© Bruce Allen October 2, 2020
MotoGP 2020 October 1 Tranching Around
Twiddling our collective thumbs during this week off before Le Mans, I thought it a worthy idea to take another look at the purely subjective rider rankings you and I embrace. I’m not yet at the point where I can do this much beyond the top ten in Moto2 and Moto3. Here, however, in the premier class, we aim to generate some light along with the heat, top to bottom, as follows:
Tranche I Marc Marquez in absentia; Fabio Quartararo; Joan Mir
Tranche II Valentino Rossi; Andrea Dovizioso; Maverick Vinales; Jack Miller; Franco Morbidelli; Johann Zarco
Tranche III Pecco Bagnaia; Takaa Nakagami; Alex Rins; Miguel Oliveira; Brad Binder; Pol Espargaro; Danilo Petrucci
Tranche IV Alex Marquez; Aleix Espargaro; Cal Crutchlow; Iker Lecuona
Tranche V Tito Rabat; Bradley Smith; Stefan Bradl
Without question, there is a wealth of young talent whose stars are rising. Some of these may have received lower rankings then they perhaps deserve because they are still learning their trade and making too many mistakes, i.e., Pecco Bagnaia. Their inability to recognize life-threatening situations, however, is a career asset in racing. Other riders whose careers are in descent—Rossi, Dovizioso, Cal Crutchlow, Danilo Petrucci—can expect to see their rankings fall later in the season as they begin to lose interest, relatively speaking. Absolutely able to race and race hard, just no longer willing to risk life and limb in the skinny places.
Re-Alignment of Teams and Riders at Ducati
So, the puzzle pieces are mostly slotted in at Ducati for next year, with Pecco Bagnaia getting his factory seat after turning 24 in January. He and Jack Miller will front the factory team. Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin, having received the rumored call-up from Moto2, will be the faces of Pramac Racing. Enea Bastianini, currently laboring in Moto2, has the inside track on the second Avintia Racing seat next to Tito Rabat, who is under contract for 2021 but may find himself bought out in favor of red-hot Luca Marini. Which is how it should be. Avintia should be the natural training ground for Moto2 grads moving up to MotoGP, with Pramac there to accept the successful grads and the factory team always looking to poach someone in the pipeline.
Very Darwinian in how it works in MotoGP. Do well in Moto3, go to Moto2. Do well in Moto2, go to MotoGP. Godspeed from there.
VR46 Racing to be a Yamaha Team?
Color me surprised. With the Petronas team kicking ass and the factory team being, well, the factory team, and with Suzuki in need of a second team, and with Rossi wanting perhaps to prove that it was Rossi, not Yamaha, who delivered all those titles, this headline at Crash took me by surprise. I didn’t read the article but suspect this might have been part of the Petronas 2021 deal, that Vale would get a third Yamaha team beginning in 2022. To keep the boys at Ducati and KTM honest during the Marquez Era at Honda, don’tcha know.
Le Mans Looms
Typically, it seems the Ducs and Yamahas like things in France, but there’s always the weather to contend with, as it seems to rain here as often as it doesn’t. One thing, though, is fairly certain: it should be cold, with daytime highs only in the 50’s F. Which means it could be in the 40’s in morning practice sessions. Add a little rain and you have a recipe for an extravagant comedy of errors. We’ll take a closer look at the forecast for Sarthe and environs next week. Ciao.
Tags: Ducati, fabio quartararo, Honda, Joan Mir, Marc Marquez, suzuki, valentino rossi, Yamaha
Late-Braking MotoGP 
October 2, 2020 at 8:12 am |
Your tranching looks pretty fair. My only question is, how does Tito stay in MotoGp? He must be fairly charming, (or have a rich father, I’m looking at you Karel), because it’s not on results and he been around quite a while.
Ant Brother hasn’t crashed and hence has not really tested the limit. Unless this changes, (and it may not after he has witnessed some Antman and El Gato high-side carnage), even after he gets the swing of things, he’s mid pack at best. No wonder he was immediately demoted. Sometimes the Ant DOES fall far from the mound.
What happens to Dovi after this season? Other than his win, he’s not exactly setting his resume’ on fire and time is running out. Avintia? Maybe, but that’s a long way down from 3x in a row runner up to Antman, which to me is a great performance, given that Antman is unbelievable. Last year he put a fairly large gap on Pop Gun in 3rd. Given his age, if he sits out 2021, does anyone want him for 2022? His millionaire paydays may be over.
Daytime highs in the 50″s at Le Mans? The riders were complaining about the temp drop at the last race. lol. Count on world level sniveling and break out your insulated beret. If it’s cold AND it rains, it will be tippy toe carnage where anyone could win, even Tito. OK, maybe not even then.
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October 2, 2020 at 9:50 am |
I might have moved Pecco up a slot but I can’t really argue with your tranches. Agreed with Starmag on Dovi. SO much young talent available that this is going to be a hard season and (probable) sabbatical to overcome. The Crash article is pretty short on details. Given that Yamaha don’t seem able/willing to put 4 current spec bikes on the grid, seems like Suzuki would be a better bet for VR46 MotoGP supplier? 40F in the French race morning? I’ve never seen Michelin claim their lowest temperature target, but that could be a really weird first practice assume anyone even pokes a nose out of the garage
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October 2, 2020 at 11:10 am |
+1
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October 2, 2020 at 11:31 pm |
therace dot com seems to think that Petronas is disgruntled and may switch to Suzukis, leaving a Yamaha satellite team for VR46.
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October 8, 2020 at 1:14 pm |
Suzuki would be the obvious choice to balance out the numbers, but I’ve heard in a few places that they have neither the budget, or the desire, to field a second team. Guess we’ll find out.
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October 2, 2020 at 11:23 am |
It’s rare I completely agree with your tranching, but here we are. The Bag man is going to move up, but given his injury earlier in the season, 3 seems fair for now. It’s just hard to believe Dovi doesn’t have a ride, and really aren’t any options available for him. Shame, he is still competitive.
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October 2, 2020 at 7:48 pm |
One would think that, as unpredictable as the racing has been, so would the tranching be. Instead everyone seems to be in accord. Where’s the consternation? Where’s the disputation? Where’s the indignation? I guess you’re tranching savvy is just that good, Brucey.
As for Pop Gun, this is his FIFTH YEAR in Moto GP. And he’s been on factory teams right from the start. He should have himself sorted by now. He’s going to self destruct trying to keep up with Fabio.
As for Tito, “We can’t produce plays without the checkies.”
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October 2, 2020 at 8:26 pm |
‘Where’s the consternation? Where’s the disputation? Where’s the indignation? ” Show us the way Obi Wan.
“As for Tito, “We can’t produce plays without the checkies.”
Yes, but what advertiser is witless enough to pay for him? Only his family and friends are watching him ride around at the back and almost zero TV coverage. He would certainly ride circles around me, so I respect him, but that doesn’t make the above less true.
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October 3, 2020 at 10:04 pm |
IIRC, Tito’s family owns a jewelry business. It’s not advertisers that are paying for his seat, it’s Mom and Dad.
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October 4, 2020 at 5:13 am |
Same difference–pay to play.
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October 2, 2020 at 11:33 pm |
Shall I be the first to say Franco to the factory, Maverick to limbo?
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October 3, 2020 at 10:07 pm |
Oh, that would definitely drive Petronas to Suzuki.
“You’re taking Fabio and Franco, and you’re giving us Valley and Pop Gun?!”
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October 8, 2020 at 7:51 pm |
How about bigging up the French race, eh Brucey?
I just read that six of Yamaha’s engineers must miss the race because they are self isolating due to COVID-19.
Oooooooh, which engineers? Whose engineers?
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October 8, 2020 at 8:52 pm |
I started on it yesterday. My wife got some terrible health news yesterday. Going to put it all together, preview and results, and post Sunday. Sorry, but I know you understand.
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October 9, 2020 at 6:16 pm |
Gee, I’m sorry for the bad news, and I wish you the best.
Don’t worry about us. We’re only MOrons.
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October 9, 2020 at 7:27 am |
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October 10, 2020 at 6:24 pm |
Wow, Q2 was a lot of fun. Lot’s of riders had a shot at the front row. Lots of red sectors in the final laps. Can’t wait for the race tomorrow.
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