawa and prilia could draft past half way down at will, and I dont think it was better drive off the corner as they never pulled there, it was all in the upper end
Well, it must have some advantages or Chazzer is a better rider than his opposition. Maybe both are true.
