Burgess Plea for Change
September 7th, 2011From Matthew Birt in MCN, the starkest statement yet that Ducati needs to change direction:
We need to make some bigger steps and that is up to Ducati. We’ve moved the bike around in all shapes and positions, as has every other guy riding the Ducati. When we look at the settimgs [sic] used by Casey (Stoner) we can put those in too. But it gets to a point where you don’t do anymore.
Another Defence of Indy Fails To Make A Case
September 7th, 2011Bob Kravitz, writing in the Indy Star in defence of the Indianapolis MotoGP Course:
Mr. Kravitz thinks the dwindling crowds at the MotoGP event are down to criticism like Stoner’s. I contend other factors are more at play here: visibility of the action for the crowd and TV; a course layout that challenges the riders; a layout that, in short, provides entertainment and spectacle. Sort this out and a the riders will have nothing to complain about.
The American market is important to MotoGP. The establishment of a third USA-based race in the future proves this. History or not, in the end MotoGP does not owe anything to Indy. Indy must justify and prove itself in a packed MotoGP calendar. For me, a make-shift MotoGP course, even in “the world’s most famous oval” does not cut the mustard.
Was the track slippery? Yes. That happens when a track gets repaved. Adjust and move on.
Does the track lack the challenges these riders see on other tracks throughout the world? Absolutely. They often run on picturesque tracks, weaving through the trees, enjoying changes of elevation.
Indianapolis is what Indianapolis is: a make-shift MotoGP course established inside the world’s most famous oval.
Mr. Kravitz thinks the dwindling crowds at the MotoGP event are down to criticism like Stoner’s. I contend other factors are more at play here: visibility of the action for the crowd and TV; a course layout that challenges the riders; a layout that, in short, provides entertainment and spectacle. Sort this out and a the riders will have nothing to complain about.
The American market is important to MotoGP. The establishment of a third USA-based race in the future proves this. History or not, in the end MotoGP does not owe anything to Indy. Indy must justify and prove itself in a packed MotoGP calendar. For me, a make-shift MotoGP course, even in “the world’s most famous oval” does not cut the mustard.
Stoner Stands Firm on Indy
September 6th, 2011Stoner nails the reasons why Indy is a poor track. From MCN:
The corners get tighter and tighter until you are almost stopped and then you have to get on the gas and exit. It doesn’t flow at all, each set of corners it muddles you up and then you go a little straight.I, for one, am glad to have Casey as a break from the PR fluff around MotoGP. I am not pleased to see Indy back on the calendar for another three years.
Toby Moody’s Flawed Defence Of Indy
August 31st, 2011In his Autosport piece on Why Indy must stay on the MotoGP calendar, Toby Moody tries to mount an emotional defence of Indy, but fails to identify why it should stay and ends up nailing why the circuit is the weakest on the calendar.
I would not miss Indy if it goes and Moody does little to convince me otherwise.
[Stoner] said it was not the most enjoyable of circuits to race on – something that I can understand – but to systematically criticise nigh on every corner in a media scrum on Saturday evening wasn’t what some of the big wigs wanted to hear as they emerged from negotiations with Dorna to extend the event’s presence on the calendar for 2012 and beyond.Stoner’s vocal attacks on the circuit were harsh but fair. A lack of grip on the racing line at the start of the weekend, transforming into an even greater lack of grip offline in the marbles by the end of the weekend, did not inspire rider confidence. From the crazy kerbing on the outside of the final corner, to the tight, flat uninteresting mid-section of the course in the infield with nothing to interest or inspire the rider or the spectator, there is little to commend the course.
I would not miss Indy if it goes and Moody does little to convince me otherwise.
Lorenzo’s Gamble at Brno
August 22nd, 2011From Randy Mamola’s column for Alpinestars:
More of the same please, Jorge.
I talked to Lorenzo’s crew chief Ramon Forcada after the race about the choice to run the softer front tire and he said it was Jorge’s call after morning warm-up, as he did a good run of low 1:57’s on a tire that had 25 laps on it and thought it could’ve helped him put pressure on Dani early in the race. As it was, the gamble backfired for the reigning champ and he now sits 32 points behind Casey in the championship standings with seven races to go.How refreshing to see Lorenzo taking a punt and trying something different. It is an indication that the Honda is a superior machine this season, and of Yamaha’s struggle to match them. This agreed, Lorenzo’s approach is not one of sitting back and hoping consistency wins the day – it won’t – but of looking for chinks in the Honda’s armour. This particular punt did not pay off, track temperature rose too high during the race, but Jorge deserves credit for trying it. A little more cloud and he could have been troubling the Hondas. And the approach of putting Pedrosa under pressure early on looks like a valid one given Dani’s exit stage left before race end.
More of the same please, Jorge.
Lorenzo Underwhelmed By Yamaha Engine Updates
August 17th, 2011From MCN:
“It is only a slight difference but for sure in Indy we will use this engine. It seems a little bit better in top speed but it is not clearly much better.”Jorge Lorenzo is not exactly brimming with praise for the engine update tested in Brno, which apparently will be used at Indy.
Rider Media Training Wins The Day
August 16th, 2011From the Berkeley PR Blog: an interesting PR take on the way MotoGP riders handled the Japanese GP questions at Brno. Following flat refusals to attend the GP a few weeks ago, the rider’s positions have softened as contractual realities have bitten, and the Dorna report on the radiation levels in Japan has been issued.
via @smginger
But as well-briefed and media-savvy professionals, Stoner, Lorenzo, Abraham and Rossi deftly responded using the A-B-C method. They (A) acknowledged the question, (B) bridged with a recap of their previous position, and then (C) communicated their points clearly and concisely. Such a change in position would automatically expose them all to criticism, but they were all so articulate none of the attending media could really find any points to argue.So, they dug themselves out of a mess, but this nevertheless flags up how unprepared they were for the initial questions before the summer break.
via @smginger
Motomatters.com: Preziosi Not For Turning
August 16th, 2011From MotoMatters.com’s transcript of the Q&A session with Preziosi:
We are exploring different solutions, though I don’t think material is the key point. But for sure, shapes, stiffness, distribution of the stiffness through the length are concepts that we want to explore in order to build up knowledge.The clearest indication yet that Ducati are not about to give up and revert to a more conventional frame.
Ryder on Rossi Mis-information
August 16th, 2011Ryder spots Rossi trying to sell a dummy to the paddock:
Rossi’s started the games again. Look out.
Rossi’s Friday comment about raising the handlebars being responsible for the improvement is clearly disingenuous. When you drop the forks as far as they’ll go through the yokes, then add extensions so you can drop them some more there is a fighting chance you’ll have to move the bars up, so that much is true.
New Tyre Regulations for Brno
August 13th, 2011A tweak to the tyre regulations comes into force this weekend, introduced remarkably quickly during the course of the season. The reg. change is to allow the use of a ‘bonus’ or ‘emergency’ option tyre of a softer specification.
Prior regulations allowed for eight front tyres of two compounds, and ten rears of two compounds. The new regs. give nine fronts of three compounds, but keep ten rears of two compounds, but the teams can decide the split of compounds within the ten (six of one, four of the other for example).
The rush to change the rules came about after discussions at Assen and the game of skittles that was the Friday Morning Free Practice session in Germany this year. The track temperature in both cases was too low for the compounds on offer, meaning the harder compounds never got up to temperature, and so the grip was not there.
Could the new option front be used as an old fashioned qualifier? As reported on Eurosport today, we are unlikely to see this at Brno, as the demanding front-end nature of the track means the soft tyre compound squashes too much under braking, reducing front end feel and actually resulting in a slower lap time.
Where we will see the “emergency option” used is on cold morning practice sessions. I’m looking at you, Phillip Island.
Prior regulations allowed for eight front tyres of two compounds, and ten rears of two compounds. The new regs. give nine fronts of three compounds, but keep ten rears of two compounds, but the teams can decide the split of compounds within the ten (six of one, four of the other for example).
The rush to change the rules came about after discussions at Assen and the game of skittles that was the Friday Morning Free Practice session in Germany this year. The track temperature in both cases was too low for the compounds on offer, meaning the harder compounds never got up to temperature, and so the grip was not there.
Could the new option front be used as an old fashioned qualifier? As reported on Eurosport today, we are unlikely to see this at Brno, as the demanding front-end nature of the track means the soft tyre compound squashes too much under braking, reducing front end feel and actually resulting in a slower lap time.
Where we will see the “emergency option” used is on cold morning practice sessions. I’m looking at you, Phillip Island.
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