MotoGP 2014

[husaberg]

Getting the 125GP and 250GP costs mixed up I think.

Servicing should definitely be free at that price. As it is Honda get to dictate alsorts for those RCV1000's. For instance, if Nicky Hayden were to finish in front of all of the satellite bikes he might find his engine is a bit less responsive next time out and there's nothing him or his team could do about it except complain loudly.

buried in the article was something about how the engines for M3 were went to be sold to the dorna and then distributed randomly to stop that stuff happening in M3 but then again with Honda electronics they can probably use the "death switch" remotely anyway, Now that would bring a new twist to team orders.

The GPC have now found a set of rules which they believe will rein in the most blatant abuse of the service contract system. Instead of the manufacturers supplying engines to the teams directly under a service contract agreement (which often meant that the teams would have to hand the engines back at the end of the year), the manufacturers will have to supply the engines to Dorna, who will distribute them on a random basis to the teams using that engine. The arrangement will see teams end up with 6 engines which they own at the end of the year, for a price of 68,000 euros.

[Mental Trousers]

ummmm, they did sign a contract knowing this

Yup they did. Just seems like a weird situation to be in where you buy and own something but don't have any say in things for 2 years. Leasing you can understand as the manufacturer gets the gear back at the end of the agreement, but the buyer owns those RCV1000's right from the start.

[Shaun Harris]

Yup they did. Just seems like a weird situation to be in where you buy and own something but don't have any say in things for 2 years. Leasing you can understand as the manufacturer gets the gear back at the end of the agreement, but the buyer owns those RCV1000's right from the start.

Both options gaurantee no one gets inside the motors to explore the design theory behind them. See todats testing is going well

[tbs]

Two hours into the first test of the year. Rossi tops the timesheets.... Pretty good effort so far, but sitting at number 5 behind the usual suspects, and less than a second down is Aleix on the lease Yami.

It's going to be an interesting season!

[Shaun Harris]

new year
new crew chief
new tactics

the first crash will show if he really wants it not, in terms of how he reacts to it.

I believe that Rossi and Jerry had become professional fault finders rather than professional racers together- ok they failed at Ducati haha

somet imes those square wheels just need riding

[carbonhed]

Those Espargaro brothers are quick! All the Ducatis within 0.25... maybe they should go open?

Pos Rider Team Fastest lap
1 MARQUEZ, Marc Repsol Honda Team 2:00.76
2 LORENZO, Jorge Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.082
3 ROSSI, Valentino Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.121
4 BRADL, Stefan LCR Honda MotoGP 2:01.320
5 BAUTISTA, Alvaro GO&FUN Honda Gresini 2:01.390
6 PEDROSA, Dani Repsol Honda Team 2:01.407
7 ESPARGARO, Aleix NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2:01.419
8 SMITH, Bradley Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.939
9 ESPARGARO, Pol Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:02.012
10 IANNONE, Andrea Pramac Racing 2:02.697
11 DOVIZIOSO, Andrea Ducati Team 2:02.744
12 CRUTCHLOW, Cal Ducati Team 2:02.860
13 HERNANDEZ, Yonny Energy T.I. Pramac Racing 2:02.891
14 PIRRO, Michele Ducati Test Team 2:02.925
15 NAKASUGA, Katsuyuki Yamaha Factory Test Team 2:03.126
16 AOYAMA, Hiroshi Drive M7 Aspar 2:03.770
17 HAYDEN, Nicky Drive M7 Aspar 2:03.853
18 AKIYOSHI, Kosuke HRC Test Team 2:04.267
19 EDWARDS, Colin NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2:04.361
20 DE PUNIET, Randy Suzuki Test Team 2:04.596
21 REDDING, Scott GO&FUN Honda Gresini 2:05.022
22 DI MEGLIO, Mike Avintia Racing 2:06.085
23 BARBERA, Hector Avintia Racing 2:06.234
24 PARKES, Broc Paul Bird Motorport 2:06.474
25 ABRAHAM, Karel Cardion AB Motoracing 2:06.755
26 LAVERTY, Michael Paul Bird Motorsport 2:08.290

[Reckless]

Those Espargaro brothers are quick! All the Ducatis within 0.25... maybe they should go open?

Pos Rider Team Fastest lap
1 MARQUEZ, Marc Repsol Honda Team 2:00.76
2 LORENZO, Jorge Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.082
3 ROSSI, Valentino Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.121
4 BRADL, Stefan LCR Honda MotoGP 2:01.320
5 BAUTISTA, Alvaro GO&FUN Honda Gresini 2:01.390
6 PEDROSA, Dani Repsol Honda Team 2:01.407
7 ESPARGARO, Aleix NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2:01.419
8 SMITH, Bradley Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:01.939
9 ESPARGARO, Pol Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:02.012
10 IANNONE, Andrea Pramac Racing 2:02.697
11 DOVIZIOSO, Andrea Ducati Team 2:02.744
12 CRUTCHLOW, Cal Ducati Team 2:02.860
13 HERNANDEZ, Yonny Energy T.I. Pramac Racing 2:02.891
14 PIRRO, Michele Ducati Test Team 2:02.925
15 NAKASUGA, Katsuyuki Yamaha Factory Test Team 2:03.126
16 AOYAMA, Hiroshi Drive M7 Aspar 2:03.770
17 HAYDEN, Nicky Drive M7 Aspar 2:03.853
18 AKIYOSHI, Kosuke HRC Test Team 2:04.267
19 EDWARDS, Colin NGM Mobile Forward Racing 2:04.361
20 DE PUNIET, Randy Suzuki Test Team 2:04.596
21 REDDING, Scott GO&FUN Honda Gresini 2:05.022
22 DI MEGLIO, Mike Avintia Racing 2:06.085
23 BARBERA, Hector Avintia Racing 2:06.234
24 PARKES, Broc Paul Bird Motorport 2:06.474
25 ABRAHAM, Karel Cardion AB Motoracing 2:06.755
26 LAVERTY, Michael Paul Bird Motorsport 2:08.290

Early days yet but from my poor memory banks wasn't Rossi usually up there the first days of testing at most tracks then as the hammer was put down by the top 3 he drifted back. Can't keep thinking of that article (was on here I think?) about getting older and the involuntarily fears/Caution etc that come with it?

There's a lot of 2:01's in there. The top guys will get faster there's got to be a lot more gap to come between them and the newbies.

Jeepers If you stick Suzuki in there next year the Ducs wouldn't be in the top 10. I don't think??
I really hope they can get on top of it this season. Going open will be seen as a failure I reckon???

[husaberg]

Early days yet but from my poor memory banks wasn't Rossi usually up there the first days of testing at most tracks then as the hammer was put down by the top 3 he drifted back. Can't keep thinking of that article (was on here I think?) about getting older and the involuntarily fears/Caution etc that come with it?

Kenny Roberts had a theory that a top rider no mater when he starts is only able to do about ten years at the top....there are exceptions but Rossi i don't think needs to stick his neck out. I guess Wayne Rainey didn't either nor did Doohan......
Rossi having been 125 250 500 and MotoGP champion has little to gain and all to lose...
I watched the laudia vs James Hunt movie the other day Nicky mentioned it too.........
i wonder how many contemporaries Rossi has seen die or get banged up..........

[tail_end_charlie]

Interesting side note, I see that Cal is wearing AlpineStars leathers this year............wonder if that's due to the crash performance of his Spidi leathers last year????

[DidJit]

David Emmett’s round up of Testing’s Day 1...

[roogazza]

Early days yet but from my poor memory banks wasn't Rossi usually up there the first days of testing at most tracks then as the hammer was put down by the top 3 he drifted back. Can't keep thinking of that article (was on here I think?) about getting older and the involuntarily fears/Caution etc that come with it?

There's a lot of 2:01's in there. The top guys will get faster there's got to be a lot more gap to come between them and the newbies.

Jeepers If you stick Suzuki in there next year the Ducs wouldn't be in the top 10. I don't think??
I really hope they can get on top of it this season. Going open will be seen as a failure I reckon???

Thanks to Carbonhed for posting that list up.
It looks a pretty healthy grid of 26 , can't wait for the serious stuff to start.
Jeeesus it's Feb already, won't be long. C'mon Rossi......

[Shaun Harris]

Production Honda,s are bloody slow! I know Honda reported the CS was doing very simillar times in testing on them, but I have to wonder what spec the motor was in that bike based on yesterdays lap times by very compitent riders. I think a few riders and teams are going rather pissed with this, and the Privateer yamaha just smokes them

And the Suzuki, man lap times yesterday were crap, but that may be due to now using the same electronics as the top factory teams, and needing to re set the bike up to suit

[DidJit]

Updated times from the end of Day 1...

[Shaun Harris]

fukin boo hoo for Honda

Quote from Motomatters

So it could turn out to be a long year at Honda. While their factory MotoGP team will continue to rip up the field, the RCV1000R looks like it really needs more horsepower. Honda's aim was to be the Aprilia ARTs, but without them here, there is no comparison material. When you compare the Honda to Yamaha's offering, the Honda looks positively tepid. Asked if he felt Yamaha had violated the spirit of the rules, HRC Vice President Shuhei Nakamoto looked annoyed, and told the reporter asking the question to go ask Yamaha about it. Nakamoto's face made it clear he was not happy with the situation, a sentiment shared by the teams who signed up for the RCV1000R.

[Kiwi Graham:Me]

fukin boo hoo for Honda

And Whoo hoo for Yamaha