Thai Grand Prix - Buriram Chang International Circuit

[René]

What will the first MotoGP Grand Prix in Thailand bring? Is there anyone who can still challenge Márquez for the title? It will be up to Dovi or Lorenzo to take the fight to Marc but Jorge is not even sure he can race with his foot injury. And what about Yamaha?

Good news for Scott; he has a ride for next season in the BSB with Ducati!

[Carl]

Oct 3, 2018 22:06:17 GMT René said:

What will the first MotoGP Grand Prix in Thailand bring?

Extremely pale and emaciated grid girls.  They need more carbs and fat in their diets. 

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[René]

Oct 4, 2018 3:26:13 GMT Carl said:

Oct 3, 2018 22:06:17 GMT René said:

What will the first MotoGP Grand Prix in Thailand bring?

Extremely pale and emaciated grid girls.  They need more carbs and fat in their diets. 

                                                                                                            

Haha, no argument there Carl!

[chrisb]

chaps could I possibly have the choice? or both...

[chrisb]

I've gone for Dovi, but suspect Marquez is on a such a plateau he will be very difficult to challenge, would like to see Dani do well, but to just shut up the Dorna Marquez fan club commentators - such is impartiality - I would love a Yamaha to finally come good, and for Scott to do really well, [are all bikes equal?] just as a reminder what MotoGP is losing,

[charleselan]

Horrendous high side for Jorge this morning due to a bike failure, the guy is getting a real battering at present.

Dyncas • 2 days ago
We all wish Shane Byrne a thoroughly successful recovery. More to the point of the article, we should also wish great success to Scott Redding. With careful attention to press tutorials and to his family's extensive knowledge of all aspects of motorcycle competition, he should do well.

Jack Brabham, when asked by a young driver how to improve his lap times, responded: "More throttle, less brake." For young Redding, the taciturn triple world champion might have advised: "More reflection, less talk."

I like the cut of this Welshman's jib .

[chrisb]

excellent,

the Jorge accident was horrid, for all his sensitivity he is one tough cookie, Mat Oxley in one of his firmer responses points out that only 2 riders have withstood Rossi's psychological tests, Jorge and Marquez, they are tough,

Good luck to Scott, although I suspect initially he will be in for a bit of a shock, hopefully then his skills will become evident - all the best to Shaky, not sure if he has packed up or not, I do know he is making a very good transfer to Eurosport TV team and will have a great future there, it would be even better if he replaced Steve Day on Dorna,

now you say that John, but BSB, WSB are far less 'political' arena's so Scott may have greater opportunities to 'be himself'

sad to see Danny Kent lost his seat - really don't understand how someone can be so successful one year and such a disappointment subsequently - hope he does get that BSB ride and show us what he can do

[charleselan]

A lot of internet speculation by the usual Keyboard experts as to how Scott will cope with a Superbike, and if he will be any good with the tyres. I have little doubt that he will be fine as the Superbike tyre is much softer in the carcass than the Michelin MotoGP rubber. This was superbly explained by Jordi Torres when on the grid in Aragon while standing in for Tito Rabat. The problem with the Michelin MotoGP tyre is that many riders have no feel from the front due to its hard construction, the previous Bridgestone supply did not have this issue.

Scott is one of the guys who has had issues with this Michelin tyre and I believe that the softer Pirelli used in BSB will be ideal for him, giving the front end feel he craves. In a way it is a bit like Kimi in current F1; its not that he is now suddenly slow it is just that he needs that front end bite from a softer construction tyre, we desperately need a tyre war once more.

I do hope that "Shakey" Byrne hangs up his leathers, he has had an incredible career and can count himself very fortunate that he wasn't paralysed in that last accident. Yes, Chris, he is a great addition to the brilliant Eurosport BSB Media team; all those guys and gal are really top notch. Great to see James Whitham looking well again and that his hair is growing under that very snazzy cap he wears.

P.S. Danny Kent. An interesting observation from a guy on the internet the other day who mentioned that maybe Danny suffers from an over ambitious father who wants him to achieve what he failed to do, and that Kent Jnr maybe does not have his heart in racing anymore. Not the first time that has happened in sport, and will not be the last. Solution, let the kid do what he wants to todo, not what you want him to do.

[Deleted]

Fcuk it.

[Deleted]

This is from a long interview with Kevin Cameron, former racing motorcycle tuner and builder, technical editor at Cycle World since three decades, has a monthly column on Motorcycle Sport & Leisure too - I am an avid reader of everything he writes, books included - self-taught engineer with a PhD in physics from Harvard, as he puts it:

I'm self-taught in the vocational end and . . . Lenin "seizing the means of production." And as far as the other is concerned, I had an undistinguished college career at a leaf-encrusted East Coast school. That was in physics and it was clear that I wasn't going anywhere because I didn't have the math for it.

"Years later, I learned that the reason for the clarity in Harry Ricardo's classic on the internal combustion engine, The High Speed Internal Combustion Engine, was that he was advised at university to stay on the practical side and avoid the theoretical, because his math wasn't so hot. If you have the math, then you can say, "Well of course, let's see now, velocity is going to appear . . . one, two, three . . . ok, velocity cubed and we're going to need a coefficient that looks like this and . . . for small angles of alpha these terms disappear so we end up with this." And there is your understanding, but, for me, it has to be a word picture.

For me, it was the other way round, top on the maths side and not doing theoretical physics a slight regret of mine.

This excerpt sheds some light on the upper crust of motorcycle racing. I think F1 aces, not the many mono-dimensional alleged 'top drivers', but those who drive around the shortcomings of their cars – the few Stewarts, Hamiltons, Sennas of this world – work the same.

MMM: There were some outstandingly interesting personalities you described who were considerably different people than I had taken them to be from the brief glance we had from, say, television.

KC: Roberts is a funny character. He's a very intelligent person and that's why he was able to analyze what he did on the racetrack. But he had to have some other quality, which I can't put a name to. He has always been able to think of something that he thinks he should be doing on the racetrack and to put it into his choreography.

It has often been the case that . . . for example, Kenny tried to get Mike Kidd into road racing. Mike Kidd was so outstanding on the dirt. They had him at Daytona, practicing. Kenny would take him aside and say, "You are rushing these corners. I want you to think about this. Which is more valuable, to keep going at a high speed for another 17 feet at the end of the straightaway or to get a really strong drive off of every corner which will add to your performance all the way to the next corner?"

Kidd would say, "Yeah, I see what you mean."

Kenny would tell him what you have to do is to alter your line like this, get your turning done over here, and use the rest of the turn as a launch pad for really strong acceleration. Kidd would go out and kind of get it. A talented privateer, at Daytona at that time, would turn 2:10. They change the course every year, so these lap times don't make any sense. Kenny worked him down to 2:06. I think 4 seconds, just by talking, is pretty good. Kenny would go to the hotel and Kidd would go back to 2:10.

Erv [Kanemoto] had the same experience with Alex Barros. Alex has had a long, really solid career in top level racing, but he's never been a championship threat. The year Erv worked with him, he made the same argument that Kenny made to Kidd. Barros accepted it and he went out in practice and he could do it. It seems that it is just like an immigrant who learns English and speaks it quite well, when he becomes agitated he begins to sound a lot more foreign.

MMM: Sure, he reverts to his habits.

KC: Sure we are onions, not watermelons. We just revert to an inner defense layer when the conditions seem to warrant it. I think that's what happens with a lot of people. And I further would argue the reason some people have left the sport -- like Luca Cadalora, John Kocinski, Max Biaggi, and many top people -- is that they did not have that flexibility that Kenny and Rossi and a few others seem to have. As the nature of motorcycle design and, particularly, tires evolve under them they are unable to exploit the advantages of what is new and continue to try to set their motorcycles up so they feel as they have always felt. Ultimately, that becomes impossible and they have to give up. If they can't get the cues that tell them what is going to happen next, they have no confidence. It's like you are driving quite nicely at night and, suddenly, your headlights go out. You have no cues, you stop. When these guys say that "such and such is really not advancing in practice very rapidly," they will go to talk to those people and he'll say "well, that front end feels . . . " They just can't get it to feel like he wants it to. The rider has no way of anticipating how much is too much. Kenny and certain others, it seems, were able to make arbitrary adjustments to their style and still go fast. It's remarkable.

MMM: When I picked up TDC [Top Dead Center, book with his Cycle World columns], I stumbled on to your chapter on Kenny Roberts and what you just described. I was sucked into the book because you did a terrific job of describing his personality and he was so different from what I expected.

KC: This was something that surprised Cook Neilson, when he met Kenny. He met Kenny in '73, before he was national champion. At Daytona, one year, he had a long talk with him in the Goodyear tower. He came out of there and he seemed almost dizzy. He said, "I went in there and I guess I was thinking I was going to talk to this quick wrist kid who just goes out there and kind of skids it around." I think of that as the Ken Purdy view of racing. Big balls, hot blood, when this guy gets all emotional he's unbeatable. He has to have his orange juice at the right time of the morning or everything is off. Neilson said, "Instead, I have to call him an 'intellectual of racing."

I had my innings in 1980, when I was sent to his house to do an interview. I thought of the old question the sportswriter, with no imagination, puts to the champion. He says, "Hey champ, how does it feel to hit the longest home run in Ebbets Field history." The champ says, looking at the guy somewhat searchingly, "It feels great."

So, I thought I was going to have to do something to get his interest. How can there be a conversation if both parties don't get something from it. Otherwise, it's called an interrogation. So, I decided to leave the notebook and the recorder in the car. I went in, and after the formalities, I said, "How far into your career did you get before you discovered that you were more intelligent than the people you were working with?" He sat and looked at me for a minute and I thought "oh shit." And then he started with that business about what happened at Brands Hatch, going up into the truck and making himself an office out of tires. And it was just fabulous material. I was very appreciative, you can bet, because it made that story. Yamaha liked it very much. It was really quite the gift.

[chrisb]

fascinating Lucio, and something I can relate to, I can also see how it relates to the two MacKenzie boys, one, who adapts to the new bike style and one who doesn't, interesting

what a brilliant race, can't take it away from Marquez, he drove a superb race, but so good to see so many involved, and smiles afterwards - even a 'tweet' from Lorenzo congratulating Yamaha, which drew some sarcasm from Scott, which was quite amusing, I do think that rebellious streak will find a more settled environment in BSB.

We talk of possible conspiracy theories, and the 4 Yamaha's, Dani and Scott having their best races for some time, is this Michelin altering their tyres? reverting back to tyres they used before when the aforementioned was winning? I wonder...

That is interesting John [Danny's Father being the motivation?] it wouldn't be the first but then what Danny says doesn't concur, I did note his replacement finished around the same spot as Danny has been, and that his teammate has a lot of goodies Danny didn't have. 

[charleselan]

Haven't seen the MotoGP race as well as the F1, but have it downloaded for viewing this evening. Saw a bit of practice and not too enthused by the circuit, another modern "masterpiece".

Interesting comment about the tyres Chris, very strange that those who have had so much trouble this year have suddenly risen up the ranks at this circuit.

I think that it is pretty obvious that certain riders get the pick of the equipment and others do not. Other than Crutchlow all the UK boys have had raw deals, most of which is politically motivated. If DORNA were to play even handedly then they would be bending over backwards to bring Johnny Rae across to MotoGP on a full factory bike. He should be on the Suzuki next year and not that kid Mir who has done damn all in Moto2 this season; and do not get me started on Quarteraro on the Yamaha.

Totally disgusting nationalistic nepotism being played out by DORNA.

[chrisb]

The track is formulaic John, but what Rossi et al are saying it was the surface that created a false illusion and that they will all return to 'normal' service in Japan, hope not, but then I did read that Michelin created a special 'carcas' that seemed to suit the Yamaha's/ Dani / Scott much better so hopefully this will be available for the rest of the year.

Well even Crutchlow, and the carbon fibre swingarm that Marquez and Dani have but Cal doesn't. The other thing I noticed and this may be 'coincidental' but when Esparago was injured and Smithy seemed to magically up his game, just strange how that worked. as for Sam's treatment last year and Scott's this year I cannot believe that the elder Esparago is that much quicker than either of these guys. Incidentally I did learn that Quartararo also has a carbon fibre swingarm and Danny didn't, who replacement Edgar Pons finished 23rd.....

[chrisb]

John, the following was on the Dorna MotoGP webpage

After witnessing yet another stunning performance by Marc Marquez just days after reading of Scott Redding’s departure to the British Superbike Championship I thought back to that youngest ever podium in the history of Grand Prix racing. It was the 125cc race at the 2008 British Grand Prix staged at Donington Park. It’s a story of contrasting fortunes. starting with a picture of Scott winning the 125cc race at Donington all those years ago:

It was a historic podium in so many ways. Redding won the race to become the youngster ever Grand Prix winner at the tender age of 15 years 170 days. Frenchman Mike Di Meglio was second on route to the 125 cc World title while in third place and looking even younger than Redding was a certain Marquez. It was the first time the Spanish teenager had stood on a Grand Prix podium and little did we realise what lay ahead. The average age of the three riders was just 17 years 29 days and it would have been considerably lower with Di Meglio pushing it up. He was the old man at that considerable age of over 20 years old.
Marquez went on to do what Marquez does and there will be even more after the Japanese Grand Prix next weekend. Di Meglio stepped up to the 250cc and Moto2™ classes before a couple of years in MotoGP™ while Redding broke plenty of records but just missed out on a world title after an eventful 11 years in the Grand Prix paddock.

Redding and Marco Melandri are the only two 15-year-old riders to win a Grand Prix race. The Donington Park win was the first British 125 cc winner since Chas Mortimer in 1973 and the first British solo class winner at the British round of the World Championship for 22 years. Redding is the only British Grand Prix winner in any class at Donington Park. Moving up to the Moto2™ class he continued to break the record and came so close to clinching the title in 2013, eventually finishing runner-up after a battle royal with Pol Espargaro.

His first Moto2™ win came at Le Mans in that Championship chasing year, making him the first British intermediate class winner since Jeremy McWilliams 12 years earlier. That win meant that he pipped a certain Barry Sheene to become the youngest British rider to win in two classes of Grand Prix racing and the first in 40 long years. He also won the British Grand Prix to become the first British winner at Silverstone since the return of the Grand Prix from Donington.

Redding’s much anticipated MotoGP™ career never quite took off despite two podium finishes in difficult conditions at Misano and Assen. In the end, it was inevitable he would move on.

MotoGP™ will miss so much about Scott Redding both on and off the track. He gave us success-starved British fans some real hope and great fun after such a barren time in the Grand Prix wilderness. He should be proud of that achievement as the youngest ever Grand Prix winner. A record that will surely remain with him forever.

[charleselan]

Great post Chris.

So good to see something positive about the lad, see my P.M. for some background which i hope you find of interest.

However DORNA can write all the platitudes it likes, but it was in their hands to keep him in MotoGP and they did not. If he had been Spanish or Italian they would have bent over backwards to get him a ride, just look how long Bautista hung around with no results until this year, and now he is off to WSBK.

A. Espargaro has won nothing in his career and yet he is supposedly 0.5 secs faster than Scott this year on the sh*t b*x Aprillia. The BT team actually went on record as saying that they do not have the same equipment, as aprillia cannot even afford to give Espargaro a number two bike to the same spec as his race machine. Yet nobody publishes that fact on any web site, Oxley included, so these keyboard jockeys continue to rubbish the lad with impunity.

And yes I am bl**dy annoyed.

Keep the faith Chris.

John