Late-Braking MotoGP

© Bruce Allen.  Exclusive to Motorcycle.com

Repsol, LCR Teams Anxious for Argentina

Having left the wide-open spaces of the Persian Gulf, The Greatest Show on Two Wheels heads south of the equator to Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina.  Round Two of the tantalizing 2017 season, The Gran Premio Motul de la República Argentina, promises to answer a few questions that popped up in the desert two weeks ago.  The various and sundry Honda teams, especially, have a few things to prove at this very RC213V-friendly circuit.  But is the 2017 bike up to it? 

What we know now that we didn’t know two weeks ago is how Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa and Cal Crutchlow ended up with the medium front Michelin instead of the hard option.  All three blame Michelin for advising them to make the change, which did not work.  Marquez and Pedrosa had to nurse their fronts to respectable 4^th and 5^th places, respectively, while Crutchlow, also blaming his front tire. crashed out of what could have been a meaningful haul of points.  Twice.  Oh, and before I forget, Maverick Vinales won his first GP on the factory Yamaha and appears to be the next anointed rider.

Props to Aleix Espargaro, who put his Aprilia in sixth place, and one Jack Miller, who placed eighth on the Marc VDS Honda, punking Alex Rins at the finish. Jonas Folger made the top ten, while suddenly everyone is on the Johann Zarco bandwagon for his seven superlative laps at the start.

We are temporarily suspending the Alien status of Jorge Lorenzo until he cracks the top five in a race.  Or the standings.  Whichever comes first.  This suspension, it appears, could last up to two years.   Let’s see how he does Down South.

Tranches Anyone?

Here’s an early look at how my entrants (rider/bike) break down.  This will be a work in progress as we approach Valencia. We would love to hear how yours differ.  Not really, but go ahead anyway.

Tranche 1:  Vinales, Marquez, Dovizioso, Rossi

Tranche 2:  Pedrosa, Iannone, Crutchlow, Bautista

Tranche 3:  Petrucci, Lorenzo, Zarco, (Rins), Miller, Barbera, A Espargaro

Tranche 4:  Baz, Redding, P Espargaro, Folger

Tranche 5:  Smith, Lowes, Rabat, Abraham

Once again, I may have let Qatar over-influence me.  And before anyone gets too whooped up, these factor in the quality of the bike as well.  Bradley Smith is a 3 or a 4 on the Tech 3 Yamaha but a 5 on the first iteration of the KTM.  I’m optimistic about both Bautista and Barbera on the GP16.  Lorenzo is probably under-ranked and Bautista perhaps over-ranked.  I’m taking a pass on criticism about the rookie rankings until we get to Europe in May.

“I hope that it’s the first and the last of this year.”  

This is Suzuki’s Andrea Iannone, referring to his unforced crash out of a possible podium in Qatar, as quoted elsewhere.  I would argue that this is possibly the most hilarious statement we will hear this season.  Dude crashed out of six of his 14 starts last year, some with collateral damage to other riders.  His riding style is aggressive.  He shatters limbs.  After last season, he has one iota of risk aversion in his whole body, compared to none at all previously.  All these things cost him the job on the factory Ducati.  I expressed concern at the time that he might attempt to over-ride the Suzuki, with similar results.  But at least he got the first part right. 

Recent History at Rio Hondo

Marquez memorably acquainted himself with the place in 2014 when the track first opened.  He strolled around in 14^th place during FP1, possibly on a Derbi Bullet 50, then cinched everything up, mounted his bike, lowered his visor, and topped the charts in FP2, FP3, FP4, Q2, the warm-up practice and, finally, the race itself.  This was his second of ten consecutive wins to open the memorable 2014 season.

2015 was the year Rossi and Marquez came together late in the race, with Marquez going down and out in what would become his worst premier class season to date.  He had started well from pole and appeared to be disappearing early but couldn’t get away. Rossi had started eighth, but found something in the middle of the race (“Here comes Rossi!”) while Marquez’s rear tire was busy decomposing beneath him. It was an all-Italian podium, with Spaniards sucking wind down on the tarmac.  Lorenzo, never a factor that day, would come back later in the year for his third title.

Last year was the Michelin fiasco, the mandatory mid-race pit stop, Tito Rabat getting in front of Rossi as he re-entered the race, allowing Marquez to get away. (Rossi said his #2 bike simply wasn’t as fast as his #1.)  After the restart, he would be joined on the podium by Rossi and Pedrosa.

It was also the day Iannone took himself and teammate Dovizioso out of podium contention with the Bonehead Move of the Year, the winner by an eyelash over himself and his similar takedown of Lorenzo in Barcelona later in the season.  (Finishing third in the BMY competition was Dani Pedrosa, who accidentally T-boned Dovizioso at Austin in Round 3.)

Quick Hitters

So now we have another Pacific round, this one in Thailand beginning next year. Hurray. The Thai papers are full of allegations of government malfeasance in securing the rights.  Whatever.  All I can tell you about the Grand Prix of Thailand is that it will be hot, and crowded.  Rest assured that we will have our crack research staff on this like a cheap suit once, um, Valencia is out of the way.

Many readers will be amped over the news that potential ROY Alex Rins broke his ankle in training last week.  This strengthens the hands of those holding Zarco and even Folger cards.  Someone who’s not German please tell me why I should root for Jonas Folger.  And before you know it some writers are going to start referring to Sam Lowes as “plucky.”

Ezpeleta & Co have now dumped the ridiculous “points” system that arguably cost Valentino Rossi the 2015 title.  (I wouldn’t argue that, but others would.)  They replaced a former system deemed arbitrary with a different arbitrary system and have now returned to the original arbitrary system. These guys need more to do.

Your Weekend Forecast

This is Marquez land.  He is two-for-three in races here, having been knocked out of the third.  He finished fourth last time out in Qatar due to tire issues decided, in effect, by Michelin.  Unlikely to happen again.  He loves this place, where the Hondas have historically done well.  Cal Crutchlow is licking his chops. Vinales appears unperturbed.  Rossi is Rossi, and Lorenzo seems as nervous as a nun in a cucumber patch.  Pedrosa and Dovizioso sit together in a corner smiling.

Weather in greater Termas de Rio Hondo is expected to be hot and wet on Friday, with conditions improving on Saturday and Sunday.  This is shaping up to be one of those races where the season could be more easily lost than won.  For several riders, it means finishing the race and getting back in the points chase, Cal.  For those at the bottom of the food chain it means collecting data and beating your teammate.  For the top five, it means take no stupid chances.  It might possibly mean watching Maverick lay down a vapor trail.  One hopes not.

Not this week.  Not in Marquez land.

© Bruce Allen.  Exclusive to Motorcycle.com

Is This Maverick Viñales the Real Deal? 

Welcome, everyone, to the 2017 presentation of MotoGP, The Greatest Show on Earth now that the circus has folded.  The first year of six manufacturers, three of which have an honest shot at the title.  And the year fans will likely remember not for the debut of an upstart KTM team, but for the introduction of Yamaha’s Apparent Next Great Modern Rider, Maverick Viñales, to polite society. 

Of course, it is way early to lay this title on him.  Call me a frontrunner.  Viñales completed his demolition of the offseason by casually finishing first in Qatar.  He, Andrea Dovizioso and, surprisingly, Dani Pedrosa have been the only contenders not having visible or audible (read: complaining) problems adjusting to this year’s machines.  Seems I may have been premature suggesting Dani Pedrosa is vectoring down if one ignores the fact that he gets hurt every year.  Honda’s decision to develop their new big bang engine has coincided with Viñales’ sudden arrival on the M-1, putting defending champion Marc Marquez’s title in jeopardy.  Marquez crashed three times on Sunday in final Qatar testing. Pedrosa (and Crutchlow) seem to be adjusting just fine.

Then there’s €46, Valentino Rossi, reminiscent of Mario Andretti in his later years at the Indy 500, “slowing down” in the back straight.  He is not a contender right now, entering the 2017 season.  But Rossi defines the expression “a guy who shows up on Sunday.” He will contend, as the season grinds away, unless he gets overly aggressive early in the year and gives away points sliding through the kitty litter.

Former teammate Jorge Lorenzo’s switch to Ducati has been predictably difficult, but, like Rossi, he’s an Alien, capable of wondrous things on two wheels.  Some people will take offense when I point out that Rossi has been seeking his 10^th world championship since 2010.  He would probably do better on a one year contract–now or never.  Win or bin.  Etc.

In 2015, defending champ Marc Marquez failed to repeat.  In 2016, defending champ Jorge Lorenzo failed to repeat.   If Marquez is destined to lose his title this season, most people assume it will be to Viñales.  As a fan, I am looking forward to those two giving us a show every time out.  With four years in the saddle, I like Marquez to repeat.  He will ride an inferior bike to the title over Viñales because young Maverick is going to get overly excited.  Just like rookie Lorenzo in 2008.  You and I know what happens when that occurs.

Keeping them honest, you’ve got your Crutchlow, your Dovizioso, your Iannone, your Bautista (?!), and this Jonas Folger fella, who, alongside teammate Johann Zarco, have set themselves up as the top Moto2 grads thus far, on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha team.  I wish Folger well and drop the phrase “flash in the pan” only for its descriptive value.  Alex Rins, I feel, belongs in the top ten. The rest of the field will all find something to brag about.  “Hey, so we ran 10^th at San Marino, y’know, which isn’t so terribly bad for a brand-new team.”  Kidding, kidding.  (All the Aliens must have crashed out.) 

Recent History at Losail

Back in 2014, everyone was all whooped up about Marc Marquez, who, as a rookie in 2013, had imposed his will upon the field, taken advantage of injuries to Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa, and stormed to the title in front of a delirious crowd at Valencia in November.  Among the records he would establish in 2014 were most wins in a season, youngest rider to repeat as world champion, and the most poles. 

A mere six weeks after breaking his leg in the pre-season, Marquez barely held off a resurgent Valentino Rossi for the season-opening win, with Dani Pedrosa sneaking onto the podium in third place.  Double world champion Jorge Lorenzo, who had been singing the blues for months, crashed out of the lead on Lap 1 and subsequently faced an uphill struggle the entire season.

In his 313^th grand prix start, Rossi delivered a vintage performance in the 2015 season opener, going knives-in-a-phone booth with factory Ducati #1 Andrea Dovizioso all night before punking his compatriot by 17/100^ths of a second to take the lead in the title chase for the first time since, well, 2010.  Marquez got pushed way wide into the gravel on Lap 1, ultimately finishing fifth.

Both factory Ducatis ended up on the all-Italian podium, leading to grossly overinflated expectations for Maniac Joe Iannone and a persistent golden halo resting upon the brow of one Gigi Dall’Igna.  Here’s my favorite bit from the 2015 post mortem: “(Cal) had taken time out of his busy schedule, during a TV interview, to flame Mike di Meglio of Avintia Racing for getting in his way during, like, FP1. Cal has morphed from one of the charming, likable hard-luck guys on the grid to another mid-level clanging gong, and needs to take a nap.”  Lorenzo finished a disappointing fourth that night. 

Yamaha must have known 2016 would be Jorge Lorenzo’s last year with the team.  Coming off his third world championship in 2015, he had won that year’s opener, enhancing the swagger amongst his declining number of fans, who believed a fourth title might be in the offing in 2016.

Last year’s Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar marked the beginning of the newest era in MotoGP, that of Michelin tires and a standard ECU across the grid.  In the run-up to the race, hopes that some new faces would emerge from the pack and find their way to the podium had been building.  Under the lights of Losail, however, defending champion Lorenzo held serve for Yamaha against a strong challenge from Andrea Dovizioso and Marc Marquez; the Usual Suspects once again asserted their dominance.  At the time, the wager that nine different riders would ultimately win races that year would have seemed deranged.

And So Here We Are

At the dawn of another testosterone-pumping MotoGP season, there is optimism everywhere.  The first formal practices of the year loom under the eerie spotlights in the desert.  For all three classes.  Moto3 and Moto2 both promise tons of effervescent wheel-to-wheel stuff, the numbers and aggressiveness of the riders well above the relatively staid comportment, and smaller grids, of the premier class.

With four of its top riders having graduated to the majors, Moto2 appears to be wide open, with the likes of veteran Thomas Luthi and…gasp…Alex Marquez having encouraging off-seasons.  There is a surfeit of fast young Italian riders out there, some affiliated with Rossi’s SKY Racing Team VR46, some not.  Malaysians are getting very excited about the prospects for their boy Hafizh Syahrin, who managed a respectable ninth place finish last season and has podium ambitions.  (This is a shout out to the Malaysian National Board of Tourism, which paid for my junket to Sepang in 2014, and for whom I failed to produce the somewhat flowery article requested, in exchange, by The Government.)

Moto3 is simply too much for me.  I love to watch the races but am so unfamiliar with the riders I can’t generate sufficient comedic material to obscure my lack of insight.  Since 2008 I’ve picked up enough about the premier class to more or less keep up, but Moto3 reminds me of the Rat Races they used to hold every year at an American Legion hall in Covington, Kentucky, where you could hardly tell one little racer from another, them piling on top of one another in the corners, occasionally heading the wrong way and such. Lots of yelling, parimutuel-style betting and heavy drinking, all for a good cause.  Moto3 is great fun, but I’m mostly just a spectator.

Sunday Night—S—U—N—D—A—Y!!!

Sounds like it should be dragsters.  At Losail, more than any other race of the season, practice sessions and qualifying runs are closely watched and competed, bikes being raced in real anger for the first time since November.  In conditions resembling a moonscape, with two-wheeled missiles between their legs, these guys will go at it for real.  Again.  Qualifying will tell much of the story.  I am unwilling to try to predict a race winner, as Qatar has become a true outlier.  Over the past four seasons, only one race winner here has won the title—Marquez in 2014.

I am willing to predict that, as the red lights go out, the front row will consist of Marquez, Viñales, and Dovizioso, in whatever order you like.

OK–Viñales, by less than two seconds over Marquez.

FINE–Crutchlow third.  Just don’t bet on it.  The race goes off at 2 pm EST Sunday.  We will post results and analysis right here before suppertime.

Let’s start this party.

Michelin, the sole provider of tires for the premier class of MotoGP, the crème de la crème of two-wheeled racing, has been beavering away all winter working on new stuff.  Since Bridgestone vacated the premises after the 2015 season, the French monolith has been in charge of rubber and seems to be running stride for stride with the manufacturers and riders entering Year Two.  Better compounds.  More choices.  Bells and whistles.

Along with the rubber work, Michelin has implemented radio technology in the tires which will display, in homes outside the U.S., which compound each rider is using.  The veddy British broadcast crew for the MotoGP video feed includes Dylan Gray working trackside.  Dylan is very good at his job, half of which has suddenly disappeared, as it was Dylan in recent years going on during the last half hour before the start about tire choices. Now, the compounds (three fronts and three rears available at every race) will show on the screen in real time, something of which Dorna is very capable.

With more choices of compound available, this decision by the rider becomes more difficult.  Nine possible configurations to choose from.  Throw out the top two and bottom two and he still has five configurations to figure out.  One hopes the riders will become less inclined to blame the tires for their dismal showing and instead blame themselves for having chosen the wrong tires.  That would be refreshing.

Michelin must be given credit for the resources–human, manufacturing and financial–they are throwing at this program.  The fact that lap times in 2016 were competitive, in the presence of the standard ECU, suggests Michelin was fairly well prepared for last year and totally prepared for this year.  No new circuits on the calendar in 2017, meaning they have data for every track.

Unless you have a ridiculously spectacular seat at a MotoGP race, I would strongly argue you get much more watching the video feed.  The guys in the broadcast booth are knowledgeable, sure, but they are sometimes guilty of over-sharing.  And loveable Nick Harris is getting along in years.  But the camera work and the on-screen information–revs, lean angles, now tires–is hugely helpful to those poor folks who have to write about this stuff for a living.  I used to bring my laptop to the Indianapolis round and the AP guys would watch the race on my computer.

Thumbs up to Michelin IMO.  MotoGP demands more from riders than any form of automobile racing, and tire choice has become more important.  Michelin is doing their part to see that the two tiny tire patches–all that stand between riders and a sudden visit to the inflatable wall–are the best they can be.  Like offensive linemen in American football, anonymity is a good thing for the tire providers, since the only time you get noticed is when you screw up.  Now, if the riders would just man up.

This piece from The Independent is part of a disinformation campaign designed to get inside the head of one Maverick Vinales.  In it, Marquez states that his greatest fear in 2017 is defending his title against both Rossi and Vinales, that Vinales is capable of titling in his first year on the factory Yamaha.  That Marquez would engage in such a devious endeavor shows how he is maturing into a complete Master of the Universe.

For comparison purposes, I attach an almost illegible summary of Jorge Lorenzo’s rookie year on the M1 in 2008.  Note the four crashes.  In 2008, Jorge Lorenzo was the Next Great Rider, a 20-year-old, multi-titled up and comer.  With more wins on the way to the premier class than Vinales. On a bike that was, at the time, dominating its world.  (The same cannot be said for Yamaha in 2017 as Honda has taken three of the last four titles.)

What I believe Marquez is doing in this interview is setting up Vinales to over-ride the Yamaha in the beginning of the year.  If I’m Maverick Vinales and I hear that Marquez is worried about me titling in my first year with Yamaha I might get something of a vocational stiffie dreaming about doing so.  Because Marquez is a Master.  The connection is unavoidable.

And so we watch Marc Marquez becoming more of a strategic thinker.  We expect Honda to address its engine issues to give him a bike with better corner exit speed and acceleration to be able to compete with the Yamahas if not the Ducs.  We expect him to train as hard as Rossi with his brother Alex and their homeboy Tito Rabat.  We expect his reflexes and balance to remain better than anyone else on the grid.  And we expect him to duel Valentino Rossi, not Maverick Vinales, for the 2017 title.

Not many rookies win the title in their rookie season as did Marquez.  That there could be two in four years staggers the imagination.

Marquez dominates Aragon, adds to series lead

Repsol Honda’s suddenly cerebral Marc Marquez took a big step toward seizing the 2016 MotoGP title with a formidable win on the Spanish plain.  By thumping the factory Yamaha Bruise Brothers, he increased his margin from 43 to 52 points with four rounds left.  A mistake on Lap 3 took him from first to fifth, but he remained patient, kept his powder dry, and went through, all stealthy-like, on Dovizioso, Vinales, Lorenzo and, finally, Rossi on the way to his first win on Spanish soil since 2014.

Q2 was a fright for all riders not named Marquez as the young Honda stud put down at least three laps capable of securing pole. He was joined on the front row by Maverick Vinales on the Suzuki and, with all zeroes showing on the clock, Jorge Lorenzo, who, needing a front row start, came through with the chips down to steal the third spot on the grid with an impressive last lap.  Row 2 materialized with Andrea Dovizioso on the factory Ducati, Cal Crutchlow on the LCR Honda, and Rossi in sixth.  The domination I had expected from Lorenzo heading into the weekend was nowhere in sight, as he appeared to be riding constantly on the limit and just barely managed a front row start after four nondescript practice sessions.  A big crash during Sunday’s WUP convinced him to go with hard tires front and rear and contributed to his best finish since his win at Mugello back in May.

Disorder at the Start

As the red lights went out, a front four—Vinales, Lorenzo, Marquez and Rossi—took shape (Marquez collecting several friendly paint samples from his front-running buds), followed by a second group composed of Dovizioso, Aleix Espargaro on the #2 Suzuki, and Dani Pedrosa, who wasn’t feeling the Misano magic today.  Marquez had taken the lead by Lap 3 before falling to fifth place when he made a meal of Turn 7.  From there, he went like this:

Passed Dovizioso on Lap 5

Passed Lorenzo on Lap 7

Passed Vinales on Lap 10

Passed Rossi on Lap 12

It is interesting, to me anyway, to note that three of today’s top four finishers made significant mistakes on the track—Marquez on Lap 3, Vinales on Lap 10, and Rossi on Lap 22 (giving up four points to Lorenzo and Marquez in the process).  Yet Lorenzo, happy to finish second, appeared to run a mostly flawless race but was unable to secure the win in what is becoming yet another Year of Marquez.  One hopes the Catalan’s detractors will give him props for pushing for the win today, rather than “playing it safe” at 200 mph.

Off the Podium

Cal Crutchlow, on the LCR Honda, started fifth and finished fifth today in what announcer Nick Harris described as a “phenomenal” performance.  Maverick Vinales, Alien-in-waiting, hung with the leaders for the difficult first half of the race before running too hot into Turn 12 trying to pass Lorenzo on Lap 10.  Eventually finishing fourth, the 21-year old Spaniard is enrolled in the advanced class of Winning in the Premier Class of MotoGP and will be a heller next year on the factory Yamaha.

In a tip of the hat to our American fans, both of you, replacement rider Nicky Hayden scored a point on the Marc VDS Honda subbing for Jack Miller, which is more than contract rider Tito Rabat could say.  Nicky was involved in a three bike wreck on Saturday that could have ended badly, lucky to have avoided injury.  Today, in his first go with the common ECU and Michelin tires, and he outpaced Yonny Hernandez and Loris Baz, not to mention two recalcitrant Pramac Ducati rivals.  Bravo Nicky!

Side Bet at Octo Pramac Ducati

The incident in Turn 1 of Lap 1 today involving Scott Redding and Danilo Petrucci could be seen coming from a mile away.  Pramac Ducati riders Petrucci and Redding have agreed to a last-half-of-the-year showdown—Brno to Valencia—the winner earning a shiny new factory GP17 to destroy next season.  They will drop the lowest score of the eight, per my recent suggestion.

In the tricky first turn today, the two got tangled up, with Redding dropping his bike on the floor temporarily and Petrucci, half a race later, being asked to take a ride-through penalty by Race Direction thank you very much.  Before today’s scrap, the raw score was Petrux 21 Redding 2.  (One dropped score would change it to 16-2.)  Even though both riders finished outside the points today, the team may sanction Petrucci for his alleged infraction, which was not shown on the broadcast of the race.

Redding, meanwhile, needs to eat his Wheaties for the rest of the season.  No more whining.  He has demanded a factory bike for 2017, and now has the opportunity to earn one.  He needs to resolve not to allow himself to be bullied by the hulking Petrucci, who loves a good scrap in the turns.  As of today, Redding holds 55 points, Petrucci 50.  May the better man win.  But please, no more takedowns.

In the Junior Circuits

Brad Binder placed second in a riveting Moto3 race today to secure the 2016 championship with four rounds left…to blow kisses to his fans.  (To me, Jorge Navarro looks more like a future Alien than does Binder.  The Alien rules require applicants to have won something while in their teens.  I’ve asked our crack research department to look at the stats to see which current Moto3 and Moto2 riders meet this requirement.)  BTW, when I tuned into the race there were a dozen bikes in the lead group.  At the end, it felt like a beatdown, but the top 11 finishers were separated by four seconds.  Give the people what they want—close racing.  Screw the displacement.

In the recent past it was always Moto3 or the 125s whose championship came down to Valencia.  This year Binder has been operating, like Marquez, on a different plane.  To clinch in September is amazing, and today’s race was no cakewalk; Binder had to risk all on the last lap to secure second place and the title.  Very impressive performance.

Meanwhile, in Moto2, a dehydrated Alex Rins managed sixth today, two spots in front of fading defending champ Johann Zarco.  By doing so, on the heels of a broken collarbone and, this week, gastroenteritis, he cuts Zarco’s lead in the chase to one point.  Sam Lowes won the race going away to put himself back in the championship conversation taking place in his head.  Zarco has been in a slump lately, without the look of a defending champion, while Rins, another Alien-in-Waiting, has kept it together through a rough patch to sit tied with four rounds to go.

The Big Picture Heading to the Pacific

All things being equal, Marquez should clinch sometime on the Pacific swing.  The rest of the contenders break down nicely.  Lorenzo vs. Rossi for second.  Vinales vs. Pedrosa for fourth.  Crutchlow vs. Dovizioso for sixth.  Iannone vs. Pol Espargaro for eighth.  And Hector Barbera vs. Eugene Laverty for 10^th.  People should have plenty to cheer and argue about through Valencia.

Marquez’s magic numbers: 76 heading into Phillip Island; 51 heading into Sepang;  26 heading into Valencia. He’s at 52 today.  The math is easy.

Now comes the most brutal part of the season for the teams and riders.  No rest for the wicked.  Lots of hours in the air, lots of jet lag, lots of cold and hot weather, lots of loading and unloading.  Lots of stress for everyone, but especially the factory Yamaha riders chasing the chimera.

MO will keep you on top of all you need to know, starting a week from Wednesday.

© Bruce Allen  Exclusive to Motorcycle.com

Seven winners in seven rounds as Vinales breaks Suzuki streak 

A red flag on Lap 1 lead to a 19 lap race on Sunday in the British midlands.  For the first time since 2007, a Suzuki won a premier class race, Maverick Vinales ending his day standing on the top step of the podium.  He was joined there by Cal Crutchlow, who kept another streak alive, and a desperate Valentino Rossi, who fought Marc Marquez tooth and nail for the final podium spot.  Despite this, Marquez leaves Britain leading the season by 50 points, having gotten some angry juju out of his system. 

Vinales got out front early in both starts, and led wire to wire in the race that counted.  Cool weather, dry track and a friendly layout led to the seventh different winner in the last seven races, a clear sign that Carmelo Ezpeleta’s diabolical scheme to have a 21-bike tie for first in Valencia in 2018 is working.  No question that it’s better than the same four guys each time out.

Plenty went on behind Vinales.  An all-day joust for second place evolved featuring Rossi, Crutchlow and Marquez, with Iannone and Dani Pedrosa in supporting roles.  Crutchlow, on the heels of his surprising win in Brno last time out, finished a very competent and aggressive second, thereby keeping the record of no Brit having ever won the British Grand Prix intact for another year at least.  If there was any such thing as a moral victory in MotoGP, today’s award would surely go to Crutchlow.

The most entertaining rider of the day was, of course, Marquez, who enjoys competing with Valentino Rossi.  The two spent a good part of the day together grinding their teeth before Marquez tried to put an extraterrestrial move on the Italian at Lap 18 and ended up running off (for the second time) and losing two spots.  Those two or three laps, with Rossi fighting for his life and Marquez seeing red, were as good as it gets.  In the context of the rivalry, it was Rossi and Stoner 2008 Redux, the intensity off the chart.  But, Marquez is the future, Rossi the past.

Rossi’s best efforts today resulted in getting briefly punked by Marquez on Lap 17 and failing to make a meaningful dent in the Catalan’s daunting championship lead.  At a track he, Rossi, loves.  With Lorenzo fighting to remain relevant, crossing the line in eighth place.  There is no joy in the Movistar Yamaha digs tonight.

Silverstone failed to mark, at the 2/3rds pole, an inflection point for the 2016 season, in either direction.  Marquez could have left leading by a number approaching 60 or 70 but failed to close the deal.  He could have crashed out, lizard brain in control, and watched his challengers halve his lead.  Though he surrendered a podium in today’s race, it didn’t really hurt him.  He took on all comers—Crutchlow, Rossi (epic), and Pedrosa, who, finishing fifth, gave us a glimpse into our recent past.  The Ducatis should have loved this track, but Iannone lost his marbles, a wounded Dovi could manage only sixth, and the remaining combatants were shut out of the top ten. 

Q2 Worth the Price of Admission:  Notes

• Marquez got bumped off the front row late by Vinales, crashing immediately, unhurt. Afterwards, he stood in the infield during the last two minutes and watched himself fade from second to fifth on the hellascreen.
• Crutchlow chose his opening perfectly, laid down the untouchable lap. Could be the “one fast lap” phenomenon practiced by Simoncelli at times and perfected by Randy de Puniet who, by actual tally, finished every race of the 2011 season in a lower spot than where he started.
• Rossi finds a way to the middle of the first row.  Lorenzo was there for a moment before falling, suddenly and late, to the nine hole, foiled again.
• There was a Dani Pedrosa sighting as he, too, occupied the two hole on the grid for an instant before claiming fourth. Not a bad lap for the veteran.
• Dovizioso hurt again late in practice.
• Notable–Eugene Laverty, chasing his first career premier class pole at the end of the session, crashes out very late. Excitable young man.  Watch out WSBK.
• Alex Lowes looking great thus far on the Tech 3 Yamaha.

On Saturday night, it looked like Sunday was going to be dry.  Excuse me for the déjà vu, of covering my very first MotoGP race in Laguna in 2008 when Rossi put Stoner’s dick in the dirt and I thought, having watched it on cable TV (knowing nothing about it), that it seemed pretty cool.  Vinales denying Crutchlow an important win and applying a facial to the rest of the field felt like deferred gratification rewarded.  We knew the 21-year-old Spaniard would start winning races sooner than later.  Happy he gave the win to Suzuki; it’s not as touching when it’s the factory Yamaha in Parc Fermé.  His Alien card is stamped and waiting.

Sidebar:  Jorge Lorenzo leaves Yamaha for Ducati on a pronounced downturn, winless since Mugello.  Vinales leaves Suzuki for Yamaha on a definite upturn, great expectations intact.  The Great Ducati Jinx continues.

Re-Tranching the Premier Class

Tranche One:  Marc Marquez

Tranche Two:  Rossi, Lorenzo, Vinales, Pedrosa and Dovizioso

Tranche Three:  Iannone, Crutchlow, Pol Espargaro, Barbera and Laverty

Tranche Four:  Aleix Espargaro, Redding, Petrucci, Miller, and Smith

Tranche Five:  Bautista, Bradl, Rabat, Baz, Pirro*, Hernandez and Alex Lowes*

The Big Picture

The above standings constitute The Big Picture.  Marquez is in a class by himself this season; the championship is probably over already; we just haven’t heard the echo.  I may be being generous with Pedrosa and Dovizioso and mean to Iannone and Crutchlow.  Don’t care, it’s my column.  Plus it gets a lot of readers off their bums logging into their Disqus accounts.  My last line of defense:  Scoreboard.

Lorenzo could fall out of Tranche Two if he doesn’t get his act together soon.  Saving himself for Ducati?

What we learned today in Britain:  Vinales has finally arrived.  No more excuses, no more feeling sorry.  He is a legitimate threat in the right (dry, cool) conditions.  Crutchlow, had he not laid waste to the first half of his season, could be in contention for a top four finish this year.  I under-tranche him just for sport.  Rossi may be showing his age slightly, while Lorenzo looks lost out there, capable of going slowly in both wet and dry conditions.  The Dueling Andreas may be part of the problem rather than part of the solution.  Dani Pedrosa is still fast.  Scott Reading still has plenty to learn.  Loris Baz and Pol Espargaro are lucky to have only been injured during their close encounter on the first lap.  Seeing riders laid out on the tarmac is a vision I never want to see again.

Over at Moto2

Tom Luthi, somehow, won the Moto2 tilt; homeboy Sam Lowes got worked and dumped by Johann Zarco, who had 30 naughty seconds added to his time—ride-through equivalent–in addition to having possibly ruined Lowes’ season.  The penalty makes things easier for wounded Alex Rins, who now trails Zarco by only 10 points.  Great year continues in Moto2.

Looking Ahead

Only one week to Misano, Round 13.  This is the venue I want my masters at MO to send me to for next year’s race.  Mountains, The Adriatic Riviera, beautiful women, high octane gasoline, and an expense account.  It just doesn’t get any better.