MotoGP

[p6x]

I just read that the Formula 1 rights owner, "Liberty Media", is looking at purchasing MotoGP rights from Dorna.

Carmelo Ezpeleta has confirmed it.

I stopped watching F1 after the races were won during pit stops, with very little overtaking on the racetracks. If I have to believe the reports, F1 is actually very successful. As Ezpeleta said, the introduction of the sprint races brought back the audience to MotoGP.

I don't know if having F1 and MotoGP owned by the same company would be good or bad.

 

[p6x]

6 hours ago, GuzziMoto said:

won't say I disagree with your take on what Marc did in 2015, but I suspect there was more to it then that. Those two don't like each other.

True, there were some other factors; but I do remember a show that I watched while I was in Italy. The host was Rafella Carra; while she was working for Spain's TVE; during one of her TV broadcast, she had invited all the young Spanish motorcycling talent, including Marc Marquez. When interviewed, he said his idol of all times was Valentino Rossi. Of course, she had invited him, and Valentino and Marc embraced. I looked up YouTube, but could not find it.

Anyway, from looking up to him, Marc Marquez went on to hold a grudge. The 2015 season clinched it.

I don't think we will ever know what went through his mind. There was some kind of resentment, absolutely. I believe Marc and Valentino spoke about it in private. I also think that Marc offered a truce to Valentino, but it was declined. Valentino said that he is no longer angry about 2015, but I am certain he still is. After all, this was a career changing moment.

I am eager to see what Marc Marquez will do on the Gresini Ducati GP23. The one year contract makes sense. Next year will be the big shuffle, so he wants to have his hand's free. I read that he was hopeful to get more Ducati assistance in case he would do well.

The Qatar GP starts the 8th of March. If I was Marc Marquez, I would want to start with a bang! such as winning the first sprint or GP race of the season on a different machine. Just as VR46 did, when he left Honda for Yamaha.

[LowRyter]

I admire Marc's talent and his brave come back from injury.  I'll cheer for him as a competitor and a contender but it will take a lot more for me to want to see him champion again.  What he got away with 2015 ruined the season and ruined the goodwill I had for the guy.  If he has a good season and contends for the title, I'm sure that one of the manufacturers will offer him an attractive package.   Likely not Ducati unless he wins the title for them against a competitor on another brand of bike.  

[GuzziMoto]

15 hours ago, LowRyter said:

I admire Marc's talent and his brave come back from injury.  I'll cheer for him as a competitor and a contender but it will take a lot more for me to want to see him champion again.  What he got away with 2015 ruined the season and ruined the goodwill I had for the guy.  If he has a good season and contends for the title, I'm sure that one of the manufacturers will offer him an attractive package.   Likely not Ducati unless he wins the title for them against a competitor on another brand of bike.  

Yeah, I respect his talent but not the man. He showed everyone who he is, and I lost pretty much all respect for him as a person with his behavior.

Another factor is, while he is very fast he is also lacking in respect for others on track with him. He has a tendency to hit others. Sometimes it is because he is not fully in control of his bike, other times he is fully in control but chooses to make contact on the way by even though there may be enough room to do so without contact. I think he feels that contact like that will intimidate others so next time they will give him more room. Dale Earnhardt did the same thing in NASCAR. And I was not a fan of his, either. One possible outcome of Marc being on a faster bike is more people may end up on the ground. I hope not, I hope he is past that sort of riding. But I will believe it when I see it.

[p6x]

15 hours ago, LowRyter said:

I admire Marc's talent and his brave come back from injury.  I'll cheer for him as a competitor and a contender but it will take a lot more for me to want to see him champion again.  What he got away with 2015 ruined the season and ruined the goodwill I had for the guy.  If he has a good season and contends for the title, I'm sure that one of the manufacturers will offer him an attractive package.   Likely not Ducati unless he wins the title for them against a competitor on another brand of bike.  

Ditto...

About Ducati, they have openly negated their interest to have Marc in the factory team, stating they have their own talent breeding ground.

If Marc begins to fight for victory at each race, I will see their attitude change. At the end of the day, business is business. Sure, as they put forward, they have Pecco, a twice championship winner. But Marquez has the notoriety and fame that Pecco does not.

Certainly, it is not ideal for the show for Ducati to hoard all the best riders.

2024 will be a major year for pilots' shuffle. Enea Bastianini, Jorge Martin, Fabio Quartararo, Jack Miller, may be losing or changing package. Alex Espargaro has been toying with the idea to retire.

[LowRyter]

1 hour ago, GuzziMoto said:

Yeah, I respect his talent but not the man. He showed everyone who he is, and I lost pretty much all respect for him as a person with his behavior.

Another factor is, while he is very fast he is also lacking in respect for others on track with him. He has a tendency to hit others. Sometimes it is because he is not fully in control of his bike, other times he is fully in control but chooses to make contact on the way by even though there may be enough room to do so without contact. I think he feels that contact like that will intimidate others so next time they will give him more room. Dale Earnhardt did the same thing in NASCAR. And I was not a fan of his, either. One possible outcome of Marc being on a faster bike is more people may end up on the ground. I hope not, I hope he is past that sort of riding. But I will believe it when I see it.

Actually, I think Marc's aggressive style has pretty much infected the most of the field.  Lot's more blocking and contact now.  Frankly, Rossi wasn't known to passive either.  I think it's perhaps gone to far and we see more riders calling it out. 

Dorna has itself to blame for it, because they've ran interference for the fellow countryman.  But '15 was way beyond the pale.  Allowing Marc for get away with that and penalizing Rossi, I think that has remained a divisive effect in the paddock.  One might remember that the field parted on the last race of '15 to let Rossi through.   That's a sign of respect not often displayed.

[p6x]

According to the MotoGP pilots, who will win this season's championship?

• Jorge Martin: “Pecco is the favourite. He won the last two seasons so I feel like he will be the man to beat.”
• Fabio Quartararo: “Pecco.”
• Marco Bezzecchi: “Pecco.”
• Miguel Oliveira: “Pecco. He’s showed very good speed, very good pace.”
• Joan Mir: “Pecco.”
• Fabio di Giannantonio: “Pecco.”
• Jack Miller: “Pecco. He’s carrying that #1 for two years in a row. Silly to put your money sort of anywhere else.”
• Maverick Vinales: “Pecco. “
• Johann Zarco: “Pecco. He’s showing even more speed than previous years.”
• Raul Fernandez: “Me! No, Pecco because already he has two consecutive world championships.”
• Brad Binder: “The champ looks pretty damn fast.”
• Marc Marquez: “The favourite is the champion. He’s in good form, pushing a lot and riding well so he’s the favourite one.”
• Pedro Acosta: “The world champion at the moment.”
• Alex Marquez: “Pecco and Martin.”
• Aleix Espargaro: “He’s looked strong since the beginning [of testing] so he’s going to be the man to beat.”

[p6x]

@docc

Pecco has no opinion.

That being said, only two pilots have won three times the world championship in a row; the first to have accomplished that performance was Valentino Rossi; the second was Marc Marquez...

I have no doubt that Bagnaia would most likely be pleased to win a third championship, on a Ducati. The previous guys did it for Japanese brands.

I do not know how verbatim are the comments reproduced in my previous post. I can't help but notice that Marc Marquez does not directly refer to the name of Francesco. When he states: "the favorite is the Champion" he may as well speak about himself; after all, he is also considered a Champion, isn't he?

 

[p6x]

Francesco Bagnaia has signed for another two years after 2024, at the Ducati factory team.

Rumors of a purchase of MotoGP by Liberty is growing.

Latest prediction on future Marc Marquez performance comes from Jorge Lorenzo. According to him, Marc does not yet ride the Ducati like a Ducati, but like a Honda. He does not see him being reshuffling the expectations before a while.

Jorge said that he observed Marc, and based on his own experience of having been on both the Ducati and the Honda, he can easily interpret how Marc is doing.

So, this weekend, we will get an idea of what could happen, with whom...

[Speedfrog]

[GuzziMoto]

The season is about to start, and MotoGP is in talks to switch broadcast partners for the US. Shouldn't this have been done long before now?

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1045052/1/motogp-advanced-talks-change-its-us-tv-broadcaster

[LowRyter]

Still no info whether CNBC will broadcast?  

[GuzziMoto]

3 hours ago, LowRyter said:

Still no info whether CNBC will broadcast?  

It sounds like it might be TNT. But it doesn't seem to be final yet.

[LowRyter]

8 hours ago, GuzziMoto said:

It sounds like it might be TNT. But it doesn't seem to be final yet.

do tell

[GuzziMoto]

9 hours ago, LowRyter said:

do tell

Click on the link a couple posts up in the post from me,

MotoGP in “advanced talks” to change its US TV broadcaster

MotoGP is reportedly set to switch to a new TV broadcaster in the United States.

The motorsport series is in “advanced talks” with Warner Bros Discovery to move onto their channel this year, Sports Business Journal reports.

The move is an attempt from MotoGP to “look for growth in America”.

MotoGP has been broadcast in the US by NBC since 2020 but the report claims that their partnership has expired.

The deal in negotiations with Warner Bros Discovery would mean all Saturday sprint races and Sunday grands prix would be live on linear cable TV.

Warner Bros Discovery own TNT, TBS and TruTV.

Warner Bros Discovery and MotoGP are already TV broadcast partners in other territories including the UK.

TNT Sports, owned by Warner Bros Discovery, broadcast MotoGP to the UK audience.