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Thread: MotoGP 2020

  1. #1
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    MotoGP 2020

    Okay I'll start the new year's thread this time to save jellywrestler doing it.

    So Alex Marquez is now confirmed as Marc's team mate at Repsol Honda. It will be interesting to see how he goes in the first tests later today as he hasn't really set the other classes alight like his older brother did when he breezed into them.
    Cheers

    Merv

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    I wonder if it is because he will play second fiddle to his brother, and yet still be able to score points, even win...
    "If 50 million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing" - Anatole France
    ZRXOA #9170

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    I am in 2 minds over this:

    Johan Zarco did not deserve the seat as he walked on KTM, career killing stuff really and showed his hand on what happens when the going gets tough.

    Alex Marquez is Moto2 champion, but not the most convincing champion by a long shot, if Brad hadn't had such a shit bike most the year I have no doubt that Alex wouldn't be champion. So while Alex has earned a spot in motogp by far, it's not with a factory team. But he was the best rider not already in a Motogp contract available, so he's the right guy. Be interesting to see how he goes and what happens if he starting challenging Marc, something I am not convinced he's capable of doing just yet.

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    Marc Marquez used to say, often in fact, that Alex was/is faster than himself.
    He does not say that these days.
    Alex was not the best rider on the Moto2 grid this year. As has been suggested, if the KTM had started the year as it finished, I would put my money on Binder (a bit obvious really), Martin and even Lecuona being a head of him.
    I wonder if we will see a U-turn by KTM around Moto2??? That would be cool if they did stay.
    I wonder what happens to those bikes now?
    Why not lease/sell them to a couple of teams and allow them to develop them?
    Not KTMs style perhaps.

    Can Oncu has signed a deal to race with Sofuoglu set-up Turkish team. Good on him, but that is the end of his GP career, for sure.
    The photo posted of him next to Martin and Binder (?? I could not make out the third rider) shows that he is the same size as those guys so makes Moto3 a difficult proposition.
    Deniz is way more the right size. So odd that they are twins, yet so different, even if di-zygotic.

    My picks for 2020 (and I picked them all for 2019 bar MotoE):
    MotoE: Smith B
    Moto3: Vietti C with Suzuki close behind
    Moto2: DiGiannantonio/Fernandez A (on the fence there)
    MotoGP: Marquez M with Quatararo F close behind
    "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." John Ono Lennon.

    "If you have never stared off into the distance then your life is a shame." Counting Crows

    "The girls were in tight dresses, just like sweets in cellophane" Joe Jackson

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    The weather in Valencia is cold and the tyres have no grip - as some of the riders including MM and FQ found out.

    Pete Benson is back in MotoGP as KTM test chief.
    There is a grey blur, and a green blur. I try to stay on the grey one. - Joey Dunlop

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    Quote Originally Posted by pritch View Post
    The weather in Valencia is cold and the tyres have no grip - as some of the riders including MM and FQ found out.

    Pete Benson is back in MotoGP as KTM test chief.
    Working with Trevathan, then. The Kiwi connection.
    That would be a pretty sweet gig I would think.
    Not having to travel all over the shop all the time as in the race team, getting to build and develop MotoGP bikes, going to wildcard races in Europe, nice.
    Where do I sign up??
    "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." John Ono Lennon.

    "If you have never stared off into the distance then your life is a shame." Counting Crows

    "The girls were in tight dresses, just like sweets in cellophane" Joe Jackson

  7. #7
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    There were complaints this year about how long the season was with things a bit cold at Phillip Island and Valencia and here they are testing in the cold. Adding more rounds to the schedule isn't exactly going to help make that easier unless they rearrange things a bit better.
    Cheers

    Merv

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    The second Marquez did not do too bad today, under 3 seconds off the pace, impressive for his first outing. Will be interesting to see his progress for sure.

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    My prediction for 2020:

    MM
    FQ*
    AD
    MV

    Sooo many riders who could muck that up. JM had 5 or 6 dry race podiums this year, he's never had one before. I honestly think he has champion potential, everyone is commenting on how much he's matured both on and off the bike (still a party lad though). You can't deny that VR will give it his best, but unless Yamaha give him a bike that he can work with I see him being maybe 5th or 6th overall. If however he gels with the 2020 machine then I still feel he's got a damn good chance. Alex is too unknown at the moment but despite his obvious talent I don't think he'll finish in the top 6, the competition is just too strong. I hope we see more from FM, and will be great to see both Aprilia and KTM make serious advances. We've never had it so good really. Well since I first started watching in the late 80's. YMMV.

    *as long as he doesn't do a Zarco

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by onearmedbandit View Post
    My prediction for 2020:

    MM
    FQ*
    AD
    MV

    Sooo many riders who could muck that up. JM had 5 or 6 dry race podiums this year, he's never had one before. I honestly think he has champion potential, everyone is commenting on how much he's matured both on and off the bike (still a party lad though). You can't deny that VR will give it his best, but unless Yamaha give him a bike that he can work with I see him being maybe 5th or 6th overall. If however he gels with the 2020 machine then I still feel he's got a damn good chance. Alex is too unknown at the moment but despite his obvious talent I don't think he'll finish in the top 6, the competition is just too strong. I hope we see more from FM, and will be great to see both Aprilia and KTM make serious advances. We've never had it so good really. Well since I first started watching in the late 80's. YMMV.

    *as long as he doesn't do a Zarco
    Interested in why you should say that re Fabio?.It was obvious fairly quickly that JZ was struggling to adapt to the KTM but i do not see that at all with #20.A few times this year fabio has reacted quite strongly to setbacks.I just wonder if he may be a little "high strung" for when some pressure comes on.He will be under some real scrutiny this coming year I think ,he has set the bar very high for himself and his team.

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    Quote Originally Posted by BMWST? View Post
    Interested in why you should say that re Fabio?.It was obvious fairly quickly that JZ was struggling to adapt to the KTM but i do not see that at all with #20.A few times this year fabio has reacted quite strongly to setbacks.I just wonder if he may be a little "high strung" for when some pressure comes on.He will be under some real scrutiny this coming year I think ,he has set the bar very high for himself and his team.
    From memory Zarco was had started struggling mentally while at Yamaha and things didn't get better for anytime soon. My only comparison was with regards to his rookie season in MotoGP and the expectations on him as a result of that.

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    Quote Originally Posted by onearmedbandit View Post
    My prediction for 2020:

    MM
    FQ*
    AD
    MV

    Sooo many riders who could muck that up. JM had 5 or 6 dry race podiums this year, he's never had one before. I honestly think he has champion potential, everyone is commenting on how much he's matured both on and off the bike (still a party lad though). You can't deny that VR will give it his best, but unless Yamaha give him a bike that he can work with I see him being maybe 5th or 6th overall. If however he gels with the 2020 machine then I still feel he's got a damn good chance. Alex is too unknown at the moment but despite his obvious talent I don't think he'll finish in the top 6, the competition is just too strong. I hope we see more from FM, and will be great to see both Aprilia and KTM make serious advances. We've never had it so good really. Well since I first started watching in the late 80's. YMMV.

    *as long as he doesn't do a Zarco
    The main reason I think Jack Miller (remember there's 2 JM's in motogp, at least only one DP now though sadly) won't be contending the title next year is his lack of full factory support.
    If he was alongside AD next year I have no doubt he'd be right in the thick of it every weekend, Ducati dun fucked up with resigning Petrux. Earlier this year Petrux commented on how much better it was being in the full factory as he had more data techs and engineers working with him. With races decided by tenths of a second per lap that can't be discounted when considering Jacks chances, hope I am wrong though!
    Fabio appears to be the fly in the "non factory support winning titles" ointment right now, but with the factory boys at Yam not firing on all cylinders there's a spot for him to shine and show the bikes potential. Be awesome for him to win a race as it will be something that Marquez never did, win in a sat team so will start his run of breaking records maybe. Go Fab. Unless he has more engine next year Marcs gunna smoke him in heads up battles.


    Testing pretty interesting, KTM as always the most interesting to pay attention too with new parts up the wazoo and cool rookies entering the class. Iker doing bloody well but you can't read too much into his times over Brad Binder as Brad hasn't had a full weekend on a GP bike like Iker. Going to be cool to see who emerges as top contender against Pol next year and where they happen to be contending for, I'd say they have possibly the strongest rider line up on the grid looking at raw talent:
    Pol Espagaro - Moto2 champion and podium finisher on the sat Yamaha when the sat bikes were never up for race wins like they are now
    Olivera - Strong rides in Moto3 and 2 on less competitive bikes, no doubt he'd have a title given the right bike in those years
    Brad Binder - Moto3 champ, probably would have been moto2 champ this year if KTM hadn't struggled with the Triumph transition
    Iker Lecuona - Relatively unknown as a road racer but apparently has pedigree in dirt racing, I can't find much info on that but he certainly rode the wheels of an shit KTM moto2 bike this year. He's the wildcard next year for sure.
    Then their test team
    Dani Pedrosa
    Mika Kalio

    KTM throwing so much at this, bring on the results to match it.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Autech View Post
    The main reason I think Jack Miller (remember there's 2 JM's in motogp, at least only one DP now though sadly) won't be contending the title next year is his lack of full factory support.
    If he was alongside AD next year I have no doubt he'd be right in the thick of it every weekend, Ducati dun fucked up with resigning Petrux. Earlier this year Petrux commented on how much better it was being in the full factory as he had more data techs and engineers working with him. With races decided by tenths of a second per lap that can't be discounted when considering Jacks chances, hope I am wrong though!
    Very valid point and something I had overlooked.

    Quote Originally Posted by Autech View Post
    Fabio appears to be the fly in the "non factory support winning titles" ointment right now, but with the factory boys at Yam not firing on all cylinders there's a spot for him to shine and show the bikes potential. Be awesome for him to win a race as it will be something that Marquez never did, win in a sat team so will start his run of breaking records maybe. Go Fab. Unless he has more engine next year Marcs gunna smoke him in heads up battles.
    Have to agree about the engine factor (and the rest you said there). One of the reasons I think he won't be a proper challenge to Marc next year. Same as you, hoping we are both wrong.

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    Quote Originally Posted by onearmedbandit View Post
    From memory Zarco was had started struggling mentally while at Yamaha and things didn't get better for anytime soon. My only comparison was with regards to his rookie season in MotoGP and the expectations on him as a result of that.
    thats fair .There will be big expecations on #20 so i see the comparisons now

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    Quote Originally Posted by onearmedbandit View Post
    Very valid point and something I had overlooked.



    Have to agree about the engine factor (and the rest you said there). One of the reasons I think he won't be a proper challenge to Marc next year. Same as you, hoping we are both wrong.
    Also his team isnt a match for MM either i reckon .They ussually win at least 1 race a year on team call/strategy.

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