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Indianapolis MotoGP 2013 Results

August 18, 2013

An edited version of this story will appear later on Motorcycle.com. Until then, enjoy the raw copy.

Hat tricks abound for Marc Marquez at Indy 

Let’s be clear.  Repsol Honda rookie Marc Marquez is the new king of MotoGP.  His decisive win at Indianapolis in Sunday over teammate Dani Pedrosa marked his third consecutive win for the 2013 season.  It marked his third consecutive win in Indianapolis, having topped the last two Moto2 tilts here.  And, lest we forget, it marked three wins in a row in the U.S., following Austin and Laguna Seca.  Sunday’s win made it a veritable hat trick of hat tricks for the precocious Spanish youngster. 

Captain America - 1969

Captain America circa 1969

Marquez is a man in need of a nickname.  In that his triple triple coincided with the announcement that MotoGP will continue at Indianapolis for at least the next year—a hat trick, if you will, of American rounds—I’m going to suggest Captain America.  Marc Marquez likes racing in the United States, therefore we will pay homage to him with three American rounds.  Easy Rider’s Peter Fonda has been deposed.

You could see this one coming a mile away.  Marquez topped the timesheets in all four practice sessions and qualified on the pole, blowing away the previous track record set by Pedrosa last year.  His only lapse all weekend was at the start of the race, when he allowed both Pedrosa and defending world champion Jorge Lorenzo’s Yamaha to beat him to the first turn, Lorenzo in front.  Things stayed this way until Lap 9, when Marquez went through smoothly on Pedrosa, in deference to his teammate’s injured collarbone.  Marquez immediately set his sights on Lorenzo, himself healing from his own twice-broken collarbone.

Captain America - 2013

Captain America circa 2013

On Lap 13, Marquez had Lorenzo lined up, and went through easily into the lead, from which he never looked back.  Lorenzo and Pedrosa managed to keep it close for the next dozen laps, but neither was going to chase down the rookie.  With two laps left and both riders tiring, Pedrosa managed to go through on Lorenzo into second place, which is how it ended.

At narrow circuits like Indianapolis (which would be a much more interesting track if they reversed the flow and ran clockwise, the way it was designed for F-1 back in the day) there usually isn’t much overtaking, which was the case today.  Sure, there was some jockeying going on in the back half of the grid, but most of us don’t give a rip about who edges whom for 18th place in these things.  But, as they say, all’s well that ends well, and this one certainly did.

Fireworks Late in the Day

Yamaha icon Valentino Rossi, who struggled all weekend after having recorded a win and two podium finishes in his last three races, spent most of the day loitering by himself in seventh place, trailing the likes of GO&FUN Honda hazard Alvaro Bautista, Monster Tech 3 Yamaha defector Cal Crutchlow and LCR Honda strongman Stefan Bradl.  Suddenly, with perhaps 12 laps left, Rossi regained consciousness and began laying down a series of quick laps.  He chased down Bradl on Lap 22, taking over 6th place, and punked Bautista the next time around, moving into 5th.

Next up was Cal Crutchlow, who had announced during summer vacation that he was sick of podiums and was taking his game to the factory Ducati team for two years of well-paid perdition, beginning next year.  Rossi and Crutchlow spent the last two laps trading paint and positions, back and forth, teeth bared, until Rossi finally crossed the line 6/100ths of a second in front of the Brit.  This is good training for Crutchlow, as he is unlikely to engage in any further champagne spraying during what’s left of the Obama administration.  Gut-wrenching losses could become his middle name.

The 60,000+ fans in attendance on Sunday continued roaring during the last lap as factory Ducati teammates Andrea Dovizioso and homeboy Nicky Hayden REALLY got into it heading for the finish.  Hayden, calling upon his dirt track heritage, went low on Dovizioso in Turn 16, causing both riders to jump the curb separating the bike track from the frigging IMS main straight.

Dovi and Hayden AirbornFor one shining moment, the two red Ducatis were airborne, side by side, the teammates snapping and snarling at one another as they tried to regain control.  Surprisingly, they both remained upright for a final dash to the flag, won by Hayden by a full 12/100ths of a second.  Unfortunately for them, while this drama was unfolding, Monster Tech 3 Yamaha second Bradley Smith calmly passed both of them to take eighth place, “pipping” Hayden by 1/100th.  Ta-ta for now, old boy.

 

The Big Picture

Marquez’ win puts him 21 points in front of Pedrosa and 35 ahead of Lorenzo with eight rounds left; the 2013 title is now officially his to lose.  Rossi sits in fourth place, just three points in front of Crutchlow.  Bradl, in sixth place, leads Dovizioso by six points, with Bautista, Hayden and Smith completing the top ten.  Dani Pedrosa’s pronouncement last week that the 2013 title would be decided in the next three rounds—Indianapolis, Brno and Silverstone—may have been off by two.  It very well may be that the 2013 title has already been decided, and we just don’t realize it.

A Little Rumor and Innuendo

Once Crutchlow decided to join Ducati next season, a number of other chips fell into place, as we now know that Bradl will stay with LCR, and Bautista with the Gresini team for 2014.  Still, there’s plenty we don’t know about next year.  Nicky Hayden is rumored to be in the running for a “production” Honda as the #2 rider for LCR next year.

NGM Forward racing, with Colin Edwards and Claudio Corti lugging FTR Kawasaki machines this year, is strongly suggesting they will lease a pair of Yamaha M-1s for next season, mentioning parenthetically that they are discussing their plans with Aleix Espargaro, Hayden and Jonathan Rea.  Owner Giovanni Cuzari insisted, “I will respect my two riders now – Colin (Edwards) and Claudio (Corti) – but of course I need to follow some requests from Yamaha.”  Meaning, in my opinion, that Edwards and Corti are screwed.

On the Other Side of the Tracks

Three riders whose fortunes took a turn for the worse this weekend, if such a thing is possible, were Ben Spies, Karel Abraham and Blake Young.  Spies, attempting a return after missing seven (7) rounds recovering from injury, crashed at Turn 4 in FP3 and dislocated his GOOD shoulder, putting him out of today’s race.  Abraham, too, crashed on Friday, suffering torn muscles in his shoulder that kept him out today and make him questionable for next week at his dad’s Czech Grand Prix.  And Young, the optimistic wildcard this weekend, ended the WUP with smoke pouring out of his Attack Performance frankenbike.  Though he was able to post for the start, he failed to finish a single lap.

On to Brno

The 2013 crash course in pain and glory starts up again a few days from now in eastern Europe, with the Czech Republic hosting the bwin Grand Prix České republiky at Brno, The Circuit That Needs to Buy a Vowel.  Mercifully, this is one of the tracks where the Yamahas can be expected to be competitive.  Whether Lorenzo or Rossi stands atop the podium on Sunday will be determined, in part, along the way—by Captain America.

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MotoGP Indianapolis 2013 Preview

August 12, 2013

Three races, three weeks, three contenders 

Repsol Honda mighty mite Dani Pedrosa was quoted last week as saying he thought the 2013 MotoGP championship would be decided in the next three rounds.  His teammate, rookie Marc Marquez, sits squarely in the driver’s seat, leading Pedrosa by 16 points and factory Yamaha stud Jorge Lorenzo by an imposing 26.  Should young Marquez avoid DNFs over the next three weeks and record a win or two, the 2013 title appears to be his for the taking. 

Recent History at Indianapolis 

Though the race winners at Indy since 2008 haven’t been terribly surprising, the podiums have usually hosted at least one dark horse.  During the inaugural race in 2008, Yamaha mullah Valentino Ross, at his peak, methodically tracked down then Repsol Honda pilot and local fave Nicky Hayden during Hurricane Ike in a race that was ultimately red-flagged due to the weather.  Indy that year was one of Hayden’s two podium appearances, with third place going to Rossi’s rookie teammate Jorge Lorenzo.

Rossi looked ready to repeat in 2009 until an ill-advised crash on Lap 9 handed the win to Lorenzo.  In August of 2009, Rossi had the championship title in the bag, and could have easily coasted to a podium finish.  Instead, he went balls to the wall, his usual style, and left the door ajar for Lorenzo, the eventual 2009 runner-up.  Joining Lorenzo on the podium in 2009 were Alex de Angelis on a satellite Honda and homeboy Hayden on the Ducati Desmosedici.  For both de Angelis and Hayden, Indianapolis marked their only podium appearance of 2009.

The mid-American weirdness continued in 2010, as Dani Pedrosa won on a brutally hot day, joined on the podium by Monster Tech 3 Yamaha polesitter Ben Spies and Lorenzo, who lost the battle that day but would win the war and his first world championship later that year.  In August of 2010, Spies’ future could not have looked any brighter.  He started on the pole and gave Pedrosa all he wanted that day, during a week that saw him anointed as the next factory Yamaha star for 2011-12.

[In retrospect, this was probably the high water mark of Spies’ MotoGP career, despite his stunning win in Assen the following season.  Since 2010, Spies has gone from The Great American Hope to a historical footnote, working his way down from factory Yamaha, to satellite Ducati, to completely irrelevant this year.  He returns to the fray this week after missing the last seven races, and figures to be looking for work in 2014.  Spies is articulate, thoughtful and self-effacing, but his MotoGP career is circling the bowl.  We wish him well.]

Pedrosa’s win in 2010 marked the first of three consecutive wins at Indy for the factory Honda team, as Casey Stoner cruised to victory in 2011 and Pedrosa repeated last year, again in brutally hot conditions.  Indianapolis is, without question, a highly Honda-friendly track, with the tight infield portion having much more to do with who wins than the orgasmic long main straight bisected by the start/finish line.  During the last two races, the podiums have become somewhat more predictable, as it was Stoner-Lorenzo-Andrea Dovizioso (on the Repsol Honda) in 2011 and Pedrosa-Lorenzo-Dovizioso (on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha) last year.

My sole prediction for Sunday:  Andrea Dovizioso will not appear anywhere near the podium.  Take that to the bank.

Marc Marquez:  Best Rookie Ever?

Crash.net speculated this past week that Marc Marquez may be the best premier class rookie ever.  While our crack Research Department mulls that one over, I would be reluctant to argue the point.  In my 2013 season preview, I had him figured for 4th place this year, with eight podiums, two wins, 4 DNFs, and 220 points for the season.

Should Marquez extend his performance thus far over the second half, he would finish with six wins, two DNFs, 14 podiums, 326 points and a world championship.  Which would virtually duplicate his 2012 season in Moto2.  And he appears fresh as a daisy, none the worse for wear, compared to his main rivals Pedrosa and Lorenzo, both of whom are amongst the walking wounded.

We know three things on this subject as the second half of the season gets underway.  The Repsol Honda likes hot weather, the hotter the better.  Marquez, for whatever reason, seems to perform better in the second half of seasons than the first.  And, he is greatly familiar with pretty much every circuit left on the 2013 calendar.  (This last point is rather moot, in that he won both times he’s confronted a track for the first time, at Austin and Laguna Seca.)

Marquez simply doesn’t ride like a rookie.  His balance and reflexes are incomparable, Stoneresque, God-given gifts; he appears to be doing what he was put on Earth to do.  Now that we have virtually guaranteed his first coronation this year, it remains to be seen whether the Motorcycle.com jinx will rear up to bite him on the bum (paging Cal Crutchlow.)  If not, fans need to get ready for a decade or so of watching him effortlessly win races, championships, and the hearts of Spanish racing fans.

The world appears to be his oyster.

The Yamaha Magic Gearbox 

Our friend David Emmett over at MotoMatters.com is convinced Yamaha was using their version of the seamless shift gearbox during the recent private testing sessions held at Brno.  By measuring oscilloscope readings of sound recordings made trackside, he deduces that the “magic gearbox” decreases shifting time for the Yamaha YZR-M1 by some 143% compared to the conventional version.  This enhancement is significantly less than that provided by the Honda box, but still represents a major improvement.

Apparently, some reliability concerns remain, as there has been no announcement of a change in equipment for the Yamaha factory bikes as yet.  But Big Blue needs to get this system installed sooner rather than later, as the Honda RC213V is clearly superior at tracks with lots of low-gear turns, i.e., Austin, Laguna Seca and, most likely, Indianapolis.  Marquez and Pedrosa are going to be fast everywhere they go, whereas Lorenzo and Rossi need to dominate at tracks like Losail and Aragon and hold on for dear life at the tight, slower circuits.

[As things now stand, Ducati Corse hopes to have their version of the magic gearbox ready to go in time for the 2036 season, while the sober folks at Suzuki profess no belief in magic at all.  The riders who will be testing this stuff for the two B-level factories haven’t actually been born yet.  Just sayin’.]

Great Expectations

If you look up the word “optimist” in the dictionary, you’ll likely find a wildcard rider discussing his chances in an upcoming MotoGP tilt.  This time, it’s Blake Young, last seen trashing his Attack Performance APR Kawasaki bucket at Laguna Seca, along with one James Rispoli, who will be making his Moto2 debut in Indy with the GPTech team on a Tech 3 frame.  Such competition reminds me of a garage band entering a Battle of the Bands against Tom Petty, John Mellencamp and R.E.M..

Give the guys credit for showing up.  While you’re at it, please support their sponsors, who could likely get a better return on their investments tossing wads of $100 bills out of a helicopter.

Finally!  Your Weekend Forecast 

Indianapolis has enjoyed a remarkably temperate summer, and it looks to continue this weekend.  Skies are forecast to be fair, with temps in the high 70’s and low 80’s.  As this is probably your last chance to see MotoGP at the IMS; if you can come to town for the race, please do so.  (Next year you’ll have to travel to Argentina.)

As of this weekend, Fox Sports 1 will be the new home of MotoGP on TV.  Live coverage of all three classes starts Sunday at 11 am Eastern, with the big bikes going off at 2 pm.  We’ll have MotoGP results right here on Sunday evening.

 

 

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The Passing of the Torch

July 27, 2013
Rossi vs. Marquez stalking Bradl

Rossi vs. Marquez as they stalk Bradl, Lap 4, looking into Turn 8

Two beautiful images of what will become a historic moment for MotoGP, the moment Marc Marquez announced he didn’t need no steenkin’ rules, he was just going for the win.  (Borrowed shamelessly from Tom White, who has posted these and a number of others at Motomatters.com.)

Rossi vs. Marquez Lap 4, Turn 8, 2013 Laguna Seca

We don’t need no steenkin’ rules, we’re going for the win. See you later.

While we’re at it, and before we forget, let’s mention how maddening it is to have to wait to hear about Crutchlow.  It is far more interesting, though, to learn that MotoGP has learned something from the NBA and the NFL, namely that a 2 year contract can now become a one year contract with the team (i.e., team owner) holding the option for year two.  Which, in turn, means riders like Bradl, Bautista,, and Smith may be soon looking for work.  Add to this the new rules allowing up to four riders per team, the availability of both Honda and Yamaha satellite bikes, as well as Yamaha engines on other frames.  Plus, chassis manufacturers have now joined the ranks of engine manufacturers as being viewed as owners, subject to the complex rules of one class versus the other.

The only thing we know for sure at this time is that they will be referred to only as “works” teams and “non-works” teams.  Period.  The continental divide in all of this is, of course, how do teams configure their bikes in order to maximize power, i.e., with a Honda or Yamaha engine, while still being allowed 24 liters of fuel and 12 engines per season.  that question sits in front of Suzuki as they plot their re-entry into the fray in 2015.  BMW drops out of WSB.  Aprilia must be considering fielding a works team of them own at some point, as world economics appear to be gaining strength, freeing up sponsorship money for teams willing to go all in on the leased engines and ambiguous rules.

There may likely be riders suddenly available with some real whiskers, including Bradl, Bautista, Smith and Hayden.  Espargaro and Redding moving up from Moto2.  Lots of wildcards in the US rounds.  Ducati needing to do something big to remain relevant in the premier class, as they have no presence in the lower  classes.  Surely they are trying to convince Crutchlow that being competitive is over-rated, while traveling in luxury never goes out of style.  Nicky Hayden had a pretty pleasant last six years of his career with Ducati,, only won three races in his career, nice guy.  I hope he can find a way to dominate WSB like in the old days of dirt tracks and state fairs.

Crutchlow will begin a domino effect that should be fun to watch.  With, it appears, all but the Aliens suffering with one year deals, the so-called silly season in MotoGP will be somewhat sillier this year than in those previous.

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MotoGP Laguna Seca 2013 Results

July 25, 2013

Marc Marquez is, at age 20, The Man.  Just sayin’.

Getting a little behind in my work here.  Please read this one on Motorcycle.com. ; they didn’t change a word.   Thanks for following my blog.

Marquez the Man

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MotoGP Laguna Seca 2013 Preview

July 16, 2013
Lorenzo's collarbone at Assen

Jorge Lorenzo’s left collarbone at Assen.

Will Jorge Lorenzo concede, or go all in?

For defending world champion Jorge Lorenzo, the approach of the U.S. Grand Prix at the Mazda Laguna Seca circuit in Monterey is fraught with peril.  Fate, and the powerful Repsol Hondo duo of Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez, have conspired to put the bright star of Yamaha Racing in an incredible bind.  Having injured his left collarbone twice in two weeks, a crash in Monterey could jeopardize the rest of his career.  But by sitting out, he effectively surrenders the 2013 title to one of his rivals. 

Graphically, it looks something like this:

ROCK———Jorge Lorenzo———-HARD PLACE

As has been said of Peyton Manning and Cal Ripken Jr., this guy is so competitive he would want to whip your ass in tiddlywinks.  Just the idea of allowing one of his compatriot/rivals to abscond with his title this year must make him physically ill.  But taking the track on his Yamaha M-1 is something of a sucker’s bet, i.e., wagering 2013 versus six or eight years yet to come.  The odds are shortened somewhat by the inarguable fact that rookie Marc Marquez is going to be a serious threat to Lorenzo’s fortunes from now on.  The precocious Spaniard, barely out of his teens, is a legitimate contender for this year’s title.  What’s he going to be like three years from now, when he is at the top of his game?  One shudders to think.

Lorenzo indicated on Saturday night via Twitter that he would stay home and try to be 100% in time for Indianapolis in August.  But his factory bosses have said no decision has yet been made; they have some skin in this game, too, although theirs is figurative.  His team is on its way to California as this is being written, ready in case Lorenzo opts to go all in, to keep his 2013 title chances alive.  Both Pedrosa and Marquez will be there, though Dani is less than 100% after his ugly highside in practice at the Sachsenring, and Marquez, according to me anyway, is unlikely to finish what will be his first career outing at Laguna.  The U.S. Grand Prix is a crashfest pretty much every year, and is notoriously difficult for first-timers.  Even one as gifted as Marc Marquez.

The Changing Dynamic at Repsol Honda

What a difference a weekend makes.  Heading into Round 8, the 2013 title fight appeared to be Pedrosa vs. Lorenzo, with Marquez, as well as Lorenzo’s Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi, playing supporting roles, more wingmen than leading men.  All that changed in Saxony.

With Pedrosa and Lorenzo sidelined, Marquez seized the day and the championship lead, while Rossi and Monster Tech 3 Yamaha stud Cal Crutchlow thrust themselves into the conversation by joining the rookie on the podium.  And while some people now see 2013 as a five man race—a bit of a stretch, in my opinion—the relationship between Marquez and Pedrosa has changed fundamentally.

Let us suggest that HRC management is greatly interested in adding 2013 to their impressive roster of MotoGP world championships.  Let us then suggest they are less concerned whether it is employee Pedrosa or employee Marquez who wins it for them.  Until last week, one suspects Marquez felt somewhat deferential to Pedrosa, the alpha male on the factory team.  Now, leading the series, and with Pedrosa nursing a variety of injuries, it is possible that Marquez sees him as an obstacle.

Recall Round 2 in Austin, where Marquez went through on Pedrosa without so much as a “by your leave” on the way to the win.  The pass was not disrespectful, but it wasn’t reverent, either.  It was clean (and much friendlier than his bumping Lorenzo out of his way in Jerez the following time out).  But that was then, and this is now.  With no team orders to back down from Pedrosa, and with a MotoGP title clearly possible in his rookie year, I look for Marquez to treat Pedrosa like any other rider for the remainder of the season.  Salir de mi camino, señor! 

Recent History at Laguna Seca

Among my most vivid MotoGP memories is the 2008 U.S. Grand Prix, when Rossi, on the Yamaha, pushed then defending world champion Casey Stoner and his Ducati so hard that Stoner eventually piled into the kitty litter.  Stoner and others accused Rossi of having been overly aggressive.  The rest of us viewed it as just plain old fashioned racing, a master class by The Doctor when he was at the top of HIS game.

In 2009, Dani Pedrosa beat Rossi in a sprint to the flag, with Lorenzo in hot pursuit.  That was the year Pedrosa took off like a scalded cat and looked to have the race in his back pocket midway through, only to have to withstand a furious second half charge by the Italian that fell tenths of a second short.  Rossi lost valuable time that year jousting with teammate Lorenzo for much of the day, back when the two combatants still had a wall separating them in the “team garage.”

Lorenzo enjoyed his only premier class win at Laguna Seca in 2010, having started from the pole, stiff-arming Stoner by 3.5 seconds, with Rossi well off the pace but still on the podium.  Under pressure from Lorenzo, Pedrosa crashed out of the lead on Lap 20 that year, a low point for MotoGP as only 12 bikes managed to finish the race.  Two of those finishers were the Hayden brothers, with Nicky, still relevant at the time, coming in 5th and wildcard Roger Lee earning 5 points in 11th position.

There was a certain similarity in the 2011 and 2012 contests, as Stoner, Lorenzo and Pedrosa finished 1-2-3 both years.  In 2011, Pedrosa was healing from injuries suffered earlier in the season at Le Mans, but was still dogging Lorenzo for the lead much of the day.  Meanwhile, Stoner, managing his tires in third place, found his fuel load to his liking with ten laps left and went through on both Pedrosa and Lorenzo on the way to his second world championship.

Last year, Stoner became the first three-time winner at Laguna, while even Rossi crashed out, the seventh starter out of 21 to fail to finish in his only DNF of the year.  Lorenzo led Stoner for much of the day, but didn’t have enough left to withstand the Repsol Honda chieftain late in the race.  It was Lorenzo, though, who would go on to win HIS second world championship.

What?  No Weather Forecast?

Honda has now taken three of the last four U.S. Grands Prix, making it officially a Honda-friendly track.  Whether that remains so this year depends upon two things—the physical condition of Dani Pedrosa, and how quickly young Marquez is able to learn his way around.  (I’m sure he has played the video game a million times, but something tells me the real thing will be different.)  With Lorenzo problematic as of Tuesday, the possibility of seeing some new faces on the podium is pretty good.  Maybe Cal Crutchlow captures his first win, or Stefan Bradl his first podium.

Anything can happen in California.

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MotoGP Sachsenring 2013 Results

July 14, 2013

An edited version of this article, complete with hi-rez images, will appear on Motorcycle.com later today.  Until then, enjoy the raw copy.

Marc Marquez Wins, Seizes Championship Lead 

Repsol Honda rookie phenom Marc Marquez took the flag in today’s German Grand Prix, a rather anti-climactic end to a brutally dramatic weekend in Saxony.  With series leaders Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo both sidelined with injuries suffered in practice, this was clearly Marquez’s race to lose.  After a poor start, he took the lead on Lap 5 and never looked back.  The composed Spaniard again leads the series in his rookie season, with an opportunity to make more hay in California before summer vacation. 

Most of the story of today’s race was written prior to the start.  On Friday afternoon, factory Yamaha ironman Jorge Lorenzo, who had gambled and won in Assen, gambled again and lost, his violent high side taking him back to Barcelona for another collarbone surgery and out of today’s race.  Series leader Dani Pedrosa, figuratively facing an open net with Lorenzo out, fanned on Saturday morning, flying over the handlebars of his Repsol Honda and out of the race with yet another collarbone injury, a concussion and double vision.  As we argued here last week, the single factor that could keep Pedrosa from his first premier class title—injury—jumped up and bit him hard yesterday.

It wasn’t just Lorenzo and Pedrosa crashing out on Friday and Saturday.  By my count, there were at least 16 replay-quality crashes leading up to the race.  In this dubious category, CRT back marker Bryan Staring, onboard the GO&FUN #2 bike, led the way with four (4) offs, five if you include his crash on lap 28 today. Andrea  “Crazy Joe” Iannone, improving in his first season with the Pramac Ducati team, left his ride behind twice, his accident in FP4 leaving him with knee and shoulder injuries sufficient to saddle him with his first DNS of the season.

Monster Tech 3 Yamaha Brit Cal Crutchlow endured a gruesome case of road rash suffered in the second of his two crashes Friday, but still managed to start the race.  Not only did he start from the middle of the front row, he finished second to Marquez for his best premier class finish ever, one of four satellite bikes occupying the top six spots in today’s clash.  Along the way, he went through easily on factory Yamaha icon Valentino Rossi, effectively flipping off Yamaha Racing corporate, who steadfastly refuse to make a respectable 2014 offer to the toughest guy on the track.  Rossi finished third, grateful to be on the podium, but laying to rest the fantasies of his delusional fans who, after his win in Assen, expected him to run the table on his way to yet another premier class title.  That’s not gonna happen.

Elsewhere on the Grid

For one brief shining moment—six laps, actually—LCR Honda pilot Stefan Bradl, showboating for his home fans, led the German Grand Prix, throwing the PA announcer into apoplexy.  One by one, Marquez, Rossi and, finally, Crutchlow went through on the German, leaving him to finish fourth, equaling his best premier class result earned previously at Mugello.  Finally seeming to shake the “underachiever” tag that has stuck to him all season, he was warmly hugged by team owner Lucio Cecchinello at the finish, apparently still in the good graces of management.  If you look up “Stefan Bradl” in the dictionary, you’re likely to find his picture above the caption, “Man in Need of a Podium.”  Just sayin’.

The feel-good story of the day centered on Aleix Espargaro, who qualified fifth and spent some time in the top three (!) early in the race before ultimately fading to eighth position at the flag.  The race announcers were speculating as to whether the Spaniard’s success onboard the Aprilia-powered CRT might be sufficient to induce the Italian company to field a factory team in the next year or two.  It’s hard to imagine that such a venture could be any more futile than the current Italian entries from Ducati Corse.

Speaking of which, Andrea Dovizioso needed a desperate last lap pass of Espargaro to avoid the ignominy of another loss to the Frankenbikes as took place in Assen.  Dovi led the Ducati contingent in 7th place today, followed by Nicky Hayden in 9th and Michelle Pirro in 10th.  All three positions were artificially enhanced by the absence of Lorenzo and Pedrosa from the proceedings.

Lest I forget completely, GO&FUN loose cannon Alvaro Bautista finished a respectable 5th today, followed by Crutchlow’s Monster Tech 3 Yamaha teammate Bradley Smith.  Of the two, Smith’s finish is more impressive, given the inferiority of his satellite Yamaha to the factory spec Honda under Bautista.  Rumor has it that Bautista’s contract with Fausto Gresini for 2014 is being subjected to numerous stress tests, as the volatile Italian team owner seeks some way to eject Alvaro from his team while still on speaking terms with HRC.  Bautista is, to my knowledge, the only premier class rider to have applied blonde highlights to his hair, a commentary on where his priorities lie.

The Big Picture

Here’s a look at the rather misleading premier class standings after eight rounds:

Top 10 riders after 8 rounds

By “misleading” I refer to the fact that both Lorenzo and Pedrosa are questionable for Laguna Seca next Sunday.  Lorenzo tweeted on Saturday night that he would not travel to California.  Pedrosa was held out of today’s race by MotoGP doctors, citing low blood pressure and double vision.  Although Dani apparently plans to travel to Monterey, broken collarbone and all, his concussion and attendant vision problems could easily linger, putting those intentions in doubt.  Lorenzo, for his part, might change his mind after today’s outcome.

The bottom line here—Lorenzo and Pedrosa actually trail Marquez by more than the standings would suggest, while Crutchlow and Rossi are in relatively better shape than they appear.

If there is a silver lining in the cloud shadowing the four riders trailing the Spanish rookie, it lies in the fact that Marquez has never set foot on the Laguna Seca macadam.  Thus, at the risk of besmirching my own prediction skills, I wish to reprise a sentence from our first article of season, the Qatar preview:  “But, for the record, let me just state here and now that Marquez, no matter how brilliant his rookie season may turn out to be, will not finish at Laguna Seca.”  Young Marc has a date with The Corkscrew, and an innate inability to acknowledge, or even recognize, dangerous situations.  The combination of the two may offer an opportunity for both Lorenzo and Pedrosa to climb back into a championship chase that appears, suddenly, to be getting away from them.

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MotoGP Assen 2013 Results

June 29, 2013

Rossi Wins, Bionic Lorenzo 5th in Dutch TT 

It was a thoroughly hectic weekend for factory Yamaha kingpin Jorge Lorenzo at the 2013 Dutch TT Assen.  Broke his collarbone in a routine highside in FP2 on Thursday afternoon, chartered a jet to Barcelona that day, had a couple hours of surgery early Friday morning, grabbed a bite to eat, flew back to Assen, slept a little on the plane, started 12th and finished 5th in the race.  Had to be helped off his bike at the end.  Ho hum. 

Another day at the office for Lorenzo.  This is a man chasing a third championship. This is a man with a pair the size of hubcaps.  Less than 36 hours after receiving a titanium plate and eight screws to hold it on, Lorenzo, The Bionic Man, in a world of pain, risks life and limb, so to speak, in order to stay within range of series leader and Repsol Honda #1 Dani Pedrosa.

So, instead of facing a barely comprehensible 32 point deficit, Lorenzo heroically manages to stay in second place, within 9 points of Pedrosa.  That Pedrosa would cooperate by having an uncharacteristically bad outing and finishing 4th was good fortune itself.  It’s still a race, albeit an uphill one for Lorenzo, for the title.  For today, the race had about the best possible outcome for Lorenzo, who is somewhat miraculously bent, not broken.

Meanwhile, Back at the Race

Largely overlooked in all this were two performances, one serene, the other sublime, almost surreal.  The first was Monster Tech 3 Yamaha ruffian Cal Crutchlow, winning the pole as a Brit for the first time in 11 years, the first satellite bike on the pole since yank Ben Spies, on the same bike, did it in Indianapolis in 2010.

Despite a poor start, and despite looking like he could crash out of a podium at any moment, as is his wont, Crutchlow went through on Pedrosa on Lap 21 to finish 3rd, a great result for the suddenly hot Englishman.  His late run at Honda rookie Marc Marquez didn’t work out, as the two bikes touched, Marquez held his line, and Crutchlow lost his.  End of story for second place.  Crutchlow richly earns his third podium of the season and does nothing to diminish his prospects for 2014.

The surreal picture of the day, of course, was that of Valentino Rossi starting 4th, going through on Stefan Bradl into 3rd place on Lap 1.  Flying, looking eerily like the Rossi of 2008, he went through easily on Marquez on Lap 5 into 2nd place.  From there, it was one more lap until he slipped past Pedrosa on Lap 6 and won, not by a mile, but going virtually unchallenged over the last 20 laps.  It was fun watching, in turn, Bradl, Pedrosa, and finally Marquez thinking, “Holy s**t.  I’ve got Valentino-frigging-Rossi on my tail, and he’s got pace.  God help me.”  I wrote Rossi off earlier in the year, before his epiphany with the brakes this past week.  Let’s see how he does in Germany and Laguna, the rest of Amen Corner, before giving him his Alien membership card back.

As good a day as it was individually for Lorenzo and Rossi and Crutchlow, it was a great day for Team Yamaha, putting three bikes in the top five and two on the podium, with Lorenzo averting disaster, living to fight again another day for the 2013 title.  And, for the record, we are wondering when the last time was that neither Pedrosa nor Lorenzo stood on the podium after a race.  We should have that answer for you within two weeks.  All I can say is Jorge Lorenzo makes me shake my head—about Ben Spies.

Elsewhere on the Grid

Repsol Honda #2 Marc Marquez finished second today after three consecutive wins here over the past three years in the junior leagues.  He also has three wins in a row at Sachsenring, so expect him to be competitive again next time out.  Pedrosa has  three consecutive premier class wins there, too, while Lorenzo has four seconds in a row, some kind of frustration record.

Stefan Bradl on the LCR Honda qualified for his first premier class front row, started well, but faded to his usual 6th place finish.  Brit Bradley Smith qualified 6th on his Tech 3 Yamaha but slipped to 9th at the flag.  In between the two were Alvaro Bautista on the Gresini Honda and Aleix Espargaro on the Aprilia CRT.  Bautista was celebrating not having taken a factory Yamaha out on Lap 1 and little else.

Andrea Dovizioso finishing 10th and Nicky Hayden 11th on the factory Ducatis were the high point of a lousy weekend for the Bologna branch of Audi Corporation.  Dovizioso, presumably, is smarting from having been assessed a penalty point, a whole penalty point, along with Hector Barbera resulting from a close encounter in qualifying in which they were observed trying to pimp-slap one another.  The penalty points, new this season from your friends at Race Direction, were for “fighting like girls.”

Dovizioso, who managed to qualify a sterling 15th on his shiny factory Ducati, said he has a clear conscience about the entire incident.  If you can willingly abandon a Yamaha ride for a Ducati ride, I guess you can have a clear conscience about lots of things.  Former partner and teammate Cal Crutchlow is fighting for podiums on the satellite Yamaha, and Dovi is slapfighting with Spaniards on the way to 10th place finishes.  Spaniards who’ve already been beaten up by their girlfriends this season.  Just sayin’.

The Big Picture

Dani Pedrosa maintains his lead in the series, now leading Lorenzo by nine points.  In third sits Marquez, with 113 points, 14 behind Lorenzo.  Farther back, Rossi and Crutchlow are virtually deadlocked for fourth place, with Crutchlow at 87 and Rossi 85.  Here is the top ten after seven rounds in 2013:

Top 10 Riders after 7 rounds.

Heading to Germany, a very Honda-friendly track, Pedrosa will expect to extend his lead over Lorenzo, while Marquez, too, will be thinking career win #2.  Lorenzo, one thinks, would be delighted to finish second at the Sachsenring again this year, in his condition.  Perhaps his wingman Rossi can take up some of the slack and keep the Repsol boys at bay while the Mallorcan continues to heal.

As for Dani Pedrosa, despite an ordinary outing today, he leads the championship, perhaps at a later stage in the season than ever before.  He’s uninjured—did we mention that Marquez broke a toe and a finger in practice yesterday?—and leading the series, with some friendly circuits coming up.  It’s too early for him to begin thinking about getting conservative, about just not crashing.  But one gets the sense that, at some point, it will be time.  For the first time in his premier class career, he may find himself later this season with a trophy to protect.

Today, in the Netherlands, Team Yamaha had its day in the sun.  We’re only halfway to Valencia, but the 2013 Repsol Honda team must be feeling pretty sunny themselves.

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Random MotoGP musings on a Friday…

June 28, 2013

…after my boy Jorge Lorenzo fell, together with his multiply-fractured collarbone, out of the 2013 championship race in a relatively tame high side on Wednesday, nothing like Marquez’s high side on Thursday, in which the rookie went completely ragdoll in a pas de deux with his bike, broke a finger, broke a toe, walked away and qualified on the front row.

One of the racing publications suggested the possibility that Lorenzo might try to race on Saturday without having qualified on Friday.  Not sure how that works, other than badly.  If Lorenzo can be 85% by Saxony he can wait for Pedrosa to crash, or, delightfully, the rookie to CAUSE Pedrosa to crash in a silly overtaking move somewhere like Laguna or Brno.

What a bummer it is to be kind of Pedrosa-neutral, ready to see him BEAT Lorenzo for the title, but now having to almost hope he has bad luck and collects a DNF or two in order to make it a horse race again.

If Marquez were to accidentally dump Pedrosa on the way to a win Sunday, Livio Suppo’s worst nightmare come true, the standings would look like this:

Pedrosa     123

Marquez    118

Lorenzo     116

Crutchlow   91

Just sayin’.

________________________________

A.  Competing  =  starting a race.

B.  Qualifying  =  finding one hot lap.

C.  Racing  =  consistent hot laps

D.  Winning = Doing lots of C and leaving some B for when it is necessary or opportune.

When turned upside down this approximates the food chain in MotoGP.  There are two, maybe three D’s.  There are four or five C’s.  There are three or four B’s.  And the rest–16 or so–are mainly out there turning laps, maybe qualifying top six in the rain, looking for photo ops for the sponsors, chasing promotional opportunities.  Lots of training, great reflexes–kind of guy who could snatch your dollar bill out of the air from 2″.  But the top 10 are the only guys with even a remote chance of a podium.

So, 60% of the field is out there to wear the colors and get some exposure for the sponsors.  Of the rest, perhaps four or five have a chance of winning a race.  The rest, if you’ll pardon the observation, are satisfied with one hot lap in qualifying, keeping the shiny side up for 25 laps, letting attrition take its toll on the field, and telling everyone about their  “Top Ten” finish and what a thrill it was, how the team–everyone but him, really–worked really hard all weekend blah blah blah.  That he didn’t actually overtake anyone all day, but managed 9th place nonetheless.  In the words of Gilbert Godfrey, “Big whoop.”  Some pretty big names in this group.  Former  world champions.

Nice that at least one of the top ten is a “CRT” baller, Aleix Espargaro.  Make it a new rule that if brothers are competing in the series, they must either both be on prototypes or both on Frankenbikes.  We’ve had the Spies rule, then the Marquez rule.  Time for the Espargaro rule.

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MotoGP Assen 2013 Preview

June 25, 2013

by Bruce Allen.  An edited version of this story will appear on Motorcycle.com this week.

Team Yamaha Seeks Momentum at Amen Corner 

The Cathedral at Assen.  The Sachsenring in Germany.  Laguna Seca, on the scenic Monterey Peninsula.  MotoGP’s Amen Corner, with apologies to Augusta National.  Three rounds in four weeks, two of which favor the Honda.  What happens over the next month will determine whether Dani Pedrosa earns his first premier class world championship in 2013.  Or not.

Our crack research staff has examined goings-on at the three locales over the past four years, in an effort to detect trends not visible to the naked eye.  The conclusions are, in a word, mixed.  Lorenzo’s expectations will be highest at Assen and lowest in California.  Pedrosa’s expectations will be highest in Germany and lowest in Holland.  Marc Marqiez has won three in a row in the lower classes at both Assen and Sachsenring, but has never set foot on the track at Laguna Seca.  If Andrea Dovizioso is going to podium this year, it needs to be at Amen Corner.  Same for Valentino Rossi and Cal Crutchlow.

Look for Pedrosa and Marquez to dominate the timesheets in practice.  The stop-and-go nature of Assen tends to favor the Hondas, although Pedrosa has never won here in the premier class.  Lorenzo got knocked out of the competition early last year in a race he looked capable of winning.  And Marquez loves this place.  Crutchlow had a decent fifth place finish here last year and looks to improve upon that .  Dovizioso has podiumed here the last two years.

It promises to be an interesting weekend in the Low Countries.  Another Must Win round for Team Yamaha.  Listen carefully and you can hear the pressure building on Jorge Lorenzo.

Bums with Seats, Seats with Bums

Tech 3 Yamaha Brit Cal Crutchlow is so in the wind.  Rumored to be entertaining offers from Ducati and Honda already.  Not sure where he would fit with Honda, as LCR must feel pretty good about Bradl, and Bautista under contract with Fausto Gresini through 2014.  Ducati makes the most sense, in our view.  Nicky Hayden might enjoy a change, going to WSB to promote the brand in the US and compete for titles.  Crutchlow is a better size to handle the Ducati and can ride dirty.  He and Dovizioso seem to bring out the best in each other.

Unless Rossi suddenly, shockingly retires to go race cars, and Crutchlow joins Lorenzo.  Which would be the bomb.  Rossi claims to have solved his braking problems, and wants us to believe he will compete for the win this weekend.  Nothing I would rather see, but I’ll wait for the podium ceremony.

Scott Redding in the wind, either by way of his current Marc VDS Moto2 team going up in class, or through an offer from a current CRT team.  There may even be a prototype, or a Yamaha-powered CRT available.  In any case, Redding is a cinch to move up to the big bikes in 2014.  Can’t imagine the folks at Monster Tech 3 aren’t re-thinking their signing of Bradley Smith last year.

Aprilia is widely expected to increase its MotoGP presence in 2014.  The overall number floating around for next year’s grid is 26, an increase of two over this year.  Suzuki’s re-entry in 2015 could bring the grid to 28.  With Yamaha engines and complete Honda bikes on the market next year, the price of poker looks to go up, as does the overall quality of competition.  The top speeds may come down, while the bottom speeds come up.  This will work as long as the world economy continues to show signs of life, and sponsors are ready to get onboard for millions of euros.  The new rules, the killing off of the claiming rules, leaving the class with the name only, seem to be working, i.e., producing tighter grids over time.  It does appear that some of the teams have developed credible chasses, which, combined with the Yamaha prototype power plant, could actually compete for Top Five status.  Wildcards will abound, and the look could be that of Moto2 on steroids.

MotoGP in Indianapolis and the U.S.

As to the impending loss of the Indianapolis round in favor of Argentina, while there are still, for now, four Spanish rounds, this seems like a poor way to build the brand in the United States.  Go to Argentina, sure, but answer this one question—what the heck’s so great about Laguna Seca?  The Corkscrew and decades of tradition.  Period.  No underclass bikes.  Less attendance than Indianapolis, in a remote part of the world.  Dorna might want to toy with the idea of making an effort to promote the sport in the United States—starting, for example, by not making it virtually impossible for web-based American and Canadian internet journalists to get race credentials and access to teams.  Just sayin’.

Indianapolis can hold 250,000 people.  At half capacity, the numbers would dwarf Laguna Seca.  Indy has a bit of racing tradition of its own.  It’s easier to get to, and the bike-friendly Mug ‘n’ Bun drive-in on W. 10th St. has spectacular burgers, onion rings and milkshakes.  Where, we wonder, do you plan to eat in Buenos Aires?

This year Indianapolis will feature all three MotoGP classes, the cruisers, and electric bikes that hit 180, with the usual exhibition riding, revelry, and magic that Motorcycles on Meridian brings to downtown Indy–Middle America–on Friday and Saturday nights.  There’s new management at the IMS that needs more big events at the track.  Losing MotoGP is not something they’re anxious to do.

The best way to grow the sport in the United States, of course, would be to open the gates on Saturdays in 2014 at all three venues.  Let everyone in for free.  With bikes on track all day, the noise and hoopla, there would be an immediate and permanent increase in the paying fan base at all three American races.

Vendors would love it.  One year of Free Saturdays would grow the sport in the United States permanently.  It could very well be that both the U.S. and Spain end up with three races, as Aragon was a last-second, one-time replacement for the Hungary fiasco in 2011 and is now an accidental fixture on the calendar.  Jerez, Catalunya and Valenciana.  Austin, Monterey and Indianapolis.  Argentina.  India.  Singapore.

C’mon, MotoGP.  Man up.  Go to 20 rounds and get rid of the “summer vacation” which stretches this year from July 21 to August 18, when darkness descends upon the sport in the public consciousness.  (If this were the NFL, it would be like having all 32 teams take off three weeks in November so the guys can go off fishing.)  WTF?  Run the sport at the height of summer when competition from other sports is at a minimum.  Increase the number of back-to-backs at nearby locales, so fans can take off one week of work and chase two rounds of racing.  Give US fans a taste on Saturday, and they’ll come back in droves on Sunday.

The wheel-to-wheel competition, when MotoGP is at its best, is riveting, the best in motorsports.  Dorna, in its own rather totalitarian way, is trying to make the grids larger and more, um, congested.  The manufacturers and the venues need only to build the brand, generate some on-track exposure to racing fans of all stripes.  There’s no reason fans of auto racing cannot get juiced watching the imports doing 200+ on the main straight at Indianapolis.

Build it, MotoGP, and they will come in the United States.

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MotoGP Catalunya 2013 Results

June 16, 2013

by Bruce Allen.  An edited version of this column will appear on Motorcycle.com.

Jorge Lorenzo Repeats; Championship Tightens 

Factory Yamaha #1 Jorge Lorenzo won a number of battles today at the Gran Premio Aperol de Catalunya.  He beat challengers Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez to the finish line for his second consecutive win of 2013 and his second in a row at Montmelo.  He beat the Spanish summer heat that had a number of riders seeing stars.  He beat the racing surface itself, which was hot, greasy and abrasive.  So why does he seems destined to finish second in 2013? 

Race weekend 2013 in greater Barcelona was sunny, warm and confusing.  There was a different leader in each of the free practice sessions leading up to Saturday’s qualifying, in which series leader and Repsol Honda #1 Dani Pedrosa took the pole—his first ever here—in his 200th grand prix start.  The front of the starting grid today was weirdness itself:

  • a first row comprised of Pedrosa, Yamaha Tech 3 overachiever Cal Crutchlow and Lorenzo.
  • a hilarious second row featuring satellite Honda jug head Alvaro Bautista, factory Ducati #2 Nicky Hayden and Repsol Honda rookie phenom Marc Marquez; and
  • an all-Italian third row of factory Yamaha #2 Valentino Rossi, satellite Ducati comer Andrea Iannone and factory Ducati #1 Andrea Dovizioso.

One of the areas in which Lorenzo has improved his game over the past few years is starting races.  Back in 2010 and 2011, he would routinely qualify brilliantly, only to enter the first turn of races in, like 6th place.  This, in comparison to rival Pedrosa, who generally started races as if he had been launched by the catapult on an aircraft carrier.  Again today, in a repeat of his performance at Mugello two weeks ago, Lorenzo entered Turn 1 aggressively ahead of polesitter Pedrosa, a critical move that would make his win today possible.

25 Laps of High Anxiety

By the end of the first lap, the top five consisted of Lorenzo, Pedrosa, Marquez, Crutchlow and a frisky-looking Rossi, who appeared capable of a podium, if not a win.  Rossi has enjoyed six career wins here, but another poor qualifying practice, in a season full of them, consigned him to a fifth consecutive off-the-podium finish after his triumphant second-place result in Qatar.  More on Rossi later.

The next 24 laps reminded me of playing Bingo in a church basement, which offers players a unique combination of boredom and anxiety.  The only change in the top four positions occurred when Cal Crutchlow, heavily jinxed by me in last week’s preview, slid off the track and out of the race on Lap 6 for his first DNF of the season.  As in Mugello, Lorenzo desperately fended off the determined Pedrosa until his fuel load dropped, at which point he was again able to breathe, while not actually “breaking” Pedrosa until the last three laps.

What broke Pedrosa today was less Lorenzo than teammate Marquez, who spent his entire day in third position.  Late in the race, when it became clear Pedrosa was not likely to overtake Lorenzo, the rookie decided to make a run at him.  He spent most of the last three laps of the race attached to Pedrosa’s pipes, like a terrier on a pants leg, until the last lap, when he had a “MotoGP moment” during a last-gasp move on Pedrosa that forced him to stand the bike up and concede second place (by 6/100ths of a second).  Marquez is a baller, with five podiums and a DNF in six rookie starts.  He will file today’s race under “Lessons Learned in 2013”.

Don’t be surprised if this is the last time Pedrosa ever tops Marquez in Catalunya.

Elsewhere on the Grid

Alvaro Bautista, onboard the FUN&GO Gresini Honda for what has to be the last season, once again exhibited his low racing IQ for the world to see.  Dude qualified fourth and had an outside shot at a podium.  But, heading into Turn 10 on Lap 1, he seemed to take aim at Rossi, went in hot, lost the front, and slid out, barely missing the Italian’s rear wheel and a repeat of their conjoined debacle in Mugello last time out.  Another bonehead move on cold tires, reminiscent of Assen last year where he almost wrecked Lorenzo’s season.  I join Fausto Gresini in wondering what the hell is up with this guy.

Riders enjoying a productive day today included LCR Honda sophomore Stefan Bradl, who salvaged 11 points after starting in 10th place, and Tech 3 Yamaha rookie Bradley Smith, who held on for sixth place in his best outing of the year.  Andrea Dovizioso managed seventh today despite running on the rims as he crossed the finish line.  Aleix Espargaro was again the top CRT rider, ending the day in eighth place.

Normally we ignore much of what happens in the lower tranches of MotoGP, but today we make two exceptions.  We congratulate Colin Edwards, on the NGM Forward Racing CRT, who, in 9th place, managed his first top ten result since finishing 5th at Phillip Island in 2011.  And we salute 10th place finisher Michelle Pirro for his versatility.  So far this season, he has been a test rider for Ducati.  He has been a wildcard on the Ducati “Lab Bike.”  He has been a substitute rider for Ben Spies on the Ignite Pramac Ducati.  Today, though, he was onboard the Lab Bike wearing Pramac colors, the third, and hopefully last, permutation of a second-stringer for Ducati Corse.  Will we ever again see Ben Spies in MotoGP?

As The Sun Sets on Valentino Rossi

Barring rain at a layout like Aragon, it’s possible Valentino Rossi has won his last race in the premier class of MotoGP.  The guy who defined the sport for most of a decade has lost a step, as was clear today.  Sitting alone in 4th place after Crutchlow’s crash, The Doctor was unable to mount any kind of challenge to Marquez over the next 19 laps.  He appeared to be hoping for something bad to happen to one of the leaders, which would have elevated him to a cheap podium.  As we’ve said here before, most knowledgeable MotoGP observers say it’s 80% rider, 20% bike in this league.  If you buy that reasoning, you may also buy the idea that Rossi is done as a championship contender.  The following graph shows Rossi’s wins per season since joining the premier class in 2000.

Rossi Wins per Year Since 2000

The Big Picture 

After six rounds, Dani Pedrosa still leads Jorge Lorenzo by seven points.  Marquez trails Lorenzo by 23, with Crutchlow 22 points behind the rookie.  Barring crashes, which is like barring respiration, it is a two man race again this year.  Pedrosa’s lead is actually larger than it looks, for two reasons:

  • There are only a couple of Yamaha-friendly circuits remaining on the 2013 calendar.
  • Lorenzo is currently working engine #4, while both Pedrosa and Marquez are on their second powerplants.  With a statutory limit of five engines for the season, the likelihood that Lorenzo will have to start from pit lane in several races cannot be denied.

True, Lorenzo’s primary gift is his consistency, supplemented by his patience and tire management skills.  Scrawled on his helmet today was his mantra “Constant as a Hammer”.  He’s a polished professional at the top of his game, getting everything possible from his Yamaha M-1.  But the smart money is saying it’s not going to be enough in 2013.

Top Ten after Six Rounds

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