I don't think it is. Alvaro potentially has more change to cope with than Toprak and Rea, even though they are riding new to them bikes. I’m going to sit on the fence this early but as an outside punt, I reckon Bulegar is in with a shout. Andy
Agreed and will be interesting to see if bulegas race craft matches his apparent speed as I seem to recall he was a bit of a flapper in m2 for want of a better expression. This is no wsp field he’s going to be heading into the first bend of the season with lol.
I get why he’s upset but flk me he was winning races by 9 seconds and more. Youre good but you’re not that good, squirt… https://www.crash.net/wsbk/news/104...a-maybe-i-win-because-im-good-rider-exclusive
The lady doth protest too much, methinks… So, if what he says is true (maybe he wins because he is a good rider) then reducing the clear weight advantage he has enjoyed so far should give him a real chance to prove it? Let’s see.
It’s not only going to be the loss of the rider’s weight advantage, the Ducati still has restricted rpms and it is one of, if not the, thirstiest bike on the grid. The reduction in fuel capacity for this year will come into play and from next year, fuel metering will, IMO, make the bike uncompetitive. What if Toprak does an Alvaro this season, will Dorna step in and apply levelling restrictions to appease the (moaning) competition ? What, like they didn’t when Rea and Kawasaki were dominant for 5 years ? Andy
I’m no Rea or Kawasaki fan but the performance balancing could not take effect before it was introduced, before which came Rea’s first three titles, and Tom Sykes’ title 2 years before: “WSBK has operated a rev limit system since 2018 as part of a performance balancing push to keep the grid as competitive as possible, with those limits re-judged every three rounds based on a performance algorithm which comprises numerous criteria.” So now, to avoid multi- season runaways, and maybe stop many manufacturers and sponsors winless for a long period asking themselves “why are we doing this only to be made to look silly” then when a dominant force emerges, you have to anticipate a sequential process of hobbling, until they aren’t dominant, only competitive. I am not advocating it, only calling it as I see it.
I appreciate you are as many a massive Ducati fan, but the thing that they have done which others haven’t is roll out homologation bikes in low numbers but obscene prices to then race in wsbk, the others could do this, but when Kawasaki did it a few years ago they were told the bike wasn’t ’different enough’ to allow it to be homologated, was a touch one rule for them, one for Ducati. as much as I love an ‘R’ model Ducati, if they are allowed to they will just create a Ducati championship like in MotoGP
One of the World SBK Homologation rules requires the sale of 250 bikes to the public (within 2 years of starting racing) at a maximum cost of €40,000 (approximately £35,000). The changes Kawasaki made, were deemed an artifice to get back the 500rpm they were penalised, which Dorna quite rightly IMO, saw through and it got thrown out. Yes, I am a dyed in the wool Ducati fan but I am more of a fan of fair play and not changing the rules because one manufacturer followed the rules to the letter. Andy
it’s Redding’s last season for sure… he just seems to have lost the drive, slowest of the BM riders all winter from memory? I think Brad will beat Tarran as he’s on a better package. and Sam will murder Alex, in part because the Ducati is the best bike, but also because he’s IMO the better rider, moto2 is a proper axe murderer class, look at the depth there between 6th and 20th, often less than 3-4 tenths
Slightly (read extremely) underwhelmed at a) the coverage of the world super sport in general so far and b) the lack of english riders barring TBA and Mcflea Feels kind of like an unwanted house guest.
With one or two exceptions, WSSP in recent years has not been a happy hunting ground for UK riders (John McPhee is a Scot by the way, not English ) and I’m not sure why. Certainly sponsorship has to be one reason and the UK feeder series set up probably another. The TV coverage of WSSP and WSSP300 last season by Discovery+ seemed pretty good to me. Guess I’m fortunate to get the channel free as an existing BT broadband customer. Andy
Yeh Eurosport is ok to be fair for race day coverage, i was more referring to news of todays PI test and rider line ups i was looking for, but seems i may have been using the WSB website incorrectly I see its not only the big boys races theyve been mucking about with either, although im not sure what the benefits are to the new rules - "to allow riders to showcase their talent in different ways and to highlight outstanding performances" .... sounds like complete bollocks to me, but lets see how we get on. WorldSBK
Reacting to his incredible pace, Razgatlioglu said: “I was scared a lot because normally, I’m not really strong at this track. I started very strong, and the race pace is very, very strong. However, the problem is the rear tyre. After ten laps, it’s done. There’s a new surface with too much grip. I did a very good lap with the new lap record but for me, the race weekend is more important. I am only focused on this. The feeling is very good but in general, I am very happy.”
Looks like Alvaro’s final season is going to abysmal. Still suffering from injury, nasty crash and only managing mid pack. The abrasive surface is going to hit riders like Toprak and JR who brake heavily, back the bike in and slide the rear to help turn it. Got to be a small ray if hope for the others. Andy