MotoGP Austin CotA 2014 ** Spoilers **

[duccarlos]

FP1

Pos.   Num.   Rider   Nation   Team   Bike   Km/h   Time   Gap 1st/Prev.
1   93   Marc MARQUEZ   SPA   Repsol Honda Team   Honda   333.6   2'04.704   
2   41   Aleix ESPARGARO   SPA   NGM Forward Racing   Forward Yamaha   317.6   2'05.591   0.887 / 0.887
3   26   Dani PEDROSA   SPA   Repsol Honda Team   Honda   334.2   2'05.676   0.972 / 0.085
4   46   Valentino ROSSI   ITA   Movistar Yamaha MotoGP   Yamaha   330.9   2'05.972   1.268 / 0.296
5   4   Andrea DOVIZIOSO   ITA   Ducati Team   Ducati   336.1   2'06.279   1.575 / 0.307
6   38   Bradley SMITH   GBR   Monster Yamaha Tech 3   Yamaha   324.9   2'06.336   1.632 / 0.057
7   35   Cal CRUTCHLOW   GBR   Ducati Team   Ducati   334.1   2'06.433   1.729 / 0.097
8   6   Stefan BRADL   GER   LCR Honda MotoGP   Honda   334.8   2'06.537   1.833 / 0.104
9   29   Andrea IANNONE   ITA   Pramac Racing   Ducati   331.7   2'06.602   1.898 / 0.065
10   19   Alvaro BAUTISTA   SPA   GO&FUN Honda Gresini   Honda   334.0   2'06.633   1.929 / 0.031
11   44   Pol ESPARGARO   SPA   Monster Yamaha Tech 3   Yamaha   327.6   2'06.680   1.976 / 0.047
12   99   Jorge LORENZO   SPA   Movistar Yamaha MotoGP   Yamaha   329.8   2'06.771   2.067 / 0.091
13   69   Nicky HAYDEN   USA   Drive M7 Aspar   Honda   314.6   2'07.450   2.746 / 0.679
14   5   Colin EDWARDS   USA   NGM Forward Racing   Forward Yamaha   317.4   2'07.644   2.940 / 0.194
15   68   Yonny HERNANDEZ   COL   Energy T.I. Pramac Racing   Ducati   325.6   2'07.689   2.985 / 0.045
16   17   Karel ABRAHAM   CZE   Cardion AB Motoracing   Honda   314.6   2'07.702   2.998 / 0.013
17   8   Hector BARBERA   SPA   Avintia Racing   Avintia   315.3   2'08.150   3.446 / 0.448
18   7   Hiroshi AOYAMA   JPN   Drive M7 Aspar   Honda   319.7   2'08.455   3.751 / 0.305
19   45   Scott REDDING   GBR   GO&FUN Honda Gresini   Honda   311.8   2'08.588   3.884 / 0.133
20   9   Danilo PETRUCCI   ITA   IodaRacing Project   ART   314.5   2'09.646   4.942 / 1.058
21   70   Michael LAVERTY   GBR   Paul Bird Motorsport   PBM   311.4   2'10.206   5.502 / 0.560
22   23   Broc PARKES   AUS   Paul Bird Motorsport   PBM   305.3   2'10.493   5.789 / 0.287
23   63   Mike DI MEGLIO   FRA   Avintia Racing   Avintia   314.1   2'11.100   6.396 / 0.607

[duccarlos]

Why is Lorenzo having so bad a time with the tires this year? One thing is to not feel as comfortable, but I would have thought that his riding style would suit pretty much any tire option.

[triangleforge]

Even stranger, the reports indicate that Bridgestone brought 2013-spec tires to Austin, so it's not just a tire thing.

(Edit: it sounds like just the Medium Rear is 2013 compound; from the Crash.net story on FP1 - "Bridgestone has reverted to the 2013 spec medium rear tyre this weekend - without the 2014 heat resistant coating that Lorenzo has struggled with - due to production delays, but it didn't favour Lorenzo in FP1.")

[duccarlos]

He's doing better in FP2.

[Speeddog]

The 2014 tire is the 'heat resistant' construction, which robs a bit of edge grip.

Lorenzo's style is to stay on the edge of the tire as much as possible, so it hurts him the worst.

BS had a production problem and couldn't have enough 2014-spec tires ready.

Or so they say.

[triangleforge]

Somebody better check to see if there's a mouse nest or something in the electronics Crutchlow's bike - after the horror show at Qatar, today the motor cut out on him in fourth gear accelerating on a straight. 

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/202036/1/cutout-scare-for-cal-crutchlow.html

Better there than leaned full over in a fast turn, I suppose.

[Triple J]

...and the Crutchlow quotes start coming! 

[Speeddog]

The rest of the boys better come up with the goods, or MM is just gonna check out.

If he's gapping 2nd place by ~1 sec a lap, he'll get small really quick.

[TACstrat]

Great ride by Iannone who faded from third late in the race and great run by Dovizioso who came on strong to finish 3rd. Another tough day for Crutchlow who appeared to have mechanical problems, later crashed, and may have broke his hand.

[ab]

Wonder what happen to Rossi?
Really sad for the race today for Rossi.
Great race smith move on Esparagro was ballsy.

Wonder what happen to the "calm" Lorenzo early start

Damn bad race for Cal.  Hope his hand is ok.
Crash at last lap for Redding

[triangleforge]

I've got to say that's the first time I've ever heard anyone call a day aboard a MotoGP bike "boring."   Pretty awesome show of dominance by MM. I was following on the Crash.net online coverage; I don't know if the TV feed was the same, but about two thirds of the way through the writer apologized for ignoring the front of the race. Basically, nothing unexpected was happening up there!

I have to imagine there are pretty mixed feelings at Ducati Corse; great rides by Dovi (who was apparently riding very sick) and Crazy Joe, but the injury to Cal & whatever issue it was that drove him into the pits mid-race for a wheel change.

No mixed feelings at all over at the Factory Yamaha garage, though. What a complete disaster weekend for them.

[Speeddog]

So much for the Lorenzo damage limitation scenario.  

Surprised by Dovi's performance, especially as he was sick.
He looked a bit the worse for wear at the post-race interview.

Iannone was looking strong, then faded.

Haven't seen anything official, but it looked like Crutchlow's rear tire went bad, so he pitted and threw a soft on.
No idea why he crashed, the only video shown was well after he went down, and behind a rise, so couldn't tell much.

I think Rossi's front tire went bad, he was doing well, then started knifing his way backward.
He took a good look at the front right side of the tire when he got back to the box.

I'm suspecting there will be a good bit of talk on the tires, a number of riders were going well and then suddenly started to go backward.
Iannone, Crutchlow, Rossi, and I think someone else....

[triangleforge]

Rossi's decline was particularly odd -- making a hard charge through the field to get up to and around Iannone, then almost immediately going backwards.

[triangleforge]

Redding was also going well up until midway, then dropped the pace (and then the bike). Hard to say if that was tires without more info, though.

[Speeddog]

Apparently Rossi, Iannone and Redding all had the front tires give up.
http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/202202/1/rossi-we-destroyed-the-front-tyre.html

Apparently good news on Crutchlow, only a dislocated little finger.
http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/202196/1/dislocated-finger-for-cal-crutchlow.html