2013 MotoGP Round 16 - Phillip Island (Spoilers!)

[duccarlos]

I would be more pissed off with the team. Your guy is leading the championship! I would have sent him in as soon as possible and not taken any risks. Morons.

[koko64]

The race officials go on about safety, disqualify MM for a technicality, but ignore his exiting pitlane across the racing line hitting a bike coming off the main straight. MM and JLs careers (and lives) could have ended there.
So much for safety. Smacks of a business rather than safety decision.
Dorna will be happy though, TV and attendance figures will go up for the last two races.

[ducpainter]

The race officials go on about safety, disqualify MM for a technicality, but ignore his exiting pitlane across the racing line hitting a bike coming off the main straight. MM and JLs careers (and lives) could have ended there.
So much for safety. Smacks of a business rather than safety decision.
Dorna will be happy though, TV and attendance figures will go up for the last two races.

Marquez didn't cross the white line.

JLo went wide.

Both clear as day from the helo shot.

That part of the equation was a non issue to me.

[koko64]

I thought MM was generous towards his team ("We make the beast with two backsed up"). A good kid.

They could have deducted a licence point, given a ride through or deducted a position for the lap thing, but they opened up the championship instead.

[koko64]

Marquez didn't cross the white line.

JLo went wide.

Both clear as day from the helo shot.

That part of the equation was a non issue to me.

A rider exiting pit lane shouldnt impead riders at speed. You try and and get out there quick, but you gotta be clear and hug the inside at first.  JL had right of way in my book. He just should have paused, but he's 20 (frontal lobe not fully developed yet). The  difference in speed there is huge. Race direction saw it your way.

[ducpainter]

A rider exiting pit lane shouldnt impead riders at speed. You try and and get out there quick, but you gotta be clear and hug the inside at first.  JL had right of way in my book. He just should have paused, but he's 20 (frontal lobe not fully developed yet). The  difference in speed there is huge. Race direction saw it your way.

I thought MM was generous towards his team ("We make the beast with two backsed up"). A good kid.

They could have deducted a licence point, given a ride through or deducted a position for the lap thing, but they opened up the championship instead.

The harshest penalty possible.

[koko64]

Yep, and good for business

[ducpainter]

Yep, and good for business

Which is what it's really all about.

[derby]

The whole set up was unsafe compared to two short races for half points. Bridgestone make the beast with two backsed up. The fastest track on the calender and they didnt make a tyre for the new surface.
I had enough trouble seeing the pit board at 240kmh, let alone 340kmh! I only raced there once in Supersport.

Fwiw, they supposedly brought another "safety" tire that should've been able to go the distance, but the weather precluded using it.

[derby]

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2013/Marquez+Phillip+Island+2013+race+review

After the race Marquez explained his team as a whole had believed completing lap 11 was permitted.

He stated, "The plan we had was not correct, we though that we could do that lap. We thought we could go into the pit at the end of lap 11. The problem was not with the pit board, that was fine, when I saw ‘Box’ I came in. Now we need to forget about it and just concentrate in Motegi."

[ducpainter]

Fwiw, they supposedly brought another "safety" tire that should've been able to go the distance, but the weather precluded using it.

Still...they didn't bring any tires that 'worked'.

[Ddan]

A rider exiting pit lane shouldnt impead riders at speed. You try and and get out there quick, but you gotta be clear and hug the inside at first.  JL had right of way in my book. He just should have paused, but he's 20 (frontal lobe not fully developed yet). The  difference in speed there is huge. Race direction saw it your way.

Race direction also extended pit lane so the outgoing riders had less time to get up to speed, which just increased the speed difference.  It's pretty hard to see what they were trying to accomplish with that move.

[derby]

Still...they didn't bring any tires that 'worked'.

that's not the first the first time something like this has happened, nor will it be the last.

michelin has done it (in both f1 and motogp), bridgestone and dunlop both did it this weekend in australia.

production schedules vs weather forecasting vs transportation logistics... i'm almost surprised they "get it right" as often as they do.

one positive takeaway of having a control tire in this situation is that tires won't decide the championship as they (may) have in the past. good or bad, everybody is on the same tires.

[gm2]

Someone in MM's crew is thinking about that snickers commercial right about now...

[gm2]

Still, 18 points and 2 more races.  Tough ask for Georgina.