2021 banter & Silly season thread for MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3

[Vassago]

Bottom post of the previous page:

Darryn Binder in MotoGP? Like that makes no sense whatsoever. What has he done in Moto3 to warrant this opportunity? Even if nobody saw Pedro Acosta's rise coming, Sergio Garcia manages to look competitive. Jaume Masia is having a bad year and Binder somehow is even worse when he should be a genuine title contender (as for someone who had 100+ starts in Moto3).

[SBan83]

And interesting-as-always take by Mat Oxley on the Vinales-Yamaha incident, along with some hilarious tales from motorcycle racing's past.

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/arti ... lly-so-bad

[Everso Biggyballies]

And interesting-as-always take by Mat Oxley on the Vinales-Yamaha incident, along with some hilarious tales from motorcycle racing's past.

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/arti ... lly-so-bad

Great article.... if you decided to skip it I recommend it be read. Its worth it.

Re the bit about Vinales I must admit retrospectively I thought he had done a lot more than he actually had. The way his sins were described were to me a bit of an over the top exagerration to be blunt...... in fact when I actually saw the 'evidence' video they were so angry about, I thought it relatively minor to what I expected to see, especially given nowadays all the fail-safes to prevent engine damage.... the limiter limits revs / over-revving after all.

It seems Rossi himself was expecting to see worse evidence. He presumed there must have been more, or that this was just an excuse to get rid of him, or "the straw that broke the camel's back".

Re some of the other tales Mat relates in his article about prior 'miscreants' in Motorcycle racing, I loved this one of a rider talking of promoters trying to rip of riders back in the fifties....

“Always, if you didn’t watch them, they’d try and dud you,” Ahearn added. “They used to divide us into first-class and second-class riders. I was always classed with the top blokes, but at this Swiss meeting the bloody secretary wouldn’t give me the £100 first-class money, he wanted to give me bloody half that for second class.

“I said, no bloody way! But he wouldn’t pay, so I hung him out of the window. I think we were on the second floor. I was banned from Switzerland after that.”

There is no record of Ahearn being forced to make a grovelling public apology for his meltdown.

[Andy]

Well, I tend to think that the world has gone fully mad and that this ,affair' has been one of the examples especially when considering that Yamaha must have known beforehand who they had employed and that it is practicly impossible to destroy one of these heavy guarded engines.

It might have been an instance of the drop that let the barrel run over, though. The result of many cases, over and over. Anyway, for a one off explosion a way too minor case.

Yes, I too, do find these stories of old quite funny. And especially in terms of price/start money there are quite some funny anecdotes around.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Yamaha won’t allow Vinales to race at British MotoGP

No real surprise there in as much as I dont see any future between the two sides, but confirmation is that Maverick will not be riding at Silverstone.

His place will be taken by Crutchlow, at this stage just for Silverstone. My understanding is that the future of Vinales seat will be after more discussion between the factory and the team.

Crutchlow, who was due to continue as Morbidelli's replacement at SRT will in turn be replaced at SRT at Silverstone by SRT Moto2 rider Jake Dixon. It is said that the race will form part of an evaluation of Dixon for a full time seat at SRT for 2022. Darren Binder is the other part of the potential SRT 2022 lineup, and rumour is that his place is already all but assured.

So the works team at Silverstone will be Quartararo and Crutchlow, SRT will be Rossi and Dixon. What happens beyond that who knows at this stage.

Morbidelli must be due to return before long..... maybe he will get a promotion to the seat he is set to take over next year anyway, and Crutchlow will drop back to SRT. I guess how Dixon goes at SRT at Silverstone could be of influence in that.

[Vassago]

I wonder how the Petronas pull-out affects the SRT satellite team next season? No way Darryn Binder is ready for MotoGP, I expect him to struggle big time if he gets the job. And this was literally the best satellite team for some years, now they are miles behind Pramac and the gap probably widens once Morbidelli goes into the works team. I assume Bezzecchi will be announced as SRT rider sometime before Misano?

[Everso Biggyballies]

Vinales and Yamaha split with immediate effect.

No surprises here.... the writing was on the wall, and the surprise would have been to see him ever on another Yamaha. According to the Yamaha, both parties have now arrived at a “mutual decision” to “separate with immediate effect”.

There is no word yet on who will replace him for the rest of the season, but the latest announcement does leave open the possibility that, having already signed for Aprilia for 2022, he might be allowed to get a headstart with his new team.

“Yamaha and Maverick Viñales have mutually decided to advance their separation and end their previous 2021 agreement with immediate effect,” reads Yamaha’s statement advising of the split.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Vinales expected to be riding for Aprilia this season.

Just to add to the Vinales situation, given the release and ceasing of mutual obligations is now finalised, Aprilia have indicated we will see Maverick on an Aprilia this season.... on an as soon as possible basis.

Vinales would logically replace Lorenzo Savadori, who Aprilia turned to as an emergency solution after Andrea Iannone's doping ban was confirmed until mid-2023.

Massimo Rivola, CEO of Aprilia's racing division, "wants to see him race as soon as possible, to begin to know what to expect from one of the fastest riders on the grid."

His riding for Aprilia probably wont be able to happen in time for Silverstone, but it would be likely he could make his debut at Aragon, where he would be able to compete after some testing with his new team.

[Everso Biggyballies]

The Yamaha scenario is getting interesting....

Andrea Dovizioso could race in MotoGP again as soon as next month, aboard a Yamaha.

The idea is that the Italian would saddle up for SRT, freeing compatriot Franco Morbidelli to make an early switch to the factory Monster Energy Yamaha team when he returns from injury.

Morbidelli would be taking the seat which was vacated Maverick Viñales, Dovizioso’s manager, Simone Battistella, is reportedly in talks with either Yamaha itself or management of SRT.

Furthermore, a Dovizioso deal is said to be supported by Milan-based energy company WithU, at a time when SRT is about to lose naming rights sponsor Petronas.

Dovizioso eventually gets a package which Quartararo has this year had proven can win races, rather than the punt he could have taken on Aprilia, which has now signed Viñales for 2022 anyway. Dovizioso would probably only get the ‘A-Spec’ 2019 model M1 for the remainder of this season, given he would be a direct replacement for Morbidelli, but next year would get this years works bike.

It seems to also fit in with Crutchlow's wishes to not have to in effect return full time..... he seems content to return to his test rider role.

Interesting to see how it all fits together over the next days. Sky Italia is reporting it pretty much a done deal.

[caneparo]

From aragon. Morbido on the official yamaha and dovi on the petronas. Quasi-official news

[Everso Biggyballies]

As if there isnt enough confusion over Yamaha's SRT team already.....

New MotoGP team to replace SRT in 2022
The Sepang Racing Team will quit MotoGP at the end of the year and be replaced by a start-up squad, its team principal has announced.

The news follows a tumultuous period for the Yamaha satellite squad, which was preparing for the loss of naming rights partner Petronas and subsequently planned to axe its Moto2 and Moto3 programmes.

That’s not to mention high turnover in its ranks this season, with Franco Morbidelli’s injury and the knock-on effect of Maverick Viñales’ controversial split with the factory Yamaha team making for a revolving door of riders.

Now, on the eve of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Razlan Razali has confirmed SRT will shut its doors at season’s end – and be replaced by a new team which he will be involved with.

“We have experienced a remarkable voyage over the past years,” said the SRT boss.

“From a small start in 2015 there was a great step for us in 2018 when we secured an entry to the premier class of MotoGP and built a MotoGP squad from scratch.

“In 2019 we were on the grid and just four races into our rookie season we were on the front row.

“By the seventh race we were on the podium. In 2020 we secured the first race win for a satellite Yamaha MotoGP team in over 20 years and finished second in the overall team and rider championships.

“In 2021 we raced with the Greatest Of All Time rider, Valentino Rossi. This is an incredible story.

“The team will race its final race in Valencia and we thank all our crew, riders, fans and partners for their support.

“In particular, we thank Petronas, with whom none of this would have been possible.

“Together we pushed the Petronas brand and Malaysian expertise to the forefront of the grid and captured unprecedented brand exposure and coverage, exponentially surpassing all expectations.

“We also thank Sepang International Circuit for their vision and support of upcoming Malaysian talent over a long period.

“Our collective dream was to have a Malaysian rider competing for podiums in the MotoGP World Championship.

“Sadly, we were not able to achieve this in the short life of our squad, but we can reflect upon tremendous success by every other measure.

“Our final season has not reached its conclusion yet and we continue to strive for the very best results possible across all three classes. Thank you all.”

https://www.speedcafe.com/2021/08/27/ne ... t-in-2022/

More details about the new-for-2022 team are to come to light during the San Marino GP weekend of September 17-19.

[Everso Biggyballies]

MM93 had a huge 170MPH accident at Silverstone today in P1...

He low sided and he himself rolled across grass and along the tarmac for quite a distance. Bike was wrecked but it seems MM survived very shaken but nothing broken. Sure clips of it will appear shortly.

In fact already....




It seems I exaggerated at 170mph.. confirmed it was 'only' 167mph!

Oh and the other thing was he still topped the times in the session. Actually it was a couple of minutes before the end and the red flag was flown.

[John]

Quartararo having a nasty one as well.

There's so many sections at this track where a fallen rider can slide straight through the grass and back onto the track.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Quartararo having a nasty one as well.

There's so many sections at this track where a fallen rider can slide straight through the grass and back onto the track.

Must admit my bum puckered up and clenched as I watched live as MM93 did just that as you see in the vid.
(Well fortunately you dont see my bum clenching in the vid, just MM sliding across the track.... )

[Everso Biggyballies]

MM93 managed to crash out of Silverstone already.... took someone (Martin?) with him. Silly move and one the stewards will probably look at.
In the meantime Quartar is in the lead having dropped back a bit after a careful start. His to lose atm with 14 to go. 2 Esp bros 2nd and 3rd from Rins Mir Bags, Miller, Marquez. Jnr , Rossi and Naka.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Quartar wins and we have an Aprilia (A Esp) on the podium for the first time (in MotoGp) Rins 2nd
Quartar now 65 points clear.