MotoGP 2023

[F5 Dave]

I think it's a good idea but needs to be clearly monitored and reversible.

It would be a hollow sport if all Jap factories dropped out.

On the other hand if you just even up the players continuously Dueclattery might say screw you all we've overspent as it is to have that wiped out. We're back off to Supers.

Not that I have sympathy for honda who pushed for this dumb 4 stroke thing anyway.

[BMWST?]

the threat of not having Honda and Yamaha is real. You think they want to spend millions for no benefit? Its not about money per se. I honestly think that Honda and Yamaha dont actually know how to get themselves out of the situation they now find themselves in, within an acceptable time frame. They probably wont be able to attract the rider talent they need to progress.
An exapmple of that is Yamaha now have more horsepower but the bike is less rideable...whoever thought that would happen?

[F5 Dave]

the threat of not having Honda and Yamaha is real. You think they want to spend millions for no benefit? Its not about money per se. I honestly think that Honda and Yamaha dont actually know how to get themselves out of the situation they now find themselves in, within an acceptable time frame. They probably wont be able to attract the rider talent they need to progress.
An exapmple of that is Yamaha now have more horsepower but the bike is less rideable...whoever thought that would happen?

Ummm. I'd take a bet: Jeremy Burgess. Would be a good pub conversation if you popped into his local.

[sugilite:Me]

Then there is the Japanese culture side to take account of as well. For the Japanese a loss of face is absolutely horrific in their culture. Thus it's likely going to come down to which is more palatable for them - to take a hit on the loss of face and say yes we need help or turn around and say MotoGP is no longer as relevant to our market and we are out.
I'm hoping that it would be the former but unfortunately I think it's going to be the latter, certainly in Yamahas case.

[BMWST?]

there is a good read on motomatters about this and concessions

https://motomatters.com/analysis/202...amaha_can.html

[F5 Dave]

I've considered Mat Oxley the gold standard for Written motogp info. Just started rereading his Stealing Speed book this morning, go buy it.

But that's a very good article. That's Seans brother isn't it ex fast bikes? Silly magazine but if so he's matured well.

[Autech]

It was introduced for new teams to get them up to speed. Should it be used for the biggest money team on the grid??
Not so sure?

the threat of not having Honda and Yamaha is real. You think they want to spend millions for no benefit? Its not about money per se. I honestly think that Honda and Yamaha dont actually know how to get themselves out of the situation they now find themselves in, within an acceptable time frame. They probably wont be able to attract the rider talent they need to progress.
An exapmple of that is Yamaha now have more horsepower but the bike is less rideable...whoever thought that would happen?

Let us not forget that Michelin are apparently (finally) introducing a new front slick next year. This could immediately upset the balance or work in favour of certain bikes like the Honda/Yamaha.

BUT

Here's the big but.

One constructor has 8 FUCKING BIKES on the grid, so any technical changes they will be able to ride out much easier than, say Yamaha, who have 2. Or Honda, who have 1 as it keeps chucking them at the sky. Ducati can punch in 8 different set ups to the bikes and then let the computers analyse what works and what doesn't work best, then dial it in from there. Especially as they have these silly sprint races cutting down on track time...

[BMWST?]

Let us not forget that Michelin are apparently (finally) introducing a new front slick next year. This could immediately upset the balance or work in favour of certain bikes like the Honda/Yamaha.

BUT

Here's the big but.

One constructor has 8 FUCKING BIKES on the grid, so any technical changes they will be able to ride out much easier than, say Yamaha, who have 2. Or Honda, who have 1 as it keeps chucking them at the sky. Ducati can punch in 8 different set ups to the bikes and then let the computers analyse what works and what doesn't work best, then dial it in from there. Especially as they have these silly sprint races cutting down on track time...

yeah i am not sure that the sprint races will benefit motogp in the long run. There is too much risk for the riders,and we are already seeing the results in injuries/incidents

[sugilite:Me]

Just a little something to remind us these guys are absolutely freaking gods! Bit disappointed by the last one, I mean at the very least he could of pulled off a one handed whipped cross up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFlQJlDz2KU

(official dorna video, so cannot embed sorry)

[merv]

It seems to me that when Honda and Yamaha were doing all the winning, Dorna did everything in their power to knobble them. Spec ECU and software and it had to be the one Ducati just happened to use, and change to Michelin tyres and it seemed every time some factories were getting their bikes sorted, lo and behold along came another tyre construction that knobbled some bikes again. Dorna to me have achieved their aim, but then they should have been careful what they wished for because as the pendulum got swinging of course it went too far.

[george formby]

Just a little something to remind us these guys are absolutely freaking gods! Bit disappointed by the last one, I mean at the very least he could of pulled off a one handed whipped cross up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFlQJlDz2KU

(official dorna video, so cannot embed sorry)

Can't remember if it was Moto 2 or 3, I was a few beers in, but someone had a helluva save at Assen. I think it was Moto 3, manic race.

[Reckless]

Here's the big but.

One constructor has 8 FUCKING BIKES on the grid, so any technical changes they will be able to ride out much easier than, say Yamaha, who have 2. Or Honda, who have 1 as it keeps chucking them at the sky. Ducati can punch in 8 different set ups to the bikes and then let the computers analyse what works and what doesn't work best, then dial it in from there. Especially as they have these silly sprint races cutting down on track time...

I think the thing about this is not so much the eight bikes (ALTHOUGH THATS HUGE) but Ducati rule that the data must be freely shared to all riders, then it's up to the riders to make the most of the info and the bike. We have never seen this in MotoGP even within factory teams.
Ducati have commanded a lot of respect in my head with their attitude to team orders and this philosophy, pity I am 2 old for another sport road bike.

Wow my mouth dropped open when I read this: Fuck me dead making bits trackside!!
Contrast that with KTM. The Austrian factory has a 3D metal printer which they take to the track. If the engineering team believe that a particular part needs adjusting, they can make that change in a CAD model, and print the part ready to be tried the next morning.

Might be time to dump the wings and aero etc I reckon. That would take away the "out clause" suggested that the sport is no longer relevant to the market. And tyres would be more relevant to road bikes.
Not much flipping good at 80k in NZ LMAO (Prob few tracks either with their size here).

Great article cheers
Also some very interesting responses in the Q&A under. Some very good points brought up by the readers.
this
Concessions? Really? It was only half a season ago that Yamaha were still the reigning Motogp champions and lead most of last season’s championship.
Before the previous round Fabio was also in front of all the Aprilia’s, with Aleix only overtaking him after a DNF at Assen (again).
Rin’s win at COTA (Fabio/Yamaha on the podium too) and at the time we were calling it a walk-up win for Marc if he’d been able to race, Marc’s pole at Portugal….
Really, how do you go from that….to talking about concessions in the space of a few races? I mean, even if they’d been been given concessions at the start of the season, wouldn’t Rin’s win have rendered them null and void?
and this might have a point to
Let’s be clear. This discussion is all about MM. ONLY happening because Dorna’s star MM can’t finish a race. HRC involved only because MM rides a Honda. If MM were on the podium, Honda were literally killing its other riders, and Yamaha were no where, Dorna wouldn’t be doing a thing. MM moves to another bike it will be dropped
It just seems like extraordinarily preferential treatment. Marquez and Quartararo were seen as genuine championship contenders by many leading in to the season…..a half a season later they are being gifted a helping hand? Why not Aprilia? They have been equally invisible. Sorry, it just seems like all teams are treated equally but some are more equal than others.

[roogazza]

Finally caught up with Motogp Sunday...... Nice to see moto3 man Masia get a win on the Honda.
Quite like Assen . Found myself fast forwarding in some of the races.

Donnington and WSB, I had copied from Sun and Mon was good racing. Midget Bautista and the Doocati seem to have everything under control ? I recall when I first started going to GP's Bautista was great in 250 GP's.
Yamaha of Razzi and Kawa of Rea fighting out for 2nd and 3rd.....

[BMWST?]

Finally caught up with Motogp Sunday...... Nice to see moto3 man Masia get a win on the Honda.
Quite like Assen . Found myself fast forwarding in some of the races.

Donnington and WSB, I had copied from Sun and Mon was good racing. Midget Bautista and the Doocati seem to have everything under control ? I recall when I first started going to GP's Bautista was great in 250 GP's.
Yamaha of Razzi and Kawa of Rea fighting out for 2nd and 3rd.....

Bautista was pretty fast in Motogp too bit inconsistent though,mind you it was on a Honda.Didnt he also do a australian moto gp on a ducati and was pretty quick?

[iYRe]

It was introduced for new teams to get them up to speed. Should it be used for the biggest money team on the grid??
Not so sure?

Honda was quite happy to let Ducati have concessions when they were winning, so I dont think it is an issue.

Also, Bradl thinks Honda can fix it:
Honda test rider Bradl thinks its troubled MotoGP bike "can be fixed" (autosport.com)

Asked at Assen what he thought of Marquez’s Germany crashes, Bradl noted: “I thought a lot of respect because he’s still giving his 100%, even more.

“And he’s trying, even though he realises that the bike and the tools he has is not ready for that level. But he’s trying.”