2013 MotoGP - Round 1 - Qatar <Spoilers ASAP>

[Triple J]

and HOW in the hell... that motor was no way the same as the other riders'.  He was passing on straights like they were standing still. in the corners or braking i could see him outbraking or carrying more speed, but mid straights. no way. not even close to same HP there.

What gm2 and Spidey said (minus the extra 200cc part  )

His team likely had the biggest budget of any Moto2 team, hence the best aerodynamics, and the best of anything that was allowed to be changed. All of that isn't trivial.

Also, don't underestimate the benefit of a good drive out of a corner...it's massive. The rest is throttle position, as in MM's is open farther for longer than pretty much everyone else.  He got 3rd in his 1st MotoGP race ever...he's just that fast.

I heard that video was Pol's favorite Youtube video ever! 

[DRKWNG]

Can you imagine if he (Sic) and Casey were still on the grid with the current aliens?  Man, oh, man . . .   

That would be nothing less than BADASS!!

[thought]

Mentioning torpedoes made me think of SuperSic.  Can you imagine if he and Casey were still on the grid with the current aliens?  Man, oh, man . . .   

Imagine sic and mm heading into the same corner together... Haha 2 go in, nly one comes out.

And I wonder if watching this season will tempt stoner to come back at all. His complaints might die down after seeing the kind of racing this year is promising... And if Suzuki/aprilia/BMW could convince him to ride their new bikes with his record of riding around the biggest turd on the field... Haha but yeah, now I'm just dreaming

[Jester]

And I wonder if watching this season will tempt stoner to come back at all.

Maybe...   then he realizes that he still has to do press conferences and promotion for the company that pays him millions of dollars and decides its not worth it somehow.

[gm2]

His team likely had the biggest budget of any Moto2 team

they for sure did.  by some exponents.

[OT]

MM's failure to hold off Rossi, who came from 5-6 seconds back halfway thru the race, was very, very interesting.

Time will tell how much of his success in Moto2 came from the performance of his bike.

Going to be an interesting year  

[Drunken Monkey]

Time will tell how much of his success in Moto2 came from the performance of his bike.

Given that he scored a podium in his first MotoGP, I'm thinking his bike wasn't the primary reason he did so well in Moto2

Enough beating up Matador. We know Lorenzo is wicked fast, but unlikable.

I know the rest of you think he's a douchnozzle, but I met him and he came across as a bit shy and awkward, but definitely not a dick.



I think at worse he suffers from the Spanish curse of "doucheface." 

[Spidey]

Time will tell how much of his success in Moto2 came from the performance of his bike.

Remember when Stoner was fast only b/c the Ducati was a much better bike than all the rest?  Marquez suffers from that same affliction.

I think at worse he suffers from the Spanish curse of "doucheface."  

I agree that there is a serious case of doucheface happening somewhere in that photo.  

[koko64]

Looks like a young boy feeling uncomfortable around a strange scary man .

Dont worry,  my kids sometimes have to remind me not to unwittingly intimidate people .

Seriously though, I agree much of the Doucheface condition is social awkwardness for sure. I like Lorenzo, he's alright.

Marquez, well he's a cheeky little shit, but my daughters will like him.

[OT]

Where's Lorenzo's left arm?

[gm2]

Remember when Stoner was fast only b/c the Ducati was a much better bike than all the rest? 

don't make me dig up 11,000 threads.

[Raux]

Marquez jumped into MotoGP in his first race on arguably the BEST bike in the field, so saying it's him vs the bike still doesn't hold water.
Now if he had jumped on the Duc and tore onto the podium on that... well then, no question it is him.
But I don't think that has been answered yet.

He has skill no doubt. but his standings both in MotoGP, so far, and Moto2, obviously benefit from the bike as well.

[Jester]

Marquez is the real deal Holyfield.  I think we're reaching too much.  The best riders almost always have the best teams/equipment through most of their careers, because, well, they are the best. 

[gm2]

Marquez is the real deal Holyfield.  I think we're reaching too much.  The best riders almost always have the best teams/equipment through most of their careers, because, well, they are the best. 

repsol didn't create an entire team around him when he was a little kid just cuz they figured that if they gave him good stuff, he'd be fast.

he was fookin fast, so they invested in him.

[duccarlos]

repsol didn't create an entire team around him when he was a little kid just cuz they figured that if they gave him good stuff, he'd be fast.

he was fookin fast, so they invested in him.

And it's paying off! The Turd was on the bike as well and we know that he's also fast, but he was holding the kid back. It was also HIS FIRST MOTOGP RACE!!! How many people can say that they podium on their first race on the big boy bikes? If he can be as dominant in COTA as he was in testing, that will give you a better indication of his talents, specially since all the riders have a clean slate there.