Ducati Monster Forum

Well, off to a bit of a dramatic start.

Suzuki techs inadvertently burned up one of Rins' bikes.
No problem for the race as they've got lots of spares, but now a bunch of busy work they've made for themselves.

JLo has been passed fit to ride.
I think it's a bad plan, but he's yet to call me for strategic advice.

https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/lorenzo-sepang-comeback-attempt-ducati/3206615/

Iannone's I assume [evil] Just to make him happier than after last weekends race. Lorenzo's happy party friend.

https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/rins-suzuki-pit-fire-sepang/3206740/?nrt=112

And for an alternative explanation of events:

http://motogpnews.com/2018/11/01/suzuki-sabotage-where-was-iannone/

 [laugh] [laugh]

 [laugh] [clap]

Hey don't blame Iannone, it was an accident!  :( Iannone dropped his still lit bong and crack pipe into a puddle of leaking fuel. ;D

FP1 starts in 🖐🏼

I dropped in live near the end, clicked to start at the beginning, and it did.
Watched a bit, paused to move laundry, and Videopass snatched it away.  :(

Rins
Marc
Jack

Rins was on 🔥

Dovi looks fast and comfortable.
3 Ducs in the top 10, Jack and Monkey going hard at it.

3 Yamahas in the top 10; 4th, 6th, 8th.
Wasn't this supposed to be a crappy track for Yamaha?

Rins is indeed hammering along nicely.

MM has done his quota of front-end saves.

Seems an odd mix in spite of what I would expect, I thought concern over rain in FP3 would have everyone trying to set a banker to stay out of Q1.
Perhaps they all did....

Word is Jorge will decide before FP3 whether he's going to race or give it to Pirro.

Hopefully it's true in the sense of that decision already being made after his first run in FP1 and things getting sorted in the background to get Pirro on the bike.

If they're going to faff around until tomorrow morning before they make a move one direction or another, IMO that's madness.

Puts Pirro in a really bad starting point, at best giving away manufacturer points, at worst getting him hurt from desperate riding.

From the outside, it just seems crazy.

You would think that Lorenzo would be smart enough to understand that the last thing he needs is to crash again before Valencia.

True, Pirro should be given as much time as possible. Ideal situation is to pass a fitness test before the event, but JL using actual event free practice to do that shortchanges the substitue rider for sure. The lot of a factory tester.. Being biased I would have liked Jack to have a go on the 18 as it would have stung to hear Bautista banging on about how much better it is.

Lorenzo pulled out, so he has officially thrown Pirro under the bus, leaving him a grand total of half the practice of everyone else.

If I were Ciabatti I'd tell him:
"Thanks, don't bother showing up in Valencia until the 20th for your Honda test. Oh, wait, I don't care, really. Do whatever the make the beast with two backs you want, you'll not be riding our factory bikes ever again."

AM led all three Moto2 sessions. The big boys are heading out shortly.  [popcorn]

FP3
Mav
Marc
Jack

FP3

Maverick Viñales ESP Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1m 59.231s
Marc Marquez ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 1m 59.257s +0.026s
Jack Miller AUS Pramac Ducati (GP17) 1m 59.375s +0.144s
Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda (RC213V) 1m 59.599s +0.368s
Johann Zarco FRA Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1) 1m 59.655s +0.424s
Danilo Petrucci ITA Pramac Ducati (GP18) 1m 59.671s +0.440s
Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha (YZR-M1) 1m 59.773s +0.542s
Andrea Iannone ITA Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 1m 59.799s +0.568s
Alvaro Bautista ESP Angel Nieto Team (GP17) 2m 00.130s +0.899s
Franco Morbidelli ITA EG 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V)* 2m 00.405s +1.174s
Stefan Bradl GER LCR Honda (RC213V) 2m 00.428s +1.197s
Pol Espargaro ESP Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) 2m 00.513s +1.282s
Hafizh Syahrin MAL Monster Yamaha Tech3 (YZR-M1)* 2m 00.558s +1.327s
Takaaki Nakagami JPN LCR Honda (RC213V)* 2m 00.638s +1.407s
Alex Rins ESP Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) 2m 00.649s +1.418s
Aleix Espargaro ESP Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 2m 00.737s +1.506s
Andrea Dovizioso ITA Ducati Team (GP18) 2m 00.810s +1.579s
Michele Pirro ITA Ducati Team (GP18) 2m 01.090s +1.859s
Bradley Smith GBR Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) 2m 01.223s +1.992s
Karel Abraham CZE Angel Nieto Team (GP17) 2m 01.385s +2.154s
Thomas Luthi SWI EG 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V)* 2m 01.470s +2.239s
Scott Redding GBR Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) 2m 02.442s +3.211s
Jordi Torres SPA Reale Avintia (GP16) 2m 03.142s +3.911s
Xavier Simeon ESP Reale Avintia (GP17)* 2m 03.455s +4.224s

“The Malaysian MotoGP has a new schedule for Sunday’s race day with the premier class race starting two hours earlier due to concerns over weather forecasts.”



MM has been slapped with a six-place grid penalty and has lost his pole position following a post-qualifying FIM Stewards investigation

He deserved a penalty for sure, but 6 places seems a bit stiff.

It won't matter, regardless.

Nope. It’ll just make the first 2-3 turns interesting.  ;)

Pretty much. [laugh]

Perhaps they were thinking enough of a penalty to get his attention.
But not so much that he removes his brain and slamdances through the field from the back.

Hard tellin' what they think sometimes.

In Moto2 Bagnaia, and Oliveira, were both cruising around getting in everyone's way and no penalties, so far. Quatararo almost bit the dust because of it.

The FIM is not particularly consistent when it comes to applying the rules.

Is Freddie in the drivers seat yet on race incidents?

No clue.

VR was running away with it, and MM was stalking him with 3+ laps to go, then down he went.

Pressure. VR will be gutted, he did all the hard work leading that race.
Rins did well. Glad for Suzuki.

I would have liked to have seen Rossi and MM shoot it out. That race was a snoozer

Well, it was shaping up to all end in tears, this is the least contentious outcome I suppose.
A bit deflating, not much battling at all this race.

Zarco held on, and Rins was flying, good job to both.

Iannone flinched and that was it.

Big attaboy to Hafisz, he did not melt down under the pressure.

Somehow our guys missed a memo or something, just no pace.  :(

Jack took a gamble on a harder rear tyre than the rest and never got going. I don't know what happened with Dovi and Pirro crashed and the bike caught fire.
Good to see the local boy do well. Over 100,000 attended.

Danilo struggled the whole race also.

“Apart from the crash, I’ve never seen @ValeYellow46 so consistent. More than 10 laps in just 1 tenth at the hottest and longest track impressed me today. And some said he started too feel his age after last race.”

JL

Hafizh had a huge day in front of the Malaysian fans. 23rd to 10th.  [clap]

All I can say is "RATS! !"

Genuine and human crowd magnet  [thumbsup]

I think MM should be penalized for reckless riding causing Iannone to crash.  He can practice crashing during practice sessions. 

Surely you jest.

Indeed!

The Lamb made a great save and Mad Andrew twitched which was enough. It proves the rider input theory. ;D I forget who was right behind him, but it looked like a near miss from the camera angle.
It must be annoying for Rossi to have young riders use his old tactics against him.

Seems Mad Andrew hasn't been watching much video on MM, the rest of us have and we know he loses the front all the time and rarely falls.
Just carry on as you were, he'll gather it back up and all will be good.

Seriously, total racing incident, sucked for him.

Did you see the crash the week before when Zarco was following MM close?   Marc pulled in front of Zarco. 
He was my favorite rider, but I have changed my mind.  Anyone but MM.

Well, you’ll be upset for years to come then.  :D

MM just moved across from a tighter, protective line to set up his line for the corner entry. A reasonable move as was Zarco getting pulled close by the slipstream. Neither was at fault given the split second decisions required at very high speed. Both riders said it was a racing incident and you can bet they would say so if they thought otherwise. The speed of that track is intimidating.

I'm not sure riders following/attacking MM are happy with his use of two or three lines in corners. Egoistic and somewhat dangerous.

Sure, but Zarco is very opinionated and had no issue with it. Zarco has an aggressive style too and if anyone was at fault it was Zarco. The rider in front has right of way. MM was initially upset but when he saw the replay he knew it was a racing incident. Mind you if it cost him the championship he might have seen it differently. ;)
The ability to make line changes through a corner has been a hallmark of Rossi's style and one of Rossi's celebrated strengths.
In my novice year competitors complained about my lines but those who complained were always behind me. No one in front complained. ;D

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htgr3pvBr-I

Shit. You're making me feel old ;D

I watched 'em play it live on stage. Does that help?  :)

You peoples are old

Toto. Weren’t they formerly session musicians for Boz Scaggs, before they were a band?

A guitar teacher (champion) at work told me this.

LIES!!!

That's how they were described. Superband formed by mostly studio/session musicians.

Did someone say Toto?

https://youtu.be/uPnfuczOWb8