MotoGP 2016

**BMWST?** · 28th May 2016, 10:17

Originally Posted by James Deuce

Honda don't fix things like that they usually find an alien who can ride around the issues they create with their obstinate engineering ethos.

well they might have to think twice about that this time.I think it has been shown that they have an ultra alien,and even he cant ride the thing

**James Deuce** · 28th May 2016, 10:51

Originally Posted by BMWST?

well they might have to think twice about that this time.I think it has been shown that they have an ultra alien,and even he cant ride the thing

They honestly don't give a shit and they have a much longer view of racing than merely this particular rider's career. It would not surprise me to find that 50% of HRC have been working on developing a new "green" formula for top level motorcycle racing and the remaining junior half of HRC have been developing the current MotoGP bikes.

**BMWST?** · 28th May 2016, 10:56

I hope not,although not pc I have always liked Honda,and think back to times when they actively tried different things.I suppose that is discouraged now with the rules

**pritch** · 28th May 2016, 11:21

Originally Posted by James Deuce

and the remaining junior half of HRC have been developing the current MotoGP bikes.

That is how Honda work. The race engineers come straight from university and they don't go on to design road bikes until later.

They have got out of shape before about the place of riders in the overall scheme of things, as when Rossi felt unappreciated and left for Yamaha.
It'd be silly if they were ignoring their riders. Ducati were doing that, maybe it's the turn of Honda?

**James Deuce** · 28th May 2016, 12:03

Originally Posted by pritch

That is how Honda work. The race engineers come straight from university and they don't go on to design road bikes until later.

They have got out of shape before about the place of riders in the overall scheme of things, as when Rossi felt unappreciated and left for Yamaha.
It'd be silly if they were ignoring their riders. Ducati were doing that, maybe it's the turn of Honda?

They did the same to Eddie Lawson. He and Erv made what was an unspeakable piece of crap work, won the championship and then went elsewhere as soon as he could due to Honda's attitude. It's a common theme. I believe that Mick Doohan had to threaten people to stop them from messing with the mid-90s bike.

**Grumph** · 28th May 2016, 13:20

Originally Posted by James Deuce

They did the same to Eddie Lawson. He and Erv made what was an unspeakable piece of crap work, won the championship and then went elsewhere as soon as he could due to Honda's attitude. It's a common theme. I believe that Mick Doohan had to threaten people to stop them from messing with the mid-90s bike.

Yeah, Honda's ethos is to develop engineers with imagination rather than simply win championships. And the rider only wants to win...
I'd assume Honda see a rider as a flawed piece of software...Or corrupted if you prefer, LOL.

It's not a unique situation in Japan. I knew a guy now dead who worked at GM for a couple of years then did another 2 years at Nissan on their sports car race programme. His comment on that time was that the round eyes were tolerated for the input and imagination - but that as soon as they could do without them it would be sayonara....

**pritch** · 30th May 2016, 22:33

Well it made me smile...

Alex Briggs refers to his tractor as Mr Mahindra, a day or so ago he posted a photo from his farm, "Me and Mr Mahindra out doing a bit of slashing."

Today a reply. "Sounds like fun, tell Mr Mahindra that Mr Mahindra said hello."
(From Anand Mahindra,Chairman and Managing Director of Mihindra Group, Mumbai.)

**Dave-** · 30th May 2016, 23:17

Originally Posted by Grumph

Yeah, Honda's ethos is to develop engineers with imagination rather than simply win championships. And the rider only wants to win...
I'd assume Honda see a rider as a flawed piece of software...Or corrupted if you prefer, LOL.

It's not a unique situation in Japan. I knew a guy now dead who worked at GM for a couple of years then did another 2 years at Nissan on their sports car race programme. His comment on that time was that the round eyes were tolerated for the input and imagination - but that as soon as they could do without them it would be sayonara....

This is actually becoming more common in top tier motorsport as simulation and race modelling get better and better.

In 2008 when Audi won the DTM (german touring cars) they announced that 99% of their setup was decided on by simulation and that the driver was instructed to learn to drive the car this way, rather than work towards a solution that worked for the driver.

I can't actually find any decent evidence to suggest that MotoGP teams are doing full on, hard core simulation. But given the ratio between testing restrictions and available budget, I'm fairly sure they're doing at least something.

There's a saying though "Junk In = Junk Out", I would suggest Honda are feeding their simulator junk food.

**Erelyes** · 31st May 2016, 13:55

Originally Posted by Dave-

This is actually becoming more common in top tier motorsport as simulation and race modelling get better and better.

In 2008 when Audi won the DTM (german touring cars) they announced that 99% of their setup was decided on by simulation and that the driver was instructed to learn to drive the car this way, rather than work towards a solution that worked for the driver.

I remember reading a book once (nice and vague) that said, often in F1 they'd get a driver coming in saying something felt faster after a setup change, where the lap times usually spoke the opposite. Usually drivers tended to prefer oversteer and lap times were better with understeer.

**Grumph** · 31st May 2016, 14:25

Originally Posted by Erelyes

I remember reading a book once (nice and vague) that said, often in F1 they'd get a driver coming in saying something felt faster after a setup change, where the lap times usually spoke the opposite. Usually drivers tended to prefer oversteer and lap times were better with understeer.

If you ever get the chance, ask John Surtees about the early front engined Lotus F1 cars - he can be very terse on that subject. Understeering straight off fast corners will do that....
Chapman was initially a great believer in stable understeer and his early stuff reflected that view. Then he decided to produce a responsive car and let the drivers do what they wanted with it - the 18. Much, much better...

I suspect that Honda simply haven't built in enough chassis adjustability to this years model, preferring to tune it with engine electronics.

**Crasherfromwayback** · 31st May 2016, 16:22

Originally Posted by Grumph

I suspect that Honda simply haven't built in enough chassis adjustability to this years model, preferring to tune it with engine electronics.

You may find it has all the adjustability in the world. But that won't help one iota if the engine is the problem.

**Reckless** · 2nd June 2016, 21:23

Yamaha and Pol Espargaro to end partnership after 2016
Yamaha and Pol Espargaro will go their separate way at the end of the 2016 season, ending a three year relationship.
Tags MotoGP, 2016, GRAN PREMI MONSTER ENERGY DE CATALUNYA, Pol Espargaro, Monster Yamaha Tech 3
Espargaro joined the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team in 2014, following his championship victory in the Moto2™ class the year before. The currently 24-year old adapted to the YZR-M1 quickly, as was displayed when he qualified second for the fifth race in Le Mans and claimed the accolade of ‘rookie of the year’ as well as ‘top satellite MotoGP™ rider’ with a sixth place overall finish. Espargaro followed up this successful year by taking ninth place in the final rankings in the 2015 season, with the highlight of finishing as the highest satellite team rider in Assen and Valencia with two fifth places. In addition to the MotoGP™ program, Espargaro also secured the win for Yamaha at the 2015 Suzuka 8 hours endurance race where he teamed up with Tech3 teammate Bradley Smith and Katsuyuki Nakasuga. Espargaro will team up once again this year with Katsuyuki Nakasuga and new rider Alex Lowes in an attempt to secure back-to-back wins for the Yamaha Factory Team.

So far this season Espargaro holds seventh place with 48 points in the 2016 MotoGP™ World Championship standings and has been the leading independent team rider since the start of the 2016 campaign, finishing three times as the best independent rider in Losail, Jerez, and Le Mans.

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. look back with great appreciation on Espargaro's contributions to its racing successes over the past two and a half years and wish Espargaro the very best in furthering his racing career. Yamaha and the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team will continue to put their full efforts into finishing the 2016 season with Espargaro in the best possible manner and hope to share many more memorable moments during the upcoming twelve MotoGP™ rounds of the 2016 World Championship.

The 2017 Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team replacement for Pol Espargaro will be announced in due course.

**ecko_nzed** · 2nd June 2016, 22:33

Originally Posted by Reckless

Yamaha and Pol Espargaro to end partnership after 2016
Yamaha and Pol Espargaro will go their separate way at the end of the 2016 season, ending a three year relationship.

that's a shame, for some reason (that I can't recall) i'd pinned high hopes on Pol. But he only seemed to show very brief flashes of speed. Sooooooo wonder where he's off to and who will replace him at Tech 3? Will they go with some more fresh blood from Moto2 (Rins) or maybe the best of the rest from MotoGP (Petrucci or Laverty)?

**denill** · 3rd June 2016, 07:57

Originally Posted by ecko_nzed

that's a shame, for some reason (that I can't recall) i'd pinned high hopes on Pol. But he only seemed to show very brief flashes of speed. Sooooooo wonder where he's off to and who will replace him at Tech 3? Will they go with some more fresh blood from Moto2 (Rins) or maybe the best of the rest from MotoGP (Petrucci or Laverty)?

Read that he could have the same team mate next year.