Silly season 2013

[Squidpuppet]

Smith has the single most important credential for the ride - a contract!

But as Poncharal said, Smith will not be riding in Motogp next season.

When/where did you read/see/hear this?

[Gustav O]

But as Poncharal said, Smith will not be riding in Motogp next season.

Whan? Where?
Sensible move by Poncharal imo - he is in a position to continue to have a very good team and Smith is not at that level yet.

[Cam D]

Smith has the single most important credential for the ride - a contract!

But as Poncharal said, Smith will not be riding in Motogp next season.

When/where did you read/see/hear this?

Dayl Beattie said Herve said he doesn't want Smith. Apparently the contract is water tight, and Herve said Smith will just have to sue him.

[Squidpuppet]

[Dayl Beattie said Herve said he doesn't want Smith. Apparently the contract is water tight, and Herve said Smith will just have to sue him.

Yikes! You would think if THAT leaked out, then so would Herves preferred rider lineup.

[dave_m]

[Dayl Beattie said Herve said he doesn't want Smith. Apparently the contract is water tight, and Herve said Smith will just have to sue him.

Yikes! You would think if THAT leaked out, then so would Herves preferred rider lineup.

I think his lineup depends on the other factory seat being sorted out, but he should have some good options. Cal appears to be the only one saying he'll leave if he doesn't get the factory seat, so he could end up with Spies and Dovi at Tech3 next year.

[Squidpuppet]

[Dayl Beattie said Herve said he doesn't want Smith. Apparently the contract is water tight, and Herve said Smith will just have to sue him.

Yikes! You would think if THAT leaked out, then so would Herves preferred rider lineup.

I think his lineup depends on the other factory seat being sorted out, but he should have some good options. Cal appears to be the only one saying he'll leave if he doesn't get the factory seat, so he could end up with Spies and Dovi at Tech3 next year.

So if Cal jumps ship to Ducati, and Ben moves to tech3, WHO gets the second factory seat? I vote Nicky.

[MiniNinjaMk5]

That's sad news for Smith, I would have at least liked to have seen him on a CRT in MotoGP. The bike he is on now just hasn't had any development at all apparently.

That being said, I can see Herve's logic for not wanting to put a rookie in on what is arguably one of the most competitive bikes on the grid (even more so next year when Stoner is not there).

As crazy as this sounds, has anyone thought that next year the seats might stay exactly as they are now?

[Gar]

[Dayl Beattie said Herve said he doesn't want Smith. Apparently the contract is water tight, and Herve said Smith will just have to sue him.

Yikes! You would think if THAT leaked out, then so would Herves preferred rider lineup.

I think his lineup depends on the other factory seat being sorted out, but he should have some good options. Cal appears to be the only one saying he'll leave if he doesn't get the factory seat, so he could end up with Spies and Dovi at Tech3 next year.

The rumor these days includes an Italian guy whose name doesn't begin with Dovi, and it's probably wrong.

[n8r]

I think it'd be a real shame for Nicky Hayden to not get at least a satellite Honda/Yamaha before being shown the WSBK door. He's done astonishingly well on the Ducati all things considered. He may not win races, but he could be the perfect second rider on a factory team if you want someone to put the bike on or near the podium and accumulate lots of manufacturer championship points. This is pretty much the same deal for Dovi and Spies as well. I would rate all of them a step below Casey / Pedro / Jorge / Rossi. I think that Marquez will end up with similar issues as Pedrosa given his small stature.

There just flat out needs to be more than 4 race winning capable bikes (2 yam factory / 2 honda factory) and 4 additional podium capable bikes (2 yam satellite / 2 honda satellite). My list of riders that deserve these 8 bikes are - excluding Stoner since he won't be around for 2013:
Lorenzo
Pedrosa
Rossi
Dovisioso
Spies
Hayden
Bradl
Crutchlow

Marquez is throwing a wrench into this by moving up. I think he does deserve a good ride, but I'm not sure he deserves a Repsol factory ride.

[Gar]

I think it'd be a real shame for Nicky Hayden to not get at least a satellite Honda/Yamaha before being shown the WSBK door. He's done astonishingly well on the Ducati all things considered. He may not win races, but he could be the perfect second rider on a factory team if you want someone to put the bike on or near the podium and accumulate lots of manufacturer championship points. This is pretty much the same deal for Dovi and Spies as well. I would rate all of them a step below Casey / Pedro / Jorge / Rossi. I think that Marquez will end up with similar issues as Pedrosa given his small stature.

There just flat out needs to be more than 4 race winning capable bikes (2 yam factory / 2 honda factory) and 4 additional podium capable bikes (2 yam satellite / 2 honda satellite). My list of riders that deserve these 8 bikes are - excluding Stoner since he won't be around for 2013:
Lorenzo
Pedrosa
Rossi
Dovisioso
Spies
Hayden
Bradl
Crutchlow

Marquez is throwing a wrench into this by moving up. I think he does deserve a good ride, but I'm not sure he deserves a Repsol factory ride.

I'd throw (believe it or not) Bautista and DePuniet on that list, and Marquez and Smith are definitely going to put a couple of strong riders in odd positions. I expect Crutchlow to be on a Ducati but no idea who will be on the second one.

[Nachlauf]

ianwheeler: The chances of Scott Redding moving up to MotoGP in 2013 improve every weekend. Still some way to go before a deal is finalised though.

ianwheeler: I can say that CRT is not even being considered as an option! RT @ValentinoMossy: obviously you can't say much, but CRT or Proto?


Looks like you have to add Redding to the list too.

But don't forget, that Suzuki is working on a bike for 2013. So we could have 1 or 2 additional factory bikes.

[Gar]

I thought Suzuki was working on 2014?

[Gustav O]

If I was Lin Jarvis I would sign Dovi to ride along Lorenzo - he is the perfect back up rider. Solid, fast, makes few mistakes, brings home points, can take some away from the opposition but not mess with Lorenzo.
Spies back to Tech 3 and Cal moves along to Ducati.
Rossi? I have no clue but Pedrosa stays at Repsol for one more year.

[Billysbones]

If I was Lin Jarvis I would sign Dovi to ride along Lorenzo - he is the perfect back up rider. Solid, fast, makes few mistakes, brings home points, can take some away from the opposition but not mess with Lorenzo.
Spies back to Tech 3 and Cal moves along to Ducati.
Rossi? I have no clue but Pedrosa stays at Repsol for one more year.

I would say that Dovi makes quite a few mistakes. Some of them seem to be unforced. (Although I accept that "Unforced" is not really an appropriate word, when you consider the speeds and pressure they are under)

[ieism]

I would put Dovi on the factory Yam too, and I think that is very likely to happen at this point. But Jarvis is not in a hurry, he can wait if Spies comes good again and if Dovi remains as fast.

[Gustav O]

I would put Dovi on the factory Yam too, and I think that is very likely to happen at this point. But Jarvis is not in a hurry, he can wait if Spies comes good again and if Dovi remains as fast.

True. They are in a good position at the moment and do not need to rush as pretty much all riders want that seat I would assume.

[Zaphod]

If we put the love of Dovi to one side for minute, can someone please explain why he is being talked about as the Factory seat replacement rider, when he's been out performed by a second year team-mate more often than not ?
Surely it's performance and results that count ?


Dovi , to me, looks just like he did on the Honda. If it wasn't for others falling off/having issues/being Ben Spies, he wouldn't have podiumed.

Not to slag him off, he's riding well and is a nice guy. Fact is, Crutclows ridden better than him in Qualifying and all but two races.

[redmike34]

Not to slag him off, he's riding well and is a nice guy. Fact is, Crutclows ridden better than him in Qualifying and all but two races.

Unless I'm the backwards one, you're reading that opposite. Dovi's been in front of Cal in four of the six races both finished.

[Zaphod]

Yep, my mistake.

Oh well, it's just me then. I wouldn't be hiring Dovi unless I wanted a rider to finish in the top order, without getting on the nerves of the established number one rider.

Maybe that's exactly what they want.

The shame of it is, Cal going to Duc, given the history of that mark, is going to be a waste of time and talent.

[Oscar]

Oh well, it's just me then. I wouldn't be hiring Dovi unless I wanted a rider to finish in the top order, without getting on the nerves of the established number one rider.

And that's exactly what Dovi brings as a No.2 rider: reliably taking points off the opposition while not taking points off the lead rider and not causing the team vast sums of money in repairs or aggravation by being a loose cannon, on or off the track. I feel sorry for Spies, and I have an irrational feeling that his problems are more that Houseworth isn't up to the job of a motoGp crew chief than that Spies isn't a good rider, but he's been too often not there when it has counted as a Team Yamaha man. Crutchlow has all the makings of a (slightly unpredictable, but often brilliant) No. 1 rider; give him a reasonably competitive Yam or Honda - or in extremis, a Ducati - and sometimes he'll amaze, but not predictably (yet, anyway).

To me, the most obvious alternate candidate to Dovi as Lorenzo's No.2 - is Hayden!. Rossi MIGHT go a one-man Honda team, reprising his Nastro Azzuro days - he's not going to be seen as a satellite rider, even at Gresini as a homage to Simoncelli, so a Crutchlow / Iannone Ducati team has a ring to it. I suspect that Rossi won't leave Ducati at least until he has a win on the damn thing, because Stoner's record is going to bug him forever otherwise. He has enough financial security to be able to indulge in ego-driven motives and Stoner has gotten under his skin in a way no other rider has ever managed - it's deeply, damagingly personal. Stoner's record at Ducati challenges pretty much everything Rossi pinned his reputation on in his book, and to leave Ducati with no wins would crack the Tablets from the Mount...

[Zaphod]

Agree with everything.

...except Rossi staying at Duc till he has a win.

He's already stated that Lorenzo, Stoner and Pedrosa are all fitter than him, and riding faster. Bike or not.

I think it was stinging him last year, but he's learned to accept it. (had to, hasn't he ! )

If he stayed at Duc for another 50 years, he wouldn't get a win.

.......and neither would anyone else.... I think even Stoner saw signs of the writing on the wall after 09....possibly earlier, but hoped against hope, like Rossi and Hayden.As others have pointed out, Duc has stayed stagnant, while others have progressed.

He might have extracted a win on it........but it would have bitten him somewhere along the way.

The current Ducati is what you get when you cross a donkey with a pig, throw it out of an aircraft at 30 00ft, scoop up the bits after they hit the ground, sculpt it into the shape of a motorcycle and allow to dry in the sun.

Hayden is even taking delight in things that he used to do as a matter of course.


Titled "rear wheel stirring", I'm still not sure if Nicky has mis-spelt "Steering", or is referring to the fact he was trying to, and was ultimately succeeding in giving Bab's the shits.

"rear wheel stirring" picture on twitter.......

http://instagram.com/p/Mgwla3EyrU/

[dave_m]

I wouldn't be hiring Dovi unless I wanted a rider to finish in the top order, without getting on the nerves of the established number one rider.

Maybe that's exactly what they want.

The shame of it is, Cal going to Duc, given the history of that mark, is going to be a waste of time and talent.

Dovi at Yamaha wouldn't actually be that odd, look at Edwards while Rossi was there. That's a lot of eggs in one basket though, and as they say, sh!t happens.

Can't disagree with the "waste of time and talent" statement, but that does bring up the question of who should ride for Ducati? Assuming the GP13 doesn't make an astronomical performance leap, they'll struggle to keep up with the satellite bikes again next season. Two riders have to sign up for the punishment excitement of beating the CRT bikes, but who will be the unlucky duo?

[Zaphod]

Babs and Biaggi.

Don't laugh at the last one, not very long ago he was seen to remark in the press that Valentino's flower is wilting, and his (Biaggi's) is just starting to bloom again.

He thinks he could come back. If having the bike VR dominated on didn't work like he hoped, then by converse logic, the bike VR couldn't ride should be idealy suited to him !!




Max Biaggi, steadily proving the point of veiw that the general public has of motorcyclists.

Anyone who rides one is insane.



I dunno Dave....... Babs and Zarco ? (now that rookie rule has gone)


Surely Iannone smarter than to take up that offer.

[ieism]

I dunno Dave....... Babs and Zarco ? (now that rookie rule has gone)


Surely Iannone smarter than to take up that offer.

How about Babs and Redding? I keep hearing that Cal has a similar style to Casey, But i'm not seeing it really. I tried to think of anyone that has a similar style but I haven't thought of one yet. You would think that a more agressive style would suit the Ducati, but De Puniet didn't do well on it and he had a pretty agressive style I think on the Honda.

[dash]

Surely Iannone smarter than to take up that offer.

If the guy who's been the definition of lunacy in the smaller classes for several years, and has "Crazy Joe" on the back of his leathers, won't sign for you, you know you're in trouble.