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Post by truenorth on Oct 8, 2019 11:24:19 GMT -8
Located amongst the vast natural beauty of the northern Kanto district, the twin ring circuit at Motegi in Japan consists of a 1.5 mile oval and a 2.9 mile road course constructed to international standards. Built by Honda as the ultimate test facility in August 1997, the road circuit became home to MotoGP in 1999 whilst the oval is designed to introduce American motorsports culture to the country. Twin Ring Motegi is a major attraction for motorsports fans all year round as it is the venue for the Honda Collection Hall, a museum which houses an illustrious collection of motorcycle, car and racing machines from throughout the ages. The complex also includes a safety and riding school, dirt track, go-karts, hotel, restaurant, shops and event halls and currently employs some 300 staff.
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Post by truenorth on Oct 8, 2019 11:30:00 GMT -8
Why Are Ducati Engineers Defecting To Other MotoGP Teams? Yamaha pilfers another electronics specialist from the Italian factory. Cycle World Manuel Pecino Unlike public-facing riders and mechanics, electronics engineers are usually found hunched over computer screens toward the rear of the pit box, crunching data that can, and often does, make a difference on track. Engineers trained by Ducati are increasingly in demand.Ducati Filippo Tosi, Michele Gada, José Manuel Cazeaux, Claudio Raina, and, soon, Marco Frigerio. This is the list of electronic engineers who in recent years have left Ducati to work for various Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha MotoGP teams. Frigerio, the most recent "transfer," will join the factory Yamaha squad at the conclusion of the 2019 season. “Of course this is something we would prefer not to happen, but we understand it’s nothing but the usual dynamics of the labor market,” a Ducati spokesperson replied when asked about engineers trained by the Italian factory splitting for the competition. “People are perfectly free to change jobs.” But normal as these changes may be, the departure of Frigerio, who currently manipulates Jack Miller’s factory Pramac Racing GP19, will perhaps sting more than the “usual dynamics of the labor market” as he is one of the factory’s top electronics experts. Frigerio will join Gada at Yamaha. There, his mission will be to further improve the electronics management of the Iwata motorcycles that Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi hope will soon deliver the highest level of competitiveness. Yamaha was the last of the Japanese manufacturers in MotoGP to incorporate Italian electronic engineers in its garage. Gada arrived last year from Yamaha’s World Superbike team and has been working this season with Rossi. Out with the red, in with the blue: Marco Frigerio (left) is the latest Ducati-schooled electronics wiz with plans to leave the Borgo Panigale factory in trade for potentially greener pastures at the factory Yamaha MotoGP team.Pramac Racing Honda knows all too well what it means to have a former electronics engineer from Ducati. For the #93 side of the garage, the “magic” flowed from Tosi’s hands. After Tosi landed at Honda, complaints about electronics ceased to be heard from his rider, Marc Márquez, who is leading the world championship by an unassailable margin. Much the same can be said for the Suzuki GP team set up by Davide Brivio, who was very clear about what he needed in his garage. Cazeaux, one of the pioneers in electronics at Ducati, joined the team at its inception. Claudio Raina, another former Borgo Panigale engineer, is also in that same box. The Japanese aren’t the only one who fish at Ducati. In the KTM box, you will find Andrea Agostini, whom the Austrians took from McLaren but also trained as an electronics engineer in Borgo Panigale. KTM tried to entice other engineers as well, but that move was ultimately crushed. As you would expect, Ducati Corse GM Gigi Dall’Igna has to deal with more than just on-track action. As he once told me regarding this issue, “Obviously, I would like it not to happen, but at the same time it’s a source of pride that all the other factories have to resort to engineers trained at Ducati.”
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Post by truenorth on Oct 8, 2019 11:55:59 GMT -8
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Post by truenorth on Oct 8, 2019 12:05:27 GMT -8
Stefan Bradl: «Jorge Lorenzo doesn't know where to start» Motosan Raquel Jiménez Rodríguez 8 Oct. 19 Stefan Bradl renewed a few days ago with the Japanese team. After Marc Márquez won his eighth World Cup, the German has praised his work and talked about Jorge Lorenzo's problems in his first year at HRC. Stefan Bradl, the HRC test pilot, renewed his contract with the Japanese team a few days ago to continue working on the prototype of the coming seasons. The German has worked these months side by side with the official pilots, especially with Jorge Lorenzo . Therefore, Bradl is one of the people who best knows the situation the Balearic is experiencing in his first year in the Japanese team. These days the Japanese brand is living on two sides of a championship coin. On the one hand, the eighth championship of Marc Márquez has brought joy to one side of the box. However, on the other side there are still some problems for which there seems to be no solution. Although, facing the gallery, Honda is in a great moment or so the results of Marc Márquez show, the truth is that for Jorge Lorenzo the road is full of thorns. Despite this, both the team and the driver have confirmed their willingness to continue in 2020, but the demands of Márquez and those of the other drivers on the prototype next year will have to be put in the balance. The technical director Takeo Yokoyama admitted that the current RC213V is too adapted to Marc and that work is being done to make it more "accessible" also for Crutchlow and Lorenzo . But much will depend on the technical needs of the champion Cervera, on which Honda now depends. Lorenzo in a maze with no way out The tester Stefan Bradl also collaborates with the German radio station ServusTV and, during the program "Sport and Talk from Hangar-7" talking about " worrying results ". It is not necessary to hide the fact that a tester's dream is to look for any possibility of returning to MotoGP full time, but his statements are very cynical. » I looked closely at the situation in Aragon, I was there on Friday with its technical report. I feel a little sorry for him (Jorge Lorenzo) because he is in a losing battle , ”he informed Speedweek.com,“ He does not know where to start with the motorcycle. He also has to share a box with Marc Márquez, who wear out mentally. All this added to the injury of Jorge Lorenzo in Assen, at this moment it is difficult for him to get out of this vortex ”. Marc Márquez, a champion with eight crowns Another very different situation is the one that is being lived in the corner of the box occupied by the champion . A small percentage of merit should also be attributed to the good work done by the test driver who has always received the guidelines of the eight-time world champion. " A small part of me is definitely there " , said Stefan Bradl, "Because we develop the bike together." "But how great is my merit should be judged my merit by Marc himself or the team ." Bradl highly praised the work that Marc and his team have done throughout the season. Despite this, Márquez had to suffer as in Spielberg and Silverstone the rivals won the battle in the last corner. « On these defeats Marc reflected, these second places affected him a lot . Because he has lost two wins in the last corner in two weeks. On Sunday, he made a perfect maneuver against Quartararo in the last corner of Buriram. Drive with such precision. There is currently no one who can stand up to him. He is incredibly stable and so strong that there really is no one who can approach him. Quartararo is often close «. " What Marc has shown this year has been crazy, he has not finished a career worse than in second place." The only mistake was that he fell in Texas because of a technical problem. Otherwise, a victory would have been possible there. Then he would have won the title in Aragon. He himself said that this was the best and most consistent season so far. The words are missing «.
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Post by truenorth on Oct 8, 2019 12:31:54 GMT -8
Lorenzo: «This situation is critical because I've always been used to winning» Motosan Raquel Jiménez Rodríguez 8 Oct. 19 Jorge Lorenzo is still the negative part on the side of the HRC box. The Balearic finished 18th in Buriram where he was not competitive again from the start. The Buriram circuit will always be remembered for hosting the eighth world title of Marc Márquez . However, for the other Honda team box, the situation is totally different. While that of Cervera celebrated his sixth world championship, Jorge Lorenzo looked for solutions to some problems that have been accompanying him since he first got on the Honda in the Valencia tests . In spite of this, the Balearic already affirmed that its commitment with the Japanese team is still intact. In addition to Lorenzo has never fully adapted to his new motorcycle, the injuries have not given truce to ' 99 '. So much so that of the 15 races played to date, four of them have not finished and those that have been with an eleventh position as the best result. « This year's mistakes that caused me injuries had already been made before. In this sport you have to go to the limit, you have to force. And one does not know that one is going to fall, because if not, it would go slower at that particular point, that is evident. I can think that in Assen I was not at all well as a result of the accident of the Montmeló test, and that not being at its best the best would have been not to force. If I had known, it would have been more conservative. This year I have not taken any particularly important lessons . ”Declared the Balearic before the Motorsport teammates . A complicated change Many are those who believed that the Ducati-Honda change would be much simpler than that of Yamaha-Ducati . However, this has not been the case and for Lorenzo there is no answer. « There is not just one reason. First, I have never been 100% physically. I already arrived at the Valencia and Jerez tests with the ligaments of the hand touched. And everything and with that I did not go wrong because that motorcycle (the one of 2018) I liked a lot ». «The problem was the new one, which did not give me confidence in the curves. I was running more straight but I was slower overall . There I gave my instructions, but surely it was too late because Honda's intention was to continue with that engine they had made. Marc knew how to adapt and found a way to counteract those deficits, while Crutchlow and I suffered more than if we had continued with the old one . In recent weeks, the direction Honda takes to focus on a single pilot has been questioned. Both Jorge Lorenzo and Cal Crutchlow have been complaining about some weaknesses of the RC213V . However, for Honda the important thing is the winning driver, so his efforts are mainly focused on the guidelines of the ' 93 '. What I would do would be to try to design a motorcycle that not only a pilot can carry. Win, a distant event During the last months we have been able to see a version of Jorge Lorenzo that we are not used to. The injuries and the lack of results has caused an insecurity in the Balearic difficult to erase. « When the bike varies a little, you regain some confidence and start believing more in yourself, everything straightens and improves more than those pieces really bring you. That not only happens in sports but in life in general. You think: 'Lorenzo is two seconds away from Márquez and he seems a lot.' But everything can change in a short time. In Jerez, in pre-season and without knowing the bike I rolled just as fast as him. Why? Because that bike gave me better sensations and I liked that circuit more « However, for the pentacampeón of the world the recovery of confidence happens to be well physically, an element that until now has not been possible, and that Honda takes a step forward in its improvement of the motorcycle. « First, find myself physically well . And that the bike improves in what areas so that it transmits greater security in the front end. In that case I will go fast because I was always fast . Honda's loyalty After Assen's injury , Lorenzo claimed to have raised the withdrawal or change of air. However, he finally decided to continue relying on Honda and fight to regain the level of a five-time world champion. For the ' 99 ' its main objective is to be as competitive as when it was in Yamaha. « This situation is critical because I have always been used to winning . But if I make an assessment with a broader perspective of everything I have achieved in my career, I consider myself a very lucky guy. Obviously I want to do well with Honda, but if for whatever reason I don't get it, the world wouldn't end either. « I signed with Honda and I am a fighter pilot who wants to achieve the objectives he has set. I have reached them so far and if I do not succeed this time it would be the first «, the Mallorcan ended.
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Post by truenorth on Oct 8, 2019 12:42:59 GMT -8
Ten minutes with eight-time world champion Marc Marquez BSN 08.10.2019 Two days after clinching his eighth World Championship in Thailand, Marc Márquez returned to Spain and to Madrid, where he visited Campus Repsol on Tuesday morning. Before his press conference, held in front of more than 50 journalists, the Repsol Honda Team rider was welcomed by Begoña Elices, Executive Managing Director of Communication and Chairman’s Office, and was given a rousing ovation by employees for the energy company, who had come along to congratulate him on his achievement. How do you feel coming home with a new World Championship? “I arrived in Spain last night and I am very happy to be, not yet in my own house, but in my sporting home, because I have been with Repsol for many years. They have accompanied me throughout my career and I value them a lot. It has been an almost perfect year, but it can always be improved. A dream year where we took the title – which was the main objective – but we are very proud of the way we achieved it. And I speak in the plural, because I am here, but all my team, all the people around me, who help me everyday are missing.” How was the title celebration? “The party went well, I’m still getting my voice back! We celebrated the title as it deserves to be celebrated, because it is a World Championship and you never know when this dream is going to end, so you have to celebrate it to the fullest. We spent the night in Bangkok and had a good time with the whole team. I will not give details, but there was dancing, shouting, partying – a little bit of everything. This time there was no karaoke, but it wasn’t necessary.” How was this season after the shoulder injury? “It is clear that in the life of an athlete there are hard times and good times, like this one. Complicated situations are what make you strong and this winter was one of the toughest in my career because I couldn’t do what I like most in the world – riding my motorcycle. I could not train, because I needed the operation, but I overcame it with the help of all the people who pushed me. I arrived at the first race, maybe not one hundred percent, but in the best way I could be. You always think that all that work has to have a reward. Once you start and you see the results coming, it gives you even more strength.” You said it has been an almost perfect year. Why, almost? “Because when you have an excess of confidence it is when the mistakes can arrive. It happened in the race we least expected, which was Austin, where I fell when I was leading with a four second advantage. It was a seemingly done victory and, because of how relaxed I was, I fell. That’s why you always have to be completely focused, you can’t get confused, and you have to learn from mistakes. It has been a very good year, but it does not mean that we can stop working.” You made your mother suffer a lot by risking the last corner. How did she react? “Yes! I had already made her quite angry on Friday, because we started the weekend with a big scare. You take the hit, but the people around you suffer much more. Both my mother, my father; the whole family suffers. They have been behind me for many years, they are the base and, when a four-year-old asks for a motorcycle and the father or mother does not give it to him, it is impossible to get here. But logically they have been suffering for many years.” Agostini has said he believes you can beat his 15 titles. How do you feel about it? “I get along very well with him and I have heard these statements. I don’t like the word impossible, I will never say it, but it is almost impossible. It means winning double what I have achieved so far. I have never been obsessed with a number or a name – I just enjoy my passion for racing. I feel very lucky that it is my job, where I try to do my best.” You always say that you get where you are thanks to your rivals. How much do you need Fabio Quartararo and a strong Jorge Lorenzo next season? “The closer, the better! We are in an era in MotoGP in which the mechanical equality, although the final numbers of the championship do not reflect it, is one of the best it has been. I say this because there are four factories capable of winning races and fighting for a World Championship. This means that there are at least eight bikes with chances of winning races, and it is something that did not happen before. You have to know how to reinvent yourself, learn from veterans like Valentino [Rossi], Jorge or Dovi and also from young riders, like Fabio or Viñales.” What can be improved from this year? “It has been a very good year and it will be difficult to improve. But one of my idols is Rafa Nadal and when you see him in a match and wonder what he can do better, he always takes a new step forward. Or when Messi scores a goal, you think again that he can’t do better and then he goes and scores another which is better. I try to model myself on them; they are always improving. I will try to learn from mistakes. Rivals show you your level and that is where we will try to continue growing.” Would it be a dream for you to be Champion alongside your brother again? “My brother is working hard, putting together a very good year. He is winning with heart, but there are four races left in which he has to show the best of himself, manage the pressure. For my part I will not put more pressure than he already has, just help him to enjoy it, stay as concentrated as possible and push. If you try and then it does not happen, you will have a clear conscience. ” “It is more beautiful to achieve the championship with a race win. After Friday’s fall, did you think about slowing down? Why did you want to win the title in Thailand? “I wanted to get the title in Thailand because it was the first match-ball. When you have a certain advantage in the championship, you look for new motivations. I like to live in the present and go race by race. On Thursday before starting the Grand Prix I already said that my intention was to win this weekend, or at least try. Then your rivals tell you if you can or can’t, they give you the answer immediately on track. That’s why I tried until the last corner, because it is more beautiful to achieve the championship with a race win. Across the season you are building and understanding that you can be Champion and you have to look for the motivation to have that euphoria when you cross the finish line.” What was the turning point of the season where you saw that you could win the title? “There have been two important moments this year. The first was in Jerez, after Austin’s mistake, when we won in the same way as we intended to win in Austin. There are 25 points, but you show your rivals that your confidence is the same, that the desire and mentality is the same. And the other was in Barcelona. We won the race and several rivals were unable to score. It was a shame, because it was not a mistake of their own, but they were the turning points in this championship.” Does Honda make a motorcycle for Marc Marquez, or is Marc Marquez the rider who best understands Honda? “Honda makes a motorcycle and the rider has to have the ability to adapt. The positive for our team and our structure is that the three riders that have the same motorcycle, Jorge [Lorenzo], Cal [Crutchlow] and I, have the same comments and feedback for evolution. There is a whole technical group behind us, they are human, and it’s with the results of their work that you have to know how to adapt and get the most out of each situation. ” What motivation do you have for the four remaining races? “The first objective I have in Japan is to try to finish the race, because after being a champion, every year I have fallen in the next race. I already said in Aragon that my intention was to try to finish on the podium in all the remaining races and it remains the same, without forgetting that there is a Constructors Championship that we are leading and also the Team Championship, which Ducati is now leading, but the Repsol Honda Team is just 19 points behind and we will keep pushing for it.”
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Post by truenorth on Oct 9, 2019 8:35:27 GMT -8
'Sometimes my best is disappointing' - Lorenzo on 2019 nightmare Three-time MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo's first season with Honda has been memorable for anything but his on-track results. In this interview, he opens up about a disastrous 2019 campaign, and what the future holds Autosport Oriol PuigdemontPublished October 8th 2019 Jorge Lorenzo's much-anticipated move to Honda for the 2019 MotoGP season has proved to be a crushing disappointment. It was always expected that going up against incumbent reigning champion Marc Marquez in the same team would be a challenge, but few would've predicted just how far Lorenzo would be off not just his team-mate's pace but all the other frontrunners too. Injuries have not helped, especially given Lorenzo's lack of affinity with the bike's characteristics and the need for time and mileage to acclimatise. The nadir seemed to have been reached in mid-summer, when - amid a long injury layoff - Lorenzo was believed to have tried to exit his Honda deal to return to Ducati. He ultimately committed to his current team, but there was little respite when he returned to action as his struggle for pace continued. As Marquez clinched the title with yet another race win in Thailand, Lorenzo finished nearly a minute behind and outside the points. Autosport's Oriol Puigdemont sat down with Lorenzo for an exclusive chat about the toughest year of his career so far. After all you've been through this year, what is the most important lesson you'll take? Jorge Lorenzo: The mistakes that caused me injuries this year, I had made them before. In this sport you have to be on the limit, you have to push. And you don't know you're going to fall, because otherwise I'd be slowing down at that particular point, that's obvious. I can think that in Assen I wasn't feeling very well as a consequence of the Montmelo [Barcelona] test accident and, that not being 100%, the best thing would have been not to push. If I'd known, I'd have been more conservative. I don't think any of this year's injuries are particularly important. What made your adaptation process to the Honda much more complicated than the one you faced at Ducati? JL: There's not just one reason. First of all, I've never been 100% physically. I arrived at the Valencia and Jerez tests with the hard ligaments already in bad shape. And even so I didn't do too bad because I liked that bike [the 2018 one] quite a lot. The problem was the new one, which didn't give me confidence in the corners. It was faster on the straights but I was slower in general. I offered my suggestions then but it was probably too late, because Honda's intention was to continue with the engine they had built. Marc was able to adapt and found a way to counter those deficits, while [Cal] Crutchlow and I suffered more than if we had kept the old one. Takeo Yokoyama, the technical director of HRC, acknowledged that Honda focused last winter on finding the power to match Ducati in straightline speed, comfortable in the knowledge that Marquez could manage riding a more critical-handling bike. What would you do now in his place with a view to the 2020 model? JL: What I would do is try to design a bike that can be ridden by more than one rider. Is it realistic to think we'll ever see your best version again? JL: I can't do worse. My best version? This sport validates the saying 'when it rains it pours'. You feel bad, it affects your confidence and everything gets worse. When the bike changes a little, you regain some confidence and you start to believe more in yourself, everything straightens up and improves more than with some new parts brought for you. That happens not only in sport but in life in general. You think: Lorenzo is two seconds away from Marquez and it looks like a lot. But everything can change in a short time. In Jerez, in pre-season and without knowing the bike, I rode as fast as he did. Why? Well, because that bike gave me better sensations and I liked that circuit better. What are the key elements that can restore that trust in the bike? JL: First of all, to feel good physically. And that the bike improves in some areas so that it gives me a greater security with the front end. In that case I'll go fast because I've always been fast. Do you understand that after the doubts that came over you and led you to consider changing team, Honda has lost some confidence in you? JL: I fully understand Honda's position. The brand, both from the technical side, with Takeo, and from the executive side, with Alberto [Puig], has always understood, supported and pushed me. But they also understand the hard times I've been through. As I said back at Silverstone, when I came back from the back injury, in those difficult moments you have many doubts. In fact, the plan we started in Japan to improve the bike for next year is still in place. Whether those changes will work or not, I don't know that. But the intention is to put them into practice, that has been confirmed to me. And do you have a strategy to show Honda your commitment? JL: At one point I had doubts about my career and I let Honda know. When I sorted them out, I told them that my intention was to go ahead with the project. From there it's Honda's decision. I can't change what happened and what I feel. I try to give my best every time I go out on the track, but sometimes the best of me is disappointing. But that level is as high as I can go with how the bike makes me feel right now, so I don't know how to give more and I can't give more. During those four races on the sidelines did you really plan to retire? JL: I prefer to limit myself to saying that I had doubts and from there each one can draw their own conclusions. And do you still have those doubts? JL: Not right now. You have shared a team with Valentino Rossi and now with Marquez. Who would you say made things more difficult for you? JL: Neither of them. I've always been strong enough to just focus on myself and my work. What my team-mate says or does has never affected me. But they're both great champions and they don't give anything to their partner. I'm like that too. You have one more year of your contract with Honda. Could continuing with the current dynamic put at risk all the prestige that was gained previously in your career? JL: I don't care what people think. I care about my people and my fans. Those who are not with me will not be under any circumstances. This situation is critical because I've always been used to winning. But if I take a broader view of everything I've achieved in my career, I consider myself a very lucky guy. Obviously I want to do well with Honda, but if for whatever reason I don't make it, it wouldn't be the end of the world either. Have you ever thought about reaching an agreement with Honda to find a way out of this situation? JL: I signed with Honda and I am a fighter who wants to achieve the goals he has set for himself. So far I've reached them and if I don't manage it this time it would be the first time.
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Post by truenorth on Oct 9, 2019 9:46:09 GMT -8
Peter Bom: Thats how the delicate balance of real hard braking in MotoGP looks like. Note that his foot is still on the peg, ready to grab some rearbrake in case the Engine Brake is confused again at the moment he's about to turn in. Tyres are Marc's favorite combi: Hard front & Soft rear.
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Post by truenorth on Oct 10, 2019 8:12:26 GMT -8
Forcada: "Rossi will win again? Not a World Cup, a difficult race": "I don't think he will be able to do it under normal conditions. He chose Munoz not because he was better technically but to shake up the pits"
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Post by truenorth on Oct 10, 2019 9:02:35 GMT -8
MotoGP returns to Brazil in 2022 at Rio Motorpark 10.10.2019 MotoGP bosses have today announced the series will make a return to Brazil in 2022 after signing a five-year deal with the new Rio Motorpark. Brazil, and Rio de Janeiro, have already staged some incredible chapters in the history of the sport, most recently in 2004 at Jacarepaguá, which had hosted MotoGP since 1995. The development of a new venue to replace Jacarepaguá, which was repurposed as an Olympic Park, makes for an exciting prospect for both the sport and the city. Rio Motorpark is forecast for completion in 2021 and features a 4.5km layout of seven left- and six right-handed corners, with an approximate MotoGP™ laptime of 1’38. “The news that we already have a first competition for Rio’s new racetrack, MotoGP, confirmed for 2022, represents a great advance for our city,” said The construction of the Deodoro racetrack is a spectacular project, with an extraordinary investment that will generate 7,000 jobs and makeMarcelo Crivella, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro. “Rio regain the leading role in major competitions. We will take development to a region of the city with many needs, which is the West Zone, and stimulate tourism. All this without the City putting a penny into the project, since the whole investment will be the responsibility of the concessionaire.”
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Post by truenorth on Oct 10, 2019 16:04:17 GMT -8
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Post by truenorth on Oct 11, 2019 7:41:45 GMT -8
PecinoGP Lorenzo’s situation: unsustainable Yin and yang—darkness and light in Chinese—is a philosophical principle that explains the existence of two opposing but complementary forces: yin, associated with passivity; and yang, linked to the active. A situation that can perfectly be applied to what happened in the Repsol Honda Team box in Buriram last weekend. While Marc Márquez, with all his energy, his attitude to overcome difficulties, and finally the conquest of his eighth world crown represented the full expression of yang, Jorge Lorenzo embodied the starkest version of yin. I don’t know if there was any passivity on his part, I imagine not because Jorge is a champion, but there were his statements made on Saturday afternoon after qualifying 19th on the starting grid. Thai GP, warm up Sunday morning: Lorenzo finished last, 2.087 seconds behind Márquez who was first; in the race he crossed the finish line more than 56 s behind the winning Marc. When asked how long he could continue in a situation like the current one, Lorenzo unchecked himself with: “I can continue like this indefinitely. I have a two-year contract and my intention is to fulfill it.” The next day, in the warm up before the race he finished last, 2.087 seconds behind Márquez who was first. To sum up, one Team Repsol Honda bike finished first, and the other last. In the race it was even more embarrassing: Marc won the race and the championship while Lorenzo crossed the finish line more than 56 seconds behind his teammate.This meant that that he lost more than 2 seconds per lap! Official versions aside, anyone can see that the current situation is absolutely unsustainable. Never in the history of Honda in the World Championship has something like this been happened until Lorenzo arrived at the factory team box. In an interview with Spanish media, Jorge, in his line of clinging to the past, said he still has “the same talent and faculties as when he was winning world championships.” But what he did not declare is if he maintains the same attitude, desire and commitment of that time. One cannot read his mind, but the signals that he transmits and that are observed are that no, that the winning attitude, that the determination and the iron effort of that time are no longer with him. A few weeks ago, in our chronicle of the Misano GP, we wrote that Lorenzo isn’t there and doesn’t want to be there. He denied it, but after this race in Thailand, we have to restate it: “He is not there, nor does he want to be there.” What everyone agrees on is that the current situation is unsustainable. How to get out of it? Jorge’s wish, the ideal, would be for Honda to rub a magic lamp and that from it the motorcycle that Jorge is asking for appears. But in addition to not believing in magic lamps, in this fantasy the rider’s ‘win’ factor would still be missing. The most realistic way out of the Lorenzo / Honda situation would be for both parties to reach an agreement to separate. Envisioning 2020 with this pretense is … unimaginable. What is clear is that Honda is not going to be the one that breaks its commitment, in any way. The beginning would be for Jorge to make the decision to leave the Team Repsol Honda box. And this would only be possible if an economic agreement existed before. Because as the people around him explain, what obsesses Jorge today, more than motorcycles, is the money.
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Post by truenorth on Oct 11, 2019 7:47:26 GMT -8
Quartararo, Marquez and the future of MotoGP 10.10.2019 BSN David Miller Next year, Fabio Quartararo will be the boy, the contender, the fly in the Marquez’ anusol. Of that there is no question. The Spaniard himself has said so. In fact he has said it so often, that maybe he thinks Quartararo’s head will roll off with all the faux-praise. Whether Quartararo will be someone for Marquez to contend with next year is not so interesting because that answer is known. Whether Quartararo will be sitting in the same garage the year after is the more interesting question. Quartararo recently extended his Petronas deal to the end of 2020 complete with factory-spec M1 but you can bet your sweet patootie that come next March, the negotiations for 2021 and beyond will begin. Yamaha will want the signature of the Nice man. And considering who is due to retire at the end of 2020, you can see the most natural progression will be into the works Yamaha team on a big, and maybe lengthy, deal. It makes the most sense for Quartararo as he is already more golden than the previous golden boy, Maverick Vinales, who will likely move away when the contract ends. Quartararo will take one slot in the team with a Sky VR46 pupil nabbing the other. What won’t have been seen is Quartararo’s ability to adapt and change. Rossi and Casey Stoner showed they are able to win championships on more than one type of motorbike. Jorge Lorenzo has proven he can’t do that and it is highly doubtful that Marquez will even try. Years ago, the ability to win races and championships on different sorts of bike mattered. A lot. In recent years, popular opinion states is doesn’t matter how you win, so long as you win. One-trick ponies like Lorenzo are still considered great among greats like Eddie Lawson who won races against Wayne Rainey while riding a Cagiva, of all things. There hasn’t, for some considerable time, been a rider that should be as firmly at the top of every manufacturer’s ‘to do’ list as Quartararo. Ah, not everyone’s. KTM’s Pit Beirer said that after the Zarco Experiment, he would think long and hard before hiring a Yamaha rider again. And if Beirer is thinking it - saying it out loud, in fact - then maybe Alberto Puig is too. And Paolo Ciabatti. And Davide Brivio. And Massimo Rivola. Quartaro is only 20, and will be squeaking into his 21s when these decisions will need to be made. He should pick up his first world title anytime between January 2020 and 2022. Possibly he should stay with Yamaha. It’s clear that by mistake or design, the RC213V is only Marquez-friendly. The Ducati, though good, doesn’t suit ‘Yamaha’ riders. The Aprilia will be entirely different by Qatar next season so the GSX-RR is the next-best option. But Suzuki might not be able to afford him by then… What has now become clear is that MotoGP has a solid future after Rossi. Two years ago, there was a real sense of WTF as the grandstands were still full of yellow and not much else. Clearly, he is still the prince but with funny, educated and talented prospects like Quartararo in the works (team), everything might just be OK…
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Post by truenorth on Oct 11, 2019 7:54:25 GMT -8
Zarco set for shock MotoGP return with LCR Honda Oriol Puigdemont and Germán Garcia Casanova Oct 11, 2019 Johann Zarco is set to replace Takaaki Nakagami at LCR Honda for the last three rounds of the 2019 MotoGP season, Motorsport.com has learned. Takaaki Nakagami is suffering from a similar shoulder problem to the one that afflicted Marc Marquez last season, and for which the world champion had surgery last December. The fact that Marquez's recovery was slower and more complicated than expected has encouraged Nakagami to bring the operation forward to after his home race in Japan next weekend. LCR team boss Lucio Cecchinello therefore requires a substitute rider, and it is thought almost certain that former KTM rider Zarco will take that role for Phillip Island, Sepang and Valencia. Zarco has been on the sidelines since splitting with KTM last month. His deal with the team was supposed to run to the end of 2020, but after struggling in the first half of the season the two parties agreed to separate a year early, before KTM brought his exit even further forward. LCR and Honda declined to comment on the situation, but a statement officially confirming Zarco's appearance is expected within the next few days. Though Zarco is still under contract to KTM to the end of 2019, Pit Beirer - the head of its racing division - said recently that he would not prevent his outgoing rider from getting on a competitor's bike before 2020. Zarco had been expected to return to the Yamaha fold for 2020 in a testing role, having starred with its former satellite team Tech 3 before his ill-fated KTM deal. Honda had targeted Zarco for this season as potential teammate to Marquez before he picked KTM. The three races for LCR give Honda a chance to assess how Zarco would perform on its year-old bike in competitive circumstances. Honda currently faces a dilemma over Jorge Lorenzo, who is contracted to the works team alongside Marquez for 2020 but who has struggled badly since joining the team and shows no prospect of being able to turn the situation around at present. Nakagami has long been expected to keep the LCR seat into 2020 but his deal has not yet been completed. At Buriram last weekend he said the matter was "almost" sorted and he hoped to be able to announce it "as soon as possible".
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Post by truenorth on Oct 11, 2019 8:23:35 GMT -8
Johann Zarco To Replace Takaaki Nakagami At LCR Honda For 3 Races - Prelude To 2020 Contract? David Emmett on Fri, 2019-10-11
Johann Zarco is set to replace Takaaki Nakagami for the final three races of 2019, and race the 2018-spec Honda RC213V for the Idemitsu LCR Honda team. The news was first broken by Oriol Puigdemont of Motorsport.com, and though nobody contacted by MotoMatters.com would comment on the news, it was later confirmed by Zarco to Thomas Baujard of the French publication Moto Journal.
The reason for the switch, according to Motorsport.com, is that Nakagami has been struggling with shoulder problems similar to those suffered by Marc Márquez, whose shoulder kept dislocating. Nakagami is considering the same surgery as Márquez to rectify the problem, and based on the length of time Márquez took to recover from surgery, is looking at having surgery in October, rather than December, in the hope of getting a head start on rehabilitating the shoulder. As a result, Nakagami would ride only his home Grand Prix at Motegi in Japan, before having surgery done.
This would leave Lucio Cecchinello's LCR Honda team in need of a replacement rider. With Johann Zarco currently out of a job, after being released by KTM after Misano, Zarco would be the ideal replacement for the Japanese rider.
Hurdles to be taken
There are a couple of complications still to be cleared: first, KTM would have to formally grant permission for Zarco to ride the LCR Honda. That should not be an issue. At Aragon, KTM Sporting Director Pit Beirer told reporters, "He's under contract with us, we're going to pay him until the end of the season, but if he comes tomorrow and he wants to test any motorcycle or race any motorcycle, he can even race against us this Sunday, because I want the best for him. And if there is the smallest chance, he has to jump on it with my full support, and we will fix all the paperwork needed to get the release."
The bigger problem for Zarco is that he faces a choice. He currently has an offer on the table from Yamaha to work as a test rider for the MotoGP team in 2020. However, if he signs to race for LCR Honda, Yamaha may choose to seek elsewhere for a test rider. That would mean Zarco going all in on finding a race ride for 2020, rather than a testing role.
Unhappy marriage
There may yet be a seat for Zarco in MotoGP in 2020. The marriage between Repsol Honda and Jorge Lorenzo has been deeply unhappy, Lorenzo struggling with injury from the start of the season, then fracturing two vertebrae in a crash at Assen and missing three races as a result.
Since returning from that injury, he has been struggling even to score points, finishing 56 seconds behind the winner at Silverstone, 47 seconds behind at Misano, 46 seconds behind at Aragon, and 54 seconds back in Buriram. In those four races, he has amassed a total of 4 points, compared to the 95 points scored by his teammate Marc Márquez in the same races.
There have been other incidents as well. There was an ill-disguised flirtation with Ducati over the summer break, and a strong belief that Lorenzo has lost any motivation to try to get on with the 2019 Honda. The relationship between Lorenzo and HRC, especially team boss Alberto Puig, has been frosty.
Johann Zarco could be the key that breaks that deadlock. Honda get an unheard of opportunity to give a rider with MotoGP podiums a test ride on their bike before choosing to sign them for the factory squad. Zarco will be working with HRC engineers in the LCR Honda squad, and they will be able to give their feedback on how he works, while Honda will also get a look at his ability to ride the bike.
Frying pan to fire?
There are two question marks over that, of course. Firstly, the Honda is a very physical bike to ride, which needs to be pushed to get the best out of it. The character of the RC213V is very similar to the KTM RC16, which Zarco struggled to master, and developed a deep and abiding dislike of. Team bosses and engineers have compared Zarco's style with Jorge Lorenzo's, which suggests that Zarco might struggle with the bike much as Lorenzo has.
The saving grace for Zarco is that he would be riding the 2018 Honda RC213V. That bike is a more rider-friendly machine, giving the rider the feedback, feel, and confidence from the front end which the 2019 Honda lacks. Zarco relies on the front to carry corner speed and turn the bike, so the 2018 machine could suit his style. The fact that Jorge Lorenzo was competitive when he first tried the 2018 machine – finishing within a few tenths of his teammate in the tests at Valencia and Jerez in November last year – suggests that Zarco should find it easier to ride.
And Zarco might be able to avoid the foibles of the 2019 Honda RC213V altogether, if Repsol Honda decide to replace Jorge Lorenzo with the Frenchman. He will be riding the 2018 bike at Phillip Island, Sepang, and Valencia, and then jump on a 2020 prototype at the Valencia and Jerez tests. HRC Technical Manager Takeo Yokoyama told Crash.net's Peter McLaren and Neil Morrison that Honda's main priority was making the 2020 bike easier to ride. Whether Repsol Honda stick with Jorge Lorenzo or replace him with Johann Zarco, it will be imperative they succeed in that endeavor.
Taka safe
Zarco taking Takaaki Nakagami's place for the remainder of 2019 would not affect the 2020 season. Though Nakagami is yet to sign a contract for next season, he has repeatedly told reporters that he is very close to a deal, with just a few details to iron out.
The second seat in LCR Honda will be held for Nakagami, as it is funded by Japanese oil brand Idemitsu, and subsidized by Honda. Both of those companies want a Japanese rider in the premier class, and while there is some real talent on its way through from Moto3 and the Asia Talent Cup, it will be a few years before they are ready to tackle MotoGP.
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Post by truenorth on Oct 11, 2019 9:06:18 GMT -8
Pete Benson, former CT of Hayden and Dovizioso, returns in KTM: Nicky and Andrea's former technical chief will leave SBK and BMW to return to MotoGP with the oranges
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Post by truenorth on Oct 11, 2019 16:41:21 GMT -8
David Emmett Retweeted Bradley Smith Done it before, would happily do it again. All in the name of improvements.
Autosport Pol Espargaro says Johann Zarco's permanent replacement at KTM must be willing to "suffer" as the team works to improve its bike
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Post by truenorth on Oct 14, 2019 6:24:06 GMT -8
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Post by truenorth on Oct 14, 2019 6:51:05 GMT -8
MotoGP bosses to scrap Valencia test in 2020 14.10.2019 BSN MotoGP bosses have today announced that due to an extra races being added to the schedule in future, the traditional post-Valencia test will be scrapped after 2019. In addition, a year later the Qatar test before the season-opening race will also be chucked in the skip to reduce costs and wear and tear on teams and riders. Testing schedule for 2020 season Valencia 19-20 November Two-day official test. Jerez 25-26 November Two-day joint private test Sepang 02-04 February Three-day shakedown test. Sepang 07-09 February Three-day official test. Qatar 22-24 February Three-day official test Jerez 04 May One-day official test after the GP Barcelona 08 June One-day official test after the GP Finland 15-16 June Two-day Michelin tyre test – test teams only Misano 15-16 September Two-day joint private test Testing schedule for 2021 season Jerez 19-20 November Two-day official test Sepang 01-03 February (prov) Three-day shakedown test Sepang 06-08 February (prov) Three-day official test There will additional testing in 2021 which might include: Possible three-day, pre-season test at Lombok, Indonesia if circuit is on 2021 calendar. Two of one-day official tests on Mondays after events. Circuits to be confirmed. Two-day official test at a circuit to be confirmed – probably Misano.
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Post by truenorth on Oct 14, 2019 7:40:45 GMT -8
Thailand MotoGP night race 'could be an idea for the future' Peter McLaren 14 Oct 2019 A MotoGP night race at Buriram, Thailand 'could be an idea for the future, but not next season' During the recent scorching hot Thai MotoGP, the reaction of many locals to the news that the Buriram round was moving from October to March next season was the warning, 'it's even hotter here in March!' Some then asked, 'will it be a night race?' A night race has been reported by local media as a possibility for 2020 and, given the extensive circuit lighting already in place (pictured), seemed to make perfect sense to the Thai fans. Not only would a night race avoid the worst of the searing temperatures - the same reason given for Qatar becoming MotoGP's first and so far only night event - but crowd numbers might also be boosted since fans would be willing to watch in the open air (assuming no rain) rather than being forced to seek shade in a grandstand. Unfortunately for any overheating fans, riders and team members it looks like it won't happen for 2020, with the existing lighting not of the level required for MotoGP and only five months until the next race. Thailand MotoGP night race 'could be an idea for the future' A night race avoid the worst of the searing temperatures - the same reason given for Qatar becoming MotoGP's first and so far only night event - but crowd numbers might also be boosted since fans would be willing to watch in the open air (assuming no rain) rather than being forced to seek shade in a grandstand. Unfortunately for any overheating fans, riders and team members it looks like it won't happen for 2020, with the existing lighting not of the level required for MotoGP and only five months until the next race. " is not the plan for 2020. It could be an idea for the future, but not for next season," a Dorna spokesman told Crash.net. "But they have to install the whole equipment and this means both time and money."
This year's Buriram World Superbike round was held in March when air temperatures reached 36 degrees (5 degrees hotter than the MotoGP) and the track temperature 52 degrees (4 degrees higher than MotoGP).
Sepang in Malaysia, which until the arrival of Buriram was considered clearly the most punishing event of the season, also now has a lighting system in place, which will be put to use in December's 8 Hours FIM world endurance race. But as with Buriram, there appear to be no concrete plans to upgrade the lighting to MotoGP spec.
Buriram is scheduled to host round two of the 2020 MotoGP season, after Qatar, on March 19-22.
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