2014 Silly Season Thread

[zooom]

so I know it is early since the 2013 racing season hasn't even really started yet, but was reading this interview with Scott Redding and I think it revealed where he won't be going....

http://www.motomatters.com/interview/2013/03/05/interview_scott_redding_on_aiming_for_th.html

...SR: To start with how I feel how he's done, I feel that's how the Moto2 world champion should go into MotoGP. They should be going straight away, pushing it, it's still a bike with two wheels, you know? And I think he's doing a really good job, and I think that's how I would like to go. He is doing a really impressive job at the moment, but in the race, we'll have to see how the pressure goes. I think he might find it a bit harder. But you know, he is fast, and that's the whole point of being in MotoGP.

MM: So he's not faster than you expected, he's what you expect a champion to achieve?

SR: Yes, a lot of people were saying about Bradl last year. He did do a good job, but should have been better in my eyes. It was a good job that he'd done, but the guys who were behind him were guys on Ducatis, stuff like this. Marquez is mixing with the big guys. You know, we all cook with water, so he should be there like he is.

MM: Seeing what he's done, and know how close you were too him, you think you can be able to match that, or at least get close to it?

SR: It's just there's so much a mix of things, with the bike and stuff. He's got one of the best bikes, so he has a little bit easier. But you know, if you give me the same bike or a good competitive bike like that, I'd want to be doing the same. You should be like top 5, that's what I would like to do. Which is what he's doing, he's even top 3, you know mixing it with the guys. That would be the sort of performance I'd be wanting to put in. You can't do that with a Ducati, in my eyes, you just wouldn't be able to do it, so you know, it's to do with the bike, the rider, and how it sort of mixes, and he's got on that bike and he's gelled with it straight away.

I think it is a pretty safe bet, he doesn't want to ride a Ducati and even if he did or if it was the only bike left option wise for him on the grid, with comments like this, he won't be as warmly welcomed into the fold.

[duccarlos]

No one wants to be riding a Duc right now, but few would turn away Marlboro money.

[gm2]

No one wants to be riding a Duc right now, but few would turn away Marlboro money.

quite a few did in 2009.

[thought]

Whats more interesting to me is if Suzuki is coming back in in 2014... and I havent heard anything about BMW throwing their hat into the ring for a while too.

Right now I think we have too many talented riders with not enough factory bikes.

[gm2]

there's also some grumbling about kawi coming back

[thought]

there's also some grumbling about kawi coming back

I heard about that too but that seems pretty far fetched to me... I'd put aprillia coming back before kawi does... and ape only coming back in once the honda production gp bike starts to destroy their crt package.  Right now I see it as suzuki, bmw, ape, then kawi as the next ones to step up.

[duccarlos]

I heard about that too but that seems pretty far fetched to me... I'd put aprillia coming back before kawi does... and ape only coming back in once the honda production gp bike starts to destroy their crt package.  Right now I see it as suzuki, bmw, ape, then kawi as the next ones to step up.

+1 Kawi will take at least 2 years to field a bike. Aprilia is happy being the kings of CRT, but once Honda, and probably Yamaha, start fielding their lower spec bikes, the Ape will need to evolve, not to mention that CRT will disappear.

[Triple J]

Now we see why Redding was so critical of Ducati! 

http://www.motomatters.com/interview/2013/03/08/marc_vds_boss_michael_barthol_my_intervi.html

[Jester]

Now we see why Redding was so critical of Ducati! 

http://www.motomatters.com/interview/2013/03/08/marc_vds_boss_michael_barthol_my_intervi.html

"Espargaro is not my rider, so actually, I don't give a shit about him, I want to win it with Scott Redding"

Good interview and love the ending quote.

[fastwin]

My wife and I ate at Ben Spies' burger shack (Stackhouse Burgers) last weekend here in Dallas. I asked the gal who took our order if The Ben had been around lately and mentioned that I knew he had been busy recently crashing his Ducati in Sepang and hurt his repaired shoulder.

Come to find out she was married to Ben's cousin and obviously knew a lot about his career. I mentioned that I thought it was a semi step back for him to go to a Ducati Junior Varsity team and I wished he had gone back to WSBK. She said she thought the Duc JV team would be 100 times better than playing second fiddle to Jorge! She made no bones about how he was getting make the beast with two backsed on the Yammyhammer Varsity squad. Yeah, sure, he crashed some on his own but it was a shitty season all around and he was treated like the red headed step child and is better off being anywhere but there!

Interesting spin from inside the Spies family.

[Speeddog]

Well, David Emmett put it to Kawi officially, and they said no MotoGP.

http://www.motomatters.com/news/2013/03/13/kawasaki_rules_out_motogp_return_to_conc.html

Of course.... subject to review at any time, we can change our mind whenever we like, honest baby the kid's not mine, YMMV.

[gm2]

She said she thought the Duc JV team would be 100 times better than playing second fiddle to Jorge! She made no bones about how he was getting make the beast with two backsed on the Yammyhammer Varsity squad. Yeah, sure, he crashed some on his own but it was a shitty season all around and he was treated like the red headed step child and is better off being anywhere but there!

you needed someone to tell you this? 

[fastwin]

No, not really.

[gm2]