I'm Obsessed with MotoGP

[javadog]

Something to ponder....

Two guys got penalty points at Sepang, an Italian and a Spaniard. The infringements and disciplines came from the same sections of code (see highlighted text from the FIM release in both cases, below.)


One guy got three points. Yeh, yeh, the Italian.

One guy got one point. Yep, you guessed it, the Spaniard.


On 25th October 2015 during the MotoGP race of the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, rider #46 Valentino Rossi deliberately ran wide on Turn 14 in order to force another rider off line, resulting in contact causing the other rider to crash.

This is considered to be irresponsible riding causing danger to other competitors and is therefore an infringement of Article 1.21.2 of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations.

The decision of the Race Direction is to impose on rider #46 the addition of 3 penalty points on your record, according to Article 3.2.1. of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Disciplinary and Arbitration Code.


On 25th October 2015 during the MotoGP Warm Up session of the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, rider #8 Hector Barbera collided with another rider causing both to crash.

This is considered to be irresponsible riding causing danger to other competitors and is therefore an infringement of Article 1.21.2 of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations.

For the above motive, Race Direction has decided to impose on rider #8 Hector Barbera 1 penalty point, according to Article 3.2.1. of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Disciplinary and Arbitration Code.

2 violations of the same rule at the same event. Different outcomes....

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by peteremsley

So its in his interest to qualify badly, right? Perhaps allowing one or two ducs and DP to be in the front row or two.

I think he needs to work on race setup, figure out which tires will take the kind of abuse that will be needed to vanquish the field and get to the sharp end.

[javadog]

I've looked at the sporting regs and I can't find where it is specifically discussed. Certainly Rossi will run in qualifying, just to have an additional practice session. My guess is that everybody slower than him in Q2 will move up one spot on the grid when he goes to the back.

JR

[motion]

OMG I'm in tears.

[sand_man]

F_cking brilliant!! Bravo!

[TheMentat]

Great stuff!

[greglepore]

Poor Marky Marc....not

[sand_man]

Showing my naivety here, but this is my first year of truly following MotoGP with such passion and regularity, so bare with me.

I really thought this was a game exempt from politics and favoritism. For the most part, I just assumed it's settled "mano a mano" on the track! I didn't know a great deal about Dorna (and still don't) or how penalties are judged and sentenced. Or how rampant national pride plays part. I'm generally not one to follow conspiracy theories. However, when you lay this stuff out as java has so conveniently done, the $hit runs thick with this one! Maybe there's just no way to avoid it; where there's people and power, there's corruption. I just hope this great sport never fully pegs the bull$hit meter like the Bernie Ecclestone show over in F1!

This was my first MotoGP "scandal", I have a lot to learn...

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by sand_man

Showing my naivety here, but this is my first year of truly following MotoGP with such passion and regularity, so bare with me.

I really thought this was a game exempt from politics and favoritism. For the most part, I just assumed it's settled "mano a mano" on the track! I didn't know a great deal about Dorna (and still don't) or how penalties are judged and sentenced. Or how rampant national pride plays part. I'm generally not one to follow conspiracy theories. However, when you lay this stuff out as java has so conveniently done, the $hit runs thick with this one! Maybe there's just no way to avoid it; where's there's people and power, there's corruption. I just hope this great sport never fully pegs the bull$hit meter like the Bernie Ecclestone show over in F1!

This was my first MotoGP "scandal", I have a lot to learn...

"scandal"? nah...but Dorna does seem to have an "Ecclestonian" tendency to mess with the stew too much. But I'm not a racer, never have been. There are guys here who know a bunch more about it. Check out the MotoGP thread on the bike board.

[javadog]

Politics are always going to be present in any sport. If you think Bernie is bad, go back and research his predecessor Jean-Marie Balestre. It has been said that the 1989 F1 driver's title went to Prost, because he was French, as was Jean-Marie. See the 1989 Suzuka F1 race....

GP racing has always been dominated by Europeans, originally because that's where the races were held and road racing was always more popular over there. It's still that way, look at any sponsor and see if you recognize the company behind it. Most have nothing to do with countries outside Europe. If you look at Moto2 and Moto3, you have dozens of teams and riders you've never heard of, backed by god-knows-who's money. Look in the US and you'll find a handful of teams competing in our national series, with next to no sponsorship money available. We put all our money into football, baseball, etc.

Spain is motorcycle crazy, in a way we have never been. That interest shows in how many tracks are in Spain, how many riders are in Spain, etc. The same could be said of Italy. 1/3 of the MotoGP races are held in those two countries (Spain 4, Italy 2.) Roughly half of the MotoGP riders are from those two countries. They make up the bulk of the Moto2 and Moto3 classes as well (38 riders, vs. 61 others.) Sponsors are also frequently from those two countries. Repsol is a Spanish oil company. Moviestar is a Spanish TV company. Etc.

So, it probably comes as no surprise that Dorna is also a Spanish company, run by a Spaniard, Carmelo Ezpeleta. That wasn't always the case, as GP racing has the same fractured, contentious history as F1. There were many fights over control in their history and lots of that history is ugly. As with Bernie in F1, Dorna's control over GP racing has helped it grow, become more professional and increased the stakes. It will perhaps come as no surprise that Carmelo runs MotoGP like Bernie runs F1. They are friends and they work together so as not to compete too close to one another on the same weekend. Naturally, Bernie gets the last word and Carmelo does as Bernie wishes.

There has been lots of squabbling behind the scenes, as when lots of money is spent on something, the players want to run the show. Recently, the motorcycle manufacturers have been fighting Dorna (especially the big dog, Honda) for control over future technical regulations. That is more or less settled now, but a year ago it was fairly likely to have ended in a stalemate, maybe with Honda walking away.

I'm not trying to suggest that it's a corrupt sport. It's much better than it was long ago. If you go back far enough, you can find championships that were decided by corrupt little men in a backroom at a race meeting. That won't happen today.

What I am pointing out is that a lot of things are subjective, like how many penalty points are awarded for an infraction. It was not so long ago, that there was no penalty point system and conflicts were settled on the track, by the riders themselves. Now, you have a group of people, some of whom may not be racers at all, that can impose points penalties, fines and other punishment, as they see fit. I have not found it easy to learn the names of the people involved in race direction at a given race. They are chosen from among representatives of a handful of entities that govern different aspects of the sport. Knowing what I know about F1 Stewards, I suspect that some of them may have no business whatsoever judging races.

If you look at the FIM, which is the motorcycling equivalent to the FIA, it is staffed by what look to me to be career politicians. You might be interested to know that the FIM delegate for North America is a Canadian woman named Marilynn Bastedo, whom you will never have heard of. I can think of a lot of people I'd rather see in that position than the likes of her.

JR

[sand_man]

Originally Posted by javadog

..If you think Bernie is bad, go back and research his predecessor Jean-Marie Balestre. It has been said that the 1989 F1 driver's title went to Prost, because he was French, as was Jean-Marie. See the 1989 Suzuka F1 race....

I know this one by heart!!!!

[javadog]

I ran across this old photo today, while doing the morning rounds of motorcycle sites, looking for news. It shows how far racing has come, or what it was like when the desire to race overcame common sense. It was originally a pretty rough sport.

I've no idea when this was taken, or where. I'd guess the UK, as it is wet and it seems to be on a road "circuit." Note how narrow and poorly-surfaced the "track" is. You have a single hay bale at the starting line. It wasn't a motorcycle race unless you had hay bales. My guess is that single bale "protected" the flag man.

Insane...

[sand_man]

^^^I will be watching that! And yes, java, that picture (and era) is insane!

[sand_man]

I finally got around to watching the Sepang Moto3 race!!! WOW! SHEEESH! Kent just can't seem to close this deal!!!!

[motion]

Booked a flight, so I'm going. No ticket though... its gonna be stressful, LOL.

[motion]

Flying into Milan and driving across Italy/France/Spain. If it comes down to it, I'll hang out at the entrance with a cardboard sign. I've done this before

[javadog]

If I flew into Milan and headed towards France, I'd never get to Spain.

JR

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by peteremsley

fim president asks motogp riders to set best example

[sand_man]

Originally Posted by motion

Flying into Milan and driving across Italy/France/Spain. If it comes down to it, I'll hang out at the entrance with a cardboard sign. I've done this before

You slut!

[motion]

Originally Posted by javadog

If I flew into Milan and headed towards France, I'd never get to Spain.

JR

Yeah, I will definitely be tripped up with the espressos, fromage and baguettes. Good thing is that I've done this a hundred times before so I can put it on cruise control