Ducati goes Open

[Jester]

No it isn't. It is a factory effort playing by the written rules. It's legal, and that's all that matters. If they wanted factories excluded, then it should be in the rules. Intent, spirit, fundamental basis, etc. for the rule is all BS.

Fair enough and nothing different than yearly interpretations and changes within F1.  However, I just don't see any merit to staying as a full factory effort at this point.  Why not run open and be done with it.  We have a basic yamaha chassis with more fuel/power on the NGM bike and its damn near as fast as the factory bikes and faster than the satellites.  Now Ducati pulls the cork and catches up with more power.  We essentially move backwards towards less efficiency and unlimited engines of years past.  The "show" will be better this year, but why let the others catch you.  Yam/Honda could change format and go back to smoking everyone.  They still get to work on engine and chassis development regardless of cpu, so having presence in GP retains merit.

[Triple J]

I think the plan is for everyone to be Open in the near future...if Dorna has their way. The major cost now is software development (reportedly). Spec ecu and spec software eliminates most of that cost...achieving the goal of cost reduction. At that point I'd gess engine numbers will be limited across the board...trying to keep costs in check there as well.

Honda has said they'd pull out of the series if forced to use spec software, but I think they're bluffing. Their trickle down argument for wanting to develop electronics is BS anyway...Honda roadbikes are the least sophisticated on the road on that front.

I'm not convinced Ducai will catch up with power. Starting a race with the weight of an extra 4 L of fuel is a serious handicap, and Ducati has never been short on power. Although, more fuel could allow the power delivery to be softened. Yamaha is having problems this year with harsh delivery due to the bike having to be run so lean. Ducati needs to work on their chassis still though...which the Open rules will make possible (due to allowable engine changes, like mounting points). It might also give them an advantage if everyone goes Open soon.

It'll be interesting to se how it develops this year...is the Yamaha Open bike really that fast, or is Espargaro just that good? Can Ducati improve enough to be competitive? Can Yamaha factory deal with redued fuel and softer rear tire?

Personally I think fuel limits and too strict engine limits (i.e. 5 sealed...12 sounds reasonable (not sealed)) are dumb. Fuel is self limiting to an extent...too much and there's too much weight. We're not trying to build hybrids here, we're trying to get around the tracks as fast as possible, which eats a few motors. The show is ALL that matters, really, because if people lose interest it goes away.

[thought]

I thought the plan was that everyone was going to be open in 2015?  Or at least thats what Dorna is pushing for.

But yeah, I think going Open was a really smart decision by Duc... it just makes too much sense.  Having total freedom to ground up fix a broken bike is going to be the only way they are going to be competitive again.

[zooom]

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/race/motogp-race/why-the-door-was-left-open-for-ducati/

some great thoughts from the DORNA side on this as quoted from having come from Mike Webb...

[lazylightnin717]

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/200859/1/motogp-to-create-factory-2-class.html

Really?

I mean...really?

[duccarlos]

Now that is bullshit. Just goes to show how deep Dorna is in HRC's pocket. To tell you the truth, I don't see Ducati getting many top 3 finishes this year anyway or really needing the extra fuel, but if the ultimate goal is to get all the factories using the spec ECU, Dorna should have celebrated the move.

[TitanMonsterS4R]

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/200859/1/motogp-to-create-factory-2-class.html

Really?

I mean...really?

Goes to show you that if you've got deep pockets and pregnant dog enough you can get shit changed. Ducati should still be in a good place to develop the bike throughout the year. Lets see where things for the 2014 racing season. I dont care if Ducati doesn't get a podium this year, develop the bike and challenging for the top should be enough.

[Triple J]

Now that is bullshit. Just goes to show how deep Dorna is in HRC's pocket. To tell you the truth, I don't see Ducati getting many top 3 finishes this year anyway or really needing the extra fuel, but if the ultimate goal is to get all the factories using the spec ECU, Dorna should have celebrated the move.

+1

[zooom]

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/200859/1/motogp-to-create-factory-2-class.html

Really?

I mean...really?

I just read the same thing here practically

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2014/Mar/140306a.htm

he is right about the amount of ammunition this would give DORNA's critics about rolling rulebook changes....

[ducpainter]

I just read the same thing here practically

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2014/Mar/140306a.htm

he is right about the amount of ammunition this would give DORNA's critics about rolling rulebook changes....

Thanks to the short-sightedness of the FIM--who are now basically powerless--Dorna are in total robber baron mode, with CEO Ezpeleta saying that Honda's dissatisfaction with the current rules and their threats to leave MotoGP for WSBK are meaningless, because "Dorna are there as well". He is doing all he can to force all of the factory teams into the "Open" designation with Dorna's software and ECU controlling the bikes.
If this was the case why bow to Honda to create a special class for any and all serious 'Open' competition?

Just plain bullshit.

[Triple J]

Exactly.

If Dorna wants spec ecu and software, then just announce it. I really doubt that Honda will leave. Instead, they're bowing to Honda while at the same time trying to convince them to accept Open. What a joke.

F1 went spec. and the factory teams remain.

[derby]

F1 went spec. and the factory teams remain.

not only did they go spec, they did so with an ecu designed and built by a company affiliated with one of the competitors:

http://www.mclarenelectronics.com/

[duccarlos]

I think it might also be because Honda provides the Moto2 and half of the Moto3 engines.

[thought]

Maybe this was a way for Dorna to let Aleix have a satellite open bike? Because it seems that he's gong to be running a Yamaha frame vs the mythical ftr frame he was supposed to be getting. So Aleix will basically have a factory 2 bike vs the open bike he was supposed to get.

So they kill three birds with one stone... Make Honda a bit happier while letting Yamaha have their first taste of the open class and maybe tempting them into staying there. And ducati still gets to develop their bike with a minimal hit... Cal said that the extra fuel wasn't too big of advantage and the engine limit only kicks in after they start to win.

If I think about it like that then it's not too bad of a result.

[zooom]

.....and the engine limit only kicks in after they start to win.

If I think about it like that then it's not too bad of a result.

ain't too bad unless you consider a crashfest rain ridden race where the field gets decimated and the winner by more default than anything else ends up being one of those Open machines.....I think there was a rain race at LeMans a few years ago where there were like 6 different race leaders and all because of attrition more than anything else....thgat comes to me as a perfect kind of example...