2018 Moto GP/WSBK/BSB etc thread

adamp93
Alex Marquez has re-signed for another year in moto 2. In reality that's 2 years since all the decent gp rides are signed up for 2020 as well.
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I get the feeling the MotoGP ship has already sailed for Alex.

It took far longer than many thought possible just to get a win under his belt, and even after that the performances have been average if not below par. Then Mir comes along and immediately gets a 2019 Suzuki ride just six races into 2018, and he doesn't even have a Moto2 win to his name!

Not many Moto2 graduates (or MotoGP ones for that matter) instantly click with the bikes like others can. Some take a few races or indeed a season, others simply do not gel at all. The problem with racing families is that if one of them goes on to become a global superstar, any other members who decide to compete are immediately expected to be of the same ilk. Trouble is, nine times out of ten, it doesn't work out that way.

I'm not doubting for one second that Alex is a great rider: he could easily make Average Joe's like me look ridiculous on a motorbike of any capacity. But considering who his brother is (who, a few years back even singled him out as being faster), part of the problem with Alex might not be so obscure.
 
Carbon_6
I'm not doubting for one second that Alex is a great rider: he could easily make Average Joe's like me look ridiculous on a motorbike of any capacity. But considering who his brother is (who, a few years back even singled him out as being faster), part of the problem with Alex might not be so obscure.
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I wouldn't be surprised if Alex let the pressure associated with that statement get to him.
 
Carbon_6
Looks like Tom Sykes and the WSB Kawasaki team are parting ways after 2018. Leon Haslam is currently being rumoured to replace him as Rea's team-mate in 2019.
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Pedrosa maybe? :sly:
My money would be on Haslam as well, he's done ok in his WSBK wildcard appearances, and is very familiar with the ZX10.
One major difference though between his BSB Kawasaki and the WSBK is electronic aids in WSBK. I wonder how quickly he'll adapt to using them?
 
Carbon_6
Looks like Tom Sykes and the WSB Kawasaki team are parting ways after 2018. Leon Haslam is currently being rumoured to replace him as Rea's team-mate in 2019.
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Camier didn't sign for 2019 yet, or did he? Having somebody as fast as Rea on one bike, I would go for Camier, I can't see him being worse than Sykes has mostly been this year.
 
I think Toprak has a contract with Kawasaki. So even though he's staying with Pucetti next year he'll probably be in the factory team in 2020. That must be a factor for both team and riders in negotiations.
 
I'm heading down to Kent today for the BSB race day at Brands Hatch. Really looking forward to it, I haven't been before but I love the circuit on Gran Turismo, Forza etc.

Finger's crossed for some good racing :D.
 
Not a bad seat, turn 1 is incredibly steep, I don't think videogames do it much justice :eek:.

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Yamaha brought some sort of MotoGP thingy as well.
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John Wells
Great days racing, from Brands Hatch, looked really hot on TV, grass around circuit was quite dry.:D
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It was basically the same colour as the gravel trap :D Racing in the Superbike class was very good, a there were a few rinawaw winners in the support classes though unfortunately.
 
adamp93
A new addition to the provisional calendar for 2019, that horrendous track the F1 go to in Mexico with no run off whatsoever. Money > safety.👎
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I've never seen that track before, the stadium section of the track looks good.
Agreed that there doesn't look to be much runoff, is it a fast track though?
 
Ryanswannell
I've never seen that track before, the stadium section of the track looks good.
Agreed that there doesn't look to be much runoff, is it a fast track though?
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The average F1 speed at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is 196km/h (121.7mph). By the time the cars arrive at the braking point for turn 1, they've reached about 350km/h (218mph) with no slipstream and DRS open. That's because the run from the last corner to turn 1 is 1.2km long, the same as the longest straights at Shanghai, Baku and Yas Marina.

In MotoGP terms, that makes it slightly longer than the 1.14km straight at Mugello, where this year Dovi's Ducati hit 356.4km/h (221.4mph) in free practice.
 
All 3 races in Brno were absolutely cracking. Lorenzo and Dovi were superb, Moto 2 and 3 standings closing in, what's not to like? :)

@Ryanswannell the Mexican track looks like there's potential for a short circuit but you can't avoid going through the gap in the grandstand unless you use the oval, which would be worse.

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Carbon_6
It's one of the team's sponsors. They make ice tea in cans.
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Do they know that 420 is international code for “smoke some weeeeed”? In Canada, if you look through classified adds for apartment rentals, any add that says “420” or “420 friendly” means that smoking weed is ok :lol:
 
I spent the morning at Cadwell Park today for BSB Free Practice, this track is insane!

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I've never been to a circuit where you can stand so close to the action as a spectator. The undulations, particularly on the mountain section are unbelievable also .:bowdown:

I also managed to get close to a few beautiful Ducati 899's as well.

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