© Bruce Allen
With all the changes in riders, teams and divisions, we need a program to ID the players. We had just digested the Alex Marquez-to-Repsol Honda thing and the expected back-filling at Moto2 Marc VDS by some 22 year-old Spanish rider, in this case one Augusto Fernandez. Avintia Ducati then went out and cut an improved third-place deal with Ducati going forward, addressing the general perception that they were something of a stepchild when it came to MotoGP teams.
Avintia were officially prepared to head into 2020 with Karel Abraham and his Czech money and Tito Rabat, his virgin MotoGP potential intact after his Moto2 title years ago. Suddenly, Abraham “got quit” by management, despite a contract for 2020 he apparently intended to fulfill. Sounds like a buyout to me. And instead of naming vagabond Johann Zarco to ride alongside Rabat, they assign the upcoming Jerez test to a rider who just finished third in the e-racing season for Ducati, a guy I never heard of named Eric Granado, who is under contract in the e-division for 2020. So they’re working out the deal for Zarco’s one-year contract on a bike he is unlikely to be able to ride with any success, lacking the edge grip of the Yamaha upon which he was a rising star.
Disorder is the name of the game during these short days and long nights. What started out as a dull silly season has suddenly become dilly dilly due to the big names involved–Lorenzo, Alex, Lecuona, Binder, Abraham, etc. The musical chairs in Moto2 which are beyond my ability to distill. And the usual rat-race in Moto3. Someone somewhere is likely providing outstanding coverage of the off-season events taking place lower on the food chain.
As for Zarco, he appears to be giving a reprise of the career clinic recently concluded by Lorenzo. It has been said he’s not as good as he thinks he is, that his bright intro on a highly ride-able Yamaha in 2017 and 2018 had more to do with the bike than the rider, other than they were well-matched. This, in turn, reminds me of a British admiral in a Bernard Cornwell novel who, at war with the French in the 1800’s, was admiring their warships and remarked how they reminded him of their women–“beautiful, and under-manned.” Zarco, who looked like a prospective Sub-Alien in 2017, is now scuffling and scrambling to remain relevant in the premier class.
The disorder Zarco appears to share with Jorge Lorenzo–the sin of pride–would explain much of what has been going on with him since he left Tech 3 after the 2018 season for the greener pastures and bright future at KTM. This grade of mistake alters the career trajectory for a rider, as has been the case with Zarco, Lorenzo and Rossi before him. But rare is the Dani Pedrosa who stays with one team for a dozen years. It speaks to the relationship HRC and the Marquez coterie have that they can continue to sign progressively more expensive two-year contracts with no public drama or angst. Which gives a little credit to the thesis that Marc Marquez is not a complete jerk, one I share.
Whatever. Life goes on, as they say, in the yachting class.,
Tags: Grand Prix motorcycle racing, honda motorcycle racing, HRC, Marc Marquez, motogp
Late-Braking MotoGP 
November 25, 2019 at 10:47 am |
Unmentioned is that Zarco is still unsigned apparently, and has a bum ankle, which would seem to be the reason for the coal bike rider substitution.
I guess I’ll have to switch from Abraham to Rabat for my backmarker references now. Sad. Rich Boy KA made a more enjoyable target, even though he is probably a nice enough guy and could certainly ride circles around me.
I’m thinking KA’s merch is about to be heavily discounted. Check out this shirt, which has him riding near VR. And VR riding near Antman:
Obviously a fantasy shirt.
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November 26, 2019 at 1:25 pm |
Don’t worry. Rabat is a rich boy, too, and will make a fine butt to your jokes – and mine.
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November 25, 2019 at 12:32 pm |
I still think Marquez is a jerk, but apparently a jerk whose cooperation can be bought with a dump truck full of money, and let’s face it, that’s what the best GP rider in the world ought to expect. Good analysis, hope Zarco finds a ride, as you say he hasn’t been what he appeared to be on the Yamaha, but still a good enough rider.
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February 12, 2020 at 5:58 am |
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