2023 banter & Silly season thread for MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3

[Everso Biggyballies]

Bottom post of the previous page:

12 to go and its the same order with Martin 3.5 secs clear, but Dig closing on Binder and Zarco closing on Bags.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Dig goes to 2nd over Binder with Bags half a second behind Binder still has Zarco close behind.

[SBan83]

What a finish. Happy for Zarco! I remember when he used to have impressive runs for Tech 3, but the wins never came. Mixed feelings for the team probably but surely had Zarco not passed him, someone else would've.

[Everso Biggyballies]

WHAAAT. Crazy last lap. with 2 to go it was Martin by 0.9 from Zarco and Bags Dig, Binder all nose to tail and they went into the last lap.....

They went into the hirpin side by side in a cluster and came out with Zarco leading from Bags Binder and Martin down to 4th all still in a. group.

By the time they got to the line it was Zarco Bags Dig, Binder and Martin 5th.

Zarco wins his first ever MotoGP race.

Unbeleivable last lap never seen anything like it.

Not sure if the track changed or tyres went over the cliff.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Just changing from that crazy last lap for a second, for tomorrow another change of schedule with things being brought forward....I guess in the hope of beating the weather. The Sprint race will now be 1:00pm lunchtime.

Moto 3 race at 10:00m, Moto2 at 11:15

Sunday
08:20-08:30 Moto3 Warm Up
08:40-08:50 Moto2 Warm Up
09:00-09:10 MotoGP Warm Up

10:00-10:35 Moto3 21 laps Race

11:15-11:55 Moto2 23 laps Race

13:00-14:15 MotoGP 13 laps Tissot Sprint

Bag to that crazy last lap. Still cant work out why how or what happened.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Just going back to watch the last 5 laps on replay.

With 5 to go it was Jorge by 2.5 from Binder with Bags in 5th

4 to go the gap atthe front was down to 2.1

3 to go the gap was down. to 1.7 Bags 5th and Zarco 3rd

2 to go the gap was down to 1.2 from Binder Zarco Dig and Bags

At that point the championship was Bags 359, Martin 6 points behind.

Into the last lap into T1 it was Martin by 0.4 from Zarco and Bags was up to 3rd


Then that crazy last la ad the hustle bustle at the hairpin where it all changed./

Watching all the replays I have actually missed all the post race interviews to see whether it was a tyre thing. I think Martin had taken a soft rear at the start of the race with other choosing the hard rear. That might have been his downfall.

Edit: So with 1 lap to go the Championship gap was just 6 points.... it is now out to 27 points

[Everso Biggyballies]

French Moto GP race winners is quite an exclusive club that Zarco has joined.

Obviously Quartararo is the most successful with 11 wins

After that is is just 3 single race winners, 4 including Zarco..

In chronological order:

Pierre Monneret who won the 1954 French GP
Christian Sarron won the 1985 German GP
Régis Laconi won the 1999 Valencian GP.

And then Zarco today winning the Australian GP at P.I..

If it is of note Zarco is the first / only French rider to win a Premier class MotoGP race in Aus.

[Vassago]

Crashfest in Moto3 and Moto2 because of rain, the latter being red-flagged after 10 laps.

[Everso Biggyballies]

MOTO GP SPRINT CANCELLED

The weather got worsre and the MotoGP Sprint race has been cancelled due to the extreme weather. Its blowing a gale down there as forecast. So a good call to bring the main race forward to yesterday

Brollies taking off and flying around!



Jack Miller doesnt agree with the call though....

He has questioned the decision to cancel the Phillip Island MotoGP Sprint as he thanked fans for turning out at the track today.

Following that announcement, Miller led a handful of riders in walking across Gardner Straight to thank fans who were still lining the fence.

However, the Red Bull KTM rider could not hide his frustration at there not even being an attempt to run the race.

“These guys have come out and sat in this miserable stuff all day and we didn’t even have the balls to go and ride in front of them,” he said on Fox Sports.

“May as well come out and take some photos.”

Asked if he would like to have raced, the Australian replied, “Yeah, of course.

“I mean they sent Moto2 and Moto3 out; why can’t we go out and at least try?

“But, powers above me…”

He added, “It’s a shame [because] we only get to race in front of these guys once a year; to not even try hurts.”

[Everso Biggyballies]

What a great MotoGP race in Thailand. I wont spoil it for those that might not have seen it yet but its a belter. Plus there was a bit of a sting after the finish.

[Everso Biggyballies]

New doubts over Miller’s place on 2024 MotoGP grid

I thought all the KTM and GasGas seats were sorted but it seems not. It seems he will be on the grid, the doubt being whether on the works KTM or on one of the Satellite GasGas seats.

He has been a bit overwhelmed by Binder of late and he sits 10th in the championship on 144 points, well behind Binder in fourth on 249.

The doubts have arrived with the latest rumours suggesting runaway Moto 2 leader Acosta might be fast tracked straight into the KTM works team rather than the previouly thought GasGas setup.

KTM management sort of talk of the original plan has not changed, but with KTM openly seeing Acosta as their future star, there is a. theory circulating on the Miller-Acosta swap is that the man whom KTM is hailing as the next Marc Marquez wants the carbon chassis which has recently been given to the Red Bull KTM riders.

Smoke fire and all that.

More smoke aand fire surrounding Ducati and who rides where next year..... IF Martin was to win the title this year on the Pramac Desmosedici, speculation is he would be moved to the factory Ducati Team at the expense of Enea Bastianini. Ducati hold all the Pramac and works contracts so what the small print of the individual contracts stipulate could be the key. How specific to the works team is Bastianini tied?
It will all get sorted but just posting the rumours.

[Cheeveer]

Malaysia became the Tyre Pressures GP. Tense, but not thrilling. Bag's in control.

[Cheeveer]

New doubts over Miller’s place on 2024 MotoGP grid

I thought all the KTM and GasGas seats were sorted but it seems not. It seems he will be on the grid, the doubt being whether on the works KTM or on one of the Satellite GasGas seats.

He has been a bit overwhelmed by Binder of late and he sits 10th in the championship on 144 points, well behind Binder in fourth on 249.

The doubts have arrived with the latest rumours suggesting runaway Moto 2 leader Acosta might be fast tracked straight into the KTM works team rather than the previouly thought GasGas setup.

KTM management sort of talk of the original plan has not changed, but with KTM openly seeing Acosta as their future star, there is a. theory circulating on the Miller-Acosta swap is that the man whom KTM is hailing as the next Marc Marquez wants the carbon chassis which has recently been given to the Red Bull KTM riders.

Smoke fire and all that.

More smoke aand fire surrounding Ducati and who rides where next year..... IF Martin was to win the title this year on the Pramac Desmosedici, speculation is he would be moved to the factory Ducati Team at the expense of Enea Bastianini. Ducati hold all the Pramac and works contracts so what the small print of the individual contracts stipulate could be the key. How specific to the works team is Bastianini tied?
It will all get sorted but just posting the rumours.

First time in a long time that Miller was the KTM now in Malaysia. Both he and Bestia secured their 2024 rides today, me thinks.

[Everso Biggyballies]

New doubts over Miller’s place on 2024 MotoGP grid

I thought all the KTM and GasGas seats were sorted but it seems not. It seems he will be on the grid, the doubt being whether on the works KTM or on one of the Satellite GasGas seats.

He has been a bit overwhelmed by Binder of late and he sits 10th in the championship on 144 points, well behind Binder in fourth on 249.

The doubts have arrived with the latest rumours suggesting runaway Moto 2 leader Acosta might be fast tracked straight into the KTM works team rather than the previouly thought GasGas setup.

KTM management sort of talk of the original plan has not changed, but with KTM openly seeing Acosta as their future star, there is a. theory circulating on the Miller-Acosta swap is that the man whom KTM is hailing as the next Marc Marquez wants the carbon chassis which has recently been given to the Red Bull KTM riders.

Smoke fire and all that.

More smoke aand fire surrounding Ducati and who rides where next year..... IF Martin was to win the title this year on the Pramac Desmosedici, speculation is he would be moved to the factory Ducati Team at the expense of Enea Bastianini. Ducati hold all the Pramac and works contracts so what the small print of the individual contracts stipulate could be the key. How specific to the works team is Bastianini tied?
It will all get sorted but just posting the rumours.

First time in a long time that Miller was the KTM now in Malaysia. Both he and Bestia secured their 2024 rides today, me thinks.

Lol.... I thought back to this post whilst watching todays GP and thought exactly the same as you mention for both Enea and Jack. Especially when Binder did a Miller and put himself on the floor. .

[SBan83]

That was a title disappointment. Martin was on the edge today it seemed...first getting out of shape in Bagnaia's slipstream and dropping to P7, then running into Marquez and taking them both out.

[Everso Biggyballies]

That was a title disappointment. Martin was on the edge today it seemed...first getting out of shape in Bagnaia's slipstream and dropping to P7, then running into Marquez and taking them both out.

Yeah Martin looked like an accident waiting to happen from the get go of the main race. A bit of an anti climax end to it all at the end of the day.

So season done, but for the silly bits. I guess the major news is that the shit has hit the fan in the land of Aprilia Satellite teams.....

Satellite Aprilia team CryptoDATA RNF has been kicked out of MotoGP on the eve of 2023 post-season testing.

A statement issued by MotoGP announced:

“The MotoGP Selection Committee, comprising members of FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports, have decided not to select the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team for the 2024 season.

“Repeated infractions and breaches of the Participation Agreement affecting the public image of MotoGP have obliged this decision.

“The Selection Committee will be reviewing applications for a new Independent Team, using Aprilia machinery, to join the MotoGP class grid for 2024.

It was announced ahead of the weekend race that RNF founder and 40 percent shareholder Razlan Razali was leaving the team.
That came amid speculation of financial difficulties and a possible takeover.

CrytoDATA, which became a 60 percent shareholder a year ago, responded to those rumours with a statement claiming the team was operating on a "business as usual" basis. Razali owns the 40% balance

The team had this year fielded Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez, a line-up which was set to continue into 2024.

A lot of blame was being flung around by Crypto bank, none of it their fault, Razali was mis-spending money etc. There will be no doubt a lot of he said they said going backwards and forwards over the next few days, general blame mongering, discrediting and bitch fighting and no doubt the truth will gradually unfold.

It seems that DORNA dont like the way CryptoDATA operate.... and neither does Razali. Crypto DATA are implying they fired Razali from operations but it seems Razali actually resigned after Malaysia a couple of weeks ago..... this proven by info on UK Companies House.

The good news is that there will be a Satellite Aprilia Team on the Grid next year..... the rumours at the moment suggest (NASCAR's) Trackhouse Racing are going to buy the team.

So at the moment all that is clear is that the team known as CryptoDATA RNF has been kicked out but an Aprilia Satellit Team will be present next year.

Watch this space as they say.