2018 Silly Season

[ducpainter]

You'reghey cannot sit on a bike and mop any floor with anyone.

He requires a very special set of parameters.

The Honda, in it's current form, does not meet those requirements. Why would Honda build a bike that suits a former champion instead of a bike that suits a current champion? The same bike won't work for both. Historically, Honda builds a bike, and finds riders that fit it...not the other way around.

250 GP is gone. My hope is You'reghey follows suit. I'd much rather see the young guns come up.

As far as the battle between Puig and Alzamorra...that's just ego and politics.

I'm not interested.

btw, I had to check wikipedia for rick and morty...yes...I'm a dinosaur.

[ute]

This is insane in the membrane

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[bdfinally]

I don't get it, Lorenzo on a point & shoot bike.

[koko64]

Monkey Magic gets the factory ride.
http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2018/06/06/petrucci-joins-factory-ducati/261638

[duccarlos]

More about denying Yamaha the chance to get a rider that can win on the bike on day one and maybe also removing one of MM’s critics. HRC only cars if MM wins.

[bdfinally]

Read somewhere yesterday that one theory is that Honda thinks Lorenzo can "steal" points from the competition to benefit Marquez championship runs.

[ducpainter]

Read somewhere yesterday that one theory is that Honda thinks Lorenzo can "steal" points from the competition to benefit Marquez championship runs.

That might be true...in a year or two.

[koko64]

We'll see how much HRC change the bike for him, enough to get in the way of MM's rivals, but not too much.   While helping Lorenzo adapt, the base line structure will be built around MM, and fair enough as MM is the the best out there, but I wonder how long until Lorenzo complains they are not changing the bike enough for him? I wonder in his heart of hearts if he can accept that he is the No.2 rider?
HRC must be confident that on the same bike and all things being equal, MM has it over Lorenzo and must be chuffed to have a multiple world champion as a No.2 rider. Maybe Pedro is just plain worn out from so many years as bridesmaid, so time for a new bridesmaid.
It seems the failure at Ducati eroded Lorenzo's negotiating power enough to make him affordable. What was too expensive for Suzuki was probably a bargain for HRC.

[Speeddog]

I think Pedro got worn out by hitting the ground.
Not sure about the actual numbers, but it sure seems like most of the time he's getting taken out.
Gotta be one hard sonufapregnant dog to spend that much time hurt.

I think Puig is just executing a payback with an 'enemies closer' move.
I see little else beneficial besides that.
Lorenzo will struggle, HRC will fob him off, for 2 years, or more.
He may win a race where MM has a DNF.
Otherwise, MM will continue to storm the bastille* with full HRC/Repsol support.
And the war with Alzamora continues.

If Lorenzo had won this race a year ago, perhaps I'd go along with the 'transformation'.

I'd really like to be proven wrong by reality.

*perhaps that's not a good expression, no offense intended

[koko64]

True. It's a HRC master stroke keeping Lorenzo on a bike not suited to him. It really does nullify the threat and uses him as a buffer against MMs other rivals. Might help with the team and mfr's championships too. Anyone know how much Lorenzo was paid by HRC? Surely he knows he's a pawn in Spanish racing politics?

We shouldn't underestimate the negative effect the Ducati can have on a riders career trajectory. It's taken Rossi awhile to get back to form after that lost time and he's a real benchmark for "the Ducati effect".
Surely people realise they underestimated Dovi and Stoner? One thing's for sure, young Marky has the ability to ride the wheels off a misbehaving bike like no one else out there. I like the little shit, but he might just as easily have competed in the UFC. 

I wonder how many bones Pedro's broken? He looks more than physically broken.

[kopfjäger]

He’d get destroyed in UFC by a female in his weight class. Let’s not confuse riding like a maniac to getting choked the make the beast with two backs out. Which Danilo still might do. Fingers crossed. 

[koko64]

 

I reckon he'd be a tough little make the beast with two backser if trained right. Forget F1 and try a real sport son! He better start training, Magilla's gonna get him next chance they're alone with no CCTV. Next racing opportunity I foresee a very hard pass.

[kopfjäger]

https://www.asphaltandrubber.com/motogp/motogp-silly-season-update-mugello-2018/

[koko64]

Good overview .

[Blackout]

Iannone could win on the Yamaha.