MotoGP 2020

[SaferRides]

Puig argues otherwise saying they've made no changes to the bike, rather that Alex has started to understand it more. Considering there's been no major changes to the bike noted by those that would notice that holds some water.

I read somewhere, might have been Motomatters, that Honda has improved the front end feel.

Taka has some of the goodies from the 2020 bike on his 2019, like the full carbon Ohlins forks.

Watching the younger Marquez in Turn 16 in last week's race was like watching Marc without the drama. Let's hope he can keep it up at Valencia.

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[pritch]

I would be surprised to see Honda admit anything other than minor changes to the bike.

I'm not sure if Joan Mir or the HRC Technical Director would agree? Quotes from Motorsport Magazine, Mat Oxley's column. Added emphasis mine.

“I’m really surprised about the Hondas, they’re really fast,” said championship leader Joan Mir. “So I think they’ve found something, because all their riders are super-fast”

“Once the season started we realised that the change from the previous tyre was more massive than we predicted – we could see that on our data,” Yokoyama added. “So we changed many, many things: electronics, exhaust, intake, chassis set-up, chassis geometry and frame stiffness. If you feel like you don’t understand what you have to understand then the only thing is to keep trying many different things. Probably we have tried 100 new things. Maybe 90 of them were wrong, a failure, but from those failures we learned something and finally we have found a way.”

[onearmedbandit]

There you go. There hasn't been much emphasis on any changes during the racing, I've watched every race, FP sessions and qualifying this year and there is always talk of setup changes, different swingarms, the new carbon reinforcing Stefan was trialing etc but it didn't come across like there were big changes. As pointed out Puig isn't really one to believe, he plays down any deficiencies in the bike. Normally Simon is pretty eagle-eyed, even spotting stuff the teams try to hid from him ha.

[F5 Dave]

Coming here later to avoid spoilers (watch Tuesday nights) I thought i heard the commentators say Franco was using the new shock.

AM really is making that V4 corner seemingly better, or at least tighter than anything around him. Big turn around - as he sucked at the start of the year. In context, would still have cleaned up any national championship or likely Superbikes.

Just goes to show the level of the field when Dovi looks past it because his pasta was just beyond AlDente the night before. And he's thinking - what the hell is happening? Any other year with MM out. . .

Maybe he needs to bail out to WSB and win a couple of championships so he can look back without spitting on the ground (or his secret MM poster)

[iYRe]

Was reading - can't remember where - that the Honda has been made more rideable. When MM was riding and winning they didn't need to worry. Since he's not riding though they've had to make it so mortals can use it.

AM said something along the lines of it not being so much "worked out" rather than you cant relax for a second. You have to be 100% on your game, go to 99% and you'll lose a second... Something like, you cant rely on acceleration, or turning, or braking, you have to be able to do all of them, 100%, all of the time - prob made more sense when he said it... anyway, just shows how well MM rides.

[onearmedbandit]

AM said something along the lines of it not being so much "worked out" rather than you cant relax for a second. You have to be 100% on your game, go to 99% and you'll lose a second... Something like, you cant rely on acceleration, or turning, or braking, you have to be able to do all of them, 100%, all of the time - prob made more sense when he said it... anyway, just shows how well MM rides.

Yes this was also mentioned during one of the recent FP sessions.

[iYRe]

Yes this was also mentioned during one of the recent FP sessions.

Yeah, there's a video on motogp.com

[onearmedbandit]

Yeah, there's a video on motogp.com

Ah for some reason I thought you'd said you had read it somewhere, my bad.

[Dadpole]

We can debate the changes Honda has made for a few days then jump to if a non race winner deserves the title this year. That will take us at least some way to the next race weekend. Three more (Covid willing) back to back races in what has been an amazing year.... After this year, would anyone want to rule out a Rossi 10th title in 2001?

I meant 2021. You knew that. Stop pointing and laughing. Meanies...

[iYRe]

After this year, would anyone want to rule out a Rossi 10th title in 2001?

I probably would

[SaferRides]

After this year, would anyone want to rule out a Rossi 10th title in 2001?

He WAS the champion in 2001.



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[pritch]

We can debate the changes Honda has made for a few days then jump to if a non race winner deserves the title this year.

That thought already occured to me, and I was reminded of Hayden's win which some thought unmerited. They do count the points at the end of the season though and that's what counts. However odd it looks.

[iYRe]

He WAS the champion in 2001.

My point exactly :P

[Autech]

That thought already occured to me, and I was reminded of Hayden's win which some thought unmerited. They do count the points at the end of the season though and that's what counts. However odd it looks.

Me too. Then I remembered how he pretty much had it in the bag at Red Bull ring till the huge crash and realised that too much is read into the what and not the why.
Mir is the one who will take MMs gauntlet and slap him in the face with it imo. Watch this space

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[iYRe]

Alex M interview out yesterday said that his crash was not due to tires, in fact, he said he had plenty of grip and was being held up. He said he made a rookie mistake and started thinking about the podium.