MotoGP 2021

[James Deuce]

And Fabio smashed 'em. That's a decent gap he's got now, especially after Bagnia And Mir went backwards. But my biggest smile of the night was for Aleix, that last lap battle with Jack was fantastic. To see him take the podium, how much it meant to him, to Aprilia, everyone was just absolutely brilliant.

Going to be an interesting line up in the coming weeks. Dovi on the Yamaha, maybe Maverick on an Aprilia.

Yeah that was awesome for both of those guys.

I like the choice of words re. Dovi. "Interesting" is right. Prepare to watch Dovi finish where Cal has been.

[Dadpole]

I like the idea of the Petronas 'Old Codgers Racing' team for the rest of the year. I would love to be at the end of season piss-up.

[roogazza]

Yeah that was awesome for both of those guys.

I like the choice of words re. Dovi. "Interesting" is right. Prepare to watch Dovi finish where Cal has been.

Yep James ! surely they aren't looking for a winner ? Dovi is ok with about 400hp and he's good on the "Picks".
But On the Yam he ain't gunna have that HP. Retirement job me thinks ?

[Reckless]

MV has started well only 7/10 off the lap time first run out.
https://the-race.com/motogp/vinales-...-with-aprilia/

[sugilite:Me]

Yep, MV is off to a good start. Normal service will resume once he is racing and he has an issue he simply cannot ride around.

Now, not motogp related, but DANG!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RdtipNo0oQ

[iYRe]

Yep, MV is off to a good start. Normal service will resume once he is racing and he has an issue he simply cannot ride around.

Now, not motogp related, but DANG!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RdtipNo0oQ

only one word for that,,, "CHeEsus"

[steveyb]

Yep, MV is off to a good start. Normal service will resume once he is racing and he has an issue he simply cannot ride around.

Now, not motogp related, but DANG!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RdtipNo0oQ

They don't call him Stoprak for nowt!

MV off to a really good start. IMHO the RS-GP is one of the best bikes on the MotoGP grid. Not outstanding in any aspect, but good in all aspects.
Probably about the same as the Yamaha, but maybe handles a bit better.
But, as I have indicated here previously, and also as I have said, he is a great bloke, AE is simply not sufficiently good to showcase the bike in races at this level.
Now he has a podium, he has an idea of how hard he has to ride, but even then, as he admitted, he was unwilling to push any harder to get that 2nd place.
So, he still doesn't know how.
MV, on the other hand does.
I fear he is emotionally unstable, for what are probably many reasons, and hence will be unlikely to be consistently near the front, but when the stars align, he will make the RS-GP fly.

[sugilite:Me]

They don't call him Stoprak for nowt!

MV off to a really good start. IMHO the RS-GP is one of the best bikes on the MotoGP grid. Not outstanding in any aspect, but good in all aspects.
Probably about the same as the Yamaha, but maybe handles a bit better.
But, as I have indicated here previously, and also as I have said, he is a great bloke, AE is simply not sufficiently good to showcase the bike in races at this level.
Now he has a podium, he has an idea of how hard he has to ride, but even then, as he admitted, he was unwilling to push any harder to get that 2nd place.
So, he still doesn't know how.
MV, on the other hand does.
I fear he is emotionally unstable, for what are probably many reasons, and hence will be unlikely to be consistently near the front, but when the stars align, he will make the RS-GP fly.

Yep, I fully expect MV to hand Aprillia their first well deserved win. But not a championship.

[Autech]

Yep, MV is off to a good start. Normal service will resume once he is racing and he has an issue he simply cannot ride around.

Now, not motogp related, but DANG!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RdtipNo0oQ

Yep, I fully expect MV to hand Aprillia their first well deserved win. But not a championship.

Lets not get too carried away homies. Lets not forget that on practice pace alone Maverick would have won millions of championships.

I stand by my opinion, Aleix has been the best rider on the worst bikes for years, Maverick will be near to him when he's hot but I don't predict him doing anything more than Aleix has managed on it.

Aleix better than 3/4s of the field, just not your Bagniaias, Martins, Binders, Quatararos and Mirs IMO. Doesn't mean that he can't mix it with them though if he's willing to throw down, which he is always willing to do. Bring it on I say.

[steveyb]

Lets not get too carried away homies. Lets not forget that on practice pace alone Maverick would have won millions of championships.

I stand by my opinion, Aleix has been the best rider on the worst bikes for years, Maverick will be near to him when he's hot but I don't predict him doing anything more than Aleix has managed on it.

Aleix better than 3/4s of the field, just not your Bagniaias, Martins, Binders, Quatararos and Mirs IMO. Doesn't mean that he can't mix it with them though if he's willing to throw down, which he is always willing to do. Bring it on I say.

I agree with what you say there, but the key part you are overlooking is that Aleix has not won anything, ever (in worlds that is). IIRC he has never won a world championship race and has taken very few podiums. 2?
Winning is a learned skill. I know. At my own level (NZSBK 250GP champs) I had no idea how hard it was to win, until I did it. By pushing harder than I had ever pushed before.
You can ride around thinking you are going as hard as you can, and then wonder why you didn't win, or get on the podium.
Then when it happens, and you basically are shaking all over from the exertion, the penny drops.
Riders who have never done it, don't know how, until they do it.
So yeah, Aleix is good, but not as good as the riders who consistently finish in front of him. I would consider him to be a good journeyman. Better than say, Pettrucci, but not as good as say, Morbidelli.
And yeah, MV will likely win on it, say at Sachsenring or Le Mans or Silverstone perhaps (circuits where an all round bike helps), but a championship? Nah.

[Reckless]

AE is simply not sufficiently good to showcase the bike in races at this level.
Now he has a podium, he has an idea of how hard he has to ride, but even then, as he admitted, he was unwilling to push any harder to get that 2nd place.
So, he still doesn't know how.

Not so sure he would agree stevey.
I watched his interview on the MotoGP site and he said Miller got passed him because he was concentrating on having a go at a run on second place. Trying so hard that he left the door open and forgot about Miller.
He was sorta saying he took a wider line to make a run which left the door open and he got passed. Then went on to add no way he was letting Miller take his spot.
You got to admit his return pass was hard and take no prisoners.

I think hiring MV has lite a fire under his ass. Bought out some desperation not to be shown up.
I reckon next season is building to be a cracker.

[pritch]

Not so sure he would agree stevey.
I think hiring MV has lite a fire under his ass. Bought out some desperation not to be shown up.
I reckon next season is building to be a cracker.

MV walked out of one team and got himself thrown out of another. I'm surprised he even got another offer. If he can manage to get the Aprilia to the sharp end of the field, Aprilia may be able to attract a top level rider. An emotionally stable one.

[iYRe]

Some comments on MV and aprilia here, if you havent watched it yet.

[James Deuce]

Yep, I fully expect MV to hand Aprillia their first well deserved win. But not a championship.

Nah, Aleix will consistently out-perform him and it will destroy what's left of his self-belief.

[Reckless]

Wont be long before we find out.
Not sure if Salvadori has enough experience to be a test rider?

Viñales set to make Aprilia debut at Aragon Grand Prix
The Spaniard will also replace Lorenzo Savadori for the remainder of the 2021 MotoGP™ World Championship

After two successful test days at Misano this week, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini have confirmed that Maverick Viñales will race for them for the remainder of 2021, starting at the upcoming Aragon GP.

The Spanish rider, extremely impressed by his first outing with the Noale factory at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, will line up alongside British GP podium finisher Aleix Espargaro.

Lorenzo Savadori will therefore be confirmed as test rider for the 2022 season. For the rest of the 2021 season, Savadori will be taking part in a selection of wildcards that Aprilia have available. Savadori’s schedule will be formalised as soon as he has fully recovered from the injury suffered during the Styria GP, which was a fractured right malleolus that required surgery.

Amid plenty of intrigue, the Spanish rider is getting to grips with the Aprilia machine at a Misano test.

Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO: "We are extremely proud to be able to announce our plans for the current season and for 2022 with the goal of optimising the contributions of our three riders to the utmost. Alongside our confirmed rider, Aleix, it is our pleasure to welcome a talented athlete like Maverick to the Aprilia Racing team, who demonstrated a great feeling with the team and the bike straight away and who I am confident will be able to give his best as early as the Aragón GP. At the same time, we are also confirming Lorenzo’s role as 2022 test rider. This is a fundamental position that rewards the great efforts he has demonstrated in developing the new RS-GP, whereas he will finish out the 2021 season taking advantage of the wild cards that we’ll decide on together as soon as he is back to 100% fitness."