2020 banter & Silly season thread for MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3

Current motorcycle racing related news, information and discussion.
Locked
User avatar
kals
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 28276
Joined: 16 years ago
Real Name: Kieran
Favourite Motorsport: F1..BTCC..MotoGP
Favourite Racing Car: Benetton B189
Favourite Circuit: Donington Park
Location: New Jersey

2020 banter & Silly season thread for MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3

#1

Post by kals »

The 2019 season ended on Sunday so let's kick off the 2020 thread. Testing starts today, and with that I offer this...
I'm confused with KTM's strategy. It's like they've developed a steam train while every other manufacturer is using a Tesla.
User avatar
Cheeveer
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 12549
Joined: 18 years ago
Real Name: Jacob
Favourite Racing Car: Panoz GTR1
Favourite Driver: Alex Zanardi
Favourite Circuit: Bathurst
Location: 24 hours from Le Mans

#2

Post by Cheeveer »

Yes, they had the flattest season of them all (excluding Ducati that went backwards but still were contenders). Even Aprilia seemed to make bigger gains over 2019.
***Some say you should live each day like it was your last... but who wants to live each day in wild panic and extreme death anxiety?

The universe, look at the hugeness of it... it is a dizzying thought that little ol' me is the centre of it all!***
User avatar
John
Ultimate Member
Ultimate Member
Posts: 8885
Joined: 8 years ago
Real Name: Jo
Location: Insert Swedish countryball here

#3

Post by John »

While I sort of respect KTM for trying to be true to their "DNA", philosophy, or whatever you want to call it, you have to compromise when trying to win races. As for Aprilia, I hope they can close the gap to the top-10 sooner rather than later, before they give up and concede defeat.
2018 GTP Accuracy champion.

CEREAL IS A SOUP.
User avatar
kals
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 28276
Joined: 16 years ago
Real Name: Kieran
Favourite Motorsport: F1..BTCC..MotoGP
Favourite Racing Car: Benetton B189
Favourite Circuit: Donington Park
Location: New Jersey

#4

Post by kals »

Cliff notes from day one of testing are that Yamaha were fastest, both Marquez brothers crashed, both 2020 Honda's were destroyed (MM and Bradl) in separate incidents and Lecuona was impressive again.

Code: Select all

Result
POS	DRIVER	TEAM	CAR	GAP	LAPS
1	Fabio Quartararo	Petronas Yamaha	Yamaha	1m30.163s	82
2	Maverick Vinales	Yamaha	Yamaha	0.164s	66
3	Franco Morbidelli	Petronas Yamaha	Yamaha	0.487s	71
4	Andrea Dovizioso	Ducati	Ducati	0.502s	58
5	Marc Marquez	Honda	Honda	0.535s	60
6	Joan Mir	Suzuki	Suzuki	0.648s	63
7	Alex Rins	Suzuki	Suzuki	0.795s	76
8	Pol Espargaro	KTM	KTM	0.811s	58
9	Valentino Rossi	Yamaha	Yamaha	0.849s	73
10	Jack Miller	Pramac Ducati	Ducati	0.967s	43
11	Cal Crutchlow	LCR Honda	Honda	1.020s	69
12	Danilo Petrucci	Ducati	Ducati	1.270s	10
13	Iker Lecuona	Tech3 KTM	KTM	1.482s	57
14	Andrea Iannone	Aprilia	Aprilia	1.511s	54
15	Tito Rabat	Avintia Ducati	Ducati	1.612s	53
16	Aleix Espargaro	Aprilia	Aprilia	1.652s	45
17	Dani Pedrosa	Tech3 KTM	KTM	1.700s	52
18	Michele Pirro	Pramac Ducati	Ducati	1.853s	38
19	Karel Abraham	Avintia Ducati	Ducati	1.871s	47
20	Bradley Smith	Aprilia	Aprilia	1.927s	50
21	Brad Binder	KTM	KTM	2.482s	70
22	Stefan Bradl	Honda	Honda	2.670s	25
23	Alex Marquez	LCR Honda	Honda	2.710s	53
User avatar
Vassago
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 3449
Joined: 20 years ago
Favourite Motorsport: Formula 1, IndyCar
Favourite Driver: Senna, Clark, Montoya
Favourite Circuit: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Location: Poland

#5

Post by Vassago »

John wrote: 4 years ago While I sort of respect KTM for trying to be true to their "DNA", philosophy, or whatever you want to call it, you have to compromise when trying to win races. As for Aprilia, I hope they can close the gap to the top-10 sooner rather than later, before they give up and concede defeat.
Well, 2020 could be a make it or break it year for KTM. They abandoned Moto2 so they're obviously all-in on the premier class. Let's see how that works. Aprilia is like stuck in noman's land, they're doing shit in WSB and hardly better in MotoGP. I wish they want the 125cc & 250cc classes back :haha:
07.04.1968 - Flower of Scotland when will we see your like again?
01.05.1994 - We'll never forget...
User avatar
kals
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 28276
Joined: 16 years ago
Real Name: Kieran
Favourite Motorsport: F1..BTCC..MotoGP
Favourite Racing Car: Benetton B189
Favourite Circuit: Donington Park
Location: New Jersey

#6

Post by kals »

Confirmed, Abraham is out
User avatar
Vassago
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 3449
Joined: 20 years ago
Favourite Motorsport: Formula 1, IndyCar
Favourite Driver: Senna, Clark, Montoya
Favourite Circuit: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Location: Poland

#7

Post by Vassago »

Augusto Fernandez moves from Pons to take Alex Marquez's place at Marc VDS.
07.04.1968 - Flower of Scotland when will we see your like again?
01.05.1994 - We'll never forget...
User avatar
John
Ultimate Member
Ultimate Member
Posts: 8885
Joined: 8 years ago
Real Name: Jo
Location: Insert Swedish countryball here

#8

Post by John »

Iannone suspended for steroid abuse.
2018 GTP Accuracy champion.

CEREAL IS A SOUP.
User avatar
kals
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 28276
Joined: 16 years ago
Real Name: Kieran
Favourite Motorsport: F1..BTCC..MotoGP
Favourite Racing Car: Benetton B189
Favourite Circuit: Donington Park
Location: New Jersey

#9

Post by kals »

Jeez... suspension gives him more time to manage, coach and be a role model for Fenati now.
User avatar
Antonov
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 13646
Joined: 15 years ago
Real Name: Tobias
Favourite Motorsport: Formula 1
Favourite Racing Car: MP4/13 ; F40
Favourite Driver: M. Hakkinen
Favourite Circuit: Some shitty street circuit
Car(s) Currently Owned: VW Golf GTI
Location: home

#10

Post by Antonov »

sounds like a witch hunt to me.
User avatar
Everso Biggyballies
Legendary Member
Legendary Member
Posts: 48993
Joined: 18 years ago
Real Name: Chris
Favourite Motorsport: Anything that goes left and right.
Favourite Racing Car: Too Many to mention
Favourite Driver: Kimi,Niki,Jim(none called Michael)
Favourite Circuit: Nordschleife, Spa, Mt Panorama.
Car(s) Currently Owned: Audi SQ5 3.0L V6 TwinTurbo
Location: Just moved 3 klms further away so now 11 klms from Albert Park, Melbourne.

#11

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Rossi hints at retirement end of next year.

Valentino Rossi has deemed it “better to not renew” his contract with Yamaha if his performances do not improve next year.

Valentino is off-contract at the end of the coming season, like the vast majority of the field including all of the factory riders.

Rossi managed just two podiums in 2019, second placings in each of the second and third rounds, and came to be regularly outperformed by factory team-mate Maverick Viñales and SRT Yamaha rookie Fabio Quartararo.

His former long-time crew chief, Jeremy Burgess, has already suggested that Rossi “has perhaps hung around a bit too long”, and now the Italian himself has publicly admitted he is weighing up his future.
“Next year will be crucial,” declared Rossi at the Gulf 12 Hours event, at which he took a podium.

“At the end of 2020 my contract ends, so unfortunately I will have to decide soon what to do, whether to continue or not.

“Logically, the decision to continue or not will depend a lot on the results. We have made changes in the team, so we will see if we are able to be more competitive and faster.

“To renew we must be stronger than we have been this year. If we are not, better not to renew.”
Also reading that Jorge Lorenzo is looking to rejoin Yamaha as a test rider. It seems the stumbling block is money with Lorenzo apparently seeking a race rider wage for a test rider job.

My thoughts on Lorenzo returning to Yamaha...... retire already. :wink:

* I started life with nothing, and still have most of it left


“Good drivers have dead flies on the side windows!” (Walter Röhrl)

* I married Miss Right. Just didn't know her first name was Always
User avatar
PTRACER
Forum Administrator
Forum Administrator
Posts: 42138
Joined: 20 years ago
Real Name: Paul
Favourite Motorsport: Formula 1
Favourite Racing Car: Lotus 49
Favourite Driver: Gilles Villeneuve, James Hunt
Favourite Circuit: Nordschleife
Car(s) Currently Owned: Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X JDM
Contact:

#12

Post by PTRACER »

Maybe Rossi will finally get his shot with Ferrari? :rockedover:
Developer of the 1967v3 Historic Mod for Grand Prix Legends: viewtopic.php?t=17429

King of the Race Track, Destroyer of Tyres, Breaker of Lap Records
User avatar
erwin greven
Staff
Staff
Posts: 20027
Joined: 19 years ago
Real Name: Erwin Greven
Favourite Motorsport: Endurance Racing
Favourite Racing Car: Lancia Delta 038 S4 Group B
Favourite Driver: Ronnie Peterson
Favourite Circuit: Nuerburgring Nordschleife
Car(s) Currently Owned: Peugeot 206 SW Air-Line 3 2007
Location: Stadskanaal, Groningen
Contact:

#13

Post by erwin greven »

Have to say he did a great run in the Gulf 12 hours. He was one of the fastest drivers.
Brian Redman: "Mr. Fangio, how do you come so fast?" "More throttle, less brakes...."
User avatar
Cheeveer
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 12549
Joined: 18 years ago
Real Name: Jacob
Favourite Racing Car: Panoz GTR1
Favourite Driver: Alex Zanardi
Favourite Circuit: Bathurst
Location: 24 hours from Le Mans

#14

Post by Cheeveer »



Saw this video, and is struck by how they ass-kiss MM93! And not mention Dovi at all. Are people aware that Dovi has beat Marquez in most of their last-laps battles? And Rossi... well, not anymore (remember Le Mans in 2017....).
***Some say you should live each day like it was your last... but who wants to live each day in wild panic and extreme death anxiety?

The universe, look at the hugeness of it... it is a dizzying thought that little ol' me is the centre of it all!***
User avatar
John
Ultimate Member
Ultimate Member
Posts: 8885
Joined: 8 years ago
Real Name: Jo
Location: Insert Swedish countryball here

#15

Post by John »

Today I realized that Aleix Esparago has never won a race in any of the MotoGP categories. And he's been around since 2004. Aleix and rookie Iker Leucona are the only ones on this years' MotoGP grid to never have won a race.
2018 GTP Accuracy champion.

CEREAL IS A SOUP.
Locked