So, who are we betting on this year then? A mountain to climb missing two then trying to get back on form.
It will be really interesting (to me at least) to see exactly how much strength hes been able to get back with the seeming small amount of "big bike" time/riding hes been able to do and whether the time off the bike has dulled his instincts so to speak. Cant remember any rider coming back from such a long lay off and jumping straight back on the top step even the greats need time to get back in the groove unless im forgetting someone?
Current MotoGP rules dictate that riders cannot test on their race bike or modified road bike, outside the one test session they have just had at Losail. So theoretically, FP1 at Portugal will be the first opportunity for Marquez to ride his GP bike unless of course Honda and Dorna bend the rules for him ...... again Andy
I just hope that the championship is decided on the track and not by riders being sidelined by positive Covid tests. Vinales crew chief is going to be isolating due to a test which is inconvenient to say the least. https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/973252/1/vinales-without-crew-chief-most-qatar-motogp
The teams are regularly tested so if this isn’t a false positive (which not unheard of) where did he pick up the virus ? If it’s from a shared location like a hotel, he is unlikely to be the only one but if he broke the bubble like the French rugby team manager was alleged to have done, not sure what to say. Andy
I was thinking about the MM thing yesterday. He’s my favourite racer by a long chalk but I fear he may be fucked. Or certainly not the force he was. I was thinking about Hutchy and his 5 in a row at the IOM TT. And his sickening crash shortly afterwards. Although Hutchy’s injuries were probably worse the aftermath may be similar. Like a loss of edge....
Marquez has been testing Honda's road going GP bike this last week at Portimao, I guess will be classed an an unmodified road bike then
The CBR1000RR SP is a WSBK homologation road going special and sold to punters like you and me, just like the Pangale V4R. The SP is as far removed from the RC213V as the V4R is from the Ducati GP20. Happy to accept the SP will start the process of getting race fit but it isn’t going to exercise his body and reaction time like the RC213V. I can’t stand the bloke personally but have no wish to see him fall flat on his face or see him forced into retirement after another crash. Only time will tell. Andy
I know the above, but you missed what I was saying he was on the road going RCV last Friday, so that's as close as you are going to get to a modern GP bike for the road, standard valve spring motor
