Philip Island F1...MotoGP
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Philip Island F1...MotoGP
It is quite sad to see that MotoGP has taken another step in trying to emulate all that is bad with F1. Today at the Island, one of the best bike tracks around, things turned ugly due to incompetent people, politics and money.
The surface at the Island was re-done earlier in the year, yet it seems nobody from the official suppliers seemed to think it worthwhile to come and do any tests in order to know what the new surface was like. As it turned out, the new surface is very grippy, and already on Friday they realized that tires were being worn quickly, and particularly they were having some problems with them heating up too quickly. After the qualifying on Saturday, this had become totally clear, and both Dunlop supplying tires for Moto2 and Bridgestone supplying MotoGP stated that the tires they had brought would not last the normal race distance.
So, after the qualifying it was announced that the Moto2 race would have its race distance halved, yet full points would be given. For MotoGP, they announced that they would run the full 28 laps, but there would be a mandatory tire change at half distance. For bikes, this then actually becomes a bike swap at half distance.
Then on Sunday morning, after the warm up, they realized that 14 laps was even too much for the MotoGP bikes, and so race distance was changed to 19 laps, with a mandatory tire change no later than after 10 laps.
So, we first got a very short sprint race for Moto2. Given that positions were very tight out front as is often then case, things ended far too soon. Then for the MotoGP race, it all went to hell. The first to pit for the tire change was Pedrosa. Then on the next lap most other riders went in, including Lorenzo. Marquez however stayed out for another lap, along with two other riders. He rejoined the race right when Lorenzo was arriving in the Doohan corner, the two of the touching slightly. At this point, there was some obvious confusion in the paddock, and soon after the black flag came out with Marquez no. 93 on it. It turns out he had gone one lap too many and was thus disqualified. To make it even more confusing, Pedrosa was given a one position penalty for having gone too fast in the pit lane.
Marquez duly quit the race, and it was not clear if this then provided Pedrosa's one position penalty. The black flagging of Marquez is such an over the top penalty for the infringement resulting from total confusion of these last minute and exceptional race changes which were being imposed for the first time ever. Honda had misunderstood the regulation change, and left Marquez out one lap too many.
Was this then imposed as some sort of after the fact punishment on Marquez because Lorenzo had been unhappy earlier for the one point punishment he had received for the Aragon incident? Whatever the reasons, this totally has screwed up not only this race, but possibly the championship.
This shit does remind me of what went down in F1 back in 2005 Indianapolis.
The surface at the Island was re-done earlier in the year, yet it seems nobody from the official suppliers seemed to think it worthwhile to come and do any tests in order to know what the new surface was like. As it turned out, the new surface is very grippy, and already on Friday they realized that tires were being worn quickly, and particularly they were having some problems with them heating up too quickly. After the qualifying on Saturday, this had become totally clear, and both Dunlop supplying tires for Moto2 and Bridgestone supplying MotoGP stated that the tires they had brought would not last the normal race distance.
So, after the qualifying it was announced that the Moto2 race would have its race distance halved, yet full points would be given. For MotoGP, they announced that they would run the full 28 laps, but there would be a mandatory tire change at half distance. For bikes, this then actually becomes a bike swap at half distance.
Then on Sunday morning, after the warm up, they realized that 14 laps was even too much for the MotoGP bikes, and so race distance was changed to 19 laps, with a mandatory tire change no later than after 10 laps.
So, we first got a very short sprint race for Moto2. Given that positions were very tight out front as is often then case, things ended far too soon. Then for the MotoGP race, it all went to hell. The first to pit for the tire change was Pedrosa. Then on the next lap most other riders went in, including Lorenzo. Marquez however stayed out for another lap, along with two other riders. He rejoined the race right when Lorenzo was arriving in the Doohan corner, the two of the touching slightly. At this point, there was some obvious confusion in the paddock, and soon after the black flag came out with Marquez no. 93 on it. It turns out he had gone one lap too many and was thus disqualified. To make it even more confusing, Pedrosa was given a one position penalty for having gone too fast in the pit lane.
Marquez duly quit the race, and it was not clear if this then provided Pedrosa's one position penalty. The black flagging of Marquez is such an over the top penalty for the infringement resulting from total confusion of these last minute and exceptional race changes which were being imposed for the first time ever. Honda had misunderstood the regulation change, and left Marquez out one lap too many.
Was this then imposed as some sort of after the fact punishment on Marquez because Lorenzo had been unhappy earlier for the one point punishment he had received for the Aragon incident? Whatever the reasons, this totally has screwed up not only this race, but possibly the championship.
This shit does remind me of what went down in F1 back in 2005 Indianapolis.
Henrik- Killer Whale
- Posts : 1575
Join date : 2009-08-01
Age : 59
Location : Switzerland
Re: Philip Island F1...MotoGP
That did seem harsh. I think They should have hit him with a stop, and go penalty to set a point. Pedrosa should have got a drive thru for speeding.
TopContender- Killer Whale
- Posts : 609
Join date : 2009-08-02
Location : USA
Re: Philip Island F1...MotoGP
This new surface then:
Who tested for seagull-traction co-efficients...?
Who tested for seagull-traction co-efficients...?
Gelert- Killer Whale
- Posts : 694
Join date : 2009-08-02
Age : 112
Location : South Sandwich Islands
Re: Philip Island F1...MotoGP
I guess that would be Jorge...Gelert wrote:This new surface then:
Who tested for seagull-traction co-efficients...?
About the surface though, the Superbikes had no trouble with their Pirelli tires earlier in the year.
Henrik- Killer Whale
- Posts : 1575
Join date : 2009-08-01
Age : 59
Location : Switzerland
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