I'd say Austria WAS a Ducati track, ever since Honda went to the big bang motor they've managed to make similar power to the Ducati's. If you watch the race again, the Ducati's and Honda's are pretty much neck and neck in acceleration. And top speeds the Honda's just have the edge due to the Ducati's fairings.
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That last corner to me was reminiscent of Assen '06 with Hayden and Edwards doing everything they can to outbrake each other into the corner. Dovi said he left space because he knew MM was coming and if he kept a tight line MM would hit him and use that momentum to make the corner. Which he was right; MM would have tried regardless. Which I think was why Dovi was a bit pissed - he knew MM's intention there.
I don't know why you would expect this to continue to be a "Ducati" track as every year they go back the other manufacturers will figure out how to be more competitive. The idea that Ducati should have run away with this race, especially how this season and last season have gone, is simplistic.
I don't know why you would expect this to continue to be a "Ducati" track as every year they go back the other manufacturers will figure out how to be more competitive. The idea that Ducati should have run away with this race, especially how this season and last season have gone, is simplistic.
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All this discussion of tyres, conspiracy theories, rider(s) past their sell by date, leaves me thinking you've lost sight of the bigger picture. This sport is propped up by revenue streams and needs huge amounts of capital to operate, not just effectively, but to operate at all. Whilst the GOAT may not be performing to the standards of Mark419y and therefore by his determination, does not retain the right to his position in the team, like it or lump it, he continues to generate a huge income for the sport, almost as an ambassador for it. No other rider commands that much financial clout and whilst he can still ride around the track with an outside chance of a race win, he'll likely be around for a little while longer. Saying that, if he truly felt he was being totally outclassed and outgunned week in and week out, I don't think either he or Yamaha would continue to entertain his position within the team. He has enough personal wealth and trophies in his cabinet, that he really doesn't need to compete, if and when that time comes.
Personally at 38 yrs of age, it's still impressive that he can ride AND be competitive against others, ten years or more his junior. That he still has a passion for it, when he frankly has nothing left to prove is perhaps more admirable. Should he retire? No-one would think any the less of him if he did and in all honesty, I dont see him competing beyond 2018 as his age will get the better of him anyway, even if his mind says he can continue. I'd love him to win a 10th title and bow out gracefully, but even if that never happens, whether the young guns are currently scoring regular race wins over him or not, once he leaves the sport, it is hard to imagine any of the current crop of younger riders that will command as much global media interest at the level Rossi has been able to and the sport will undoubtedly suffer as a result.
The last person that truly bought motorcycling to the masses was Barry Sheene. His charisma and personality, plus his ability to work well with the media made him a household name. His ability to match his skills on track with his persona off it, made him a dream for the sponsors. There were riders around at that time that were as, if not more successful than Sheene, but few could hold a candle to his popularity. His team knew it and so did the FIM. Much the same as Dorna know how valuable an asset Rossi is. Whether you like or dislike him, he has and will leave an indelible mark on the sport that will be hard to replicate. So instead of berating the man, you should in part be thankful for what he has done for it. Considering that Dorna's official figures for MotoGP's global TV audience is now around 300 million for each Grand Prix, I'd say he's been instrumental in it's success. The goose that laid the golden egg, will eventually disappear. It may be many years before we see another.
Personally at 38 yrs of age, it's still impressive that he can ride AND be competitive against others, ten years or more his junior. That he still has a passion for it, when he frankly has nothing left to prove is perhaps more admirable. Should he retire? No-one would think any the less of him if he did and in all honesty, I dont see him competing beyond 2018 as his age will get the better of him anyway, even if his mind says he can continue. I'd love him to win a 10th title and bow out gracefully, but even if that never happens, whether the young guns are currently scoring regular race wins over him or not, once he leaves the sport, it is hard to imagine any of the current crop of younger riders that will command as much global media interest at the level Rossi has been able to and the sport will undoubtedly suffer as a result.
The last person that truly bought motorcycling to the masses was Barry Sheene. His charisma and personality, plus his ability to work well with the media made him a household name. His ability to match his skills on track with his persona off it, made him a dream for the sponsors. There were riders around at that time that were as, if not more successful than Sheene, but few could hold a candle to his popularity. His team knew it and so did the FIM. Much the same as Dorna know how valuable an asset Rossi is. Whether you like or dislike him, he has and will leave an indelible mark on the sport that will be hard to replicate. So instead of berating the man, you should in part be thankful for what he has done for it. Considering that Dorna's official figures for MotoGP's global TV audience is now around 300 million for each Grand Prix, I'd say he's been instrumental in it's success. The goose that laid the golden egg, will eventually disappear. It may be many years before we see another.
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Lol so funny that age is an excuse. If he's 38 and can't do it retire. Is that the excuse or are you admitting that he is well expired? Funnyb5 years ago it was he's 33 and didn't win yet at 38 they want to push he's a contender. Funny ..... I'm glad you acknowledge that it's about mkney and that's why 46 has been propped up all these years. He was never and will never be the goat in this sport. He may be a great revenue producer but that's it. That's why in the last 5 years not one rossi fan stepped up to bet me that he would not win a title again.
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I think you are reading way more than Topolino wrote.
However, you also seem to have ignored some of Topolino's statements, like this one...
"No other rider commands that much financial clout and whilst he can still ride around the track with an outside chance of a race win, he'll likely be around for a little while longer. Saying that, if he truly felt he was being totally outclassed and outgunned week in and week out, I don't think either he or Yamaha would continue to entertain his position within the team."
If he still gets on the podium, has a chance to win some races and has finished the last seasons in second, how can you say that he is not competitive?
Oh I know what your reply will be... "He is being propped up by Dorna and Yamaha at the expense of the other riders".
Yeah right... and all the other teams are aware of this but don't say anything and keep on spending millions of dollars, even though they know there is a system in place to favour only one rider.
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Let me phrase things differently, since you seem hellbent on nailing your repetitive stance to the tree for all to re-read. Rossi is at the tail end of his career and will doubtless retire at the end of the 2018 season, perhaps even sooner. Whilst he is not necessarily standing on the podium after each round, he generally has a number of much younger guns on similarly performing machines behind him at the finish line come the end of a race. I am not sure how you decree that as un-competitive. Would you consider yourself to be "circulating" if you regularly finished ahead of the majority of the field? I will grant you that he has one of the most competitive bikes (which clearly helps) but that is only a part of the reason he can still produce (in anyone's opinion) a respectable result. His motivation, experience and skill are what constitute the rest of the package. To be competitive amounts to more than simply securing 1st, 2nd or 3rd place and as long as he is not trailing stone last, then it's a little short-sighted to claim he is just making up the numbers. If this was the yardstick by which to judge others, you'd see a very small grid indeed. As I alluded to before, he doesnt need the money or the accolades BUT I do believe he has the integrity to know when the time is right to hang up his leathers, despite his position in the team being a lucrative one, which is fundamentally not his motivation to continue riding. I said that his persona and media presence does generate a lot of attention and therefore revenue for the sport, so Dorna will obviously capitalize on that BUT not to the point where they are propping him up, which is not what I suggested. I don't for one moment believe he or his team would be under any illusion, that when his abilities start to decline, he would somehow remain on track, resting on his revenue earning laurels as a figurehead for the sport to somehow justify a place on the starting grid. He'll likely have taken his leave long before then as he's already professed to in the Italian press. I'm not attempting to convince you of anything since you are so terminally dismissive of others views on this forum except your own. I've only bothered to reply since it's entirely possible that there may be other forum members on here who are a little more open-minded when reading the various retorts, we as a forum, collectively post in response to your informed or otherwise comments.
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Rossi hasn't been competitive since 2009. I see how u want to say he is ahead of younger guns on similar machinery. That's wrong maverick and jorge are on similar machinery. Marquez and Pedrosa. Rossi has yet to beat maverick this year when they both finished. Rossi has never beat jorge or marquez for a title.
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I think you are reading way more than Topolino wrote.
However, you also seem to have ignored some of Topolino's statements, like this one...
"No other rider commands that much financial clout and whilst he can still ride around the track with an outside chance of a race win, he'll likely be around for a little while longer. Saying that, if he truly felt he was being totally outclassed and outgunned week in and week out, I don't think either he or Yamaha would continue to entertain his position within the team."
If he still gets on the podium, has a chance to win some races and has finished the last seasons in second, how can you say that he is not competitive?
Oh I know what your reply will be... "He is being propped up by Dorna and Yamaha at the expense of the other riders".
Yeah right... and all the other teams are aware of this but don't say anything and keep on spending millions of dollars, even though they know there is a system in place to favour only one rider.
How can you say a rider is competitive when the Avg champion since 2010 has 4 race wins while at the same time rossi Avg 1.
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Rossi, who has been 2nd for last few years, so anyone below him should retire as well since they are not "competitive"
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Rossi still commands the most attention on this forum. Um...
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who's Rossi?
all i can say is that last turn move. ... man. pretty smart from Dovi deciding not to provide impact area to MM.
badass.
all i can say is that last turn move. ... man. pretty smart from Dovi deciding not to provide impact area to MM.
badass.
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Mark is always wrong about most everything.
Pay no attention.
Pay no attention.
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I'm wrong I think I'm exactly right prove me wrong. Avg wins, laps lead, poles, championships in modern times, rossi should have retired after 12. Instead they sabotaged spies for the sake of dorna as a business. Returned rossi to Yamaha where he has always been a and still is the number 2 rider there. Now we have alerts on the dashboard to make sure he doesn't miss the pit in bwhahaha. Mark also said MM would win it all this year and mark was also the guy that would have bet any rossi fan a few things and nobody stepped up.
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Why are you only using Rossi's stats?... its no denying Rossi has come runner up the last 3 years, meaning while his stats are unimpressive to you, it's still better than everyone else in the field except 1. Or in your book, better than 2 other riders except 1 (since only factory Yamaha's and Honda's are the most competitive). You stated Rossi was not competitive in Austria and fail to recognize that even his teammate on the same bike also struggled and only beat him by 1.5 seconds. Rossi wasn't the problem in this instance, the bike was. This year has started showing the Yamaha M1's flaws at multiple tracks.
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I use his stats because I've been hearing since 13 he's back. He isn't back he's done the vanishing of tires for the last 2 years etc. Runner up great who lost the superbowl 3 years ago. That's what I thought you don't know
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