2019 MotoGP

[XHawkeye]

Ducati Launch

https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/1086321186953285632/-0U3JsjC?format=jpg&name=600x314

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DxNeZnZVYAA-y0v.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DxNeasbVAAAuwAh.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DxNebrDUUAAkvMl.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DxNearQX4AckqGz.jpg

[Freude am Fahren]

What's with that power curve?

[Godson]

I'll call back on that powercurve.

No math supports a loss in power afaik.

[Dicknose]

Is it max power vs year??

[Dicknose]

Will be (another) interesting season.
Sad to see Pedrosa go, but he hasnt been a serious win challenger for a couple of years. Lorenzo v Marquez will be the highlight.
Dovi could do well on the Ducati.
Rossi will be consistent but not a serious challenger, but will have some good races with late charges.

Some new talent - see how Moto2 guys in Bagnaia and Oliveira do. But they are similar age to Vinales and Miller (all are 24, except Bagnaia is 22) and they been there a while showing some promise.

[Godson]

Lorenzo has a fractured scaphoid. Suppose to have surgery today. Not a good start to the season.

[Freude am Fahren]

Is it max power vs year??

Ah, bingo. First 990cc '03-'06, then lows represent 800cc '07-11, then back to 1000cc '12-'19.

[Dicknose]

Seems those last few posts have a few too many wheels...
Interesting stuff.. but not MotoGP!

[Alan P]

Hmm, not that I don't approve of Franchitti being shown with the Scotland flag on the Indy 500 winners, but Wheldon is shown with the Union Jack instead of the English flag, if you want to be consistent.

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dxmh5p9WoAAK16o.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dxmh67uWsAEO3IN.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DxlsH1lX0AEjdpz.jpg

Here you go - 25 years of Repsol Honda: Doohan, Marquez, Lorenzo and Criville

[Alan P]

Same plain old boring Repsol colours. Wish they'd do something different but it's easily recognisable I guess.

[Rare White Ape]

What about Rossi, HHHMMMMMMMMM??????????

[Dicknose]

(mild spoiler for round 1 Qatar - some names, no "who won" or podium info but some name mentioned)

Wow - good race.
Hard to say great race when there are so many good races...

What was Jack Miller thinking? Yeah had to do something, but on the racing line with a crowd behind him - lucky it didnt end up in a serious crash.
Last lap/finish - yawn, another MotoGP race with last lap and last corner antics!
Actually the closeness of 1/2 didnt highlight the closeness of the top 10 (or top 15 points scorers). Seems the lead group was in tyre management - especially when fasted lap came from last place, a rookie from pit lane!
Top 11 with 10s, top 5 within 1 second - thats more like Moto3
Lorenzo was a bit out of it, Rossi is still a god at 140 years old, Marquez is amazing and Dovi does have his days. Would have like to see Miller (with intact bike) stay there. And great to see newer guys made their presence felt - Mir was amazing!

Oh and terrible TZ for Australia - worse I checked the tv guide and saw 2:30... set alarm woke up and... fishing show. Damn it - hadnt set daylist savings on my bedroom PVR, so I was out by an hour. Attempted an hours sleep, then woke again at 3:30am to watch the race.

[XHawkeye]

https://msmproduction.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/content/MotoGP/2019/France/marquezsave2019lemans.jpg

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opinion/motogp/how-do-you-beat-m-rquez

[Dicknose]

Missed the last race.
But Marc is a machine.

[Dicknose]

Mugello last lap from onboard cameras.
http://www.motogp.com/en/videos/2019/06/02/all-thrill-of-the-last-lap-at-mugello-from-the-rider-s-pov/295326

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/1135495845170819073/f4h26EKC?format=jpg&name=600x314

In his first report from the 2019 Italian MotoGP Grand Prix, @MatOxley talks to winner Danilo Petrucci, recaps Márquez's "poetic" pole, Rossi's determination and the ongoing Ducati vs Honda fight. (https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opinion/motogp/i-said-myself-i-must-quit-racing)

[XHawkeye]

https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/1135902525167722496/0zuVP9L1?format=jpg&name=600x314

MotoGP's most hair-raising section is a 220mph flat-out blind brow where both wheels leave the ground. How long until Mugello is modified? asks @matoxley (https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opinion/motogp/220mph-and-airborne-mugello-corner-scares-motogp-riders)

[XHawkeye]

Last Lap of AustrianGP (https://twitter.com/btsportmotogp/status/1160532896865800192) <--- Open for video*

*If you get "This video is not available in your location" you'll need a VPN or open on Tor window in Brave.

[Freude am Fahren]

Yeah, after some snoozers, Austria was great.

Yamaha needs to find some major power gains. They were getting SMOKED on the straights, even when coming out of the corner right in the slipstream.

[Rare White Ape]

Imagine if... dare I say it... Rossi was on a Ducati instead of a Yamaha :random:

[Rare White Ape]

I think you guys should have a listen to this: Boris Mihailovic, the guy behind Dear George, and Tug McClutchin, an anonymous MotoGP satire columnist (and also real journalist), and some Italian bloke named Freido, have teamed up for a MotoGP podcast, called MotoPG.

https://open.spotify.com/show/709U7zES7oDaJc7N1guhMG?si=-3lE1e3CT2CZEl066VITaA

They're on to episode two and talking about Misano this week.

[Freude am Fahren]

FYI, for anyone that has the monthly pass for MotoGP, they have a special for the rest of the season (Through Nov. 18) for €9.99. With the monthly pass, the rest of the season (full Oct. and Nov.) would be $39.98.

Of course they sent that email right after my monthly pass renewed, but I reached out to google and a refund was approved immediately for my Oct. sub.

Don't know how this applies to those that pay through MotoGP rather than google, nor outside the U.S.

[Dicknose]

On free tv in Australia. Can’t get F1, but MotoGP still on.

Another good race. Been a good season. Good to see new talent coming to the top - Fabio will get his turn.

[Rare White Ape]

Oh yes. Quatararo will put Marquez in a choke-hold one day. But that day might be a little while yet.

I've observed that right now we're in a full generational shift.

Doohan to Rossi. Rossi to Marquez.

When Rossi was winning, part of his career overlapped quite a lot with Lorenzo's. The two of them took championships off each other but neither of them took full dominance.

Now, Marquez has come along late enough in Rossi's career that Rossi isn't young and fast enough to challenge him, so Marquez is the one with the talent and speed to beat everyone else.

Now, Quatararo has been a shining light, but he might be too early in Marquez's career to take dominance from the Spaniard. Assuming Quatararo keeps up his momentum, he might indeed win some championships, but Marquez is still strong enough that he will take titles away from Quatararo.

Either way, it will be very fun to watch.

Doohan to Rossi. Rossi to Marquez.

Marquez to whom?

Right now that person might be in the Spanish junior championships.

[M4FFU]

Marquez to whom?

Marquez.

[Dicknose]

Marquez has destroyed a very strong field, Rossi (a couple of years ago), Lorenzo, Pedrosa, Dovizioso. Was a pity he and Stoner never went head to head.
But what has been amazing has been his consistancy - some of the others have had strong bursts or tracks that suited, but Marquez is always near the front. His podium record is amazing.
I think Quatararo might get there to challenge and beat him regularly. But unless he also gets that amazing consistancy he wont be challenging for titles, not without Marquez having an injury and missing races.

[Rare White Ape]

Latest word around the campfire is that Jorge will be spending more time on his yacht next year.

Announcement to come at Valencia.

[Blerpa]

Latest word around the campfire is that Jorge will be spending more time on his yacht next year.

Announcement to come at Valencia.

He already debunked the rumours today. Bah.
Ducati is interested in Vinales meanwhile.

[Rare White Ape]

Hm.

Who will Ducati give to boot to then?

[Blerpa]

Petrucci? Don't know.
Also Ducati declared that a Lorenzo's comeback is now out of the question and there's no return on that decision.

[Rare White Ape]

I’m at Philip Island!

It was bloody windy today. So windy that they called off qualifying after Miguel Oliviera was literally blown sideways off the track into turn 1 and had a big tumble. They cancelled all track activity for the afternoon and qualifying will take place tomorrow.

In other news, I checked out the museum down here. It’s incredible - the largest collection of Cagiva and Aprilia GP bikes in the world. If you’re ever here you’ve gotta see it.

https://i.imgur.com/augyCt7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/UBARvWF.jpg

[Alan P]

Bruno? I think that should be Brno and the auto-correct struck?!