Read all about it on Motorcycle.com. Too tired tonight to do all the cutting and pasting.
Posts Tagged ‘motorcycle racing’
Lorenzo Wins at Motegi; Title Up for Grabs in Spain
October 27, 2013Phillip Island – Lorenzo’s Last Stand
October 16, 2013by Bruce Allen. The version of this story on Motorcycle.com has some great photos.
Yamaha star needs win to keep his faint hopes alive
This MotoGP season has developed an air of inevitability. Not that Repsol Honda rookie Marc Marquez is going to win the 2013 title; that’s pretty much in the bag. It’s entirely possible he could win the next six or eight world championships. The young Spaniard may do for MotoGP what Michael Schumacher did years ago for F-1—turn it into his personal playground, at the cost of much of its popularity.
Despite Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta’s efforts to level the playing field as regards equipment (which could easily take years, given the resistance he faces from the Hondas and Yamahas of the world), the observation that MotoGP is 80% rider and 20% bike is mostly true. Marquez won the 125 class when he was 17, and would have won two Moto2 titles had he not splashed out in Sepang in 2011. If you were to put the entire premier class grid on identical bikes, there’s no question in my mind that Marquez would win 75% of the races, for as long as you wanted to run them. Against Lorenzo, Pedrosa, Rossi and the rest. No question. He’s that good.
Compare his premier class rookie season to that of his role model. In his first six races in 2000, Valentino Rossi, the impudent Italian fast mover, crashed twice, finished 12th, 11th and 3rd twice, earning a total of 41 points. Marquez, in a larger grid, crashed once, finished on the podium five times, had a win, and pulled down 93 points. Rossi earned 209 points in 2000 over 16 rounds (13 points/race); Marquez is on track to reach perhaps 360 points over 18 rounds (20 points/race). Rossi soon became a MotoGP icon, and years after his last competitive season in 2010, he is still recognized around the world and is the fifth-highest earning driver in all motorsports.
Statistically speaking, Marquez is almost 50% more productive than Rossi was in his rookie year. Not to mention he’s Spanish, a country that’s mad about MotoGP, in a league that runs almost a quarter of its races in Spain. Talk about a rock star. Repsol acknowledged as much last Sunday, installing a vastly upgraded brolly girl in place of his customary helper, who resembles Yoko Ono with a migraine.
As Woody Hayes, the legendarily run-oriented Ohio State football coach observed about the forward pass, “Three things can happen, and two of them are bad.” Obviously, in MotoGP, injuries play a major role in the fortunes of the top riders. Despite improvements in leathers, bikes, helmets and the tracks themselves, going 200 mph on a motorcycle is, as it were, a blueprint for disaster. For a vivid example, check out Alex de Angelis in practice for the 2010 Moto2 race at Jerez. (BTW, de Angelis walked away from it.) Marquez could, yet this year, suffer a career-ending crash, exposing the folly of this speculation. But if he is fortunate enough to avoid a series of bone-crushing high sides over the next decade, he looks ready to rule MotoGP until someone (Alex Rins?) grows enough whiskers to mount a serious challenge. No one currently running in the premier class has the chops.
Weren’t You Going to Discuss Jorge Lorenzo?
For defending champion and Yamaha golden boy Jorge Lorenzo, the only thing that will allow him to repeat would be a significant crash by Marquez. Soon. Repsol Honda’s unlucky #2 Dani Pedrosa will, in all likelihood, be eliminated from contention this weekend, leaving Lorenzo as the last man standing in Marquez’ way. And even if Lorenzo were to run the table—a dubious proposition, with Motegi on the horizon—he would need a complete, utter collapse by Marquez, which just doesn’t appear likely, to become a three-time champion in 2013.
Marquez showed me something this past Sunday in Sepang, once he had gone through on Lorenzo into second place. With teammate Pedrosa a few seconds in front of him, and plenty of time on his hands, Marquez elected to play it safe, gather his 20 points, and move onto the next venue. If he were truly a mad dog, a pathological risk taker, he would have put the hammer down and gone after Pedrosa. I’ve said before that Dani Pedrosa, after countless surgeries, is old for his age. Marquez, by contrast, is mature for his age while still young enough to heal quickly from the “bumps and bruises” (paging Cal Crutchlow) inherent in the sport.
Anyway, Jorge Lorenzo had his game face on in Sepang, and still managed to lose to both Repsol Hondas. Phillip Island is a far friendlier track for the Yamaha M-1, and Lorenzo has a decent chance to win on Sunday, further prolonging his 2013 agony. If I were Jorge, I’d have my post-race press conference blurb already prepared, ignore the questions, and talk about how I only enjoy winning titles in even-numbered years. Because, even if he’s still alive after Australia, he’s pretty much toast in Japan. With two wins in the last nine years at Motegi, Honda’s home track, putting your money on Yamaha, even with Jorge Lorenzo in charge, is a fool’s wager.
Quick Hitters
Nicky Hayden, according to Speedweek.com, will be riding the production Honda RCV1000R for the Aspar team in 2014. With current Aspar CRT champion Aleix Espargaro on his way to join Colin Edwards at NGM Forward Racing on a rented Yamaha M-1 next season (displacing Claudio Corti), Aspar suggested that his choices for the #2 seat on his 2014 team were limited to Hiro Aoyoma, Eugene Laverty and Yonny Hernandez. This presumes that his current #2, Randy de Puniet, takes a year off testing for Suzuki before returning to the grid in 2015 on a factory Suzuki.
Hayden, unceremoniously dumped by Ducati in mid-season—that must sting—now has engine problems for what remains of the 2013 season. The engine he blew at Sepang was his last new one, and the other four are pretty beat up. According to MotoGP.com, Hayden may have to unwrap a sixth engine this week, becoming the second rider ever to start from pit lane as punishment for failing to manage his engine allotment. The first, you will recall, was Valentino Rossi in 2011. Who remembers where that took place?
If Marc Marquez manages to collect another penalty point this week or next, he will be forced to start the following race from the back of the grid. He’s probably not too worried about the prospect. During his first Moto2 season in 2011, after an incident during practice at Phillip Island, Marquez was banished to the back of the grid, starting in 38th place. He finished 3rd that day.
What About the Weather Down Under?
According to Weather.com, conditions at Phillip Island this weekend will be seasonal, which is to say cool and windy. Temps will be in the high 60’s and low 70’s with a stiff breeze out of the north, making it feel colder than it actually is. Morning practice sessions will be treacherous on cold tires.
Casey Stoner will be in the house, getting his props from Dorna in recognition of a distinguished, if whiney, career. The temptation to climb
aboard Stefan Bradl’s idle RC213V must be overwhelming, but I doubt he will succumb.
MotoGP Aragon Preview
September 24, 2013by Bruce Allen.
See the edited version of this article, complete with hi-rez images, on Motorcycle.com.
Lorenzo needs to keep his streak going
The 2013 MotoGP championship chase has now come down to the annual Pacific Swing, sandwiched between Aragon and Valenciana. A mere five rounds left for all the marbles in the premier motorcycle series on Earth. Seven weeks for Honda little big man Dani Pedrosa or defending Yamaha champion Jorge Lorenzo to erase the 34 point gap Repsol rookie Marc Marquez has built over the past six months. Good luck with that.
Many followers of the sport, myself included, feel it is actually a two man race, that Dani Pedrosa has been spiritually broken over the last six rounds. He had ruled at the top of the heap after Round 7 at Assen, with two golds and three silvers, and led challengers Lorenzo and Marquez by nine and 23 points, respectively. Having re-broken his left collarbone in practice at the Sachsenring, he has given up 57 points to his rookie teammate since mid-July. His body language these days gives the impression of a beaten man. His are the brooding eyes of a contender who has, once again, fallen short of the prize.
Two time and defending world champion Jorge Lorenzo, on the other hand, 
seems to have found a second wind since Brno. By winning at Silverstone and again at Misano, he has clawed back 10 of the 44 point deficit he faced in late August. Although it will take a minor miracle, and some rookie mistakes by the relaxed Marquez, to put Lorenzo within reach—say 10 points—of the title by the time Valenciana rolls around, he will concede nothing. He is probably not going to make it. From Lorenzo’s vantage point, he may run out of time, but he will not have lost. His are the eyes of a champion.
Here’s the thing. Marquez has proven, among a host of other things this season, that he is a rapid learner. As good as he has become since April, he is only going to get better, and faster, over the rest of this decade. What he has accomplished this season—six poles, five wins, and 12 podiums in 13 rounds—he has done almost purely on instinct. Add experience and maturity to the mix, and he appears likely to emerge in a class by himself.
HRC management is going to keep a death grip on Marquez’ services and provide him with the finest equipment on the griduntil he quits the game. 2013 could be the last realistic opportunity for Jorge Lorenzo to secure his third world championship. No wonder he’s pressing; if we can see the writing on the wall, surely he can, too. One mistake, though, and it’s over.
A Brief History of MotoGP at MotorLand
A last-minute substitution for the failed Balatonring circuit in Hungary in 2010, MotorLand Aragon is an anomaly: a Yamaha-friendly circuit at which Jorge Lorenzo has never won. Casey Stoner won easily that year on the Ducati, joined on the podium by Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden, who punked Lorenzo on the penultimate turn of the race for his annual post-2006 rostrum. The race in 2010 was memorable for having had two Ducatis on the podium, the last time that is likely to happen in my lifetime.
Stoner won again in 2011 for Repsol Honda, followed at some distance by teammate Pedrosa, Lorenzo and Marco Simoncelli. Valentino Rossi, befouled by the new six engine rule that year, became the first rider ever forced to start from pit lane for going over budget on his engines on his way to a 10th place finish.
Last year, Dani Pedrosa, in the midst of his white-hot finish to the 2012 season, blistered the field and fended off all four Yamahas, with Lorenzo and Tech 3 Yamaha pilot Andrea Dovizioso joining him on the podium. Stoner sat out with the injury suffered at Indianapolis three rounds earlier, and his sub, journeyman Johnny Rea, acquitted himself nicely with a gratifying 7th place finish onboard the Repsol Honda.
Let’s review. Since 2010, Dani Pedrosa has a gold and two silvers. Jorge Lorenzo has, in order, a 4th, a 3rd and a 2nd, an encouraging trend if ever there was. Young Marquez crashed out of the 125 race in 2010, won handily in Moto2 in 2011, and finished second to Pol Espargaro last season in a Moto2 classic, with the top four riders crossing the line within 2 seconds of the winner. MM ♥ Aragon.
I’m not going out on a limb predicting that these three will end up on the podium on Sunday afternoon. After all, they’ve hogged the top three spots seven times this year, including the last four rounds. Alien Emeritus Rossi, meanwhile, has four consecutive 4th place finishes going for him. His frustration has reached such a high level that he announced this week he’s forming a Moto3 team for 2014, perhaps giving some thought to what life will be like after his racing days are over. His winning days are largely behind him already. MotoGP is a young man’s game; there are no Peyton Mannings in MotoGP.
Musical Chairs in the Lower Tranches
Expect the announcement this weekend that Nicky Hayden will be joining the Aspar Power Electronics team for 2014 with enhanced involvement/investment from the Aprilia factory. Don’t expect his teammate to be Randy de Puniet, who appears likely to take 2014 off to test for Suzuki prior to returning to the grid in 2015.
Aleix Espargaro, meanwhile, is reportedly torn between remaining with Aspar or taking his act to the NGM Forward Racing team to join the ancient Colin Edwards on Yamaha-powered FTRs. With Scott Redding having signed with the GO&FUN Gresini team and slated for one of the new Honda “production” bikes, there appears to be a seat available for someone at either Aspar or Forward Racing. I’d like to hear some ideas as to who might end up where. Laverty’s brother Eugene has expressed interest in the Aprilia MotoGP program, apparently anxious to whip up on brother Michael. Not to mention quadrupling his salary.
At the bottom of the food chain, Michael Laverty is getting a bit of a promotion on the PBM team, moving from the PBM ART to the ART ART in a dazzling display of acronyms. Yonny Hernandez, as we mentioned last time, is taking over for Ben Spies on the Pramac Ducati, with Spies insisting his contract is in no jeopardy for 2014; we’ll see about that. Australian Damien Cudlin, last seen subbing in MotoGP in 2011, will apparently replace Hernandez on the PBM team for the last five rounds of 2013.
Karel Abraham has cashed out for the year, with his Cardion AB seat being taken, at least this week, by Former Ferracci MV Rider Luca Scassa. Scassa, onboard a Kawasaki, is sixth this season in World Supersport, not exactly a threat to crash the top ten at Aragon.
Honda Weather for Round 14
Temps are expected to rise into the 80’s and 90’s this weekend at Motorland, such conditions favoring Pedrosa and Marquez. But Lorenzo is overdue for a win here, having tasted victory at the three other Spanish venues. Has Pedrosa thrown in the towel? Can Lorenzo keep his streak, and his championship dreams, alive? Will Marquez provide another last lap thriller? Tune into Fox Sports 1 at 8 am EDT for live coverage of the Gran Premio Iveco de Aragon. We’ll have results right here on Sunday morning.
MotoGP Silverstone 2013 Preview
August 27, 2013by Bruce Allen
An edited version of this story, complete with hi-rez images, will post on Motorcycle.com on, like, Thursday. Until then, enjoy the raw copy.
Can anyone, other than Marquez, stop Marquez?
As Round 12 of the 2013 MotoGP season looms, it becomes easier and easier to imagine the unimaginable—a rookie winning the premier class title. Repsol Honda phenom Marc Marquez continues to defy expectations with the composure and confidence of a seasoned veteran. Back in 1971, French humanist Rene Dubos observed, “Trend is not destiny,” but this Spanish rider may be the exception to the rule.
Sportswriters and bloggers love to engage in hypotheticals—if this hadn’t happened, if so-and-so were thus and such—and the conversation surrounding Marquez is full of this gibberish. If Lorenzo hadn’t crashed twice in two weeks…If Pedrosa hadn’t fallen in Germany…If Marquez hadn’t crashed at Mugello… (this last one is my own work, sorry to say.) But here we are, in the midst of a minor miracle. Let’s take a short look back at how we’ve arrived at this point.
The 2013 season had been running per expectations through Round 6 at Catalunya. Repsol Honda star Dani Pedrosa and factory Yamaha #1 Jorge Lorenzo were slugging it out at the top, while Marquez was serving his apprenticeship, sitting in third place, with 5 podiums, a win, and a rookie crash out of the lead in Italy. At that time he trailed Pedrosa by 23 and Lorenzo by 14. Pretty much as expected. However, at Assen, things changed.
Lorenzo crashed on Friday, had surgery, returned, and ran a gutty 5th on a day he probably should have been in the hospital. Marquez finished second to Rossi, who gave us a fleeting glimpse of his classic form. Pedrosa struggled to a 4th place finish. Marquez picked up seven points on Pedrosa and nine on Lorenzo.
At the Sachsenring, the wheels came off, so to speak, for the two favorites, as both Pedrosa and Lorenzo crashed heavily in practice. Both would miss the race, which Marquez won, the beginning of his current four race win streak. That day, Marquez went from 23 down to Pedrosa to two up. As MotoGP’s summer break approached, Lorenzo and Pedrosa entered rehab, and Marquez entered the ionosphere.
Winning at Laguna took his margin over Pedrosa to 16. A third consecutive win at Indianapolis ran the lead to 22. Sunday’s victory at Brno stretched it to 26. As any rider who has won a championship will tell you, having a margin of more than 25 points over your closest challenger relieves a great deal of pressure. It means that even in a perfect storm, one in which you go ragdoll and your rival wins, you will still be in the frame. It provides a margin for error, a psychological pressure-relief valve.
Assume Marquez crashes out this week at Silverstone. So what? He will still be leading a series few expected him to win at the beginning of the season. He will still have at least three very friendly tracks in his future—Sepang, Motegi and Valenciana. Unless he gets hurt in a significant way he will still be in the mix. His confidence is off the charts. His rivals are spooked. He will retain the inside track to the title. And if he wins, or podiums, at Silverstone, well…
Marquez now enjoys not only the lead, but the freedom to relax and focus on the process of becoming a premier class champion, rather than individual outcomes. At this point, the specific result of each round is less important than continuing up the learning curve, as he was doing early in the season. He doesn’t need to run the table. He can’t allow Pedrosa to finish 2013 the way he did 2012, with six wins in eight rounds. But Pedrosa is still not 100% physically, and his spirit is wounded, too. He is in an inferior position compared to this time last year.
With 8 rounds left in 2012, Pedrosa trailed Lorenzo by 23 points. Even winning six of the last eight, he ultimately lost to the Mallorcan by 18. At this point in 2013, both Pedrosa and Lorenzo are pressing, while Marquez is chilling. It seems unlikely there will be a great deal of change at the top of the standings for the remainder of the season. But a word of caution is in order. At this point in 2011, it looked like Marco Simoncelli was going to be the next great MotoGP rider. Trend, after all, is not destiny.
Recent History at Silverstone
The British Grand Prix moved from dowdy Donington Park to sleek Silverstone in 2010, with major renovations at the Northampton circuit continuing into 2011. The 2010 race featured a master class victory by Jorge Lorenzo on the way to his first world championship that fall.
Repsol Honda pilot Andrea Dovizioso, who had won his first and only premier class race at the 2009 event, finished a gratifying second on his Repsol Honda, with then rookie Monster Tech 3 Yamaha pilot Ben Spies “pipping” compatriot Nicky Hayden at the flag for his first premier class podium. 2010 was the year Ducati flagbearer Casey Stoner qualified sixth and went through the first turn of Lap One in, like, last place, only to fight his way back to a 5th place finish at the flag, his teeth by then having been ground down to the gum line.
2011 was a head-scratcher, as Casey Stoner drove his Repsol Honda to a convincing rain-soaked win on his way to his second title that fall. Once again, Dovizioso claimed second place for Honda and established himself as a “mudder.” The surprise of the day involved American Colin Edwards, who had fractured his collarbone the previous week at Le Mans. Riding the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha on a day he should have been resting in bed, the Texan managed his only podium of the year, likely the last of his career.
It should be noted that Edwards’ remarkable day took place with Pedrosa and homeboy Cal Crutchlow out with injuries, while Lorenzo, Spies and Simoncelli crashed out. Another way of characterizing Edwards’ 2011 British GP would be to say he finished in front of nine riders. (This year, that would put him somewhere around 15th place.) The Texas Tornado would rightly insist that a podium finish is a podium finish.
The British Invasion
No, it’s not The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and the Kinks. It’s Cal Crutchlow, Bradley Smith and Scott Redding, all furiously playing the “home race” card. Crutchlow and Smith crashed out of the points last week at Brno, putting a bit of a damper on their prospects heading home for the weekend. Redding, leading the Moto2 series and ticketed for MotoGP next year, struggled in the Czech Republic too, finishing eighth while teammate Mika Kallio won for the first time in his Moto2 career. The stands are likely to be packed this weekend, and the weather forecast is surprisingly nice, with cool clear conditions forecast for all three days.
All this homecoming stuff is, of course, a sideshow. The main event will be amongst the heavyweights at the front. For Jorge Lorenzo, as the Brits say, it’s win or bin. On the Repsol Honda team, it will be High Anxiety vs. The Boy Wonder and his sidekick, Mo Mentum. If you’re a betting person, you gotta go with the double-team.
MotoGP Brno 2013 Results
August 25, 2013By Bruce Allen
Marquez wins again, Aliens in shock
Repsol Honda wonder Marc Marquez won today’s Czech Grand Prix by 3/10ths over teammate Dani Pedrosa, with Yamaha double champion Jorge Lorenzo another two seconds behind. Once again making it look easy, Marquez now leads Pedrosa by 26 points and a disheartened Lorenzo by 44 with seven rounds left in the 2013 season. Had the rookie not crashed out of the lead at Mugello back in June, this thing would be over already.
Marquez is now smashing all time records every time out, a proverbial bull in the 65 year-old MotoGP china shop. He became the first rookie ever to win at Laguna Seca in July. Last week, ignoring the footnote, he became the first rider ever to win three rounds in the United States. And today he became the first rider ever to win five races in his rookie season, having prevailed in the last four rounds. The sky appears to be the limit for the young Spaniard, as he does not appear quite fast enough to enter a low earth orbit.
22 Masterful Laps
During the practice sessions leading up to qualifying, it was the usual suspects at the top of the timesheets, with Lorenzo, LCR Honda sophomore Stefan Bradl, Monster Tech 3 defector Cal Crutchlow and Marquez taking turns leading a session. Q2, the main qualifying event, was a little weird, as most of the riders could only manage four laps over the long Brno circuit, and resulted in a front row of Crutchlow, GO&FUN loose cannon Alvaro Bautista and Marquez. The second row featured Pedrosa, Lorenzo and Tech 3 rookie Bradley Smith, with Valentino Rossi, the now-former Alien, in seventh.
Once things got underway, Lorenzo got off to an impressively fast start, with Marquez and Pedrosa in hot pursuit. Crutchlow started poorly, immediately back in fourth position, tangling with Bautista and Rossi most of his truncated day, his hopes of a maiden premier class win shattered in the first lap. Adding injury to insult, the Brit, with seven races left until his self-imposed exile with Ducati for the next two years, crashed out on Lap 9 and eventually finished out of the points in 17th. So much for sitting on the pole.
Lorenzo led the first group for most of the day, but was unable to get away, while the two Repsol Hondas were relaxing in his slipstream, biding their time, probing for signs of weakness. Marquez feinted several times before going through for good in the final turn of Lap 16, a replay of what Pedrosa did to Lorenzo on the last lap in 2012. Three laps later, Pedrosa himself went through on Lorenzo, hoping to overtake his thoroughly annoying rookie teammate in the last three laps. It was not to be, as Pedrosa didn’t have enough left to mount the late charge he desperately needed.
Before the race, it was generally acknowledged that crunch time had arrived for Yamaha and Jorge Lorenzo, that another loss to either Repsol Honda at the flowing Brno circuit would spell ruin for the 2013 season. Similarly, for Pedrosa and Lorenzo, allowing Marquez to work them again would be another sure sign of the career apocalypse looming before both. The two veterans, masters of their craft, gave this race everything they had, but it wasn’t nearly enough. To the casual observer, the all-Spanish podium would appear to spell joy for the three honorees. In fact, for two of them, it spelled despair.
Elsewhere on the Grid
Once Crutchlow went walkabout on Lap 9 (joining teammate Bradley Smith in the Tech 3 DNF party) the battle for fourth place between Bautista and Rossi raged all day, a measure of how much Rossi’s game has slipped in the past few years. While Rossi would eventually prevail, a hollow victory to be sure, he finished 10 seconds behind Marquez, which would have been unthinkable as recently as 2010.
At 200 mph, things can go downhill in a hurry. In fact, it may not be much of an overstatement to suggest that Rossi is on his way to becoming Colin Edwards, the thoroughly faded Yamaha veteran, other than the fact that Rossi has 80 premier class wins to zero for Edwards.
Stefan Bradl spent a lonely day in 6th place, turning laps, finishing 10 seconds behind Bautista and 15 seconds ahead of the factory Ducati duo of Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden. Dovi and Hayden, after their latest close encounter at Indianapolis, had been hauled in front of both Race Direction and Ducati brass over their tendency to trade paint with one another, and refrained from doing so today.
[Before the season started, a Ducati mouthpiece told the media the company expected the two to challenge for wins this season on the ever-changing Desmosedici, providing further evidence, as if more were needed, that the Bologna factory is hopelessly out of touch with reality.]
Andrea Iannone, onboard the Pramac Ducati, ended the day in 9th place, followed once again by Aleix Espargaro, the top finisher in the now non-operative CRT class. The only other result of note was that of Michele Pirro, subbing for the now-finished Ben Spies, who managed a respectable 12th place finish. Looks like Pirro will finish the season racing, rather than testing, for Ducati Corse. Spies, who had surgery on both shoulders this past week, should now be spoken of only in the past tense when discussing MotoGP.
The Big Picture
The standings tell the story. For Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo, their only remaining hope is that Marquez will crash out of a race or two, and it’s bad racing karma to wish such things for your rivals, especially a teammate. Crutchlow’s gaffe today puts him 16 points behind Rossi in 5th place, but serves as valuable preparation for the next two years of his career. After an outstanding weekend at Laguna Seca, of all places, Bradl has now settled back to earth and looks beatable by Dovizioso, assuming Dovi can resist further opportunities to mix things up with his teammate.
On to Silverstone
Shakespeare’s “winter of our discontent” has now become Pedrosa and Lorenzo’s summer of nausea. The nagging apprehension they likely felt toward Marquez heading into the season has now been replaced by fully-formed dread, as the Honda rookie has proven himself to be, as it were, truly re-Marc-able. It is impossible to imagine that he will not destroy yet another all-time record next week, eclipsing Rossi’s rookie record of 10 podiums in a single season.
Since moving from Donington Park to Silverstone, Jorge Lorenzo has won the British GP twice, sandwiched around Stoner’s win in 2011. As such, it would appear that this year’s tilt represents Lorenzo’s last gasping breath of hope for a third premier class championship in 2013. Pedrosa has a lousy history at Silverstone, and his chances for anything more than a podium finish would appear dubious at best. Crutchlow and Smith will be completely geeked up for what surely must be a disappointing homecoming weekend. And Rossi will flash his trademarked smile all the way to the bank while trying to remain within an excuse or two of the podium.
Going forward, a number of interesting questions remain, most of them having to do with who will be riding what for whom in 2014. The one I can’t get out of my head today has to do with what might have happened had Marquez been running against Casey Stoner on identical bikes this year. Had it been Stoner and Marquez on the Repsol Hondas this season, the world might have seen some truly epic racing. The late Robert F. Kennedy captured this sentiment perfectly when he said, “Some men see things as they are and say ‘why?’ I dream things that never were and say, ‘why not?’”
Indianapolis MotoGP 2013 Results
August 18, 2013An 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 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 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.
For 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.
The Passing of the Torch
July 27, 2013
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.)
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.
MotoGP Mugello 2013 Results
June 2, 2013by Bruce Allen
Lorenzo Rules Mugello as Marquez Crashes
Midway through the first lap of the 2013 Italian Grand Prix, things looked bad for the Yamaha factory racing team. Homeboy Valentino Rossi had been knocked out of the race. Defending world champion Jorge Lorenzo had seized the early lead only to suddenly find BOTH Repsol Hondas dogging him, snarling and snapping, anxious to ruin his day and trash the season for Yamaha Racing. Lorenzo would have none of it; he held his ground early, broke Pedrosa midway through, and saved the day for his team.
The start of today’s race will be heavily replayed for the next few weeks, as Lorenzo and Pedrosa seemed to swap paint in the first turn, with no harm and no foul. But in the second turn, Alvaro Bautista, on the FUN&GO Gresini Honda, changing direction, drifted into Rossi, sending both riders into the tires and hay bales at speed, with Rossi’s airbag going off, his day, and possibly his season, ruined. The fans were incensed, Rossi looked stunned sitting in his garage, and Bautista looked, as they used to say in the Southwest Airlines commercials, like he wanted to get away.
Last year, Bautista did basically the same thing to Lorenzo at Assen, though that incident looked more careless than this one, which seemed to be what I call Limited Spatial Awareness on Bautista’s part, what other people might call a low racing IQ. (When near him in a crowd, the other riders must feel the terror I feel approaching an intersection opposite a young woman in a 6,000 lb. SUV talking animatedly on a cell phone the size of a Chiclet.) And while Lorenzo went on to win the 2012 title anyway, today’s incident took the pins out from under any remaining hopes Rossi might have entertained about finishing the season in the top three. With 30 points and three riders between him and third place, it seems like a lot to ask.
As Regards the Repsol Honda Team
Early in the race, the Repsol Honda duo of Pedrosa and Marquez appeared to have everything exactly the way they wanted it. Rossi was done for the day. They were running two-three and appeared prepared, at their leisure, to double-team Lorenzo into submission on their way to a one-two finish at Mugello. Which, for Honda, would have been epic, even ignoring the symbolic coup de grace of doing it with Rossi concussed in the garage. Pedrosa would win his third race in a row while Marquez continued his apprenticeship. Honda would enjoy a stranglehold on the constructor’s trophy, and Pedrosa, coming off a hat trick, would be the clear #1 rider on the team.
Pedrosa, who had stolen the pole on his last lap of qualifying, looked as if 2013 might finally be his year. The Honda RC213V likes hot weather, a huge advantage later in the season, and Sunday was the warmest day of the weekend. But Marquez, who had crashed three separate times in practice (and had to make it through Q1 before qualifying 6th in Q2), was lurking, ready to observe Rule #1 in MotoGP, which is to beat your teammate. At this point, around Lap 16, I started to feel sorry for Repsol team manager Livio Suppo, who had to watch as his excitable rookie attacked his 2013 series leader.
As expected, on Lap 18 Marquez went through on Pedrosa very gently, leaving Pedrosa shaking his head, a vision of the future lingering on his visor, a future bereft of world championships. We anticipated, before the season started, that Marquez would compete for the title only if he were able to avoid a lot of DNFs, which he has done. Until today, when on Lap 21, riding alone, his rear tire suddenly materialized to his right—never a good thing—and he went down hard. In the process, he surrendered 25 points to Lorenzo, 20 to Pedrosa and fell to third place for the year. One rookie mistake takes him from six points out of the lead to six points ahead of 4th place Cal Crutchlow, the best non-Alien on the grid, who finished third today for his second consecutive rostrum. [Will someone please explain to me, again, why Crutchlow is losing his seat to Pol Espargaro next year?]
So, during the course of the race, the Repsol Honda team again found itself with an identity crisis—who is the #1 guy? Marquez has more pure speed, and is the future of not only his team but perhaps MotoGP itself. But he’s a rookie, and has a reckless streak, too, as evidenced by his crash on Saturday when he calmly stepped off the bike at maybe 150 mph to avoid hitting a concrete wall. Pedrosa is now the sentimental favorite, but whatever momentum he brought to Mugello, despite the podium, has vanished. Both Lorenzo and Marquez have proven they can beat him.
To Honda’s chagrin, the team trophy is still up for grabs. And Team Yamaha lives to fight again in Barcelona two weeks from now, their prospects seemingly dangling by a thread.
Elsewhere on the Grid
Cal Crutchlow had another great weekend on his Monster Tech 3 Yamaha despite his chilling daily medical report, spending much of the day in fourth place until Marquez left the building. Finishing in the top three for the season is very doable for Cal. Stefan Bradl’s torment ceased, at least for awhile, today as he drove his LCR Honda to a hotly-contested fourth place finish, beating out the factory Ducatis of Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden.
There appears to be room for hope in the Ducati garage based on the performance of Michele Pirro on the so-called Lab Bike. Pirro, a wildcard today despite Ben Spies missing his third consecutive race for Ignite Pramac Racing, qualified a respectable 10th in Q2 and finished the day in 7th place. Ducati Corse might be kicking themselves for selecting Ben Spies over Pirro, a CRT rider last season reduced to factory testing this year. He will probably return in the foreseeable future, as he clearly has more game than half the riders out there. Including Spies.
Aleix Espargaro topped the charts for the CRT contingent, easily outdistancing Hector Barbera and Randy de Puniet once again. Bradley Smith, whose entire body is being held together with duct tape and baling wire, managed a very respectable 9th place finish today on his Tech 3 Yamaha after several violent crashes over the weekend. Both he and Crutchlow are physical wrecks, but both have their stiff British upper lips firmly in place, God Save the Queen, etc., etc.
Saying Goodbye to the Tuscan Hills
From the air, the countryside around Mugello appears much as it must have during Roman days—lush, green, and fertile. In the way of tradition and the very essence of MotoGP, the annual trip to Mugello is special for the riders and teams, similar to their reverential annual pilgrimage to “The Cathedral” at Assen. If your career goal is to become a legend in MotoGP, you need to rise to the occasion at places like Assen, and Mugello.
Today, Jorge Lorenzo, a legend in the making, rose to the occasion.
TOP TEN RIDERS AFTER FIVE ROUNDS
MotoGP Mugello 2013 Preview
May 27, 2013by Bruce Allen
Team Yamaha Needs to Assert Itself
As Round Five of the 2013 MotoGP championship season steams toward us, the very air crackling in its wake, we are reminded of one of the oldest truths in motor sports. We are reminded that championships are rarely won in the first quarter of the season. They can, however, be lost. Such is the inconvenient truth facing Yamaha pilots Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi this weekend at the circuit that will almost surely bear Rossi’s name someday.
For Team Yamaha, finishing one-two at Mugello would be like holding serve—great, yeah, but nothing to really celebrate. Anything less will range from a disappointment to a disaster, neither of which would be helpful at this point of this season. Or, actually, any point. Of any season. Not helpful at all.
Expectations for Team Blue are high this weekend. As are the stakes.
For the ebullient Repsol Honda team, fresh off their French triumph, putting one bike on the podium at Mugello is both necessary and sufficient. Two would be a big win. Zero only happens if someone fails to finish the race. Two Hondas on the Italian podium spells trouble for the factory Yamaha team. Trouble we might have seen coming, had we been paying closer attention to the season and less attention to Losail.
Losail gave us a false sense of Lorenzo/Rossi/Yamaha security. Look at the points earned by the primary factory teams round by round:
|
Round/Venue |
Repsol Honda Team |
Factory Yamaha Team |
|
One – Losail |
29 |
45 |
|
Two – COTA |
45 |
26 |
|
Three – Jerez |
45 |
29 |
|
Four – Le Mans |
41 |
13 |
|
|
||
|
Average (less Round One) |
44 |
23 |
Losail affected our thinking, putting the end of last season, and the entire offseason testing program, out of our heads. That was an error in perception. My error, though I’m probably not alone. But Losail is, after all, the outlier, the season opener under the lights in the desert, and doesn’t really have much of anything to do with anything else. So Lorenzo and Rossi’s surprising 1-2 at Losail obscured the fact that Honda appeared to have it very much going on heading into the season. Other than at Losail.
Since then, that has been the exact case. One/two, one/two and one/three in three “normal” rounds. Yamaha might insist we throw out Le Mans as the second outlier—France in the cold and wet—but even doing so, the blue bikes are not keeping up. Not in Texas or Jerez, which isn’t really surprising, given the layouts. But not in Le Mans, either, where Yamaha success has generally come easily. True, Rossi was flying when he crashed in France and looked to have podium written all over him, but such is life running with the big dogs.
Scoreboard.
Changing of the Guard Underway?
If, as expected, Pol Espargaro signs a one year deal with Monster Tech3 Yamaha, it suggests the Rossi era at Yamaha will end, again, after the 2014 season, in The Doctor’s 35th year. It will point to Lorenzo and Espargaro fronting the factory team versus Pedrosa and Marquez on the Hondas. It means Yamaha will have to find more acceleration, while Honda seems to have found all it needs.
There is, too, the outside possibility Dani Pedrosa would not be offered a new contract at the expiration of his current deal after 2014. 
To ride the Repsol Honda for nine (9) years, with all those wins, but no titles…And it doesn’t get any easier at age 30, which will be the age he turns in the first year of his next contract. There must be those at Honda Racing HQ who have run out of patience with the gutsy little Spaniard. They want titles; they don’t get all choked up listening to the Spanish national anthem.
Anyway. If Marc Marquez is, indeed, The Next Great Thing and, by extension, Espargaro the Next Next Great Thing, then whom, we wonder, is the Next Next Next Great Thing? Scott Redding? Alex Rins? Alex Marquez?
It was only 2011 when Marco Simoncelli looked like The Next Great Thing.
Whomever he turns out to be, he will enter MotoGP at a time when it is becoming homogenized. When the prototype bikes will be getting slowed and the CRT bikes faster. When teams will likely experience more sudden success and more thorough financial failure. Where the rules will continue to bend in favor of the more democratic CRT bikes, and away from the monolithic factory behemoths and traditional sponsors who have funded and ruled the sport forever.
The revelation that Dorna Big Cheese and magnate Carmen Ezpeleta is a closet socialist is too sweet. He’s starting to make MotoGP sound like kids’ rec league soccer, wanting “EVERYONE to get a trophy!” “Yes, we would like 30 bikes that all go the same speed and that cost the teams €100,000 each only. They can use as much fuel as they like and are limited to 12 engines for the season. No other rules. We don’t need no more steenkin’ rules. 12 engines. €100,000 each. Plenty of gas. Brolly girls. That’s IT.” Which, in the opinion of a lot of purists, is in fact desirable. Delusional, but fun to think about.
MotoGP is morphing, squeezed by economics , resembling World SuperBikes more each year. Now, if Aprilia would step up with a two bike factory team, and if Suzuki could become relevant again. Wouldn’t it be fun to see, say, Nicky Hayden and Ben Spies united on a hot new Suzuki MotoGP team. If not Hayden, then perhaps Spies and Redding, who currently rides 9kg over the weight floor in Moto2 and would be a force on 1000cc. How about Big Brother Aleix Espargaro and Crutchlow fronting a factory Aprilia team? If Little Brother gets a prototpe, it’s only fair that big brother gets one too.
Back to Mugello
MotoGP success for team Yamaha in Italy—both bikes on the podium—would move the focus to the following three rounds, spaced bi-weekly, more or less, in Catalunya, Assen and the Sachsenring heading into the heat of the summer. Catalunya favors Yamaha. Assen and Germany both favor Honda, at least recently. Let’s review. Team Yamaha needs to score a lot of points in Italy and Catalunya, keep it close in northern Europe, and hope to still be in it heading for the U.S. in July and August.
Otherwise, we’ll be reduced to arguing Marc vs. Dani or Dani vs. Marc. When we’re not scratching our heads over whatever became of Stefan Bradl. Or ruminating about why Cal Crutchlow doesn’t get any respect from owners.
As to our hope for two competitive factory teams at the top of MotoGP in 2013, one of two possible answers will emerge in Tuscany: If Pedrosa and Marquez continue their hot streak at Mugello, it will probably mean Honda all the way in 2013. That would be a No. If Lorenzo and Rossi find what they need and dominate the proceedings, that would be a Maybe.
Let’s not forget the 2010 race. Mugello that year was Round Four. After Round Three in France, Lorenzo led Rossi 70 to 61, Dovizioso trailing in 3rd with 42. Rossi had his high side in practice and was suddenly down and out of the chase for the title. After Mugello, it was Lorenzo 90, Pedrosa 65, (Rossi 61), Dovizioso 58. It was essentially over, suddenly Lorenzo’s to lose. In the blink of an eye.
At 200 mph on two wheels with the best in the world on the best of the world, as observed in Forrest Gump, “(stuff) happens.” Marquez, to his credit, has been off his bike only once thus far in his premier class debut. Pedrosa, on the other hand, has been separated from his too often to count over the years, generally with bad and lasting effects. Marquez’s style seems to invite the close encounters he’s enjoyed over his brief career. But he, too, has memories of Sepang, where he hit his head hard enough in 2011 to have double vision for the next six months. While the rest of the world grieved for Sic, Marquez also dealt with the possibility that his promising professional career had ended before it fully started.
As we’ve already seen, such worries were misplaced.
See live coverage of the Italian Grand Prix Sunday at 7:30 am EDT on SpeedTV. We’ll have the results of the race here on Sunday afternoon.
MotoGP Le Mans 2013 Preview
May 14, 2013An edited version of this article, complete with hi-rez photos, is now available at Motorcycle.com.
Team Yamaha Ready to Rumble in the Rain
As the fastest sport on two wheels heads into France for Round Four, one thing is certain—the stakes for the 2013 championship are higher than they’ve been in years. The Repsol Honda team of Dani Pedrosa and rookie sensation Marc Marquez has youth and speed going for it. The factory Yamaha duo of defending champion Jorge Lorenzo and prodigal veteran Valentino Rossi has consistency and experience in its corner. And while it’s not quite the fabled Tortoise and the Hare, the analogy works.
Sure, rookie Marquez has been setting the world on fire thus far. And sure, Dani Pedrosa came through in Jerez when he really needed a win, aided by an assist from his young wingman. Lorenzo, though, is a double world champion, and Rossi, who is still getting used to the factory M-1 on which he dominated the game for years, has another seven premier class trophies lying around his man cave back in Italy. It’s just too early in the season to suggest that this is Marquez’s year, or Pedrosa’s year, or even Honda’s year.
In 2013, He Who Remains Upright will win the title.
Take a look back at the last four champions. Rossi won in 2009 despite a comical wet/dry 16th place finish in France and crashing out in Indianapolis. In 2010, Lorenzo didn’t crash all year, but won the trophy by 140 points and could have easily absorbed a few lowsides without damaging his championship prospects. Casey Stoner in 2011 crashed out early in the season at Jerez and won the title convincingly. And last year, Lorenzo repeated despite getting de-biked by Alvaro Bautista at Assen and falling unassisted in Valencia.
Let’s pile on a little. Here is the spread in points between first and third place, by year since 2009, after three rounds:
Year Leader/points Third place/points Spread
2009 Rossi – 65 Lorenzo – 41 24
2010 Lorenzo – 70 Dovizioso – 42 28
2011 Lorenzo – 65 Stoner – 41 24
2012 Stoner – 66 Pedrosa – 52 14
2013 Marquez – 61 Lorenzo – 57 4
All of which is a rather long way of saying that a DNF this season, by any of the top four riders, will put him squarely behind the eight ball. If Rossi can find a way onto the podium at Le Mans, surprising no one, it will make things that much tighter at the top of the class. And, judging from Marquez’s comportment in Jerez, I would say that he is the most likely of the four to get separated from his machine in the first half of the season. Even at 320 kph, slow and steady wins the race.
Recent History at Le Mans
2009 was the epic flag-to-flag affair that saw Lorenzo run away from the field, joined sometime later on the podium by one Marco Melandri on the Hayate Racing Kawasaki— I know, right?—and third place finisher Dani Pedrosa. The following excerpt from that day’s coverage remains one of my all-time favorites:
The first rider to pit was Valentino Rossi, who was busily watching Lorenzo lengthen his lead until, on Lap 4,he couldn’t stand it anymore, and pitted to swap his wet bike for the dry. Thus began one of the worst days of his premier class career. In chronological order, he immediately executed a rousing lowside, limped back to the pits, traded his tattered dry bike for his original wet bike, got flagged for speeding on pit row, took his ride-through penalty, turned a few slow laps, pitted again, traded back his wet bike for his now-repaired dry bike, returned to the track and finished 16th, two laps down. He might as well have gone to Baltimore to watch the Preakness.
In 2010 it was Lorenzo again, joined onstage by Rossi and Dovizioso. Stoner’s early crash left the door open for the Mallorcan. At the end of the day Lorenzo led the Australian by 59 points, and Stoner’s dream of a title in 2010 lay in ruins.
Two years ago, Casey Stoner took his first career win at Le Mans with an easy stroll past Dovizioso and Rossi. This was the race in which the late Marco Simoncelli undercut Pedrosa in one of the lefthanders and sent him flying off his bike and out of the 2011 championship race. For Rossi, the 2011 French Grand Prix podium would be the high water mark in a brutal inaugural season with Ducati.
Finally, in 2012, Lorenzo again led the way, this time in a driving rainstorm, while Rossi enjoyed one of his two podiums last year, finishing second, ten seconds behind Lorenzo and two seconds in front of Casey Stoner, who had announced his impending retirement only days earlier.
Having enjoyed three wins out of his last four outings in France, in the wet, the dry and in-between, Jorge Lorenzo should be the favorite going into the weekend. With weather conditions expected to be cold and damp, it’s not that hard to envision Rossi on the podium and Marquez in the gravel. And with but one third place podium finish at Le Mans since 2007, not to mention his season-ruining crash in 2011, Dan Pedrosa’s expectations for the weekend are bound to be fairly modest.
Ben Spies MIA Again
As was the case last time out in Jerez, Ben Spies will be reclining in Texas this weekend, nursing his shoulder, chest and ego. Michele Pirro will again be riding a Ducati on Sunday, this time as a substitute rider for the Ignite Pramac team. Last time out he was a wildcard. The difference being, this time he’s into Spies’ engine allotment, which can’t make Ben all too happy. According to SpeedCafe.com, “After a medical check in Dallas, American Spies was advised that it was in his best interests to delay his comeback.” Um, perhaps until 2014, in World SuperBikes, running around with Nicky Hayden and becoming relevant again. Everyone’s pointing to Mugello, but we’re taking a wait-and-see attitude.
Quick Hitters
Hectic Hector Barbera received a bit of community service as his punishment for getting beat up by his ex-girlfriend a few weeks ago in Jerez. One wonders what the sentence might have been had he WON the fight…
Most of the CRT bikes are getting a software upgrade for their ECU units this weekend. The exceptions are the ART entries of Espargaro, de Puniet, Abraham and Hernandez. (No one seems to know, or actually care, whether Bryan Staring will be getting new software or not.) One of the upgrades to the package is referred to as “anti-jerk”, which came along too late to be of any use to James Toseland…
The rumors of Cal Crutchlow’s impending demise at Monster Tech 3 Yamaha just won’t go away. Stunning, in my opinion, that Pol Espargaro is being groomed to take the place of the gutsy Brit. This could mean, of course, that Nicky Hayden is toast at Ducati, and that he will be consigned to promoting the Ducati brand in WSB, while Crutchlow will get his long-awaited factory ride. (You gotta be careful what you wish for, Cal. Ask Andrea Dovizioso.) Following the dominoes, it suggests the brass at Yamaha corporate see the end of the Rossi era approaching, especially if Espargaro signs a one year deal with Tech 3.
The cool part will be watching the Espargaro brothers go at each other next season. Recall 2011 when both were working in Moto2, as older brother Aleix punked Pol by a single point for the season. Take that, bitch.
It’s a pretty good bet that last sentence won’t make it past the editors. J
Late-Braking MotoGP 