What a complete farce. Exciting in a way I suppose but just completely stupid, this weekend and the decision to black flag Marquez have made a compete mockery of the championship/MotoGP. Nearly rained too.
From Marc Marquez's Facebook page:
Marquez acknowledges costly team errorMarc Marquez admitted he and his team misunderstood the timing of the mandatory bike change required at Phillip Island, which resulted in his costly disqualification from the race.
The Repsol Honda rider started the day knowing that he could secure the 2013 MotoGP™ title by outscoring his rival Jorge Lorenzo by eight points or more in the shortened 19-lap race at the Tissot Australian Grand Prix, but he ended the day having conceded the maximum 25 points to the World Champion.
With tyre durability issues flagged up by Bridgestone after free practice and Warm Up, regulation changes due to the special circumstances at the resurfaced Phillip Island track meant all riders would have to change machines during the race, in order to complete the second half on new tyres.
The temporary new regulations stated that no rider was permitted to make more than 10 laps on any one slick or wet rear tyre and that in normal circumstances this would mean that the rider must change machine only at the end of lap 9 or lap 10.
Marquez’ teammate Pedrosa changed at the end of lap 9 and Lorenzo changed at the end of lap 10, but Marquez stayed out for an extra lap on his first bike.
After the race Marquez explained his team as a whole had believed completing lap 11 was permitted.
He stated, "The plan we had was not correct, we though that we could do that lap. We thought we could go into the pit at the end of lap 11. The problem was not with the pit board, that was fine, when I saw ‘Box’ I came in. Now we need to forget about it and just concentrate in Motegi."
Asked whether he is still confident of winning the championship in what has been a remarkable rookie season, a smiling Marquez concluded, "I said on Thursday that the championship is very long. Today this happened and maybe in Motegi it’s something else. I know we’re going in the right way, I feel so good on the bike. I could have fought for the podium or the victory today."
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Gotta feel for him and the Repsol team- anyone can make that mistake 😕
And now he has to deal with the 'Should've gone to Specsavers' jokes 😆
MM's had setbacks when going for championships before.
When he won the 125 title the penultimate round was in Portugal & something mad happened on the warm up lap,I think he had to start from pitlane or the back of the grid but he still won the title.
Hard to belive the MotoGP boys hadn't tested at PI when they knew the WSB teams had tyre problems there the other month..
Hard to belive the MotoGP boys hadn't tested at PI when they knew the WSB teams had tyre problems there the other month..
Bridgestone guy was fairly explicit in saying there was no testing allowed at P.I and they were appealing to be allowed.
this weekend and the decision to black flag Marquez have made a compete mockery of the championship
couldnt agree less. Migh have been a new rule but it was the same rule for everybody and introduced on the grounds of safety. MM's team screwed up. They seem to have accepted it.
Lorenzo gracious as ever, both about their bump and Marquez's potential position in the race
totally agree. Whether they are mates or not they seem to enjoy the heat of battle and respect each other and I was impressed with JL's saying the bump was as much his fault as MM's as he ran wide towards MM and how quick MM would have been if he'd stayed in the race. Always quite like JL when all the VR fanbois hated him but I've liked him even more since MM came on the scene, he's raised his game but kept humble.
Did no one else think they'd tried to do a Schumacher?
http://epic-formula1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/michael-schumacher-wins-in-pit-lane.html
But the opposite way around, as MM's pit was before the finish line.
In a word, no! 😀
Lets see that classy dismount again:
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Technical merit 4.5, Artistic impression 5.5 😆
If that had been the remount, that would have been COOL! 🙂
Harsh penalty for the situation, but then I guess if it's a safety issue it's got to be that way. Would still rather see the championship decided on the track rather than by some stupid scenario like this. Agree with Edwards' twitter.
The problem it seems lies with Bridgestone/Dorna, who did not allow any additional testing at Phillip Island when they knew that the track surface had been re-laid. Especially after the tyre issues seen at the WSB races there earlier in the year.
This meant they (Bridgestone) provided tyres that weren't up to the job of lasting an entire race distance. Which is a farce.
A very odd race, would have been great to see them change the wheel as they do in road racing.
Good to see Lorenzo win again too.
Not saying Marquez is not a good rider but I wonder if the Honda is head and shoulders above the other bikes and a lot of the top riders could be winning races? I mean Stoner, Pedrosa and Marc could be Rossi/Cal/Hayden etc...
I thought bridgestone had wanted testing, but wasn't allowed due to the rules. Do dorna make/apply the rules? I think they are just the media right holders and marketing company.
couldnt agree less. Migh have been a new rule but it was the same rule for everybody and introduced on the grounds of safety. MM's team screwed up. They seem to have accepted it.
Don't mind me, I'm just turning into a fan buuuoy and therefore bitter hehe! I still think the tyre decision has made a mockery of MotoGP.
I agree about the comments ref Lorenzo, I can't warm to him but damn he's trying everything he can and have a huge amount of respect for him. His riding is amazing when you consider just how much faster he's going at the start of a race.
I thought bridgestone had wanted testing
Yeah i think it was Dorna actually, crazy though not to allow at least a tyre test by the tyre manufacturers themselves to gather some data. Dunlop suffered the same problems in Moto 2 as the race was shortened 'due to safety concerns'.
I think Bridgestone were being very cautious, having a history of tyres exploding at 200mph!
In terms of the penalty for Marquez - the rules were the same for everyone and available before the race; black flag was the right ruling in my book.
I'm happy for Marky to win the championship I think but it's good to see him put under some real pressure. If he makes a mistake in the last two races and Lorenzo pips him then so be it.
I think it was deliberate.
By coming in late he would have had the freshest tyres at the end of the race with obvious advantages, and he was working on the assumption that there was a safety margin left in the tyres. Honda didn't really believe that the black flag would be applied to them.
I initially thought the penalty was too severe. A ride through should have done it, but then the thought of a tyre going bang with Marquez no doubt being up close and personal with the leading group, and we could have seen a very nasty situation.
I never want to see another Simonicelli incident.
Black flag was right.
I can't believe Honda thought the rules wouldn't apply to them - could you imagine the furore if, with the teams clearly notified they had to change on lap 9 or 10, Honda stayed a lap longer and won? Nah, not a chance.
MM posted a picture on Twitter of a tyre with a huge chunk missing out of it, it wasn't going much further before going bang.
I don't think Honda think they are above the rules.
has anyone confirmed who made the mistake?
I've heard that the pitboard wasn't wrong, and Marky wasn't at fault... so who made the call to come in on lap 11?
It seems that the Honda plan/thinking was that as long as he pulled into the pits on the 11th lap, then he hadn't completed that lap and therefore hadn't done more than 10 laps.
All sounds rather stupid, and as if they had expected to be able to argue ambiguity in the wording of the rule rather than the spirit of the rule.
If that is what happened then it is the team that is responsible and not down to Marquez per se, but the whole thing just sounds like an excuse.
has anyone confirmed who made the mistake?
Yes, it's all been explained by MM. It was team tactics, all agreed before the race. There was no riders meeting, just a sheet of A4 handed to the teams a couple of hours before the race. The tactics were based on that.
They thought they had a cunning plan by pulling in on lap 11 as their pit box was before the start finish line so they wouldn't complete the 11th lap. This meant they'd only completed 10. You can't argue with that.
Unfortunately they'd missed the previous line that said they had to pull in on lap 9 or 10.
They weren't the only team to cock it up.
It really was a stupid plan, far too risky. They cut the lead in both the riders and constructors championship. Both were virtually nailed on certs if they had played it safe, now there might be some doubt creeping in.
All sounds rather stupid, and as if they had expected to be able to argue ambiguity in the wording of the rule rather than the spirit of the rule.
Professional foul, or known as "doing a Sky" (see Froome taking on gels via Porte). An odd set of circumstances to watch, an element of farce, but thrilling and keeps the championship open.
😆 who has seen the tweet of the new Honda lap counter, it's an abacus on the bars 😆 made me chuckle
Two years ago today that we lost Marco Simoncelli 🙁
How great would it be to see #58 go head to head with Marquez.
What do you think he'd be riding these days? I reckon Pedrosa would've been out of a job!
Ciao Marco.....
Never a dull moment with Marco around.
🙁 RIP Super Sic #58
Tragic accident. Would be great to still have him on the grid.
Suspect he'd be teamed up with Perdosa at Repsol, and Marquez would be on a satellite team for his first year.
#58 so missed.
Redding to race at Motegi
Should suit him better than some of the previous circuits. I shall probably be shouting at the telly come Sunday!
It is a shame that Moto GP is moving away from BBC next year, it is one of the few things that I enjoy watching on the beeb
It is a shame that Moto GP is moving away from BBC next year, it is one of the few things that I enjoy watching on the beeb
Maybe with the volume muted. More a shame that it's moving off of Eurosport. Any idea who the commentary will be done by on BT Sport?
The BBC have destroyed motogp coverage in the uk, they have been absolutely appalling, not just the commentators and pit lane "experts", but the on-line coverage has been equally terrible.
Is it that bad? Don't really watch it as I can't listen to Charlie Cox's inane drivel (Parish is actually ok). Really hope BT Sport sign up Ryder, Moody and Spalders.
Even if the BBC coverage is bad (which I am not sure I agree with), it is still licence payer funded so I get to see it. I wont be getting BT sport and the local pub doesn't show it on telly so I wont get to see it after this season.
Is it definitely off Eurosport then? Have BT Sport as I have Infinity but otherwise I'd really not be happy about singing up to it for just the motogp and subsidising endless hours of football.
The commentators for the moto2 race are actually pretty decent. I wonder if they are BBC guys or if it's coverage supplied as is by motogp.
If they are BBC, then what's with the lack of useful information about anything happening across the whole weekend on the website. It's hours before even major stories are put on-line.
Not 100% but I was expecting not to see it on Eurosport next year, think it's BT exclusive. 🙁
At last! Very good to know, i wont have to mute the telly everytime i hear charlie c. voice. ..eurosport it is 😉
(Pedrosa or lorenzo could win the championship ..pedrosa more of a chance )
Urgh is it really going to be off Eurosport too?
No more 'back at the front', 'across the stripe' or 'he needed that like a third armpit'? Or jolly banter with 'Sheene's best mate' about ragging the hire car? What will we do?
At least the BBC had people in the pit lane where as Eurosport never replaced Randy Mamola when he went. Neil Spalding seems to be a remarkably knowledgeable man.
How about Keith Heuwen ?
Was just reading that Heuwen is pretty well regarded by BT sport so could be in with a shout.
Where did Mamola go? He was very good in the pit lane.
Wonder if BT sport will devote a bit more time to MotoGP than they have given it space on their web site? Having had a look on their website it would seem priorities are 97% football, 2% rugby and 1% "other sports".
