Italian Grand Prix - Mugello

[René]

Suzuki looking strong and a lot of drama for Ducati. Unbelievable crash for Michelle Pirro but it seems he's ok!

The race at Mugello should be good though.

[chrisb]

totally agree Rene, if practice was anything to go by it will be one hell of a race, I have gone for the Mav, although I have that sneaking suspiscion that Iannone is looking very good, hope Pirro is ok, after another tragedy at the TT it really isn't good -

Mugello is a circuit i want to visit and it looks really special, especially under the Med sun,

[charleselan]

I haven't a clue who will win this one, but needless to say am hoping for Johann Zarco will get his first MotoGP victory. However I have gone for Jack Miller for no there reason than to be contrary . He is riding well this year however and hope he gets the second works Ducati over Petrucci, who I do not take to as he is making far too many political comments about the ride, and is not a clean rider.

Ianonne is out of Suzuki according to all parties involved which isn't surprising considering his terrible performances last year, starring right now on occasions, but too late chap!

Jorge Lorenzo is rumoured to get a Yamaha next year in a team funded by CIS and Petronas, that would be great news as he will then do a Zarco to the factory team riders, and with interest. Maybe he will sort the bike out which the current incumbents have failed miserably to achieve.

Pirro's accident was violent and not good to see, I do hope he is OK, even so a very lucky lad to come out of that.

[chrisb]

that accident to Pirro was awful , do really hope he is ok

the Mav is looking good, as is Rossi, 10 years after his last win here, Dovi's straight line speed will make him very difficult to get past and Marquez is quiet, my suspicion is that Lorenzo wil get baulked by Marquez and they both tumble and re-mount on each others bikes, realise that oh, Marquez prefers the Ducati and Lorenzo the Honda and do a swap for next year...

Jack is riding well, and Petruchi is quick but am struggling to see them as factory riders, perhaps wrongly - sorry JC but i see Ianonne on the Aprilla, it would be great to see Scott on a satelitte Aprilla and maybe he as well as a few others might be better off on WSB - where his size isn't so much of a penalty - although being aware of what he said about WSB hope he doesn't regret that

this is certainly the most 'talked about' silly season I have heard for years, throw in Johnny Rea as a possible Ducati rider as well, and who knows he is quick, plus the Moto2 riders and whilst you never hear of the younger Marquez's name being linked ot a ride i am sure he is out there trying to secure one as well as Sam, et al.

[charleselan]

That was one amazing qualification session, just what F1 used to be like in the dim and distant past. Couldn't help but feel there was some orchestration however, sadly I am becoming too cynical.

Not a "yellow helmet fan" but that was some lap, and what about Lorenzo, that certainly upset the Ducati garage by the look of things. If they had given the lad a bike he could ride just think what they would have achieved this year. How long have they been trying to build a bike that most riders can ride; for too long and it is they that are at fault not the rider.

If Lorenzo was on that Suzuki I doubt that anyone would see which way the guy went, such a shame that the team appear to be overly smitten with a rookie who has yet to win even a Moto2 race, but of course he is Spanish so should we be surprised!! It would appear that some manufacturers just do not wish to succeed, and Suzuki are one of them.

Scott will be out of MotoGP I fear, goodness knows what the blazes is going on there, Chris you do jest about him running a satellite Aprillia don't you? That bike is a heap, and lacks finance. I cannot believe that Scott thinks WSBK is such a bad move, he even thinks that a return to Moto2 is better for him, I would like to know who the hell is advising him right now.

[chrisb]

if it was orchestrated JC it was one piece of conducting! it was a great lap and of course as qualifying unfolded so did my internet connection, so amused, and then the neighbour...bless, but what it has done is created a sell-out, it will be one helluva race, but I don't know what the commentators are like at BT but Dorna's are driving me nuts with their sycophantic worshiping of Marquez, it is nauesating and more importantly boring, ok he's good but do i need to be told just how good he is every 5 seconds? yikes

I think Lorenzo and Iannone will do their very best to upset everyone this afternoon, and can see some tears cascading here, Ducati are horsepower 'driven' sorry pun sort of intended- and expect the riders to accomodate that - but i do wonder if Suzuki are taking a more commercially driven decision with Mir - and that is a shame because it is a winner and Lorenzo would win on it, but such is the price of something or other, i am not a Lorenzo fan i didn't like what he did with Dovi several times that just reeked of petulance and isn't exactly team-building but he is a winner and would win on the Suzi

I too fear Scott will be out of MotoGP - which after how well he went in Moto2/3 will be a crying shame, but i can't see any teams wanting him for next year, the boy has real skill and is a winner - dropping back to Moto2 is an idea, it keeps you in some sort of focus but with more 'flavours of the month' appearing and fewer MotoGP rides available would he be stuck there like Sam or Marquez junior? whereas WSB he has the potnetial to be World champion, and i know WSB is in relative doldrums at the moment - it wasn't a few years ago and suspect like BSB it has the potential to take off again,

[charleselan]

Great race weekend with a terrific Moto2 race, the best for a long time and really pleased that Oliviera on the KTM won, this lad is extremely good and should do very well next year in MotoGP on the Tech3 KTM, a star of the future.

Although Jorge Lorenzo is not to everyones taste, I actually like him and think he is far deeper than the media would have you believe. great to hear the BT Sport commentary team saying that they hoped he would win today, which he did in the style of old, absolute class performance. The Ducati had been changed to suit him after his comments at Le Mans, the tank being enlarged to support him more and also allowing him better leverage as he moves the bike from side to side. Such a shame that they could not have got this sorted earlier. Unfortunately for Ducati it appears to be all too late and Lorenzo is off to pastures new in 2019, although one could see the emotion in him as this win meant a great deal.

Marquez seemed to be on one of his "missions" and I wasn't surprised to see him ditch the motorcycle, and if truth be told was justice after the very rude move he pulled on Petrucci, which should have been penalised according to the BT comms' team, and I fully agree.

It looks like only one British rider on the grid next season, that is unless Johnny Rae moves across from WSBK, which I doubt very much will happen. Bradley Smith says he will retire if he doesn't stay in MotoGP; he and Scott appear to have a very strange attitude to a career in motorcycle sport, which I find hard to fathom.

Mugello certainly is a very good circuit and puts those Tilkedomes to shame.

[Deleted]

Lorenzo to partner Marquez at Honda. Prost and Senna all over again. We will now see how much friends they actually are. No bets for who will come on top.

Petrucci to Ducati, one year contract, to replace Lorenzo.