MotoGP 2024

[E.B]

More rain overnight but blue skies for qualifying, albeit a few moist bits at the start. It was however a bit gusty windwise. The wind caused riders problems but it helped to clear the remaining moisture.

Q1 saw a few odd names like Acosta Bastianini Miller Marini Quartararo in the mix. With just two to go forward into Q2 the last minutes of Q1 were frantic as the track evolved and improved at an alarming rate. Right place at the right time was the key. As the flag dropped Acosta was top and Miller was up there..... quickly Bastianini took over at the top, Acosta had mistimed his last lap and he crossed the line to go top as the flag flew. Those still on laps had the advantage with the track evolution.

A minute later Acosta had dropped to 5th and out in Q1. Miller hit a rabbit and that messed his time up so in the end through to Q2 went Raul Fernandez and Bastianini.

Acosta will be starting the races from his lowest grid position of the year, 15th.... with local hero Miller 16th.

Q2 saw Jorge Martin run a hard front tyre and absolutely demolish the opposition and take pole by a massive 6 tenths! A 1:27.2 right at the end of a qualy that had seen Vinales lead most of. The on form in practice MM93 was the nearest challenger, as mentioned 6/10ths shy.He also did his best right at the end. Martin had almost lost the front end through the Hayshed corner though on an early lap, but his final lap was very special.. Anyway it was his 3rd consecutive PI pole so he likes the place! Vinales got 3rd after MMs late improvement, with Bezzechi 4th and Bagnaia down in 5th.

The hard tyre choice of Jorge was a masterstroke of genius. No one else matched his choice and it was spot on.

Anyway the weather looks like we should have a dry Sprint race. No rain in the forecast but hey, its PI and it can all change in a heartbeat.

[E.B]

In Moto 2 local lad and PI rookie Senna Agius broke the outright Moto2 record in Q1 with a 1:31.586

In Q2 he couldnt match it, only a 31.661.... but pole setter Fermin Aldeguar blitzed it by 0.7 with a 1:30.876 to set a new record, ahead of Canet and Lopez.

Ramirez was 4th to make it a 1-2-3-4 for Spain. Barry Baltus stopped the Spanish Armada with 5th, with Gonzalez in 6th making it 5 Spaniards on the first two rows.

Anyway, the Big Bikes in the Sprint Race is coming up next. The blue skies have disappeared and its a bit grey. Troy Corser (remember him) reckons the rain is an hour away and the race will be dry! Thats the local word with all the tech toys.

[E.B]

OUCH. A huge crash for Vinales and Bezzechi who clashed going into T1. They are hitting 350kph there before they brake. Bezzechi didnt get up and was taken away by stretcher although he was sat up and conscious. Early reports suggest nothing broken with either rider, but man they will be bruised and battered after barrel rolling for proably 200 metres into the kittly litter. Very scary and hope both are passed fit for tomorrow when they finish in the medical centre. The incident is under investigation and was no fault of Vinales who had just drafted past Bezzechi.

Miller also crashed and early reports suggest it was another wildlife issue.

The only moisture was the champagne sprayed after the race. But who sprayed it? Thats for me to know and you to find out. I wont spoil it.

[Gerard C]

Fantastic report, vielen danke mein Herr! I like the sprint race podium and wont spoil the detail either. Miller and the wildlife is it serious? Better a rabbit than an elephant or a 'roo! Watch for squirrels!
https://motorcyclesports.net/fr/vide...hi-et-vinales/

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Fantastic report, vielen danke mein Herr!

Merci mon ami pour tes gentils mots, tu es le bienvenu.

[Gerard C]

Sprint highlights, in French! https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x97mwma

[Gerard C]

Its not the first time that people wonder about tear-offs on the track… Soooo, Márquez is supposed not to be me Marc again? Sure about that? Watta race!

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Its not the first time that people wonder about tear-offs on the track… Soooo, Márquez is supposed not to be me Marc again? Sure about that? Watta race!

Great finish.... plenty of commitment being shown for sure. Plus a fastest race lap that would have been good for second on the grid!

Shame Acosta was ruled out with a shoulder injury from yesterdays highside, but although they relocated his dislocated shoulder he was declared unfit to take part before the warm up.

[Gerard C]

Poor perdre, learning on the hard way so many things. May be he could ask some Lego sponsorship?

[Gerard C]

Highlights of Australian round: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meOk9os10pg
Standings: J Martin 424 pts , F Bagnia 404 pts and M M?*rquez 345 pts.
When you see the burn made by MM at the start because of a tear-off, he must be happy not to eat a banana on the grid!
Did we lose Schummy?

[Gerard C]

Poor Fabio. Soft words to say that there is something wrong with his bike and team. Exactly the same lap time as five years ago. What a waste of talent.

[Gerard C]

Well done Bastianini winning the sprint race. Fair battle between Pecco and Jorge…

[Gerard C]

Martin finishing second of every remaining race would make him the '24 WC. With ifs and buts…

[Gerard C]

Sprint race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJnSqGc5vKs
Race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewqNo3egl7g
Championship: J Martin 453 points, F Bagnaia 436 points.

[Schummy]

This last weeks I have been trying to watch all the practices, qualifying and races (MGP, WSBK, F1) and finally I have done it.

But I still have to actualize myself in M3, M2, WSSP and WSSP300, LOL!

The accumulation of racing weekends has been BIG. (And I have been busy.)

That's the reason I have not been able to enter here to read the comments (they would be "spoilers" for me!).

Maybe at the end of the year ;-) I will know who are the respective champions for 2024! X-D

With two rounds to go in MotoGP, I wish a great enjoyment for everyone watching it "live"!

The gap between Martin and Bagnaia is close enough to be exciting to watch. However, it is a bit uncomfortable for Pecco, an error could virtually cost him his realistic chances, while an error by Martin put him still very close to Bagnaia. It is as if Martin had one error of advantage over Bagnaia.I would be a lot more nervous if I were Tardozzi than if I were Gino Borsoi.

Let's have a good bike racing time in these weeks. (And I will go on catching old races in M3, M2, etc!)

[E.B]

Hopefully the dreadful floods and loss of life experienced in the Valencia area this past few days wont impact on the running of the race scheduled to close the season.

Having said that I find it difficult to believe it wont be impacted and at the current moment of time I have little confidence Valencia will happen, certainly as scheduled. In the same way as Imola in F1 just last year, where although the flooding had subsided enough for the race to be run it was seen as ethically / morally incorrect to run the race given the tragedy and disruption suffered by the local community, along with the need for all the resources and emergency services to be used not for a motor race but should as a priority, be diverted to reflect the community needs.

My own belief is that there will need to be an alternative final event at another venue so the titles can be finalised with the number of events originally planned and without the controversy doubts and anti-climax that a curtailed season would cast over competitors and fans alike, certainly over the tight status of the MotoGP title between Bagnaia and Martin.

I am sure that the general consensus to cancel the Valencia GP as planned will be a growing movement. It would be morally wrong to run any such event in the Valencia area given the recent tragic events.

Just my own personal thoughts. I know that there is a growing number of others including teams and riders who feel the same way and recognise the real priorities facing Valencia atm.

[E.B]

As I felt would be the case,Valencia MotoGP season finale cancelled, with four tracks in line as replacements.

Paddock sources in Malaysia, where MotoGP is racing this weekend, indicated a second visit for the season to one of four circuits..... Catalunya or Jerez in Spain, Portimao in Portugal or Lusail in Qatar. – at a date to be determined.

Initially it seems Dorna wanted to postpone Valencia for a week which would have been morally wrong to me. It seems Bagnaia felt the same as he made it well known tht if the race was to be held at Valencia he would refuse to race and withdraw. Ethically he said he would rather lose the championship and not race at Valencia in the current situation.

Two hours later and Dorna confirmed Valencia was cancelled in light of the tragic events. Other riders had called for it to be cancelled also. The right call was made
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...b6432cff1e39f9