MotoGP 2021

**James Deuce** · 17th August 2021, 14:53

Originally Posted by onearmedbandit

Will Mav bring Aprilia their first win?

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/98...ia-motogp-2022

No. He's too mercurial emotionally, and he doesn't know why he's slow when it's not going right and he equally has no idea why he's fast either. Everyone bags Aleix, but he's going to destroy what's left of Maverick's fragile psyche next year. Oh, also forgot to say that the Aprilia is an underdeveloped dog and the company won't spend enough money to get it to the next step.

**Autech** · 17th August 2021, 14:56

Originally Posted by James Deuce

No. He's too mercurial emotionally, and he doesn't know why he's slow when it's not going right and he equally has no idea why he's fast either. Everyone bags Aleix, but he's going to destroy what's left of Maverick's fragile psyche next year. Oh, also forgot to say that the Aprilia is an underdeveloped dog and the company won't spend enough money to get it to the next step.

Agree.
If Iannone couldn't match Aleix then Mav stands no chance

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**steveyb** · 17th August 2021, 18:40

Originally Posted by Autech

Agree.
If Iannone couldn't match Aleix then Mav stands no chance

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Good point. A forgotten and highly talented/competent rider. Also mercurial though.

**onearmedbandit** · 17th August 2021, 21:03

I can't say I disagree with any of the above.

**Reckless** · 17th August 2021, 21:39

Originally Posted by steveyb

Good point. A forgotten and highly talented/competent rider. Also mercurial though.

Yep two fire crackers in that camp wonder how that will go.
Only a 1 year contract for Mav. I wonder if that was two years+ a week ago?

In saying the above
MV's last chance to get his head right. I hope he knows it and I hope there is a strategy in the team because they must know it.
I really hope he can turn it around by all accounts we have heard when he is not strung out because of the pressure he is a really nice bloke.
Its actually a shame to see the struggle. I hope for him personally he doesn't prove you guys right.
Go Mav.

**steveyb** · 17th August 2021, 23:04

Originally Posted by Reckless

Yep two fire crackers in that camp wonder how that will go.
Only a 1 year contract for Mav. I wonder if that was two years+ a week ago?

In saying the above
MV's last chance to get his head right. I hope he knows it and I hope there is a strategy in the team because they must know it.
I really hope he can turn it around by all accounts we have heard when he is not strung out because of the pressure he is a really nice bloke.
Its actually a shame to see the struggle. I hope for him personally he doesn't prove you guys right.
Go Mav.

Don't count on it.
Having spoken about Italian teams with a kiwi who lives in Italy and raced bicycles professionally there, his comments were that Italian teams are chaos.
They are incredibly chaotic.
One only needs to watch the Dovisioso documentary to see that. They appeared to be following the Honda credo that the engineers know best and the bike is as good as they can make it, but without the Japanese calm methodical approach. The way the Ducati team approached things appeared totally chaotic. I cannot imagine that Aprilia are any better.
I also cannot imagine that they appreciate the mental and emotional side of riders any better either.
We can all hope that MV does well, that Aprilia team support him correctly, but I for one would not hold my breath, unless the bike and he simply gel together. That might happen, you know you never know, you know.

**Dadpole** · 18th August 2021, 08:25

After seeing how Aprilia supported Iannone, I think they would do their best to look after Maverick. That could range from a shrink all the way to severe medication and releasing him from his room on race weekends.

**steveyb** · 18th August 2021, 08:45

Cormac returned to the Red Bull Ring for GP Austria, where the weather was mostly great, and very warm.
Following his massive crash the previous weekend, the biggest crash of his burgeoning career, he continued to suffer from a sore wrist following fracturing a bone in his right wrist.
However, he braved it all and pushed on to perform at the best level he could.
Friday practice and qualifying went well, improving his best laptimes in every session, by good margins, finally qualifying in 21st position (out of 23), but only 1.6s off the pole.
With the lap time being around 100s, that is a difference of 1.6%, so very very close all things considered.

Race 1 however, really just did not happen. Following a good start, he was just trying too hard and making mistakes around the track and eventually getting pinged for a long-lap penalty and coming home in 21st place after a couple of riders were forced to retire.
But complete the race he did, and put his hand up to say that it just didn't happen for him on that day, and that the next race would be different.

Race 2 was indeed very different and ultimately quite successful.
Another good start saw him in the middle of the group of 1st year riders and having fun.
Eventually the main pack pulled away leaving the rear group of four to battle among themselves. An early crash took out two riders, one of whom rejoined and finished some distance behind the rear group.

But the rear group continued to battle one another and eventually finished together, split by 0.26s, with Cormac coming home in 20th position. More $ from Rex!!

Yet again, he bested his PB by another 1.4s!

So, he left Austria for the flight back to the UK and the British GP in two weeks, with a big smile and some satisfaction of a job, finally, well done.

A big crash and injury, but more improvement and proof that he can overcome adversity and perform at the expected level.

So, now looking forward to reuniting with the Microlise Cresswell racing team and competing at the non-points British Talent Cup races at the British GP at Silverstone.
Racing on the full Silverstone GP circuit will be quite the challenge, but from all accounts it is very flowing rather than stop-start and Cormac learns circuits quickly, so fingers crossed he will go well.

**pritch** · 18th August 2021, 16:12

Originally Posted by steveyb

They appeared to be following the Honda credo that the engineers know best and the bike is as good as they can make it, but without the Japanese calm methodical approach. The way the Ducati team approached things appeared totally chaotic. I cannot imagine that Aprilia are any better.

Chaotic may be a bit strong but... When Dall'igna went to Ducati he talked about a "communication problem" which was a bit startling because the bike was a dog. It seems there was a class thing in operation at Ducati. Engineers considered that they ranked higher than mechanics. It had to be pointed out to them that the guys in the team drove the effort and engineers who couldn't take direction from a team mechanic should move on.

One of the mechanics had pointed out to an engineer that Yamaha and Honda commonly use 10, 12 and 14mm fasters. Ducati use 9,10,11,12, 13, 14. Mechanics have to look longer, and occasionally grab the wrong sized tool. And it is a race. The engineer just looked at the mechanic and nothing changed.

Burgess pointed out that there were several more fasteners holding the wheels than either Yamaha or Honda, this resulted in Ducati being able to do one less tyre change per practice session.
Hopefully eventually an engineer listened.

These things may have been corrected now.

Aprilia may not have these problems because Dall'igna has already been there.