Moto GP 2019

[GORDON STREETER]

Well the season has started and by the looks of qualification it will be "interesting" !
1 Maverick VIÑALES
2 Andrea DOVIZIOSO
3 Marc MARQUEZ
However I think that Marquez can still win, one thing is for sure he will never give up and will push to the limit and doesn't seem to have any fear of crashing as proved many times in practice !

[justracing]

No doubt that MM will drive the wheels off the Honda as always but the whole grid has tightened up this year possibly with the exception of Yamaha, Vinales proving the exception to the rule in gaining pole for the race. I rather think that unless Vinales can somehow blast away and open up a decent gap, he will swamped by the Hondas and Ducatis on the first run down the main straight. Very brave stuff from Cal Crutchlow, I just hope he doesn't have another tumble and complicate his ankle injury. So many quick riders separated by less than 1 sec, it will be a very interesting race.

[justracing]

What a brilliant race battling right to the line and a fantastic result for Cal Crutchlow, the guy is such a fighter

[GORDON STREETER]

Well although I live in Spain a good part of the year I am not a particular MM fan, however he tried his best and almost won in his usual "on the limit" riding on not the best and certainly not the fastest bike. I don't know what Lorenzo is thinking right now ?
Well done Cal for an amazing come back for a well deserved 3rd, and of course the old man who got it together on race day as he normally does.

[justracing]

I presume the mercurial Lorenzo must have been suffering from head games after his tumbles over the weekend, for whatever reason he quite obviously didn't want to take part in the race at all judging by his demeanour on the grid.
The combination of Dovy against MM is always fireworks to watch; the cool, calm Dovy against the incredible riding talent of Marquez is so exciting and as you say Gordon, the old man performed as usual as he always does on Sundays. I didn't see the post race stuff but what the heck happened with Vinales?

[LPP68]

A classic 'Marques - Dovisioso in Quatar' final. With the bonus that the '19 Ducati looks drawdroppingly beautifull.
Lot's of kudo's for Crutchlow, who looked in quite a bit of pain after the race, and also for Rins, who must be frustrated by being flown by on the straights every time.

[chunder]

Cal was touched by someone and their peg went into his bottom, his ankle as fine.

[Graz]

My tasty little 7-1 on Dovi cheered me up no end.

[Mike Bell]

Managed to watch the highlights last night. Great race, as was the Moto3!

For anyone that is able to get Quest Channel in the U.K., they are showing all the races as highlights. This time it was 1800 last night (Monday).......

[rich07]

Originally Posted by chunder

Cal was touched by someone and their peg went into his bottom, his ankle as fine.

The post race chat was good for a chuckle. ‘Don’t mean to be rude but I’ve got a dead bum’. Haha bless him

[wnut]

Good race, nice to have MotoGP back on the menu.

Dovi and Ducati may have the win taken away from them for running illegal winglets.

http://classic.autosport.com/news/re...ce=mostpopular

If FIM are consistent with their aero bans, I fear that Ducati may be in trouble!

[Graz]

Originally Posted by wnut

Good race, nice to have MotoGP back on the menu.

Dovi and Ducati may have the win taken away from them for running illegal winglets.

http://classic.autosport.com/news/re...ce=mostpopular

If FIM are consistent with their aero bans, I fear that Ducati may be in trouble!

I would be surprised as they had clearance before that it was legal I think. The winglet may be banned going forward if it is providing aero benefit. But a retro ban, I doubt it.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Managed to watch the highlights last night. Great race, as was the Moto3!

For anyone that is able to get Quest Channel in the U.K., they are showing all the races as highlights. This time it was 1800 last night (Monday).......

Damn! I wondered where the highlights, had gone, now I'd missed them! Ah well, I know for next time

[wnut]

Picture of the offending aero devices/scoops here:

https://www.gpone.com/en/2019/03/13/...entina-gp.html

[GORDON STREETER]

Presumably the "trick" that Ducati use with the rear suspension on the start line has been OKd ?

[wnut]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Presumably the "trick" that Ducati use with the rear suspension on the start line has been OKd ?

I don't know how Gordon.
Must admit, my first reaction to the launch was active suspension.

https://twitter.com/MotoGP/status/11...camera-updated

Motorsport magazine ran the aero device on the swing arm past a couple of F1 engineers and they all say it is for generating downforce. There was one view from the front of the bike that made it look like a huge scoop hanging down with a wing profile on the underside.

https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/ne...ppeal/4355200/

[justracing]

Watching first practice for the Argentina round today, the commentators mentioned that the scoop on the swing arm has been approved on the basis that Ducati produced evidence that the device was for tyre cooling. It may well do just that to some small significance but is first and foremost an aerodynamic aid by anyones' definition surely?
Cal Crutchlow looked very quick and committed today as did Jack Miller. With 20 riders separated by less than second it promises to be good race on Sunday.

[Johno.UK]

Honda presented their bike with the same device on it and declared it's primary function was to produce downforce. They were told it was illegal. They then re-presented the bike with it and said the primary function was tyre cooling and they are now allowed to run it.

Job done by Honda to show how daft the regulation is.

[GORDON STREETER]

Well MM is still the man to beat! Does the team think that Lorenzo will ever get on terms with him ? after all it did take him a long time to get anywhere near Dovi and only then did he show a few bits of his old form when with Yamaha.

[justracing]

More new development parts

https://twitter.com/SofaRacer/status...01502816002048

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by justracing

More new development parts

https://twitter.com/SofaRacer/status...01502816002048

He's going to knock s few riders out the way with that !

[GORDON STREETER]

Well love him or hate him Marquez was in a different league today, also good to see the "old boy" up front and on the podium but WTF was that all about with Cal ?
As for Lorenzo I don't know what to think at the moment.

[Johno.UK]

Cal must have moved as they would have reviewed the side on shot several times. It must have been tiny though as it was completely invisible from the front shot. It was the correct penalty under the rules but there does need to be some scope of severity added. As Hodgson says if a guy jumps from the back to the front then a ride through is far enough but not in those circumstances.

Shame as he was lapping at MMs pace in the last 3rd and, before the penalty, you could see he was just biding his time at the back of the group.

[justracing]

Great shame for Cal but the same penalty exists in many other motor sport disciplines as well. The MM steamroller continues, what a talent but that was feisty result for VR.

[chunder]

Surely that is what the penalty lane is for.

if he jumped from the third row into the lead I could understand it, but if he moved he did by centimenters.

I have read that Spencer just sat there unmoved when the team went to see him, I think honestly a man who was so useless in his late career and made umpteen excuses and fake injuries is not the right man to be a steward.

Someone like Schwantz or Doohan surely would be better. Or even more someone more current who has ridden these types of bikes a bit. Spencer has not.