MotoGP Rd 6: Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya (Habrá spoilers)

[Jester]

So aside from MM and Dani P, lets talk about Suzuki.

The test results indicate the bike is immediately competitive and could have been a few tenths quicker with another rider.  Considering the other bikes just spent 3 days setting up, I'd say that Suzi being .7 off the pace and up against 4th day setups from the other manufacturers bodes very well.  Perhaps Cal should set his sights on being Suzi's number one and start sending them love letters.  That may be a good place for him to be.

[1.21GW]

zzzzzzzzzzzz

+1.  I might as well just watch bowling.

[Triple J]

So aside from MM and Dani P, lets talk about Suzuki.

The test results indicate the bike is immediately competitive and could have been a few tenths quicker with another rider.  Considering the other bikes just spent 3 days setting up, I'd say that Suzi being .7 off the pace and up against 4th day setups from the other manufacturers bodes very well.  Perhaps Cal should set his sights on being Suzi's number one and start sending them love letters.  That may be a good place for him to be.

Still needs a ride for 2014 though

[duccarlos]

Still needs a ride for 2014 though

+1 Cal is basically not going to Tech 3 if the Esparago rumors are true. He's gunning for a factory ride and the Suk won't be ready until 2015. That means that he's either praying for Rossi to retire or get in bed with Ducati again, which means Nicky would be out.

[ZLTFUL]

As we go firmly away from Catalunya race talk into the silly season realm. 

[OT]

MM is Tony Soprano in sheep's clothing...

[tufty]

As we go firmly away from Catalunya race talk into the silly season realm. 

Just a question (prolly stupid, but), could Suzuki enter their prototype as a CRT team next year before going full GP? If they could it might change seat availability somewhat.

Derby? GM?

[ZLTFUL]

The problem with that (as I see it) is that would make Suzuki's hard work a moot point as the claiming rules would allow competitors to buy the engine for a song after a race...

If a manufacturer wants to get hold of an engine from a CRT entry, they can pay 20,000 euros (engine + gearbox, or 15,000 for an engine without a gearbox) to have the bike rolled into the MotoGP technical inspection garage after a race, where the CRT entry's mechanics will strip the engine from the bike and hand it over to the factory. To avoid engines being claimed too often, each manufacturer may only claim 1 engine from Claiming Rule Team, and no more than 4 engines may be claimed from each Claiming Rule Team during the season. A Claiming Rule Team who have forfeited an engine to a claim will be given an extra engine on their allowance of 12 for the season.

and

The teams have to apply to enter as a Claiming Rule Team to IRTA, who evaluate entries to the Grand Prix grid in all classes on their experience and suitability. An application as a CRT has to be judged by the Grand Prix Commission, MotoGP's rule-making body which consists of the MSMA (representing the manufacturers), IRTA (representing the teams), Dorna (representing the series organizer) and the FIM (representing the sanctioning body and international federation). All four members of the GPC have to agree unanimously to accept a team as a CRT entry, with no dissent.

Which basically means that if the approving body looks at Suzuki's entry and says, "Nope...that's not a CRT bike." then it isn't a CRT bike. And since it is admittedly a prototype entry for 2015, they damn sure won't let them pass it off as a CRT entry for 2014.

[ducpainter]

I thought they already changed the rules eliminating the claiming provision.

The difference now is if you use the control Marelli ecu you get the increased engine and fuel allocation and if you don't use the control ecu you have to play by the same rules as the big kids.

[ZLTFUL]

Thought the claiming rules were dropped in 2014...but there is still the "CRT" rule which says the bike can't be a factory prototype to be allowed to use those rules...

[ZLTFUL]

From: http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/racing/motogp-claiming-rule-crt-2014/

The new rules proposed for 2014 make the claiming rule obsolete. With the introduction of spec-ECU hardware, the teams now have the choice of either running their own ECU software, and accepting the limitation of just 20 liters of fuel and an allocation of 5 engines, or running the spec software supplied by Dorna, and written by Magneti Marelli for their spec-ECU, and being granted 24 liters of fuel and 12 engines.

So looks like we are both right. Hehe.

[ducpainter]

So what does that make the 'Priller?

They use their own software and ecu.

[ZLTFUL]

Looks like if they don't adopt the spec ECU then they will have to go prototype...

[Speeddog]

So what does that make the 'Priller?

They use their own software and ecu.

This year the spec ECU is optional, so they can use their own sparky stuff and still be CRT.

Next year, then they would have to make the choice zilbert laid out.

[ducpainter]

This year the spec ECU is optional, so they can use their own sparky stuff and still be CRT.

Next year, then they would have to make the choice zilbert laid out.

I realize that.

If they continue to use their own ecu next year and are limited to 20l of fuel and 5 engines...

what about tires?

Do they have to use the choices offered the prototypes?