[Ilya]

Great tracks. Love that F1 is at Mugello.

That was a WILD race last year for F1.

 

[Ilya]

MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi announces retirement (autosport.com)

Bout time. Should have given his seat to someone years ago.

 

[laggy311]

That was a WILD race last year for F1.

Ever watched an F1 onboard lap of Mugello? The double s-turns. The double right turns. Insanity.

 

[laggy311]

MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi announces retirement (autosport.com)

Bout time. Should have given his seat to someone years ago.

I’ve been saying this for awhile

 

[Ilya]

I’ve been saying this for awhile

Same. I said years ago after the MM stuff that he'd never win anything of significance again and I was right lol.

I do respect what he did for the sport overall but the last 8 years or so, he got a little to 'diva' for me and it got to the point where I enjoyed watching him lose more than I enjoyed watching MM (or anyone else) win.

Guy held on like 3-4 years too long...and prevented one more deserving Moto2 rider from moving up.

 

[mmattockx]

I'm not a Rossi hater (which seems to be the minority around here) and I'm sad to see the end of his era but he did hang on a couple seasons too long. 2018 was the last year he was competitive but the way he bounced back previously in his career made it hard to say he was finished. The last two seasons have shown clearly that he is done.

As for the last race, was it so dull that no one can be bothered to even comment? Congrats to Martin for a well managed ride and his first MotoGP win, but it really was a mostly dull affair after the chaos of the first couple laps settled down. Moto2 was processional as well but we did get to see some different livery on the podium for a change. I have to think the Ajo team will have that sorted for this weekend. Even Moto3 was mostly dull with Acosta frittering off into the distance in mixed conditions. He looked every inch the champion elect with that ride.


Mark

 

[riverszzr]

I don't hate rossi per se, but I have zero love for him either. He has always been an egomaniac and then whined like a little bitch whenever anyone did the same to him that he did to them and others

I mostly just hate all the Rossi fans (ass lickers and dick suckers) that no matter what think he is some motogod and he isn't and never has been. He is a very talented rider who is long past his prime- but the fans of his are like ford and chevy insane nuts of stupid
he has not won a race since 2017, 4 seasons.......... long past time to hang it up at that point imo

I would have liked to have seen the first start go withotu the redflag and see how that played out, some of the early front runners in start 1 were back in the pack in start 2
and fricking MM was super aggressive early, recklessly so, but he got pushed around too and settled back in what 12th or 13th and then finally moved forward to what 8th like 18 seconds back...ugh

I liked where MIR ran and rode, would have loved for him to win but........... 2nd is decent, best start for him in like forever....

 

[Ilya]

We've had some young competitors this year but so far this year hasn't really been all that exciting. I miss the old days of Jorge vs MM or MM vs Dovi. The sport is lacking that right now.

 

[mmattockx]

Yamaha suspends and withdraws Viñales from Austrian GP

Due to the unexplained irregular operation of the motorcycle in the Styria race, Viñales won't be riding at the Red Bull Ring

www.motogp.com

Is this the reason why Yamaha suspended Viñales in Austria?

OnBoard footage from Viñales' YZR-M1 reveals what happened on the last lap of the Styrian GP

www.motogp.com

Looks like the Vinales/Yamaha situation has blown up fairly spectacularly.

We've had some young competitors this year but so far this year hasn't really been all that exciting. I miss the old days of Jorge vs MM or MM vs Dovi. The sport is lacking that right now.

I'm the opposite, I've found the racing far better and more interesting with Marquez out and now much less competitive (for the moment, can't see that lasting much longer). Not seeing the same podium race after race is nice for a change.


Mark

 

[Ilya]

Me: MotoGP seems to be boring this year.
Vinales: Hold my throttle...

 

[mmattockx]

Well, that was one crazy race. Props to Binder for keeping it rubber side down in extremely challenging conditions and bringing it home for the win. Surprising to see Marc bin it on what seemed to be a semi-dry track while on wets, but it had to be much worse that the TV showed for him to go down like that.

Moto2 was a snoozer, but did have an interesting rookie dominated podium. Fernandez looked fantastic and congrats to Ogura for a podium in his first season. Without Fernandez we would all be talking about Ogura and the year he is having.

Moto3 was pretty tame until the last couple laps when everyone started racing for real, then crazy to the line. What a tough class to consistently finish at the front in with these large groups and insane drafting battles dominating the results. Garcia is doing his best to make Acosta sweat for it and is looking stronger every weekend. It might end up extremely close if Garcia keeps this up.


Mark

 

[Ilya]

Well, that was one crazy race. Props to Binder for keeping it rubber side down in extremely challenging conditions and bringing it home for the win. Surprising to see Marc bin it on what seemed to be a semi-dry track while on wets, but it had to be much worse that the TV showed for him to go down like that.

Moto2 was a snoozer, but did have an interesting rookie dominated podium. Fernandez looked fantastic and congrats to Ogura for a podium in his first season. Without Fernandez we would all be talking about Ogura and the year he is having.

Moto3 was pretty tame until the last couple laps when everyone started racing for real, then crazy to the line. What a tough class to consistently finish at the front in with these large groups and insane drafting battles dominating the results. Garcia is doing his best to make Acosta sweat for it and is looking stronger every weekend. It might end up extremely close if Garcia keeps this up.


Mark

I think it was a lot more wet than the TV showed. They did a slow mo of Peko or someone after and it was comin down GOOD. Also you could see Binder on the last corner or 2nd to last corner slow down drastically and almost send it as well when he got onto the kerbs/green. Definitely a crazy end. That's the kind of racing I want to see and my point earlier in the week, it seemed like when MM and Dovi were rivals, the last 2 laps were always back and forth, last second dives, etc. I don't enjoy MM or anyone else having a 2 second gap the entire race for sure. This race was awesome.

 

[mmattockx]

To no one's great surprise, Maverick and Yamaha have decided on an immediate divorce...

Yamaha and Viñales end 2021 agreement

Yamaha and Viñales have mutually decided to separate with immediate effect

www.motogp.com

On another note, Jake Dixon is going to fill in for Morbidelli on the Petronas Yamaha. I don't get the hype over getting him into MotoGP when he can't even regularly break into the top 10 in Moto2. From all the gushing about it by the announcers it sounded like he was the beneficiary of a big push to get a Brit (any Brit...) into MotoGP at all costs. People questioned Petronas picking Quartararo but at least was a multiple race winner on a mostly uncompetitive chassis when he got the chance to move up, not a mid-pack runner on the dominant chassis.


Mark

 

[Ilya]

Wow! What a race between Peko and MM. That was exciting!

 

[riverszzr]

I very much enjoyed the race and while MM is still not 100% (look at his lap times compared to years past) he definitely gave peko a good run although his numerous "pass attempts" didn't seem to really be pass attempts at all(since there was clearly no holding a line or true block pass), more like...... " just incase you aren't seeing your pit board or your dash notifcations....hey I am still here if you fuck up" showing him the whole bike...... perhaps hoping it would cause peko to fuck up?? perhaps just showing he could get in front?

Atleast he did not crash out of this race! I mean we all know he throws his bikes down the road tons and tons in practice and has for years, but has there been any season he threw his bike down the road 5 times in one season during races???

While I suspect even a top 5 for the season is out of the question for him at this point, I do hope he continues to get better and better and throws in another victory or two this season... considering how few races he has actually finished and he is top ten points........ it says something about the lack of quality riders besides the top 5 or 6...

And Vinalles and Rossi fighting for last.....uggg-- or wherever the fuck they were, and crashlow and Zarco way the fuck out of touch too........
Rossi truly is an embaresment to his "legacy" this season

And I think Alex is trying to get on par with big brother in the crash stats???

 

[sbk1198]

I very much enjoyed the race and while MM is still not 100% (look at his lap times compared to years past) he definitely gave peko a good run although his numerous "pass attempts" didn't seem to really be pass attempts at all(since there was clearly no holding a line or true block pass), more like...... " just incase you aren't seeing your pit board or your dash notifcations....hey I am still here if you fuck up" showing him the whole bike...... perhaps hoping it would cause peko to fuck up?? perhaps just showing he could get in front?

Atleast he did not crash out of this race! I mean we all know he throws his bikes down the road tons and tons in practice and has for years, but has there been any season he threw his bike down the road 5 times in one season during races???

While I suspect even a top 5 for the season is out of the question for him at this point, I do hope he continues to get better and better and throws in another victory or two this season... considering how few races he has actually finished and he is top ten points........ it says something about the lack of quality riders besides the top 5 or 6...

And Vinalles and Rossi fighting for last.....uggg-- or wherever the fuck they were, and crashlow and Zarco way the fuck out of touch too........
Rossi truly is an embaresment to his "legacy" this season

And I think Alex is trying to get on par with big brother in the crash stats???

I had the same thought about his pass attempts. Of course it's easy to be a "couch racer" and point out the flaws, and being a racer myself I know that passes are generally harder to make (safely) than people watching on TV think, but I couldn't help notice that neither of his passes were block passes. All he was doing was taking an early apex and then running out wide allowing Pecco to get back in front. In a real block pass you time your braking such that you're constantly next to the guy you're passing and you slow down both yourself and him through the whole turn. I know it's harder to get right than it sounds, but out of a 7 attempt for a guy like Marquez, I figured he could do it at least one time. Pecco was just too good on the brakes cuz every time Marc pulled up next to him on the straights, Pecco would outbrake him and still held his line.

I believe 2015 was the only other "crashfest" season for Marquez, and go-figure the only other season he didn't win the championship.

 

[Ilya]

Rossi truly is an embaresment to his "legacy" this season

I don't know if you watch any other sports, but this is par for the course of most athletes. They hold on too long. In the NBA, you might have a guy who averages 20 points a game for 15 years and then he starts chasing rings and has 2-3 seasons of 5 points a game which 1) kills his overall career numbers and 2) looks terrible. Athletes SUCK at letting go because it's all they have known for 20, 25, 30 years.

 

[mmattockx]

Wow! What a race between Peko and MM. That was exciting!

I thought about your comment on great duels when watching the race. Figured you would like that one. Props to Bagnaia for breaking his duck.

Rossi truly is an embaresment to his "legacy" this season

I don't think we agree on much about Rossi, but I agree with this. His performance has fallen off a cliff this year. I don't know if it's him, the team, the bike or what but he is embarrassing himself for sure.

I don't know if you watch any other sports, but this is par for the course of most athletes. They hold on too long.

In motorsports the only one that comes to my mind that didn't hang on too long is Ricky Carmichael. He was still winning races on his farewell tour and was clearly still at the top when he pulled the pin. As you say, people with that much competitive drive just can't easily let go of the thing that defined them for so many years.


Mark

 

[sbk1198]

In motorsports the only one that comes to my mind that didn't hang on too long is Ricky Carmichael. He was still winning races on his farewell tour and was clearly still at the top when he pulled the pin. As you say, people with that much competitive drive just can't easily let go of the thing that defined them for so many years.


Mark

Casey Stoner is the best example I know of! Called it quits the year after he won the championship, and in that season he still won a few races and had some good results, just missed a few because of the foot fracture (where he got 4th place the day after he broke it!!!). Came back after missing a few races and ended the season with 3 podiums, one of which was a win at his home track. I will always wonder about that "what could've been" if he would've stayed in MotoGP and been teammates with Marquez. Wonder how different 2013 and 2014 would've been.

 

[Ilya]

I thought about your comment on great duels when watching the race. Figured you would like that one. Props to Bagnaia for breaking his duck.

Yeah. Obviously I loved it more because MM was involved but I'd take a battle between anyone for the last 2-3 laps going back and forth than just one guy out front the entire race. I thought for sure though MM would bin it lol.