MotoGP, Nakagami: "A similar set-up to that of Marquez and the Honda is easier" First in FP2 and 8th overall: "I studied Marc's data and found the solution. Pole position? Why not, it will be difficult but I will try" With Marc Marquez absent, Crutchlow grappling with a broken scaphoid and Alex with the tag of rookie, it was up to Takaaki Nakagami to keep the Honda flag flying at Jerez. The Japanese LCR man set the best time in the afternoon, which earned him 8th on aggregate times. All using the medium tyre on the rear. “In the morning I had used the soft tyre, it didn’t behave badly but after 20 laps I was struggling, it was sliding a lot - he explained - Today everyone suffered from graining on the left side of the tyre, it's not just a Honda problem. The track conditions had changed, there was less grip, but in the afternoon my feelings improved, despite the heat. If anything, the problem is the front, even the hard tyre is too soft for us, but it is the only one we have. " However, these problems did not limit you… It was a good start; in the past few days I carefully analysed all the data from the past weekend with the team and I found some solutions. I managed to be more consistent and the RC213V is now easier to ride. " Does not having Marc on the track change anything for you? “Not much, apart from the fact that Takeo (Yokohama, the head of HRC, Ed.) has more time to stay in my garage. In the past few days I discussed a few things with him, together we compared my data with that of Marquez and I saw the differences. Now I'm using a setting that is closer to Marc's. " Are you ready to do the same tomorrow in qualifying? "Why not? I started well, with the team we did a great job and I will try to fight for pole position. It won't be easy, but I can do it. As I said, the Honda is now easier to ride and I also manage to be more consistent. Marc continues to have a special way of riding and managing the bike, I want to study it to work on myself too ". Is your bike identical to the one he rode last year? “I wouldn’t know, in the tests in Qatar I tried different frames and a lot more material. It was like building a puzzle, because I had so many pieces available, including those made for Lorenzo. I tried them and I chose the best ones for me
Just found this gem of a thread. Very nice.... ;-) I haven't watched qualifying yet.... so.... thanks allot. Hahaha Referring to posts above: I really WANT to hate MM93, but I just can't bring myself to. I mean, I try, I really do because I'm a Rossi guy. But ultimately I end up admitting to myself that most of the reasons I am a rossi guy also will lead me to be a MM93 guy. Someone used the term "era-defining" above, and i think that's it. We've all seen Rossi do what Marquez did last weekend. We've seen it, so we knew it was possible before mm started to climb the charts again. Both men have always had a little something left when it counted. But: Rossi's miracle-well is running dry. You realize this is his 25th season? Incredible. In my book he's the GOAT. But I cannot deny what mm is bringing. And though mm is better than Lorenzo or stoner or any of the other paddock-crybabies we've experienced lately, he still lacks some of that happy-go- lucky, Master of all i see, charisma that is Rossi. But who can blame him: he's not Italian. The sport will change when rossi leaves. I really hope mm can fill some of that void. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
Ha!! All those Rossi Haters can suck it!! Y'all need to hear his after race interview. He's so humble about everything but also tells it like it is. Same with FQ. So happy for Yamaha riders except FM with that failure. But at least that failure proves all the idiots that said Rossi just quit last week are just that.
smiled through the whole race, haha. It was good to see The Man back on a step.... even if not the top step.
So weird that they don't have more respect for Valentino https://www.gpone.com/en/2020/07/27/motogp/rossi-i-fought-with-yamaha-they-wanted-me-to-ride-like-quartararo.html
He's such an inspiring guy and I bet a lot of people buy Yamahas because he rides for them. I loved that thing he did at the end of the race, climbing on the fence to do his victory dance for the imaginary Rossi supporters
Love that interview! (paraphrasing): "I'm not making any excuses for my past results, but now I've got a good one and I need to leverage that with Yamaha". There's more class and charisma in that man than there is in any other two riders currently on the grid. And 'ma tell ya, that HEAT? yeah.... it sure affects ME more at 40+ than it did when I was 30. He isn't complaining about it, but I'm sure paying attention. It's this kind of interview (and of course hundreds more like it) that distinguishes him from the cry-babies of the past. Stoner was always pissed because he would beat Rossi, but everyone gave more attention to Rossi than to him. But then Stoner would be sarcastic and rude to reporters, refuse to show-up for fan-autograph sessions, give pissy one-word answers in interviews for the media, etc. He forgot that he was riding a motorcycle for a living.... how lucky Was he, really? Rossi never forgets that.
This doesn't sound good https://www.gpone.com/en/2020/08/04/motogp/hondas-failure-it-wasnt-able-to-save-private-marquez.html
That may be the dumbest piece of racing "journalism" I've ever read. They could've said "marc bent the ti plate, went back in for surgery". The rest of the extemporaneous fluff was not just unnecessary, it was stupid. Really? They want to tell us that Honda should've disallowed him to try? Or the docs? Or Puig? Like Marc is 13 yrs old here? Telling Marc "no" in this situation was nobody's right, nor responsibility. If a rider bears no responsibility for his own actions or decisions because (as the story says) he's simply a victim of his own talent and cannot be relied upon to make good decisions; then neither can the rider accept the credit for strategic winning; setting a pace, stalking another rider, pushing him to make a mistake, tire selection, or any number of other championship- making (or breaking) decisions. Because, after all, he's just an ignorant fool who happens to ride well. 'cuz that's what this article said. As far as the rest goes: this year's championship is bound to have an asterisk next to it forever. It's a shame for whoever the ultimate champion is, because absolutely none of the issues we've seen so far have been directly covid- related, and yet that will be the narrative proffered by Honda, Puig, and Espeleta. Much like in the hospitals when a patient succumbs to injuries sustained in a car accident: if they also had antibodies then they count it as a covid death. Pfft. I've had such a gut full of today's broken world. Pfft. Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
:sigh: Yup. Having never been a Doohan fan, I found myself cheering for every spaniard in front of him, hahaha. But what a heartbreaker for Criville, huh? IF I were him, I'd've told the fans who stormed the track that they had just cost me the win and I was changing my Passport to Mexican. Idiots. All of them. It also reminded me of KR Jr; how he always whines that everybody always forgets him when listing the greats from America. But he seems to forget just how forgettable he was for most of his career.
Back in 2016 Binder won his first moto3 race from last place, I had been looking forward to him in MotoGP for a long time, glad he hasn’t disappointed. Image Unavailable, Please Login
MotoGP World Standing 2020 Pos. Rider Bike Nation Points 1 Fabio QUARTARARO Yamaha FRA 59 2 Maverick VIÑALES Yamaha SPA 42 3 Franco MORBIDELLI Yamaha ITA 31 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati ITA 31 5 Brad BINDER KTM RSA 28 6 Johann ZARCO Ducati FRA 28 7 Valentino ROSSI Yamaha ITA 27 8 Takaaki NAKAGAMI Honda JPN 27 9 Jack MILLER Ducati AUS 20 10 Alex RINS Suzuki SPA 19 11 Pol ESPARGARO KTM SPA 19 12 Miguel OLIVEIRA KTM POR 18 13 Alex MARQUEZ Honda SPA 13 14 Joan MIR Suzuki SPA 11 15 Danilo PETRUCCI Ducati ITA 11 16 Francesco BAGNAIA Ducati ITA 9 17 Tito RABAT Ducati SPA 7 18 Aleix ESPARGARO Aprilia SPA 6 19 Cal CRUTCHLOW Honda GBR 6 20 Bradley SMITH Aprilia GBR 5 21 Stefan BRADL Honda GER 22 Iker LECUONA SPA
Oh that's just awesome.... haha https://www.autosport.com/motogp/news/151377/yamaha-requests-to-unseal-engines-after-mechanical-woe Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk