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motogpfanpage · 6 years

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ROUND 6: ITALY (MUGELLO)

There’s nowhere like italy, and no race like the Italian GP. With it’s inimitable atmosphere, passionate (sometimes too much) fans and one of the most enjoyable and fascinating track of the calendar, the Italian GP is on everybody’s bucket list.

1. Lorenzo il magnifico

After weeks of speculation regarding his future ans possible retirement, it’s a determined and confident Jorge Lorenzo who arrived at the track on thursday.

Insisting that he has absolutely no intention of retiring, the mallorcan made his point clear in QP where he lost the pole position to Valentino Rossi in the very last minutes.

Second on the grid, sure of himself and in what he believed he could achieved, Lorenzo fired his desmosedici from the starting grid onto the main straight like a bullet out of a gun. He took the lead in the first corner to never gave it back until the finish line.

It’s a classic and masterclass win that Lorenzo delieved on Sunday. He, the man so many love to hate and never believed in, won on a Ducati, in italy in front of all of Ducati’s bosses and ducatisti. Lorenzo’s clear joy, emotions and enthusiasm were not only a blessing to witness but also a proof how just how hard the last year and a half has been for him.

In « caliente » the spaniard stated winning on the Ducati was the best day of his life. The pride and joy of annexing the « Red Stands » with his famous Lorenzo Land flag was obvious but sadden by the fact this story will not continue in the coming years.

2. A win and.. what’s next ?

Behind closed doors, Lorenzo who felt like Ducati were not interested a bit about his case nor had any love left for him, has been maneuvering with his management team, Dorna and Lin Jarvis to prepare a team in which he could get his hands a Yamaha M1, much like his arch nemesis Valentino Rossi did after his red debacle.

Ducati, who is said to have signed Danilo Petrucci just hours before Lorenzo’s win, found themselves in a very curious position indeed.

There’s no denying Dovizioso’s progress through the years, but one can only wonder if he’ll ever really be title’s material. A combo Dovi/Petrucci will sure win races, but it misses that little sparkles, that little something that transform a chance of title into a proper title.

It’s that sparkle they wanted when they signed Lorenzo and that’s that little extra something he could give them if only they were giving him time. At the end of the day, that’s the main problem: after only a year on the bike they asked Jorge Lorenzo to do what their new favorite needed 5 years to do. Can Ducati found a way to convince Lorenzo to stay ? Do Dovizioso and Petrucci have a real chance to get a world championship against Marc Marquez ? Is it too late to keep Lorenzo ? Judging by the mallorcan’s own words after the race, it is: “One side of my heart is sad. I am very happy with this victory but one side of me is sad because I believe if I had this modification before I could tell you that I would stay with Ducati but the pieces arrived too late and the next two years I will be with another bike.”

Ducati’s faillure to keep the spaniard could well end up into a gift offered to Yamaha: a team which desperately need some Lorenzo’s magic again judging by their current form.

3. Some smiles, some don’t

It was a mix of content and frustrated faces you could found at Yamaha on sunday evening.

First, Valentino Rossi, the man all of italy consider as the personification of Jesus on Earth, not only took the pole position on Saturday (his 65th) but he also made it to the podium in 3rd place after one hell of a fight with Petrucci, Rins and Iannone.

The italian, genuinely happy for his old teammate’s win, was on cloud 9 to be back on the podium at the Mugello: « all the training and suffering is worth it for these 10 minutes on the podium ». Awww Our Hearts, Vale !

Less vocal but critical nonetheless, Rossi believed they still could play a part in this year’s championship and urges Yamaha to solves their recurent problems which are the reason behind their lack of win since Assen 2017.

On the other side of the box, Maverick Vinales was way more angry, vocal and frustrated than his famous teammate.

He stated after the race: « Yamaha promised me that i’d win, not fight with satelite Ducatis (...) they have a rider to fight for the championship, but they need to give me the tools for that». OUCH !

Since his last win at the 2017’s french GP, Vinales has been doing the « yo-yo » to the point where, in the very same weekend he can go from being nowhere in to be seen in FPs to 3rd on the grid to barely taking a top 10 in the race.

One can only wonder WHY did both sides of this equation agreed to continue together as early as they did before the season started. (A question we ask ourselves non stop since the annoucement).

4. Marquez couldn’t save it while Pedrosa needs saving

Marc Marquez, King of saves and gravel trap’s favorite Gardener, crashed out of the Italian GP, rejoining the race to finish only outside the top 15, getting absolutely no points, except maybe ours for his determination to try always and forever, but then again, these do not count at the end of the year.

On hard tires, the spaniard made a gamble which would lead him to fall visibly forcing too much on his front to match Lorenzo’s early race pace. While losing 25 or less points might make him frustrated and unhappy of his weekend, it��s the fans’ reaction which infuriated him on sunday evening: “To celebrate the crash of a rider is sad because we are taking risks on the track. I don't know if many people ‘celebrated’ my crash today but, well, it is curious that they celebrate a crash of a rider more than a victory of another. It is a curious thing about bike racing.”

Used to boos and cheers when he goes down since 2015 and his famous clash with Rossi, Marc insisted he hoped his fans will never act like that, in any circumstances: “I said before in 2015 and in 2016 that I hope they support the racing as much as me and respect all the riders. This is the most important.”

Marc couldn’t save his crash but it’s Pedrosa’s situation which becomes worrying for next season. The spaniard has been very quiet about his future. Only a few rumors of a 1 year deal he would have refused coming from Honda have escaped from the paddock (then again, is it even true ?). At the end of the day, it might not be Captain Lorenzo who needs saving from Carmelo Ezpeleta but Soldier Pedrosa.

Rumor has it, Honda, after trying to get Dovi, Mir and Zarco without success, tried to buy Jack Miller back home from his current multiple years Ducati deal. It might be very different from the inside, but looking at it from the outside, we cannot help but think Alberto Puig and the HRC are keen and giving the ride alongside Marc Marquez to ANYONE BUT Dani Pedrosa.

As seats for next season are almost all taken now, it’s becoming a reality that Pedrosa, if nothing happens that could save his current place, could very well be heading home in 2019. This end of Dani’s MotoGP chapter would be unacceptable, not only to his many fans, but to the rest of the MotoGP paddock. A rider should never be forced to retirement, especially not one with Pedrosa’s palmares.

Now i do not know where we have to sign or whom we have to threaten but, if he is without a ride, just give him the M1 on that satelite/petrona team they are building, alongside Lorenzo or not.

5. Honorable mentions

Andrea Iannone was on fire the whole weekend showing a form that could have made a title contender has he only be consisten the rest of the time. He’ll leave Suzuki at the end of the year, surely to get an Aprilia next season.

Zarco was nowhere to be seen this weekend after his missed opportunity in France.

Alex Rins was back where he belongs, fighting for top positions.

Danilo Petrucci couldn’t stop whining about Marquez’ pass on him in the early race and we couldn’t care less because, well, he should remember he does the same pretty much all the time.

Cal Crutchlow was a tuff one this weekend, still suffering from his huge crash last time out.

#motogp #review #italiangp #mugellogp #mugello #jorge lorenzo #ducati #yay #valentino roma #maverick vinales #marc marquez #dani pedrosa #andrea iannone #danilo petrucci #cal crutchlow #alex rins #johann zarco #honda

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torentialtribute · 5 years

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MotoGP news: Marc Marquez calls out F1 star Lewis Hamilton for a ‘champion vs champion’ battle

After all, the man is deadly. Marc Marquez comes a little late for our interview and every MotoGP fan will know, the Spaniard who has to catch up is one of the rarer sights you'll see.

I wait at the top of the Gherkin tower and consider how even the fastest two-wheeled man in the race is for the congested roads of London

Except of course he has the perfect excuse when he finally settles down to talk after he enters the room, as always beaming the usual cheerful smile he so often shows around the MotoGP paddock. & # 39; I was in a car! & # 39;

Marc Marquez was in London looking ahead to the MotoGP race on Sunday at Silverstone

The seven-time world champion spoke with Sportsmail in the run-up to the race weekend

Had he been on his usual If there were two wheels, then there is nothing or would bet that he would arrive from A to B within a certain time. After winning two lower class world championships, he was catapulted directly to the front Honda team for his MotoGP debut in 2013.

Less than a year later in his rookie campaign, he became world champion and, apart from an arm 2015 a status he has maintained since then – no wonder he always smiles.

The inevitable but necessary conversation about his existing goals and motivations takes place and eventually talks about driving an F1 car reveals a little desire for him to experiment in crossover.

With five MotoGP titles and two lower class crowns, Marquez is one seven-time world champion

Marquez currently leads the MotoGP rankings this term for Honda with a huge 58 points

The five-fold MotoGP card mpioen enjoys the prospect of taking F1 equivalent Lewis Hamilton, who, like Marquez, has dominated his respective series in the past five years.

He admits that he has a desire to meet the Brit, and would like to engage in a fight with him involving racing bicycles and cars.

& # 39; Of course! It would be interesting, & the 39-year-old said to Sporstmail. "Face-to-face, first an F1 car and then an engine because I know he drives.

" I sometimes talk to him through social media and I know he rides a bike and drives very well . So I'm looking forward to meeting him at least. We were very close last year, but we had obligations and couldn't make it work.

& I was tested at the Red Bull Ring in a Toro Rosso car. It was a really nice experience. I drove 40 laps and it was a real test. The speed was there but I miss the experience. I knew the layout of the track, but the braking points and downforce were the hardest to understand. I could get used to it on a normal circuit … but not to Monaco!

& # 39; OK to drive an F1 car on a normal circuit. You can find the limit, but in the middle of the city, like Monaco, it's harder.

Marquez would like to go head-to-head against Lewis Hamilton in a racing car and on a bike

Marquez tested the Toro Rosso car at the Red Bull Ring in Austria in June 2018

Hamilton has a preference for motorcycles when he arrives in May for the F1 Monaco GP "class =" blkBorder img-share "/>

Hamilton has a preference for motorcycles while he arrives at one for F1 Monaco GP

Finding the limit is an important part of Marquez & # 39; s approach to racing, so it's no surprise to fear him so & # 39; n seen as a job like Monte Carlo where run-offs are scarce and metal barriers, the MotoGP driver eight mare are everywhere.

It is not unusual to see him make mistakes in the sessions that build up to a normal MotoGP race, because he often looks for the ultimate limit to where the grip on his bike is. More often than not he makes it, with a quick steering correction or a soft knee or elbow on the floor while trying to reach his famous maximum lean angle that turns a corner. Find the border where you know when you passed it.

Attention soon switches to another dream of his, as opposed to brother Alex, who is also destined to make the switch to MotoGP.

Three years the Junior of Marc currently leads the direct feeder series in Moto2 and the Honda rider wants a rivalry between siblings in MotoGP.

Marquez wants to race alongside his brother Alex with whom he was pictured earlier in August

& # 39; One of the goals, one of the dreams is a day to race against my burden, he is in Moto2 and now leads the championship. I look forward to competing against him or him in the MotoGP class. & # 39;

MOTOGP POSITIONS

1. Marc Marquez (Honda) 230 points

2. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) 172

3. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) 136

4. Alex Rins (Suzuki) 124

5. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 103

6. Maverick Vinales (Yamaha) 102

I intervene, would you like to lose Jorge Lorenzo as a teammate to make it work? After having cheekily laughed at the suggestion, he doesn't go as far as his countryman at Honda binning, but he doesn't rule out Alex sitting next to him at Honda.

& # 39; If he deserves it! & # 39; remains. & # 39; In MotoGP, it is no great help to have the brother or son of & # 39; to be someone & # 39; You have to show your potential and my brother is in a very good moment. He shows that he is ready for a MotoGP bicycle. & # 39;

This weekend, Marquez is featured in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, behind the back of an exciting Austrian GP on the Red Bull Ring where he was pipped the last corner to victory by rival's title Andrea Dovizioso

However, the Spaniard still has a comfortable champion lead of 58 points, after not finishing the top two all season with a crash in the United States.

Last year's British Grand Prix in Silverstone was canceled due to safety concerns due to heavy rains that did not drain from a new paved track

The Spaniard only once triumphed in Britain in MotoGP, given the Yamaha pair Jorge Lorenzo (left) and Valentino Rossi in Silverstone back in 2014

However, he has a poor record in Silverstone, where, strangely enough, he triumphed only once in 2014.

Last year's race was notoriously canceled after the newly constructed circuit was hit by heavy rain, which led to standing on the circuit that did not run empty and made it too unsafe to race.

But another new surface, along with the elimination of a few bumps, has made Marquez optimistic that he can win in Britain for the first time in five years.

& # 39; I would like to change that this year, although I won in 2014. I crashed once and a year I broke the engine so this year we will try to change this. We will try to reach a minimal finish on the podium.

& # 39; I like the layout, but Silverstone has been very bumpy in the past. This year is a new surface. In that respect it should be better, our bike is not the best way to absorb bumps.

& # 39; The rest of the job is very beautiful and I like it a lot, we have a better engine, so this helps on the straight. & # 39;

Join Suzi Perry and the BT Sport team for three days of British MotoGP action, with every training session qualifying and exclusively live on BT Sport 2, on TV and via the BT Sport App.

Being Marquez hopes to return to winning roads in Britain

pipped to victory in an exciting Austrian Grand Prix by Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso.

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#MotoGP news: Marc Marquez calls out F1 star Lewis Hamilton for a ‘champion vs champion’ battle"

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usamotorscycle-blog · 7 years

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MotoGP Le Mans Preview 2017

Fresh off his convincing win in Jerez, Repsol Honda mighty mite Dani Pedrosa has been reinstated in The Alien Club, looking relaxed, comfortable and fast on his RC213V. For the first time in five years, his name is coming up in conversations about who might take the 2017 title. Given his age, his panoply of surgical scars and generally lousy karma, I make him a longshot for the championship. But other than a few Americans with pathologically long memories, there are a number of fans who wouldn’t mind seeing Dani Pedrosa win a premier class title. Embed from Getty Images Dani Pedrosa returned to winning form at Jerez but will be hard-pressed to continue in Le Mans. Pedrosa is unlikely to gain much ground on his rivals this weekend, as his record in France is decidedly poor – one win, back in 2013, to show for 11 premier class starts, along with two other podia. Jorge Lorenzo, having won decisively at Le Mans the past two years, is unlikely to threepeat, unless the progress we saw in Jerez, where he flogged his Ducati GP17 to third place, accelerates as fast as the bike itself. Movistar Yamaha legend Valentino Rossi and defending world champion Marc Marquez will almost certainly be in the mix on Sunday, along with Maverick Vinales, the prodigious youngster and his big blue YZR-M1. A healthy number of other riders – Andrea Dovizioso, Cal Crutchlow, and the two ridiculous Tech 3 Yamaha rookies – are entertaining visions of sugarplums dancing in their helmets. For some unknown reason, Le Mans has always felt to me like kind of a hole in the schedule. Iffy weather, strange results (remember Pedrosa getting Simoncellied there in 2011?), all these people speaking French; just never been a big fan. But this weekend feels different. We have four contenders, all healthy. Michelin has had a year to address its embarrassment from last year. One shrill voice in my head is drowning out all the others, screaming something about Aleix Espargaro putting an Aprilia on the podium for the first time in recent MotoGP history. And Johann Zarco, in front of his and his team’s home crowd, is bound to have some extra motivation, which could find him challenging for the podium or limping out of the kitty litter. Embed from Getty Images Johann Zarco, a native of Cannes, and the France-based Tech 3 squad

Recent History at Le Mans

In 2014, The Year of Marc Marquez, the French Grand Prix was a dry race. The defending champion continued his historic run of poles and wins in France, although the top six finishers – Marquez, Rossi, Alvaro Bautista, Pol Espargaro, Pedrosa and Lorenzo – were separated by a mere seven seconds. Alvaro Bautista – yes, THAT Alvaro Bautista – on the Gresini Honda, worked Tech 3 Yamaha pilot Pol Espargaro by 6/10ths at the finish to deprive Herve Poncharal’s team of what would have been an oh-so-sweet podium at their home race. Purely out of spite, Espargaro did the same to Pedrosa by a paper-thin quarter second. Embed from Getty Images Jorge Lorenzo delivered a solid performance in winning the 2015 French Grand Prix. The following year, on another idyllic afternoon, Movistar Yamaha delivered a clear message to the grid, notably Marquez: anyone contemplating, say, a third world championship in 2015 would need to go through The Bruise Brothers. Lorenzo, in a replay of his cakewalk in Jerez last time out, got away early and was never challenged on the way to his 35th career win in MotoGP. Rossi, starting on the third row, had to slice his way through several Andreas on Ducatis to secure his ninth podium in a row and 13th out of 14 dating back to 2014. It was a forgettable Sunday for team Repsol Honda, as Marquez, in the year of his discontent, crossed the line fourth, while teammate Pedrosa, just back from radical arm pump surgery, hung on to finish 16th. Embed from Getty Images Jorge Lorenzo won again last year, topping a podium that included then-teammate Valentino Rossi and his replacement at Yamaha, Maverick Vinales. The record books will show that declared Yamaha defector Jorge Lorenzo won last year’s French Grand Prix by 10 seconds over teammate and rival Valentino Rossi. Maverick Vinales, starting to flex his muscles, did what no Suzuki rider since Loris Capirossi in 2009 could do – put a Suzuki on the podium, courtesy, in part, of having eight riders crash out in perfect conditions, three of whom probably would have beaten him. Michelin, the new tire supplier for MotoGP, had a miserable day, as the consensus on the grid was that nobody was in control of their machines on that track on that rubber.

Faster Times Likely This Weekend

The Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans, which ought to be a national historic monument in France, has been the object of complaints from riders for several years, due to the slick, bumpy, patched-and-then-patched-again asphalt, some of which was ten years old. Management bit the bullet during the offseason and contracted to have the entire track re-surfaced. In that it was a three-day paving job (pretty amazing in itself!), there are now only three seams, and none in or around the turns. Embed from Getty Images Le Mans organizers hope the repaved track will result in fewer crashes such as this one that took out Adam Norrodin in last year’s Moto3 race. Circuit spokesman Pepe LePew predicted that lap times will be one to two seconds faster than last year, referring to the new surface as “très grippy.” He also predicted fewer crashes, many of which had been caused by riders hitting seams or bumps in and around the turns. Last year, Lorenzo took pole with a 1:31.975 (half a second clear of Marquez in second). If Monsieur LePew is correct, it will take a time closer to 1:30 to secure pole this year. All in all, it appears the main beneficiaries of the new surface will be the Hondas, in that it should allow them to use the hard front tire with fewer concerns than usual.

Bout of Political Correctness Hits Catalunya

Embed from Getty Images Do grid girls have a place in MotoGP in 2017? Spanish politicians are proposing dress codes as well as grid boys for next month’s Catalunya round. Perhaps the worst bit of news to hit the calendar this week concerns the Catalunya Round 7 in June, as Spanish politicians mull the purpose of grid girls in MotoGP. Since politics is all about whose ox is getting gored lately, this piece helps me understand what life must feel like to Republicans. Injecting this particular morsel of political correctness in a male-dominated atmosphere reeking of money, gasoline, hospitality rooms, paid escorts, flatulence and testosterone is like expecting an eyedropper of bleach to clean up Lake Erie. One man’s visual objectification is another man’s simple admiration.

Your Weekend Forecast

Weather.com predicts cool, cloudy conditions for the weekend with temps in the 60’s and patches of rain in the area. With dry races here over the past three years, it figures that the weather might play a part in the weekend’s festivities. And since we haven’t had a wet race yet this season, it is doubly hard to foresee whom fortune will favor on Sunday. One thing is fairly certain: If it’s a wet race, Jorge Lorenzo will be freaking out on his GP17. Embed from Getty Images This is the only type of rain Jorge Lorenzo wants to see in France. If the track is dry on Sunday, the voices in my head tell me, it will be Marc Marquez, Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro standing on the podium. For those of you who feel such a prediction could only come from a schizoid, you may be right. I prefer to think of myself as normal; it’s the voices themselves that have issues. As usual in most of Europe, the race goes off at 8 am EDT in the U.S. We’ll have results and analysis right here later in the day. Click to Post

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totallymotorbikes · 7 years

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Top 10 Moments of the 2016 MotoGP Season MO’s editorial staff met for a week at a glorious resort in Cabo to review our notes and statistics for 2016 in order to bring the following analysis to our faithful MotoGP readers. Before commenting or criticizing our difficult decisions, we ask that you do the same. —BA 10. Petrucci earns promotion over Redding to a full factory ride at Pramac The moment? Valencia. Started 14 races, finished in the top 10 eight times. Flirted with a front-row start at The Sachsenring, tied Valentino Rossi, in fact, but fell to fourth over some obscure tie-breaker. At 26 and relatively burly he’s not Alien material, but he can handle the Desmosedici as well as any of the satellite riders and is a baller in the rain. On a full factory bike Mr. Petrucci could easily challenge for a podium or three in 2017. 9. Andrea Iannone gets his first premier-class win while working himself out of a job The self-proclaimed Maniac first had his slide-off at Losail; collects Dovi at Rio Hondo; crashed out of second place at Le Mans; crashes at Catalunya, Silverstone and Sepang. By mid-season the fearless Italian was being encouraged by crew chief Gigi to consider a change of teams for next season, with Suzuki eventually drawing the winning number. 8. The decline of Dani Pedrosa The moment? When the lights went out at Losail. More DNFs in 2016 than wins. Another Motegi collarbone, this time in FP2. But he bagged a new contract nonetheless. Dani peaked in 2012 (seven wins, finished second to Jorge Lorenzo by 18 points), and is definitely on the back nine of his career. An entire career spent with one manufacturer is impressive in itself. Pedrosa, although well-liked in the paddock, has always struck me as a kind of brooding guy, when he wasn’t displaying his “little man” complex and beating hell out of the field at joints like Laguna Seca. To embark upon another two years of non-Alien-level competition may prove to be a mistake. 7. The Silly Season Jonas Folger, Johann Zarco, Sam Lowes and Alex Rins earn promotions from Moto2. The return of the prodigal lawyer, Karel Abraham, to Aspar Ducati, his pockets bulging with sponsor money. Out the door are Eugene Laverty to WSBK in a very raw deal (I thought he earned another MotoGP season), Stefan Bradl, taking his declining game to WSBK as well, and the unfortunate Yonny Hernandez, who had a great 2015, a lousy 2016 and not enough backers to keep his ride. A healthy number of current riders changed scenery, as usual, but a 23-bike grid with six manufacturers offers a number of alternatives for journeymen seeking the elusive factory ride. 6. Cal Crutchlow rises from the dead after a difficult start to the season After earning just five points in the first four rounds, the Brit responded with wins at Brno and Phillip Island. The moment: Brno, Lap 16, on a drying track. Crutchlow goes through on Iannone for the lead and quickly gets away, having made the correct tire choice one of the 2016 rounds that started wet and ended dry. First win by a British rider since the earth cooled. At Phillip Island he went out and thumped the field (Marc Marquez having already secured the title), establishing himself as a credible podium threat in 2017, when he will have even more microphones shoved in his face, to which we look forward with great enthusiasm. 5. Marquez titles after a difficult 2015 Uncharacteristically settling for third in Jerez behind Rossi and Lorenzo, Marquez showed a maturity that wasn’t there in previous years. The moment? Motegi, when both Rossi and Lorenzo crashed out. His win on Honda’s home field suddenly made him world champion for the third time. Some people will say his save in practice at Assen was the moment, but he has made a career out of impossible saves. Winning titles is what makes him go. 4. Maverick Vinales earns Next Great Rider title Mav secured Suzuki’s first podium since 2009 at Le Mans, then broke Suzuki’s 10-year non-winning streak with a scintillating win at Silverstone, then lands the coveted spot at the factory Yamaha team. Nature, and Yamaha executives, abhorring a vacuum, Vinales was the only real choice when Lorenzo announced his impending departure. Vinales’ Alien Card is stamped and waiting. The best part? See him in civilian clothes and he looks like a cabana boy at the Ritz. 3. Nine race winners Moment: When Andrea Dovizioso crossed the finish line at Sepang to become winner #9, joining a list that included Marquez, Lorenzo, Rossi, Jack Miller, Iannone, Crutchlow, Vinales and Pedrosa. I expect some of you to quibble about whether an entire season can be somehow characterized as a “moment.” If this really bothers you, I encourage you to read Nietzsche, and to remember that, when considered across the eons of time in the frigid vacuum of space and an expanding galaxy, the entire 2016 MotoGP season is the blink of an eye. So go quibble somewhere else. 2. Jorge Lorenzo to Ducati announcement One of the worst-kept secrets entering the season was that triple world champion Lorenzo would defect from the factory Yamaha team to Ducati in 2017. It was confirmed all the way back in April, prior to the Jerez round, with Big Blue having already signed teammate and rival Rossi through 2018. The forthcoming changes amongst the Alien contingent in 2017 produced undertones that seemed to color the entire season. A number of factors conspired to limit Lorenzo to a disappointing third-place finish in 2016, but he seems certain the grass is greener on the other side of the hill. We shall see. 1. Rossi blows an engine at Mugello The turning point of the season. Despite a careless slide-off in Austin, Rossi entered Italy with the scoreboard reading Lorenzo 90, Marquez 85, Rossi 78: a three-man race. He left Italy bereft of points, with Lorenzo at 115, Marquez 105, and Rossi remaining at 78. He had completed Lap 8 checking out Lorenzo’s back wheel when, at the bottom of the main straight, his engine went up, just as Lorenzo’s had without consequence during practice. Control of his 2016 future went up with it in the thick smoke pouring from his bike. The bad luck he needed caught up with Lorenzo in the Teutonic territories of Holland, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, but Marquez sailed through the season unscathed. I believe 2016 was a season Rossi could have won. Coulda? Woulda? Shoulda? Didn’t. The dude will be fired up for next year. That makes two of us. MotoGP Coverage on Motorcycle.com Top 10 Moments of the 2016 MotoGP Season appeared first on Motorcycle.com.

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