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| Kropotkin Thinks | ... that silly season could turn out to be sillier than we thought |
Submitted by Mat Oxley on
You would think that gold and glory would be enough to get them fired up, but a little extra always helps…
Journalists sit very low in the feeding chain in MotoGP. We have little or no use to the riders and teams, or at least that’s what they tell us.
But occasionally we do have our uses, because the pen can be a mighty thing.
Submitted by Kent Brockman on
It looks set to be a quieter year on the rider market for WorldSBK with the leading seats already filled for 2018 but there will still be some significant deals announced in the coming weeks and months.
Jonathan Rea, Tom Sykes, Chaz Davies and Marco Melandri are all secure in their seats for next year but Sykes had been linked with a move away from Kawasaki earlier this summer. Prior to winning two races before the summer break the 2013 World Champion had been touted as a potential target of Yamaha but with wins in the bag it looks highly unlikely that he will make a switch.
For Ducati there is little reason to change their status quo and the only change in their ranks could be the addition of a second bike to the Barni squad. The Italian entry has thrived with Xavi Fores in the last year and came close to adding a second machine for this year. If there is a fourth Ducati on the grid it will likely have a rider bringing money to the table for Barni.
Submitted by Press Release on
The Pata Yamaha team issued the following press release, containing an interview with Alex Lowes. In it, the rider talks about something others are not keen on discussing, using a sports psychologist in search of better results. An interesting read:
Alex Lowes Q&A: Working with a Sports Psychologist
Sports psychologists are becoming more and more common in motorcycle racing, with people curious about the affect they can have. Yamaha-racing.com caught up with Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team's Alex Lowes to discuss his use of a sports psychologist and the difference it has made.
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team's Alex Lowes has had a positive start to the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship season. The British rider has recorded two podiums so far this season and has added consistency to his undeniable pace to currently lie fifth in the championship standings. One of the things he attributes this new attitude to has been his work with a sports psychologist. In modern sport, most professional athletes will use a sports psychologist in some way or another, and with motorcycle racing being a sport that places so much mental demand on a rider, some people find it a shock that more people don't use them. Lowes answered our questions ahead of the WorldSBK summer break:
Submitted by David Emmett on
After a rather excessive delay (for which you have our apologies) caused by technical issues, the latest episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast is finally here. This episode Neil Morrison and David Emmett discuss the events of a thrilling Sachsenring MotoGP race.
Submitted by David Emmett on
With one or two contracts signed over the past couple of weeks, it's time to update what we know of the 2018 MotoGP rider line up. A single question mark behind the name of a rider indicates a very strong rumor. Three question marks indicates a complete unknown.
Submitted by David Emmett on
Another piece in the 2018 rider puzzle has fallen into place. On Monday, the Aspar Team announced that Alvaro Bautista has extended his contract to stay on with the team for another season, and will be riding for them in 2018.
Submitted by David Emmett on
The MotoGP bikes have fallen silent for over a week now, the teams and riders dispersed to the four winds, nominally for "vacation". And while riders relaxed on a beach somewhere for a week before returning to their training for the second half of the season, teams and rider managers have been anything but dormant. There has been a hive of activity in preparation for the latter half of the season, and for some of the satellite teams, for 2018 as well.
For the Silly Season That Wasn't Supposed To Be has stepped up a gear. The summer break has so far seen extensive negotiations going on over the MotoGP seats which will be free in 2018, and in some cases, whether a seat will become available or not. Phone calls to team staff start with pleasantries about vacation time, but quickly reveal that vacation consists of at best a day or two taken in between meetings and preparations for the remainder of the year.
The first shoe to drop in the summer edition of MotoGP's 2018 Silly Season is the revelation by Motorsport.com that Jack Miller will be joining Danilo Petrucci at Pramac Ducati for next season. After losing his direct contract with HRC – that contract going to Cal Crutchlow instead – the Australian had been in talks with the Marc VDS squad about a contract directly with the team. However, a failure to agree terms over money, and a better offer from Ducati, pushed Miller towards Pramac.
Submitted by Press Release on
Romano Fenati is to move up to the Moto2 class with his current team, Snipers Team, in 2018. The press release, shown below, implies that the team will consist of a single rider, Fenati, in Moto2. The team have yet to agree terms with a chassis supplier, but state that they will probably field a Kalex.
Romano Fenati Moves Up To Moto2 In 2018
Submitted by Kent Brockman on
After Laguna Seca the future of WorldSBK was once again questioned. Asking the right question may be more important than finding the right answer immediately
“I've said it before and I'll say it again, democracy simply doesn't work,” so said this intrepid reporter when faced with reports that Bart's Comet would bring destruction to Springfield. It was a time of uncertainty and peril for America's greatest city but one from which it recovered by maintaining the status-quo.
While the WorldSBK paddock isn't standing on Mount Springfield singing Que Sera Sera and waiting for the comet to hit, it is facing a moment of truth about where the series is heading. It's always easier to swim with the tide but for WorldSBK patience and thoroughness are more important than being swift and decisive in making the wrong decision.
Since Imola the paddock WorldSBK has been filled with rumor and counter rumor about the direction that the series will take. Will there be a spec ECU? Will there be concessions for different manufacturers? Will there be testing restrictions placed on the successful teams? The list of possibilities has been the talk of the paddock with Dorna's Carmelo Ezpeleta even suggesting making the series into a Stock class, but what is actually best for WorldSBK?
Submitted by Mat Oxley on
Suzuki is having a nightmare MotoGP season; who to blame: the riders, the factory or the team?
I’ve already said it, but I’ll say it again, I like Andrea Iannone, mostly because he’s funny. MotoGP is lucky at the moment, not least because the grid includes a full rainbow of characters, from angelic assassins and gritty little boxers to scary old men and (pantomime) gangsters.
It’s not me suggesting Iannone is a wannabe gangster. A journalist recently asked the Italian what he would do for a living if he didn’t race bikes and he immediately replied he would be a gangster.
Meanwhile Iannone still races bikes and right now he’s got a problem. His performances with Suzuki have plotted a steadily downward path since he first got on the GSX-RR last November: from quietly promising to loudly disappointing.