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Post by truenorth on Nov 5, 2019 13:43:43 GMT -8
Lorenzo's battle back from injury - against his subconscious by Mat Oxley on 5th November 2019 What’s wrong with Jorge Lorenzo? Has he lost it or is he merely waiting till his back is fully fixed? And why HRC’s plans for its 2020 RC213V should give cause for optimism Lorenzo's 2019 season isn't easy on the track or in the garage Photo: Repsol Honda The MotoGP paddock and fans around the world are agog with talk of Jorge Lorenzo. What’s up with the three-times MotoGP world champion? Has he lost it? Why doesn’t he retire? Why hasn’t he been sacked? Why don’t they put Johann Zarco on his bikes? It must be said that the three-times MotoGP king is in a hole. A very deep hole. At Phillip Island two weeks ago he finished more than a minute (one minute!) behind winning team-mate Marc Márquez. Last Sunday at Sepang, the 32-year-old Spaniard finished 34 seconds down. After the race he outlined his target for next week’s season-ending Valencia GP: “we are getting closer and closer to the goal of being 30 seconds from the winner”. Something is obviously very amiss. But what is it? It’s been obvious since the start of the season that Lorenzo doesn’t get on with Honda’s 2019 RC213V. However, his body is also in a mess. The last time he was fully fit was when he was sat on the grid at Aragon in September 2018, before he fell at the first corner Two weeks later a huge crash at Buriram caused serious ligament damage to his left wrist, which demanded surgery. The after-effects of that operation caused his left scaphoid to snap during winter training, which hampered him at every race, until he broke his back at June’s Dutch TT. His disastrous results since his return from injury aren’t simply because he doesn’t feel confident on his bike. They are due to the fact that – and there’s no nice way to put this – he doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. His Assen crash was uncomfortably similar to the fall that paralysed Wayne Rainey from the chest down in 1993. Lorenzo’s two fractured vertebrae – which began to crack when he crashed heavily during post-Catalan GP testing at Barcelona – still hurt. His surgeon says the breaks are healed, but if he still feels pain, how can he convince himself that if he has another big accident he won’t break his spine? That right there is his biggest problem, because a broken back is very different to a broken arm or leg. The best way to illustrate Lorenzo’s situation is to compare his results from before and after Assen. Lorenzo finished the season-opening Qatar GP 14 seconds behind the winner. In Argentina (where he was last away after accidentally engaging the pit-lane speed limiter) he finished 27 seconds down. At Jerez, Le Mans and Mugello he took the flag, 18, 15 and 20 seconds down. Bad results, but at Barcelona he was only four-tenths down in free practice, which may explain why he got over-excited on the first lap and ended up taking out Andrea Dovizioso, Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi. On his return at Silverstone where he was in “high pain with my back” he finished 56 seconds behind the winner. At Misano, Aragon, Buriram and Motegi he was 47, 46, 54 and 40 seconds down. At chilly Phillip Island he was caught in the cold-tyre Catch 22 (see last week’s blog) and finished 66 seconds behind winner Márquez. These are beyond disastrous results, but when you frame them in the context of someone who’s worried about breaking his back, they look a bit different. The body flip that fractured Lorenzo's vertebrae at Assen Photo: Dorna Sports S.L. So why is Lorenzo even riding? Why didn’t he take the rest of the year off and get strong for 2020? Because riders are notoriously insecure about losing their rides, especially when they’re not getting great results. They know how racing works – leave your seat empty for five minutes and someone else will take it. Then there’s the small matter of collecting your wages. Lorenzo has always been in his own man. You might say he lives in a bubble – let’s call it Lorenzo’s Land – where he is oblivious to the thoughts and concerns of outsiders. He has his own game plan, which involves no one else. Thus when critics suggest he should retire he doesn’t even notice. “The criticism doesn’t affect me so much,” he said at Sepang. Presumably (because no one else knows) Lorenzo’s current game plan is to work step by step towards preseason testing in February 2020. Until then, only one thing matters to him: looking after his spinal cord. “I guess I’m conscious of it – your brain prevents you from pushing to the limit,” he added. “I still feel pain, even when I’m lifting weights in the gym. Until I feel okay and I don’t feel any pain, then my subconscious won’t change the chip that tells me: okay, now I feel normal again, now I can push.” Most MotoGP riders, including Lorenzo on a normal day, push to within 99.9 per cent of the limit every time they ride out of pit lane. That means they are always 0.2 per cent away from going over the limit. That’s life on a knife-edge, which is where Lorenzo cannot afford to live at the moment. Before Assen, Lorenzo’s average race-lap deficit to the winner was 0.7 seconds. Since he fractured those two vertebrae the gap has tripled to 2.1 seconds. That’s how slow you need to go to make sure you don’t crash. Inevitably this run of results (14th, 14th, 20th, 18th, 17th, 16th, 14th) have had thoughts of retirement swirling around his head. “When you have such a huge injury you do have your doubts – these thoughts do cross your mind. But once you start feeling better you say, okay, I want to start again and do what I’m able to do.” This is an important point to remember. Top racers don’t think like you and me. They would never scale the heights they do with an everyday mindset that habitually takes the path of least resistance. If you or I were Lorenzo we would tell ourselves: I’ve won five world titles, I’ve got tens of millions in the bank and I’m 32-years-old. You know what? I feel like kicking back in a luxury beachside villa in Bali for a few months. Then perhaps I’ll try the Caribbean. And who knows where after that, but’s time to relax and enjoy the fruits of my toils… Lorenzo on the back row of the grid in Sepang Photo: Oxley Lorenzo insists his daydreams haven’t got that far. Thus we can only assume that he is working towards changing the chip in his brain early next year, once he is certain his spine is as solid as it needs to be. “It will come together,” he explained. “The feeling that I’m 100 per cent will give my subconscious the mood to flow more, it will allow me to risk more and I will be able to train harder in the gym, so I’ll arrive at the track in better physical condition.” If Lorenzo does get that far there’s only one other question: his motorcycle. Honda’s RC213V has never been an easy ride, especially for someone who goes fast by riding smooth, gliding lines. So what are the chances of HRC building a 2020 bike that works for Lorenzo? Possibly better than you might think. Márquez, Lorenzo and Cal Crutchlow have all tried early prototypes of the 2020 bike and didn’t notice much difference. But HRC says its final prototype RC213V will have a different chassis with revised geometry and centre of mass. HRC knows it needs to make the changes. Its 2019 RC213V featured a major boost in horsepower and torque, which helped Márquez dominate the championship. However, making big changes to a motorcycle’s engine performance usually affects chassis performance. The 2019 RC213V has much more torque than the 2018 bike. And when you increase torque you increase negative torque. This is why all three HRC riders – to varying extents – have struggled with corner entry, because the 2019 engine has more engine-braking, which affects corner entry. “I think the 2019 bike engine creates some kind of difficulty entering the corners, so it doesn’t give the rider the same feeling with the front,” revealed Lorenzo. “This is why I suffered some big crashes, losing the front at high speed. But some riders who ride more with the rear wheel, like Marc, have struggled less with the bike. “I hope the new bike will fix these negative aspects and I think Honda understand what they must do to solve the problems. It’s not only me saying these things – Cal and even Marc say more or less the same things. Our comments are not the opposite, they are quite similar. The only difference is that Marc is winning and we are very, very far away! But it’s one thing to know where your problems are and why you are failing, it’s another thing to solve them on the racetrack.” There may be some people that want Lorenzo gone, but HRC engineers consider him a technical challenge, like Dani Pedrosa, his predecessor at Repsol Honda. Pedrosa is the size of a 14-year-old boy but HRC nearly made him MotoGP champion on a bike that was three times heavier than him. The inside of Lorenzo’s brain will be an interesting place in the coming months. Perhaps one hemisphere of his consciousness will occasionally be disturbed by thoughts of palm-fringed beaches on Bali, while the other waits for February, hoping that HRC is building a bike that will allow him to return to his former greatness.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 5, 2019 13:48:47 GMT -8
The Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana was completed in 1999 and held rounds of the MotoGP and Spanish Motorcycle Championships in the same year. The Cheste track has several layouts, running anti-clockwise with varying lengths. MotoGP events are held on a 4km track comprising of five right handed corners, eight left handers and a 876m straight. Although the track is regarded as quite small, the pit complex contains 48 garages whilst the stadium style grandstands can seat up to 150,000 spectators. The circuit layout which allows all parts of the circuit to be seen from any stand helps to create a unique atmosphere enjoyed by Spanish and international riders alike and as the last race of the season there is always a party feeling to the Grand Prix, which was voted best GP of 2005 by IRTA.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 5, 2019 13:53:49 GMT -8
Nick Harris: blood brothers After Marc and Alex claimed the MotoGP™ and Moto2™ 2019 titles, Nick Harris looks at other brothers who have competed on the world stage The Marquez family can never do things by half. Brothers winning Grands Prix is not enough for them. For the second time in five years older brother Marc and his younger sibling Alex have grabbed the ultimate accolade and won world titles. In 2014 it was Moto3™ and MotoGP™. On Sunday in the searing heat of Sepang, it was MotoGP™ World Champion Marc who led the wild celebrations when Alex clinched the Moto2™ title. They are the only brothers in the 70-year history of the sport to win titles in the MotoGP™ World Championships. Others have tried and both won Grands Prix but never World titles. There are brothers of World Champions you probably have never heard off who were tempted to follow their sibling onto the race track. Felice Agostini, younger brother of 15 times World Champion Giacomo, finished eighth in the 250cc race at the 1975 Nations Grand Prix at Imola. Scott Doohan finished 12th riding the 500cc Harris Yamaha at the 1994 Australian Grand Prix at Eastern Creek. Brother Mick finished third at this opening round of the year in which he went on to win the first of his five 500cc World titles. The legendary Roberts family are best known for father and son World titles but Kenny Junior’s younger brother Kurtis also competed for their father’s team. His best result was a 12th place in the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring riding the KR212V MotoGP™ machine. The most successful brothers, apart of course from the Marquez boys, are the French Sarron brothers. Older sibling Christian won six 250cc Grands Prix and the 1984 World title. He switched to the 500cc class and won the 1985 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. Younger brother Dominique won four 250cc Grands Prix and finished third in the 1988 World Championship. The three Japanese Aoki brothers came so close to re-writing the family tree. Younger sibling Haruchika won nine 125cc Grands Prix on route to the 1995/96 World titles. Older brother Nobuatsu’s only Grand Prix win came in the 1993 250cc Malaysia Grand Prix at Shah Alam while the middle sibling Takuma failed by just two seconds to beat Alex Criville to victory in the 500cc race at the 1997 Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island. Onto this season and Valentino Rossi’s stepbrother Luca Marini has found success in the Moto2™ World Championship. Pol and Aleix Espargaro fight it out in the premier class. Younger brother Pol is a 15-times winner in the 125 and Moto2™ classes and won the 2013 Moto2™ World Championship. Aleix still waits for that first Grand Prix win but has a couple of poles and a podium finish in the MotoGP™ class. The 2016 Moto3™ World Champion Brad Binder has tasted Moto2™ success this year before moving up to MotoGP™ next year while younger brother Darryn plies his trade in Moto3™. There have been plenty of other brothers facing the ultimate test on two wheels including the Kallio’s, Sayle’s, Hayden’s, Barros’, Van Den Goorberg’s and Bolle’s. One thing for sure there is certain to be many more while Marc and Alex Marquez concentrate their sights on both winning MotoGP™ World titles – that should be interesting and test that brotherly love to the very limit.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 5, 2019 14:01:31 GMT -8
Cormac at Malaysia 2019
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Post by truenorth on Nov 5, 2019 15:37:11 GMT -8
Round 18 Malaysia Track Report November 04, 2019 What was the strategy for the Sepang race? The strategy was to try to start well and then to be with the front group, the start was critical after Marc [Márquez] had his hard crash in Q2 and started from 11th. Our goal was to, as usual, try to fight for victory or the podium if that wasn't possible. Marc was able to make one of his best ever starts and had an incredible first lap, then he tried to follow Viñales. Unfortunately, he lost time fighting with Miller and the gap to Viñales was just a little too big. The plan was to try and repeat what he did in Phillip Island, but the competition were ready for it. Positive points and negative points after the race? The positive was that we achieved another podium and are just two points behind Ducati in the Team Championship. Our goal in Valencia will be to get the Triple Crown and Marc has had an incredible season with the MotoGP points record already after this race. Unfortunately, the negative this weekend is that we sadly lost Afridza Mundanar from Indonesia on Saturday while he was riding in the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup. He was a good rider and a great guy. My deepest condolences to his family, friends and all of Astra Honda and his Asia Talent Cup colleagues that met and worked with him. The view from pit wall during the race? Today was not a big show. The race start and the opening laps were good with a lot of overtaking – very exciting. Inside story apart from official comments? Each year the Malaysian GP becomes more and more important for us. The Asian market is very important and we have many Honda fans here. We are happy our riders can help the fans to make this MotoGP experience possible and something memorable. We were joined this weekend by many senior figures from Honda in Southeast Asia, we met them with the riders before the race in the garage and it was a very nice experience for all of us.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 6, 2019 7:22:56 GMT -8
David Emmett: Best thing about this great shot is that you can see how much is protected now: expanding around the chest, and hips, as well as the shoulders. Big change from the first prototypes
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Post by truenorth on Nov 6, 2019 7:29:37 GMT -8
BEHIND THE WHEEL BEHIND THE HANDLEBARS WITH MAT OXLEY Tim Allen October 31, 2019 Moto Journalist, racer, author and blogger, Mat Oxley has been involved in the sport of motorcycling for nearly 45 years and lucky enough to cover the MotoGP scene for over 30. He has seen nearly all of the riders come and go and has had a front-row seat to see the trials and tribulations of many of the greatest racers of our time. As a racer, Mat was an Isle of Man TT winner, competed in the Suzuka 8 hours endurance race and finished 2nd in the 24 hours of Le Mans. We were fortunate enough to get 15 minutes of his time and his unique perspective on the sport before he headed out to cover the MotoGP race in Misano. Obviously, motorcycles are a big part of your life. What is your first recollection of being around motorcycles? My big brother bought a motorcycle to get to college. Because we lived in the country it was too difficult to commute by public transport. Almost immediately he became obsessed with bikes and going fast. This was 1974 or 1975, I suppose, and I got sucked in too. And I’m still there! You got your first bike at age 17, a CB125S. What was it that drew you to motorcycles and eventually racing? My brother had a bike, so I had to have one! I got the CB125 when I was 17 in June 1976 and was also immediately hooked by the whole thing: the speed, the buzz, the friends. We were a fairly unruly lot and got into a fair amount of trouble. My brother started racing and I followed a year or two later, in 1979, not because I wanted to get anywhere, but simply because we knew we would either die or lose our riding licenses if we carried on doing what we were doing on the road. How did the gig with Performance Bikes Magazine come about? In my final years at school I read all the bike magazines and realized that the people writing the magazines had the best job in the world! So every six months or so I wrote letters to all the magazines, asking for a job. I ran away from school on my bike (I went to a boarding school – nightmare!) and I didn’t want to go to university, so basically, I did any kind of job for a few years to get some money to start racing. Then I got my first journalist job when I was 21, a year or so after my first race. First it was The Biker magazine, then Motor Cycle Weekly, then Motor Cycle News, then the editorship of Performance Bikes. I loved doing that – PB had a kind of punk, anti-establishment ethos – but I already knew that what I really wanted to do was cover Grand Prix racing. I started working as a Grand Prix journalist in 1988 and I’m still here – this is my 32nd season and I can’t see me ever doing anything else. Making the transition from rider to journalist, Mat Oxley has built a great life from his passion for motorcycles Tell me more about your involvement with Motor Sport Magazine That started ten years ago or so. The magazine is mostly cars but has built up a good online following for its motorcycle stuff. They are dream employers – they let me write whatever I want. As a journalist you can’t ask for any more than that. How did the opportunity to write the biographies on Doohan and Rossi come about? The publishers Haynes asked me. I said no at first. Writing a book seemed like too much work! Eventually I said yes but I was a bit terrified at first – when someone asks you to write 50,000-75,000 words on something it’s scary. But then you get into the groove and it’s fun; so long as you have the right approach: lots of self-discipline, do your research properly and then pace it out properly. A good subject also helps; so Doohan and Rossi were pretty easy to write. I’ve never written a book I didn’t want to write – just doing it for the money would be impossible, because it demands a lot from you and if you added up the dollars the buck-per-hour rate would be horrifically low. Where does the inspiration to write as much as you do come from? For some reason I’m endlessly fascinated by bike racing – the riders, the engineers, the machines and the danger. I’m not really interested in anything else, ie the politics, the contracts, the business side of racing etc. I always assumed my interest in the racing would dry up one day, and I still do, but not so far. I’m totally absorbed in the race but at the same time I try to write from an outsider’s point of view and try to not take it too seriously. After all, it is literally people riding around in circles. Which race venue do you most look forward to visiting every year and why? Different venues have different attractions. Some of them it’s the racetrack itself – I like fast and scary tracks like Mugello, Phillip Island, Silverstone. Others it’s the area – the beauty of the landscape, the quality of the restaurants, the place we stay or the crowd and the atmosphere at the track. Some of my favorites are Mugello (for all the above), Jerez, Barcelona Sachsenring (track and atmosphere), Silverstone (the track itself), Aragon (the local area and the track) and Red Bull Ring (the beauty of the mountains). What is the hardest part about covering motorcycle racing? Although traveling the world to work is wonderful, it’s also a pain in the ass a lot of the time. The traveling can be exhausting (especially long haul, once you’re no longer young and tough). At the track the hours are very, very long. It takes me about a week to recover from every race weekend, just because they are so intense. I’m not knocking it, it’s the best job in the world, but it’s not all glitz and glamour. Of course, the worst thing is riders getting badly hurt or dying. Who would you say is, or has been, your favorite MotoGP/500 GP rider over the years and why? Lots of them, for various reasons. I like the brave riders who are bit rock and roll and don’t treat you like shit! These are probably my favorites, in alphabetical order: Bayliss, Doohan, Marquez, Rainey, Roberts Senior, Rossi, Schwantz, Simoncelli. In your opinion, why isn’t the sport of motorcycle racing as popular in the US as it is in the rest of the world? Bike racing isn’t popular in most countries. It’s only popular in countries where a good number of the population ride bikes and therefore have some kind of feeling and understanding for what it must be like to race a bike: ie Spain, Italy, South East Asia etc. If you’ve never ridden a bike it’s difficult to get a buzz from watching people race bikes. That’s the basic reality. Oxley revisits the romance of racing on John Surtees’ 1960 MV Agusta 500 You used to race back in the late 1970s and into the early 1990s, what’s changed in the sport over the years since then? Everything! Mostly it’s much, much safer. The MotoGP paddock is like a high-end shopping mall, dominated by a few dozen upmarket hospitality units, whereas back in the day the richer end of the paddock was a few caravans and the poorer end looked like a refugee camp. Everything is much more corporate today, which is good and bad. Good, because there’s much more money involved, so today’s MotoGP paddock consists of at least 2,000 people earning a living from racing, whereas 30 years ago it was a few hundred at the maximum. Bad, because the money has sucked the romance out of racing. However, given the choice between a decent feed in a hospitality unit and “the romance” of starving for days on end, I know which I’d choose! Where do you think the sport of motorcycle racing headed? Looking far into the future, nothing is forever. People have been racing motorcycles for 120 years or so. No reason to believe they will still be doing so in another 120 years. In the nearer future, whether we like it or not, more EV racing. In the nearer, nearer future, I don’t think MotoGP has ever been in a better place than it is now. The racing is great, the characters are great, the bikes are great, everything is well organized and safe. I’m somewhat concerned about going to 20 races and beyond, because all the riders are carrying injuries. It’s not like F1. WSB (World Superbike) will get stronger when all the national series get aligned to it. Cheaper race series need to be created to encourage youngsters etc.; this usually means less cc and less horsepower. You don’t need 100bhp to have fun racing; 50bhp is more than enough until you can afford something bigger. I continue to love and hate the Isle of Man TT. Nothing like it in the world but you can’t love it when riders die. If I gave you a free week’s vacation, all expenses paid, with the only caveat that you had to ride a motorcycle during that time, where would you go and why? Probably southern Europe – Italy or Spain – because they’re not too busy, the roads are great, the scenery is beautiful and the locals love motorcycles. The holiday would involve riding to cool hotels, eating good food, drinking good wine, swimming in a pool with a beautiful view and reading good books. I’m past getting crazy! What do you like to do away from work/motorcycles? I have two young kids – 12 and nine – so they fill up most of the rest of my life. But given an evening off I usually head into the centre of London to eat dinner with my wife and friends. My life revolves around my stomach! Music is a great love – from classical to mostly 60s/70s rock and mostly earlyish hip hop. Any final thoughts? Even now, after almost 45 years of riding motorcycles I rarely feel happier than when I put my helmet on, climb on my bike and ride down the road. Thank you Mat. We look forward to reading your eloquent thoughts and insightful reviews for the rest of the 2019 season and beyond.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 6, 2019 7:40:43 GMT -8
Pirro: "The GP20? Twisting Ducati to beat Marquez is crazy ": " I got to try the new bike and it's beautiful, but you won't see it until Sepang. It is not yet time to discover the cards "
Carmelo Ezpeleta, head of the organization, invites Jorge Lorenzo to make a decision. "If he is sick it is better to stop"
Zarco: "Crutchlow? Near the retreat, I could be the future Honda ": Johann responds to Cal's criticisms:" He has the determination to play just one year, but I have many more and Honda would have a second driver on the podium besides Marquez "
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Post by truenorth on Nov 6, 2019 17:36:56 GMT -8
Valentino Rossi regains speed and sets a new record in MotoGP. He had not done it for more than three years but he is still the pilot of history with more fastest laps
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Post by truenorth on Nov 7, 2019 17:57:37 GMT -8
Sorry: Jonas Folger no longer Yamaha test driver Speedweek.com Günther Wiesinger - 07.11.2019
The 26-year-old German MotoGP rider Jonas Folger was rejected by Yamaha. He says there has already been a verbal commitment from Yamaha officials. After a total of five replacements in the Moto2 class from Barcelona to Brno this year, Jonas Folger hoped to continue playing the role of MotoGP test rider at Yamaha, looking forward to a possible full-time racer comeback in the highest class of the class To prepare motorcycle racing.
Folger assures that he has therefore rejected offers for a Moto2 season 2020 and also from the Superbike World Cup. Instead, he forced the talks with his previous employer. The talks were already very advanced, until one week ago Folger got to hear a different strategy of the Japanese manufacturer.
"This bad news has come as a surprise for me," said Folger. "I had the verbal agreement that Yamaha wants to continue with me and even expand this project. We were already talking about what the test plan and other missions might look like. But then suddenly came the rejection, although I was promised that I should soon receive the contract. I was told that it had been decided to let the test program run exclusively by Japanese drivers again. So I was stopped for a long time. The disappointment is of course great, because I stiffened fully on this project and canceled all other options for next year. Too bad, it would have been a very interesting challenge and at the same time a versatile task I was very happy. In the role of the test driver, I have learned a lot so far. But at the moment I do not know how to proceed with my career. There are not many reasonable options at this late date. "
Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, disagrees with the statements made by Folger. "There has never been a definite commitment for 2020."
Nevertheless, two weeks ago Folger still counted among the candidates. Who will take on this task in the future, is open. Johann Zarco has let the deadline for the commitment with Yamaha pass. Whether he is still a contender, can not be estimated. He hopes for a season as a regular driver. Also the current Aprilia test driver Bradley Smith was interested in the job at Yamaha. He drove the M1 for four years at Tech3-Yamaha until the end of 2016.
The collaboration between Folger and Yamaha never worked smoothly. The Bavarian was disappointed because he had little to drive and his desire for wildcard missions was not met. He had never had the hoped-for race missions guaranteed by contract.
Folger has never scored points in Petronas' five Moto2 races in 2019 and has therefore fallen between the chair and the bench in the Moto2 teams, including that of Gaviota-Nieto and Petronas Sprinta. Pine got no more room anyway, besides, there was the further cooperation with Tulovic in the foreground.
Yamaha heads back: "The European test team will be all Japanese": Massimo Meregalli speaks: "our plans have changed. The test drivers will be Nozane and Nakasuga, but Silvano Galbusera will be present"
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Post by truenorth on Nov 8, 2019 8:11:14 GMT -8
Sepang GP 3/11/2019 Malesia…last effort of this long run. I could tell you a lot about Sepang 2019, like the amazing performance of a great Antonelli who closed in tenth position a beautiful race, besides the broken collarbone. Or I could tell you about the umpteenth accident of an innocent Tatsuki, crashed because of Rodrigo, but it happened all in a sudden. Just a second… accidents most of the time happen in a very short time and change the life to so many people. Once, a very spiritual guy told me Malaysia is the most spiritual place on Earth but that means getting closer to the eternal life; that’s why it should be better to change circuit, besides this is one of the most amazing track. This accident made me think about June 2016, when after Salom death, Beltramo wrote a very touching article, amazing, which ended like this: “I hope it will happens in a very very long time, but I’m pretty sure we will find again this very silent paddock, with the eyes full of drops, with the heart full of pain, crying for the loss of another kid who was just chasing his dream..”. That day just came. 3rd of November 2019. This bastard destiny, after just three years is back with the bill, to collect his tax, taking away with it Afridza Munandar, a young talented Indonesian rider. I don’t think there could be a right or wrong theory about what happened, I just have mine. I imagined how it would be to have Marco back, today. The absurd possibility that someone could give him back to us after eight years. Without changing anything that happened after, the Foundation, the team… with all the pain and the good things. I’m sure he would be back riding. “Hi daddy, where is my helmet?”. He would go back on track with the same passion of 2011, to kick everyone’s ass, maybe even a little more if possible. Giving us breathtaking overtakes, on the outside, to take another applause, to make us dream again. To demonstrate amazing things can “just happen”, you just need to keep on believing. Today in Sepang we payed again a too high prize. Maybe that spiritual guy meant to say this circuit is “haunted”, for how many World Champion Titles it gave and how many of them, it tooks away.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 8, 2019 9:04:33 GMT -8
Next weekend in Valencia Iker Lecuona will stand in for the injured Miguel Oliveira in the KTM Tech3 team and will become the third youngest rider to compete in the MotoGP class since it was introduced in 2002, after John Hopkins & Michel Fabrizio
Lecuona anticipates his MotoGP debut: racing with the KTM in Valencia: Iker will replace Oliveira on the Tech3 team's RC16, with which he'll be competing in 2020 in the premier class
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Post by truenorth on Nov 8, 2019 10:32:54 GMT -8
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Post by truenorth on Nov 9, 2019 8:44:33 GMT -8
2019.11.08 17:28 Reason why Honda RC213V 2019 is "Marques Special" / MotoGP Autosport Web Nobuatsu Aoki (translated from Japanese) Go Takahashi Nobu Atsushi Aoki, who is a development rider at Suzuki and participates in the Suzuka 8-hour endurance road race, the largest motorcycle race event in Japan, delivers the world's best road race MotoGP in an easy-to-understand manner. In the 25th round, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda team) felt in the 18th round Malaysia GP will analyze the poor personality on the course and the 2019 Honda RC213V, which is said to be the “Marques Special”. ー ー ー ー ー ー ー ー ー Is it okay to scream this rant against Marc Marquez of the Repsol Honda team that has won the world title eight times? But let's say that. After deciding the champion, what was revealed in the Round 18 Malaysian Grand Prix was Marquez's poor personality. ...... I told you (laughs). So far, Marquez was not able to compete with Fabio Quartalaro (Petronas Yamaha SRT) at the speed of one shot. In Malaysia's qualifying session, he got ridiculous with Quartalaro, and eventually ended up falling. Would you like to be persistent? Personality, evil! But is n’t it? I don't think it's necessary to become a world champion. In short, Marquez hates and is disgusting without being defeated. Sanzan wrote that the personality is bad, but the actual personality is not bad. The usual Marquez is an insane guy. But if you go on the course, the story is completely different. The desire to win is so strong that it no longer looks like a bad personality, but that is also an important qualification for becoming a world champion. So, the champions of all generations have personality across the board. The Honda RC213V in the 2019 season was by no means the strongest machine. Although Marquez won the championship, the other Honda riders struggled together to prove that it was not an easy-to-use machine. Until 2018, Marquez teammate Dani Pedrosa worked hard, and I think the direction of RC213V development was even wider. But in 2019, Jorge Lorenzo was sunk in a bad wave, and as a result, the machine became quite a “Marquez Special”. ■ Reasons for 2019 RC213V “Marquez Special” The Marques Special has an extremely hard neck (head pipe) so that he can withstand his super hard braking. If super hard braking is possible, high performance will be demonstrated, but normal hard braking will not provide a sufficient level of grounding at the front. Like Lorenzo, I think that it is almost unresponsive to the operation of the type of rider who delicately handles braking and cornering. At least the feeling of ground contact that Lorenzo wants is not obtained. Lorenzo ’s predicament is no way. Since it is a factory team of Honda, the most advanced technology will be used and the frame will be subjected to ultra-high rigidity analysis. As a result, the optimal rigidity value should be exhibited on the testing machine and CAD. However, the target value is set assuming Marquez super hard braking. If it is not super hard braking, you will have to master the part before reaching the optimum stiffness value. This makes it difficult for other riders to ride the Marquez Special. Moreover, making a frame is really difficult. Even if we focus only on the feeling of braking, it will be soothing. This is because braking is not only performed in a straight line, but rather, it is more likely that the braking is performed while the machine is laid down at the corner, and various elements are intertwined in a complicated manner. There are huge patterns in corner curvature, bank angle and vehicle speed. The passing line is slightly different for each lap. Moreover, if the road surface is different depending on the circuit, the tires and the climate are different, and the conditions change rapidly during the race week. Of course during a driving session ... Even if you just write it, your eyes will look round, but not too much, but there are too many parameters to analyze on your desk. Moreover, with MotoGP, it's more complicated because all riders have hyper-sensitive sensors that immediately notice a “little difference” and care about hijo. Because the rider himself will change from day to day. In 2019, RC213V made a hole around the head pipe. The aim was to increase the intake efficiency of the engine and power it up, and of course it would have taken care not to adversely affect the feeling. However, even if the same stiffness value as before drilling is obtained in the calculation, the feeling must be surely and considerably changed. Marquez is quite insensitive (laughs) because he managed it without difficulty.Marquez's weapons are not just bad personality (which is a metaphor) and insensitivity (which is also a metaphor). As you may have noticed, Marquez does not know fear.
There are two types of riders. There is a type that falls when falling, and a type that can get the best time immediately even if it falls. Of course, the type that falls time is majority, and the type that can get the best time is minority. As far as I know, the latter in GP is only Marquez and Uncle Jeremy McWilliams, who was once my teammate. These two have unscrewed heads ... rather than originally. Uncle McWilliams, who marked the best time immediately after falling, seemed to break my heart. The same goes for Marquez. If you fall, you won't get meggling ... On the contrary, you've gained an unprecedented machine control technique. That has led to the many Super Saves that happened in 2019. Unrequited physical ability + unremarkable reflex ability + unrequited fear, but allows recovery in outrageous areas. Of course, Marquez is definitely at the last minute. The fall at the Malaysian Grand Prix was pretty disappointing. If you do that big crash, you usually get meggled. But Marquez doesn't make any mistakes (laughs). In the final, he won the 2nd place podium. If it was Marquez until 2018, the race would have been a little lower, but in 2019 it was 2nd. Frighteningly, even the fearless people are evolving. Furthermore, the use of the rear brake is further stepped up. Recently, thumb brakes that use the thumb to operate the rear brake have become popular, but the latest Marquez cars are equipped with a silver rear brake lever that is large enough to make you want to say "Is it a scooter!" It is. Originally, Marquez, a type that uses a lot of rear brakes, is equipped with a normal-size rear brake lever, saying that “the power is not enough with the thumb!”. At this point, the other riders are giving up. All MotoGP riders are like Yokozuna, but Marquez is on a higher level. Quartaralo is also fast and will definitely be Marquez's rival in 2019, but it has not reached Marquez. By the way, Marquez has already been in a different dimension since he came to MotoGP. In the first year of entering the highest peak class, he suddenly won the title and created a model called “Marquez vs. Other Riders” while also causing various stuff. Really amazing. Marquez with bad personality (a metaphor) + insensitivity (to the last metaphor) + an extraordinary physical ability + an extraordinary reflection ability + an extraordinary riding technique. I'm no longer able to comprehend my old man, but ... I recently realized that there was an opportunity to distribute rider stickers to children at the Norick Daijiro seat of the Japanese GP. I was expecting Valentino Rossi to be the most popular, but the children were told that "Marquez sticker!" Fast and strong riders are the best riders. Children are honest all the time. Nobutatsu Aoki Born in 1971. Born in Gunma Prefecture. After all-Japan road race championship, he participated in the road race world championship from 1993 to 2004. He is currently working as a racer, taking advantage of his abundant experience as a rider for the Suzuki MotoGP machine and placing it at the top in Japan's largest motorcycle racing event, Suzuka 8 Hours.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 9, 2019 10:03:31 GMT -8
Quartararo: "2021? It is still too far away to think about it": Fabio at EICMA was welcomed by a crowd of people and there is already talk of a team with Valentino Rossi for the future: "Now concentrated on Valencia and next season "
Álex Márquez: “If my brother's factory believes in me, I will give it my all” In principle by 2020 he will defend the title in 2021 to go to MotoGP, it would be amazing to see him with his brother Marc in HRC ... Will the MotoGP champion have asked for it?
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Post by truenorth on Nov 12, 2019 7:17:44 GMT -8
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Post by truenorth on Nov 13, 2019 7:36:19 GMT -8
Nick Harris: Valencia vibes In his latest blog, former MotoGP™ commentator Nick Harris reflects on some of the classic season finales at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo Twenty years pass in a blink. Was it really two decades ago that Regis Laconi became the last Frenchman to win a premier class race at that very first Grand Prix at the circuit on the outskirts of Valencia? So much has happened to MotoGP™ since that September afternoon. The circuit, named after local hero and World Champion Ricardo Tormo who died of leukaemia, has staged some memorable races in the last 20 years. Since 2002 the track has been the venue for final Grand Prix of the season. Many a World Championship in all three classes has been decided on the tight twisty 4-kilometre circuit, and all witnessed by vast, noisy and patriotic crowds. The track is surrounded by packed grandstands and produces an atmosphere more akin to a big football stadium. Then, there are the fireworks! Where do you start? Valentino Rossi signing off his Honda career with victory in 2003 on the machine sporting an Austin Powers paint theme. Three years later the late Nicky Hayden winning the MotoGP™ World title in the race in which Rossi crashed and World Superbike supremo Troy Bayliss secured his one and only Grand Prix win. Certainly in the paddock, and especially the media centre, Hayden’s third place and subsequent World title was the most popular of the past two decades. In 2011 we arrived in Valencia grieving the death of Marco Simoncelli at the previous round in Malaysia. The weekend was a poignant reminder to us all just how dangerous the sport we love can be. Michele Pirro celebrated and honoured the life of his team-mate Marco with victory in the Moto2™ race for the devastated Gresini team. Casey Stoner then rode the finest ever final bend of the season to prevent Ben Spies winning his second Grand Prix in an amazing finish – Marco would have approved. Nobody was prepared for 2015. The atmosphere coming into that final round of the season may have been toxic, but it was both exhilarating and so exciting to be involved. War had been declared at the previous round in Malaysia between Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez. It started with words, continued on the track and then in the Stewards Office. There were no grey areas for the millions of fans worldwide. Social media exploded in support of the two protagonists. Tickets for the final showdown were sold out within minutes, riot police were on standby but never required, media accreditation applications poured in from all over the World and Formula One drivers hired private jets to ensure they were there. Global interest and media coverage surrounding Grand Prix motorcycle racing had never experienced or felt anything like this before or since. By the time the 30-lap race finally got underway at 14:00 on an October afternoon, the circuit was at boiling point and ready to explode. Despite the considerable efforts of the aggrieved Rossi, it was Jorge Lorenzo who won the race from Marquez and Pedrosa to clinch the World title to conclude a couple of weeks the sport will never forget. For me, that day in Valencia was so special and it had nothing to do with Rossi or Marquez. I’d been reporting on Grand Prix racing for 37 years and it was such a barren time for British riders. The likes of Jeremy McWilliams, Bradley Smith and Scott Redding had brightened the gloom with Grands Prix wins but never had I witnessed a British World title since Barry Sheene way, way back in 1977. A lad from the West Country changed all that in Valencia. Danny Kent’s ninth place in the Moto3™ race, at last, brought Great Britain a World title after such a long wait. No World titles to be settled on Sunday as the curtain drops on the season but Valencia never fails to come up with the goods. Hopefully, we’ll be treated to some late autumn sunshine, the fireworks and, of course, the end of season party.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 13, 2019 7:39:07 GMT -8
Hungary could join the MotoGP™ calendar from 2022 A Memorandum of Understanding lays the foundations for a new country to join the calendar
Dorna Sports is delighted to announce the signing of a preliminary agreement to bring Hungary onto the MotoGP™ calendar from 2022. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed between the Hungarian government and Dorna Sports that would see five Grands Prix raced in the nation, from 2022 to 2026, subject to the Promoter’s Contract being signed before the end of February 2020.
Hungary has previously hosted World Championship Grand Prix Racing and has a passion for motorsport, as well as a tradition of competition on both two and four wheels, including Hungarian 125cc Grand Prix World Champion Gabor Talmacsi in 2007. The host venue for the Grand Prix event will be a new circuit, likely in the east of the country.
László Palkovics, Minister for Innovation and Technology, recently presented plans to the Hungarian Parliament and a final decision on the location for the new event and venue is expected early in 2020.
László Palkovics, Minister for Innovation and Technology: "I am very happy to announce MotoGP is set to return to Hungary. Soon, a strategy for the development of Hungarian motorsports will be submitted to the government; this strategy will include numerous objectives and measures, and – in addition to success in the sport and its impact on tourism – it is also needed because the industry has a dominant impact on the success of the Hungarian economy. The key areas of intervention are the development of Hungaroring and the domestic sports infrastructure, in which a new circuit and MotoGP event will play a key role.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: "I am very proud to be able to announce negotiations for another addition to the future MotoGP calendar and continue to see our sport grow and develop across the world. A new race – and circuit – in Hungary is an exciting prospect for us all and brings MotoGP back to a country with a great tradition in racing in which we're excited to see MotoGP play a key role going forward."
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Post by truenorth on Nov 13, 2019 7:41:36 GMT -8
History of the Hungarian Grand Prix Delve into the brief history of motorcycle Grand Prix racing in Hungary, a country two MotoGP™ Legends have won in
After it was announced that Dorna Sports have agreed a deal that could see Hungary return to the motorcycle Grand Prix calendar in 2022, why not take a quick look back at the history of the Hungarian GP to whet the appetite?
Only two Grand Prix weekends have been hosted on Hungarian soil and both have been at the world-renowned Hungaroring. The first was in 1990 when now-MotoGP™ Legend and five-time 500cc World Champion Mick Doohan took his maiden premier class victory on board his Honda, with American John Kocinski and Italy’s Loris Capirossi picking up victories in the intermediate and lightweight classes. Two years later in 1992, Grand Prix motorcycling was a again at the Hungaroring and this time, it was another MotoGP™ Legend who claimed maximum points in the premier class: Eddie Lawson on board his Cagiva machine.
Will the Hungarian Grand Prix return 30 years later? It certainly looks that way!
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Post by truenorth on Nov 13, 2019 8:39:54 GMT -8
Brembo Brakes: Santi Hernandez On Marc Marquez, Braking Style, And Why Scooter Brakes Are The Future Submitted by David Emmett on Wed, 2019-11-13 15:44
MotoGP remains a prototype racing series, despite the increasing use of spec components. In 2009, MotoGP switched to a single tire supplier, a spec ECU in 2014, and spec software in 2016. Bore and stroke, and the number of cylinders are specified, meaning that all six manufacturers in MotoGP use four-cylinder 1000cc engines with an 81mm bore.
Despite the fact that so much of the rest of the bike design is unregulated, some components become almost de facto spec. The choice of brake component suppliers is completely free, and yet every MotoGP bike on the grid is fitted with parts that come exclusively from Brembo, the Italian brake manufacturer which dominates the sport, on both two wheels and four.
At Brno, I had the chance to talk to two people with intimate knowledge of Brembo's braking components: Andrea Pellegrini, chief engineer for Brembo inside the MotoGP paddock, and Santi Hernandez, crew chief for world champion Marc Márquez in the Repsol Honda team. Pellegrini provided the perspective from the side of the brake manufacturer, while Hernandez gave an insight from the end users' point of view.
New tires, different braking styles
Pellegrini first gave an insight into how the brakes have changed over the years, and the factors which drove those changes. "For example, when they moved from Bridgestone to Michelin, the brakes also were affected by this change," the Brembo engineer said. "Also with Michelin in the last few years, the performance of the bike has increased, so also the energy going into the brakes is higher compared to two or three years ago."
At heart, that is what the brakes are: a method of converting motion back into energy, reversing the process of the engine, which takes energy and converts it into motion. As the bikes have improved, and engines got faster, the brakes have had to absorb more energy to slow the bikes down. "We saw this trend, collecting the data from all the teams, coming from the bike, the setting of the bike, also the engine of the bike. Also the laptime is going down every year, so they put more energy into the brakes," Pellegrini explained.
Since their return to MotoGP, Michelin have made big steps forward, improving their tires to the point they are generating more grip, and as a consequence, smashing pole, lap, and race time records. But the change from Bridgestone to Michelin also meant changes to the way that riders had to use the brakes to deal with the available grip.
Grip, energy, and braking
"I think how the riders apply the brakes is more different," Pellegrini said. "Because you have to put energy into the brakes, but the grip you have between the asphalt and the bike, that depends on the tire. So the more grip you have, the more energy you have in the brakes." The stiffer carcass of the front Bridgestone made a difference as well. "Also because of the structure of the tire, how the rider is pushing on the brakes is different."
Though the switch to Michelins changed the way riders braked, the difference was not enough to require a complete redesign. "The carbon discs are exactly the same," Pellegrini explained. "We developed different solutions in the caliper, different solutions on the pads and the discs."
In terms of brake discs, the fundamentals are the same: there are two different sizes of carbon discs, 320mm and 340mm, and both sizes are available in high mass and standard mass. The high mass discs are exactly that: thicker and heavier, they carry more material, in order to absorb and disperse the energy demanded by braking. At a track like Motegi, the demands on the brakes are enormous, which is why the FIM mandated the use of the larger 340mm discs.
At a track like Phillip Island, where riders use the brakes much less, a smaller disc with standard mass is enough to cope. In Australia, the weather conditions can also play a part, the cold and the wind rapidly sucking heat out of both tires and brakes. Being able to get heat into the brakes quickly is more important there, to ensure maximum braking performance.
Temperature management
Maintaining the brake discs inside their working temperature range is the primary objective of the crew chief, Santi Hernandez explained. "The only thing you have to care about the brakes is the temperature," the Repsol Honda crew chief said. "To be inside the range Brembo gives to you. Because the carbon discs have to be at least 300°C, but also the maximum you cannot be over 800°C. So you need to be inside that range."
Managing that aspect depends on a whole range of factors, Hernandez explained. "What you need to think about the setup depends on the circuit, how demanding is it of the braking, and also depending on the weather temperature. You have to understand if you have to use the 320mm high mass, 340mm, use the brake covers, full covers, or no covers on the disc. This is for me the most important starting point for the brakes."
"From that point, you have to check especially the minimum and maximum temperature when you check the data. If you are inside the range, and the riders are not complaining, you are not playing so much with brake setup," the Repsol Honda crew chief said.
Heat is the enemy
There are some circuits where this is more of a factor. Motegi is one such place, as Ben Spies demonstrated when he crashed due to his brakes overheating during practice. The Japanese circuit is somewhere you have to be more careful, Hernandez said. "In Motegi, where you have a lot of high peaks of temperature, and also it's a circuit where there are very high demands on the brakes, there you are paying more attention. Because of course, one of the problems there is if you have some trouble, the rider can be in a dangerous situation."
"Because at high temperature, you have oxidation of the carbon material and then you have a lot of wear," Brembo's Andrea Pellegrini adds.
"And also the calipers," Hernandez points out. "If the temperature of the calipers gets very high, the oil seals can leak and you can lose pressure." Pellegrini nods, adding "The lever becomes spongy...."
The danger is not from the temperature spiking, but from a sustained rise to levels beyond the performance window, Hernandez continues. "You can see a peak sometimes, but if it's just one peak, it's not a problem. The problem is that if that peak is at the same point every time, and every time it is longer and longer. That's where you have to pay attention. And also when the weather is not stable, you have to pay attention all the time to which cover you have to use, or which disc you have to use. To keep the brakes always inside the range. Because at the end, the performance of the brakes, especially the carbon brakes, is all down to temperature."
Different riders, different loads
How the brake temperature changes depends a lot on both riding style and bike design. The aim is to have consistent performance, the Repsol Honda crew chief said. "The target of the brakes is for the rider to always have the same feeling, to be in the range where the carbon discs need to work, don't overload them, and don't be under the minimum. And of course you have to pay attention and check how the layout of the circuit is and how you are using the brakes. Especially with your rider."
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