MotoGP Quatar 2014 < ¡ Spoilers ! >

[Blackout]

I think Bautista is going to be a force to be reckoned with this year, especially if he stops frosting his tips.

[ab]

Great race.  It was great to see smith with the lead pack until he crashed out.  So great to see Rossi battle for front but MM is just ridiculous.  My favs this year are as always Rossi then Scott redding .
The real race was moto3 last lap last few corners.

[Triple J]

While that is true, the gap to the winner was only 12 seconds. That's half of what it was last year at Quatar.

It's progress.

That is good...I didn't notice that.

[TACstrat]

While that is true, the gap to the winner was only 12 seconds. That's half of what it was last year at Quatar.  It's progress.

I am an optimist. Iannone crashed and still finished 10th.  Crutchlow had electronic mapping issues for most of the race and still finished 6th. Attrition was high, but all 4 Ducati finished the race.  It is not all doom and gloom for Ducati.

[triangleforge]

And (reportedly) after crashing out of the lead group, Ianonne picked his bike up out of the gravel and was lapping at times that would have kept him up there for the rest of the race. No it's not a podium, but definitely progress.

OTOH, Crutchlow's bike wandering lost around the track thanks to a transponder malfunction had to be pretty mortifying to his crew.

[thought]

Quotes from Crutchlow about the issue:

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/201432/1/crutchlows-ducati-in-a-different-place.html

“At the last corner of the race the bike decided to completely stop. It ended up restarting and I managed to limp it home but it was like riding down the straight on the pit lane limiter so it was a good job I had a gap behind me."

“Riding around with a bike that thinks you're in sixth gear when you're actually in second isn't easy!"

Sounds pretty terrifying to me and I'm pretty impressed that he even finished the race let alone in the points.

But watching those last couple of laps makes me realize that I'll always be a Rossi fan in the end... just hoping for him to pull some magic move out the of blue at every corner.  First time I had that much fun watching a MotoGP race in a long time.

[duccarlos]

I remember that I hated watching Rossi pull those moves when he was doing against Stoner on the Duc. Then came those years where he wasn't there and it just turned into a parade. You just appreciate him that much more. Both Lorenzo and Pedrosa are more methodical when it comes to passing and general will be quite content just sitting back waiting for the guy in front to make a mistake. Vale forces you to make a mistake by attacking from lines where no one should be fast. He might not actually try to pass, but I'm sure it surprises guys when they see a wheel where someone should not be.

[MadDuck]

Hoping for a return to "epic battles" again.  Was it the 2006 or 2007 Barcelona race that was just nuts?

[duccarlos]

2007 was Laguna.

[OT]

Rossi-Stoner was 2008, if that's what you're referring to…if not, then 2007 is fine 

[duccarlos]

Now I'm all sorts of messed up

[1.21GW]

I think Bautista is going to be a force to be reckoned with this year, especially if he stops frosting his tips.

He was a force to be reckoned with last year...for Rossi. 

[triangleforge]

This could be a splendid season for MotoGP...



(I guess I mostly knew how hard the life of a front tire is in MotoGP, but the photos in this series blew my mind just a little - see more at http://www.superbikeplanet.com/image/2014/motogp/qatar/5/duel1.htm)

[OT]

Nice 

Just a thought ----so, looking at VR and MM side-by-side, I was struck by the obvious difference in their physical size (not that we didn't know this beforehand) and, therefore, weight, which was discussed here several years ago.

Rossi will always be at a 'slight' disadvantage to the other three aliens because his bike has to drag along an additional 25-30 pounds while accelerating, and then fight those same pounds while braking.  And, at 35, he's more apt to simply get tired/have less energy towards the end of a race.

So, if he has success this year it will be despite these subtle handicaps and, perhaps, a corollary testament to his skills.

[MadDuck]

Now I'm all sorts of messed up

Me too.  I'll have to go back through the you tube videos.  I'm pretty sure it was in Barcelona. I'll have to remember to write this stuff down when we're watching. Hard to do when you're jumping up and down in the chair.