How and why this each of this year's crop of F1 drivers chose their new-for-2014 personalised race numbers has been well documented, but, with the tradition having been established in MotoGP for over a decade now, some of the stories behind the race numbers are harder to discover.
After much trawling across the web to find the reasons behind each of this year's riders' number choices, I have been able to find detailed descriptions for some, while others remain a mystery. If you have any more information on any of the rider numbers for which I haven't been able to find a satisfactory explanation, please don't hesitate to leave a comment!
Andrea Dovizioso - 4
Dovizioso originally used number 34 in his early career as a tribute to his childhood hero Kevin Schwantz, but with the number having been retired in the premier class in respect of the legendary American, 'Dovi' simply decided to ditch the first digit when he reached MotoGP.
Colin Edwards - 5
Upon joining MotoGP fresh from winning the World Superbike championship for a second time, Edwards ran the number 45, which dated back to his days in the AMA series. But, after finishing fifth in the 2004 championship, 'The Texas Tornado' decided to change to 5, which he'd previously carried in World Superbikes in 1999, in the hope it would bring him more luck.
Stefan Bradl - 6
Bradl adopted the number 65 when he joined the ranks in Moto2 in deference to a sponsor, having used 17 during most of his 125cc career. But, with 65 retired in MotoGP respect of Loris Capirossi, Bradl - like Dovizioso - got around the problem by dropping a digit. If you look closely, you can just about make out a '5' inside the black '6' formed by a series of thin red and yellow lines.
Hiroshi Aoyama - 7
Another rider to change his number upon entering MotoGP, Aoyama had used number 4 (assigned to him after finishing fourth in the 250cc standings in 2005), but with that already taken by Dovizioso, he switched to 7. The Japanese claims it's in memory of his late compatriot Daijiro Kato, who ran 74, a number which has also been retired. at the time of his fatal crash at Suzuka in 2003,
Hector Barbera - 8
Barbera claims to have always liked number 8, but used number 80 for much of his early career as the number was taken by other riders. His MotoGP debut was made using 40, again at the behest of a sponsor (Maverick Vinales currently bears the same number in Moto2 in the same style), but in 2011 Barbera was able to finally begin using the number he wanted all along.
Danilo Petrucci - 9
Having used number 9 throughout his time in World Superstock, Petrucci continued with the number when he moved to MotoGP in 2012.
Karel Abraham - 17
Abraham switched to 17 when he entered the 250cc class in 2007, having used 44 prior to that, and chose to keep it upon graduating to MotoGP in 2011.
Alvaro Bautista - 19
19 has been the number used by Bautista ever since he made his full-time Grand Prix debut in the 125cc class back in 2003. For a trio of one-off appearances in the lightweight class the previous year, he used 51.
Broc Parkes - 23
Parkes has carried number 23 since making his debut in World Supersport in 2003, keeping it for his MotoGP debut this year. During his two-year stint in World Superbikes in 2001-2, he used numbers 36 and 12.
Dani Pedrosa - 26
The ubiquitous 26 is a legacy of Pedrosa being one of the first three riders (the others being Toni Elias and Joan Olive) taken under the wing of former MotoGP rider Alberto Puig, who devoted his efforts to unearthing new talent after his own career came to an end.
Puig had assigned numbers 24, 25 and 26 to his trio of young charges in the 2001 125cc class, Pedrosa getting 26 - and the Spaniard has stuck with it since, except for a two-year period in 2008-09 where he used number 2 and 3 to reflect his championship placing of the previous year.
NB: Casey Stoner, famous for using 27 throughout most of his career, was another rider picked up by Puig, who simply continued the sequence started in 2001 when he assigned the Australian rider a number to use on his 250cc debut in 2002.
Andrea Iannone - 29
Iannone began his career bearing number 9 (the date of his birthday), but decided to add the 2 used by his brother Angelo when he stopped racing to form 29, which the Italian has used throughout his MotoGP career.
Cal Crutchlow - 35
35 has been the number worn by Crutchlow since his British Supersport debut a decade ago, the Briton having stuck with it through British Superbikes, World Supersport, World Superbikes and his four years of MotoGP. He began his career using 5, but when that wasn't available he simply decided to attach a 3 to it to form the now-familiar 35.
Bradley Smith - 38
Smith has used the number 38 throughout his MotoGP career, starting with his maiden 125cc campaign in 2006, although he frequently used the similar-looking 88 in his early career.
Aleix Espargaro - 41
The elder of the Espargaro brothers idolised sometime 125cc rider Youichi Ui, who ran with the number 41. Aleix has always used 41 for that very reason since making his full-time 125cc debut in 2005, although he was forced to change to 42 (as 41 was in use) during his part-time 250cc campaign in 2006 and to 40 in Moto2 in deference to the same sponsor that forced Barbera (see above) to change.
Pol Espargaro - 44
Espargaro the younger has used 44 since he joined the 125cc class full-time in 2007, but for the same reason as his brother, Pol was forced to ditch it in favour of 40 for a two-year stint in Moto2 with the Pons team.
Scott Redding - 45
Since making his 125cc debut in 2008, Redding has never veered from his favoured number 45, wearing it throughout his time in Moto2 and in his debut MotoGP season.
Valentino Rossi - 46
The most famous of all the MotoGP numbers, Rossi began his career in the 125cc class in 1996 with the number 46 used by his father Graziano when he took his three Grand Prix wins in 1979. In fact, it was Rossi who really sparked the trend of riders keeping a particular number for their whole careers.
In 2001, the first five riders from the previous year's standings - besides Rossi, who finished second but stuck resolutely to his lucky number 46 - used numbers 1 to 5 according to traditional methodology. The following year, Rossi eschewed the coveted #1 plate that he had earned the right to use, becoming the first champion to do since Barry Sheene in 1978.
Meanwhile, virtually every other rider in 2002 stuck to their number from the previous season. Since then, on only sporadic occasions have riders in MotoGP taken the number of their championship finish from the previous year, with the #1 plate having become something of a rare find in any form of motorcycle racing.
It would be a great surprise if 46 didn't join Schwantz's 34, Capirossi's 65 and Kato's 74 on the FIM's list of retired numbers when Rossi decides to hang up his leathers.
Mike di Meglio - 63
Di Meglio hasn't wavered from the number 63 he used on his Grand Prix debut in 2003 in the 125cc class, carrying it all the way up to MotoGP for his debut season in 2014.
Yonny Hernandez - 68
Hernandez is a relative newcomer to the MotoGP paddock, having only made his debut in 2010 in the Moto2 class, and has used number 68 throughout his fledgling career.
Nicky Hayden - 69
Like Rossi, Hayden has opted to use the same number used by his father for most of his career. His Earl Hayden is said to have used 69 because it looked the same upside down - handy for whenever he crashed - and Nicky adopted it for his career, wearing it for his two seasons of AMA Superbikes and maintaining it for his MotoGP debut in 2003.
The 'Kentucky Kid' has used it every season since, except for when he exercised his right to use the #1 plate in 2007 as reigning champion - incidentally, the first appearance for the #1 since 2001 as a result of Rossi's refusal to use it in the intervening years.
Michael Laverty - 70
During his final three years in British Superbikes from 2010 to 2012, Laverty had made the number 7 his own, having used 33, 2, 4 and 8 in previous seasons in various classes. With 7 already belonging to Aoyama when Laverty made his MotoGP bow in 2013, he adopted the next best thing, 70, although some provisional entry lists for that season have the Ulsterman listed as number 33, his original BSB number.
Marc Marquez - 93
The reasoning behind Marquez's 93, which he has used since his Spanish 125cc days, is quite simple - much like this writer, he was born in the year 1993. He could have used the #1 plate in 2014, but like his spiritual predecessor Rossi he chose not to - meaning it could be a while before the #1 next returns to use...
Jorge Lorenzo - 99
Lorenzo started out in the 125cc class in 2002 using number 48, which is the number his then-manager Dani Amatriain had used during his career. He switched to #1 in 2007 after winning the 250cc title the preceding year, reverting to 48 when he graduated to the premier class in 2008 after winning the intermediate class title a second time.
By 2009, Lorenzo had split with Amatriain, and decided to hold a vote for his fans to decide whether he should continue to use 48 or switch to a new number. 23, 87 and 99 were the alternatives the Mallorcan proposed, with 99 getting the nod. He switched to #1 (using a neat design incorporating his initials) in 2011 as per his right as reigning champion, but interestingly chose to stick with 99 after winning his second MotoGP title in 2012.
This article will be updated should any fresh information comes to light.
Showing posts with label MotoGP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MotoGP. Show all posts
28 August 2014
29 July 2014
MotoGP Mid-season Rider Ratings
With nine races down and nine still to go in this year's MotoGP season, it's time to take stock and grade each of the riders on the grid for their performances so far. There are no prizes for guessing who has earned the best rating, but further down the order it's been a mixed bag. Read on for my verdicts:
Marc Marquez (E, Repsol Honda) - 1st in Championship, 9 wins, 7 poles, 225pts
Rating: A+
What more is there to say about this Spanish sensation that hasn't already been said? Other riders have achieved similar dominance in the sport's history - John Surtees, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan and Valentino Rossi, to name a few - but none of them have done so in the face of such stiff opposition as that encountered by Marquez.
Two-time champion Jorge Lorenzo, Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa and a resurgent Rossi have all been made to look average this season by the 21-year-old, whose ability to carve his way through the field when out of position and to defend from the sternest of attacks has been utterly peerless this year.
With nine successive wins now under his belt, the only remaining question mark surrounding Marquez's season is just how long he can keep up this incredible streak; that bookmakers are offering odds as low as 9/2 for him to win each of the remaining races tells you all you need to know about the magnitude of his talent.
Dani Pedrosa (E, Repsol Honda) - 2nd in Championship, 7 podiums, 1 pole, 148pts
Rating: B+
With Marquez running rampant in the other side of the Repsol Honda garage, it's impossible not to feel some pity for Pedrosa. Arguably, the 28-year-old has missed his best chances of shaking off the tag of being the greatest rider in MotoGP history without a premier-class title to his name - especially now he has committed himself to Honda for a further two seasons alongside Marquez.
That said, there has been some cause for optimism in recent races: after two particularly subdued outings at Le Mans and Mugello, Catalunya saw Pedrosa only narrowly lose out to Marquez in a close duel for supremacy, whilst Dani kept his younger teammate honest at the Sachsenring despite never getting quite close enough to mount a veritable challenge.
The title is of course now out of the question, but if Pedrosa can continue to make life as hard for Marquez as he has managed to in recent rounds, the chances are that he'll be able to best the reigning champion on at least one occasion before the year is out. Doing so will be vital to rebuilding the confidence needed to mount a renewed title assault next year.
Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha) - 5th in Championship, 3 podiums, 97pts
Rating: B-
Having lost out to Marquez in last year's title race by such a narrow margin, it seemed that 2014 could well have proved to be the second chapter in a compelling rivalry between he and Lorenzo for supremacy. But, some crucial errors combined with a failure to adapt to the new generation of Bridgestone tyres has left Lorenzo lagging badly behind his main rivals in the points standings.
An early fall from the lead at Qatar and a jump start at Austin marked a downright dreadful start to the year for the Mallorcan, though the nadir of his year was unquestionably his tentative ride to 13th in the wet at Assen, the scene of his collarbone-breaking incident last year.
That said, Lorenzo's nail-biting dice with Marquez at Mugello served as a timely reminder of just what the two-time champion is capable of when he's fully in sync with his bike, whilst his third place last time out in Germany ahead of teammate Rossi will come as a much-needed confidence booster heading into the latter half of the year. He'll certainly need to build some momentum heading into 2015 if he is to have any chance of halting the Marquez juggernaut.
Valentino Rossi (I, Movistar Yamaha) - 3rd in Championship, 5 podiums, 141pts
Rating: A
Coming into the season, aged 35 and having made the unpopular decision of jettisoning long-time crew chief Jerry Burgess at the end of 2013, Rossi was in last-chance saloon. His contract was up for renewal at the end of the year, the Italian giving himself just six races to decide whether or not to call it a day at the end of the year.
But, if the story of 2014 so far has been Marquez's domination, then Rossi's rejuvenation has to rank as the main subplot. Losing out to the Spaniard by the narrowest margins at Qatar set the tone, the Yamaha rider backing this result up with further second places at Jerez, Le Mans and Catalunya, as well as a spirited recovery to fifth at Assen from a pit-lane start in the sort of conditions in which 'The Doctor' so often revels.
Indeed, Rossi has more often than not had the measure of his teammate Lorenzo, his reward being a contract extension that will see him remain in the sport for a further two years - which is excellent news for all MotoGP fans. You'd be brave to bet against the seven-time champion adding to his already incredible haul of 80 premier class victories in that time.
Andrea Dovizioso (I, Ducati Team) - 4th in Championship, 2 podiums, 99pts
Rating: A
Transcending the limits of your bike is always the mark of a great rider, and that's precisely what Dovizioso has done so far this season in his second year aboard the recalcitrant Ducati. And while it's unfortunate that the talented 28-year-old doesn't have a faster bike with which to ply his trade, at least the Italian manufacturer, now under the stewardship of Gigi Dall'Igna, looks to be making tangible progress.
After a year devoid of podium finishes in 2013, Dovizioso has already made two visits to the rostrum this season, finishing a strong third at Austin behind the two Repsol Honda riders before making a return visit in Assen in the wet - always an ideal opportunity to show what you're truly made of. In between, the Italian has maximised his points-scoring opportunities at just about every race to lie fourth in the standings heading into the summer break.
Having been fairly evenly matched with teammate Nicky Hayden last year, Dovizioso has firmly stamped his authority on new arrival Cal Crutchlow, with whom he was paired at Tech 3 in 2012. The benefit of a year's experience of the Ducati modus operandi has helped, but then so has the fact that 'Dovi' is riding as well as any previous stage in his career right now - or indeed as well as anyone else on the grid bar Marquez.
Cal Crutchlow (GB, Ducati Team) - 14th in Championship, 28pts
Rating: C-
History shows that, unless your name is Casey Stoner, your first season with Ducati tends to be a fairly bruising experience. And, in Crutchlow's case, such has been the case quite literally, the popular Coventry rider having had to miss the third round of the year in Argentina after injuring his hand in a crash during the previous race in Austin.
The year started well enough with a solid ride to sixth place at Qatar (albeit a full 16 seconds shy of teammate Dovizioso) on an evening when many of his rivals contrived to throw their bikes into the scenery, but thereafter Crutchlow has garnered a rather meagre 18 points - thanks partially to unreliability at Jerez and Catalunya, but also to his alleged struggles to adapt to the riding position of his Ducati mount.
Such has been the degree of the Brit's struggles that he's been eclipsed not only by Dovizioso but also by Pramac rider Andrea Iannone, who would surely have been promoted to the factory team if not for the fact that Crutchlow is contracted to remain at Ducati for one more year. Let's hope, then, as has been the case for Dovizioso, Cal's second season with the Bologna marque is a far happier one.
Stefan Bradl (D, LCR Honda) - 9th in Championship, 56pts
Rating: B-
Now in his third season at MotoGP level, it seems Bradl is in danger of being eclipsed by a new generation of young riders. After an explosive start to the season at Qatar, where the LCR Honda man led before undoing all his hard work with a crash at one-third distance, Bradl has struggled to be a regular fixture at the very sharp end of the grid.
He finished a strong fourth at Austin, and banked top-five finishes at Argentina and Catalunya, but has been anonymous elsewhere. He of course led the opening laps of his home race at the Sachsenring as every other factory rider opted for a pit-lane start, but was on a hiding to nothing with a bike set up for the wet on a rapidly drying track, plummeting down the order before eventually trailing home 16th.
It was a shame the gamble squandered his first front-row grid slot since Austin, especially at a time when his future hangs in the balance. Team boss Lucio Cecchinello is said to be keen on retaining Bradl, but rumour has it that HRC wants Moto3 points leader Jack Miller to take over the seat. Whether or not LCR is able to expand to a two-bike line-up is therefore likely to be key to the former Moto2 champion's fate.
Alvaro Bautista (E, Gresini Honda) - 10th in Championship, 1 podium, 50pts
Rating: C+
You could say that Bautista's season has been fairly similar to that of his fellow satellite Honda rider Bradl, only with higher peaks and deeper troughs. Where the German's best result of the year thus far has been fourth place, Bautista was able to clinch an impressive third place at Le Mans; equally, while Bradl has made just one trip to the gravel that could be described as his fault, the Spaniard has had three.
That's an unacceptable number of points squandered for a rider of Bautista's experience, and rather a surprise after a remarkably consistent latter half of 2013. There have been times when he's had the clear measure of Bradl, notably at Jerez and Le Mans, but direct comparisons between the pair are misleading given that the Gresini man is the sole factory rider in the field using Showa suspension and Nissin brakes.
It seems all but certain Bautista will have to make way for Open class teammate Scott Redding next season, which means that the 29-year-old will be relying on Aprilia to push forward their planned MotoGP return by one year if he's to remain aboard factory machinery. Otherwise, there could be an opening at Aspar, which may not be a bad place to be next year ahead of standard ECUs being introduced across the board in 2016.
Bradley Smith (GB, Tech 3 Yamaha) - 11th in Championship, 48pts
Rating: C
"I have to give them no option," Smith said coming into the season, referring to his mission to secure a factory seat in 2015. But, such has been the mediocrity of his sophomore campaign so far, it appears he is giving his current Tech 3 squad little option but to leave the young Oxfordshire rider in search of alternative employment next year.
It all started so promisingly for Smith at Qatar, taking his best-ever grid slot with third place and sticking with the lead bunch until a late fall cost him the chance of a top-five finish. He redeemed himself with a feisty ride to fifth at Austin, but has failed to crack the top half-dozen since, having been soundly outpaced by rookie teammate Pol Espargaro at just about every race since his team's home round at Le Mans.
Consistency was perhaps Smith's biggest virtue last season, but even that seems to have deserted the 23-year-old, who has crashed three times in nine races in his desperation to impress the factory teams. Now the most coveted rides look to be locked down for another two seasons, Smith can shift his focus to convincing Tech 3 to keep him for a third season, though he'll need to up his game considerably to do so.
Pol Espargaro (E, Tech 3 Yamaha) - 7th in Championship, 67pts
Rating: B
Of all the riders in MotoGP currently, Espargaro is arguably under the most under pressure of all. Why? Because, with Rossi in the twilight of his career and Lorenzo struggling to recapture his best form, Yamaha need an answer to the phenomenon that is Marquez, and the reigning Moto2 champion may well prove to be the best response they have in the medium-term.
Bearing that in mind, it's perhaps understandable that the first few rounds for the younger of the two Espargaro brothers were somewhat low-key, but glimpses of his future potential have started to show. The turning point was at Le Mans, where, after qualifying second, he was tantalisingly close to his maiden podium finish before being pipped at the last by Bautista - on a day where teammate Smith struggled home to 10th.
Since then, it's not been much of a contest between the Tech 3 riders, with Espargaro seemingly first in line for a promotion to the works Yamaha squad when Lorenzo departs. That's highly unlikely to happen next year, with all the other factory seats ostensibly decided (bar Aprilia, who may or may not be present), but seeing Pol take the fight to Marquez on a works bike in 2016 is far from beyond the realms of possibility.
Andrea Iannone (I, Pramac Ducati) - 8th in Championship, 62pts
Rating: A-
After a fairly quiet debut season aboard the Pramac Ducati last year, Iannone has started to come of age as a MotoGP rider in 2014, establishing himself as one of the brightest future prospects in the series with a series of eye-catching rides. The first of these came at the second round in Austin, where he incredibly ran third, ahead of Dovizioso's factory-spec machine, for around two thirds of the race.
But his best performance of all was on home soil at Mugello. Having qualified an outstanding second, less than two tenths adrift of pole-sitter Marquez, he led briefly and ran inside the top five for the majority of the race before slumping to seventh in the closing laps. There have been one or two blots on his copybook, such as his clash with Nicky Hayden at Le Mans, but that's to be expected for a rider of his level of experience.
Iannone had been angling for a promotion to the full works squad, which seemed inevitable before Ducati announced it would be retaining its existing line-up. Rather than take the risk of signing with series returnees Suzuki, the 24-year-old will now remain at Pramac next year, albeit with the same specification bike as the factory boys - don't be surprised if the rider they call 'Crazy Joe' proves quicker than either in 2015.
Aleix Espargaro (E, Forward Racing) - 6th in Championship, 1 pole, 77pts
Rating: A
If Espargaro's decision to spurn Aspar in favour of Forward Racing ahead of this season was regarded as something of a risk by the MotoGP fraternity, it's one that has certainly paid dividends for the rider who has consistently proven the outstanding rider of the Open (née CRT) class since its inception in 2012.
This year's Forward machine may amount to little more than a two-year-old Yamaha M1 with standard electronics, but Espargaro has made considerably better use of such machinery than his struggling teammate Colin Edwards, having been the first Open class rider across the line at every race bar Argentina. An outright pole position achieved in the wet of Assen served to further underline the 24-year-old's sheer class.
Such heroics make one wonder what Espargaro might be capable of with a more competitive bike at his disposal. There was talk of Aleix heading to Tech 3 to join brother Pol, but it now appears that the elder of the Espargaro brothers is Suzuki-bound for 2015. Having done more than enough to deserve a shot on a winning bike, he'll be hoping the Japanese manufacturer can supply exactly that in the next couple of seasons.
The Rest:
The lack of the Honda RCV1000R's competitiveness this season will have come as a disappointment to Scott Redding (B+), but the Gresini rider has been the first of the Open Honda quartet home on four of a possible nine occasions despite his class rookie status - with a promotion to the factory machine next season in place of Bautista looking very likely.
The Gloucestershire rider's main opposition has come in the form of Aspar's Nicky Hayden (B), who has struggled somewhat with wrist pain since his crash at Le Mans; fingers crossed that the surgery the 2006 champion recently underwent will allow him to return to peak form in time for his next home race at Indianapolis.
Hiroshi Aoyama (C), aboard the second Aspar bike, has only beat his teammate twice when they've both finished and needs to be doing more in order to be sure of retaining his seat, while Karel Abraham (C) has largely been similarly unspectacular aboard the Cardion Honda - although his ride is decidedly more secure.
Yonny Hernandez (B-) seems to have tamed his wild streak of 2013 somewhat, having finished every race, but as the sole Open class Ducati representative it is very difficult to pass accurate judgement on the Colombian, who is hoping to be given the latest-spec machinery by the Italian manufacturer next season.
The same cannot be said for the elder statesman of the grid, Colin Edwards (D-), who has scored just eight points all year while his Forward Racing teammate Aleix Espargaro has regularly mixed it with the factory bikes - it's a crying shame that the popular Texan's career is set to come to a close in such ignominious fashion.
Hector Barbera (B) has done well to squeeze two points out of a hopelessly uncompetitive Avintia-Kawasaki, and will be hoping that the team's switch to Open class Ducati machinery heralds a rise up the pecking order next year. The Spaniard has easily had the measure of teammate and class rookie Mike Di Meglio (C-).
Ioda Racing's Danilo Petrucci (B-) has performed admirably in spite of missing four races due to wrist injury, while Broc Parkes (C) earns a superior grade to teammate Michael Laverty (C-) solely for the best underdog ride of the year yet which yielded an 11th place at Assen aboard the unfancied PBM machine.
Marc Marquez (E, Repsol Honda) - 1st in Championship, 9 wins, 7 poles, 225pts
Rating: A+
What more is there to say about this Spanish sensation that hasn't already been said? Other riders have achieved similar dominance in the sport's history - John Surtees, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan and Valentino Rossi, to name a few - but none of them have done so in the face of such stiff opposition as that encountered by Marquez.
Two-time champion Jorge Lorenzo, Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa and a resurgent Rossi have all been made to look average this season by the 21-year-old, whose ability to carve his way through the field when out of position and to defend from the sternest of attacks has been utterly peerless this year.
With nine successive wins now under his belt, the only remaining question mark surrounding Marquez's season is just how long he can keep up this incredible streak; that bookmakers are offering odds as low as 9/2 for him to win each of the remaining races tells you all you need to know about the magnitude of his talent.
Dani Pedrosa (E, Repsol Honda) - 2nd in Championship, 7 podiums, 1 pole, 148pts
Rating: B+
With Marquez running rampant in the other side of the Repsol Honda garage, it's impossible not to feel some pity for Pedrosa. Arguably, the 28-year-old has missed his best chances of shaking off the tag of being the greatest rider in MotoGP history without a premier-class title to his name - especially now he has committed himself to Honda for a further two seasons alongside Marquez.
That said, there has been some cause for optimism in recent races: after two particularly subdued outings at Le Mans and Mugello, Catalunya saw Pedrosa only narrowly lose out to Marquez in a close duel for supremacy, whilst Dani kept his younger teammate honest at the Sachsenring despite never getting quite close enough to mount a veritable challenge.
The title is of course now out of the question, but if Pedrosa can continue to make life as hard for Marquez as he has managed to in recent rounds, the chances are that he'll be able to best the reigning champion on at least one occasion before the year is out. Doing so will be vital to rebuilding the confidence needed to mount a renewed title assault next year.
Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha) - 5th in Championship, 3 podiums, 97pts
Rating: B-
Having lost out to Marquez in last year's title race by such a narrow margin, it seemed that 2014 could well have proved to be the second chapter in a compelling rivalry between he and Lorenzo for supremacy. But, some crucial errors combined with a failure to adapt to the new generation of Bridgestone tyres has left Lorenzo lagging badly behind his main rivals in the points standings.
An early fall from the lead at Qatar and a jump start at Austin marked a downright dreadful start to the year for the Mallorcan, though the nadir of his year was unquestionably his tentative ride to 13th in the wet at Assen, the scene of his collarbone-breaking incident last year.
That said, Lorenzo's nail-biting dice with Marquez at Mugello served as a timely reminder of just what the two-time champion is capable of when he's fully in sync with his bike, whilst his third place last time out in Germany ahead of teammate Rossi will come as a much-needed confidence booster heading into the latter half of the year. He'll certainly need to build some momentum heading into 2015 if he is to have any chance of halting the Marquez juggernaut.
Valentino Rossi (I, Movistar Yamaha) - 3rd in Championship, 5 podiums, 141pts
Rating: A
Coming into the season, aged 35 and having made the unpopular decision of jettisoning long-time crew chief Jerry Burgess at the end of 2013, Rossi was in last-chance saloon. His contract was up for renewal at the end of the year, the Italian giving himself just six races to decide whether or not to call it a day at the end of the year.
But, if the story of 2014 so far has been Marquez's domination, then Rossi's rejuvenation has to rank as the main subplot. Losing out to the Spaniard by the narrowest margins at Qatar set the tone, the Yamaha rider backing this result up with further second places at Jerez, Le Mans and Catalunya, as well as a spirited recovery to fifth at Assen from a pit-lane start in the sort of conditions in which 'The Doctor' so often revels.
Indeed, Rossi has more often than not had the measure of his teammate Lorenzo, his reward being a contract extension that will see him remain in the sport for a further two years - which is excellent news for all MotoGP fans. You'd be brave to bet against the seven-time champion adding to his already incredible haul of 80 premier class victories in that time.
Andrea Dovizioso (I, Ducati Team) - 4th in Championship, 2 podiums, 99pts
Rating: A
Transcending the limits of your bike is always the mark of a great rider, and that's precisely what Dovizioso has done so far this season in his second year aboard the recalcitrant Ducati. And while it's unfortunate that the talented 28-year-old doesn't have a faster bike with which to ply his trade, at least the Italian manufacturer, now under the stewardship of Gigi Dall'Igna, looks to be making tangible progress.
After a year devoid of podium finishes in 2013, Dovizioso has already made two visits to the rostrum this season, finishing a strong third at Austin behind the two Repsol Honda riders before making a return visit in Assen in the wet - always an ideal opportunity to show what you're truly made of. In between, the Italian has maximised his points-scoring opportunities at just about every race to lie fourth in the standings heading into the summer break.
Having been fairly evenly matched with teammate Nicky Hayden last year, Dovizioso has firmly stamped his authority on new arrival Cal Crutchlow, with whom he was paired at Tech 3 in 2012. The benefit of a year's experience of the Ducati modus operandi has helped, but then so has the fact that 'Dovi' is riding as well as any previous stage in his career right now - or indeed as well as anyone else on the grid bar Marquez.
Cal Crutchlow (GB, Ducati Team) - 14th in Championship, 28pts
Rating: C-
History shows that, unless your name is Casey Stoner, your first season with Ducati tends to be a fairly bruising experience. And, in Crutchlow's case, such has been the case quite literally, the popular Coventry rider having had to miss the third round of the year in Argentina after injuring his hand in a crash during the previous race in Austin.
The year started well enough with a solid ride to sixth place at Qatar (albeit a full 16 seconds shy of teammate Dovizioso) on an evening when many of his rivals contrived to throw their bikes into the scenery, but thereafter Crutchlow has garnered a rather meagre 18 points - thanks partially to unreliability at Jerez and Catalunya, but also to his alleged struggles to adapt to the riding position of his Ducati mount.
Such has been the degree of the Brit's struggles that he's been eclipsed not only by Dovizioso but also by Pramac rider Andrea Iannone, who would surely have been promoted to the factory team if not for the fact that Crutchlow is contracted to remain at Ducati for one more year. Let's hope, then, as has been the case for Dovizioso, Cal's second season with the Bologna marque is a far happier one.
Stefan Bradl (D, LCR Honda) - 9th in Championship, 56pts
Rating: B-
Now in his third season at MotoGP level, it seems Bradl is in danger of being eclipsed by a new generation of young riders. After an explosive start to the season at Qatar, where the LCR Honda man led before undoing all his hard work with a crash at one-third distance, Bradl has struggled to be a regular fixture at the very sharp end of the grid.
He finished a strong fourth at Austin, and banked top-five finishes at Argentina and Catalunya, but has been anonymous elsewhere. He of course led the opening laps of his home race at the Sachsenring as every other factory rider opted for a pit-lane start, but was on a hiding to nothing with a bike set up for the wet on a rapidly drying track, plummeting down the order before eventually trailing home 16th.
It was a shame the gamble squandered his first front-row grid slot since Austin, especially at a time when his future hangs in the balance. Team boss Lucio Cecchinello is said to be keen on retaining Bradl, but rumour has it that HRC wants Moto3 points leader Jack Miller to take over the seat. Whether or not LCR is able to expand to a two-bike line-up is therefore likely to be key to the former Moto2 champion's fate.
Alvaro Bautista (E, Gresini Honda) - 10th in Championship, 1 podium, 50pts
Rating: C+
You could say that Bautista's season has been fairly similar to that of his fellow satellite Honda rider Bradl, only with higher peaks and deeper troughs. Where the German's best result of the year thus far has been fourth place, Bautista was able to clinch an impressive third place at Le Mans; equally, while Bradl has made just one trip to the gravel that could be described as his fault, the Spaniard has had three.
That's an unacceptable number of points squandered for a rider of Bautista's experience, and rather a surprise after a remarkably consistent latter half of 2013. There have been times when he's had the clear measure of Bradl, notably at Jerez and Le Mans, but direct comparisons between the pair are misleading given that the Gresini man is the sole factory rider in the field using Showa suspension and Nissin brakes.
It seems all but certain Bautista will have to make way for Open class teammate Scott Redding next season, which means that the 29-year-old will be relying on Aprilia to push forward their planned MotoGP return by one year if he's to remain aboard factory machinery. Otherwise, there could be an opening at Aspar, which may not be a bad place to be next year ahead of standard ECUs being introduced across the board in 2016.
Bradley Smith (GB, Tech 3 Yamaha) - 11th in Championship, 48pts
Rating: C
"I have to give them no option," Smith said coming into the season, referring to his mission to secure a factory seat in 2015. But, such has been the mediocrity of his sophomore campaign so far, it appears he is giving his current Tech 3 squad little option but to leave the young Oxfordshire rider in search of alternative employment next year.
It all started so promisingly for Smith at Qatar, taking his best-ever grid slot with third place and sticking with the lead bunch until a late fall cost him the chance of a top-five finish. He redeemed himself with a feisty ride to fifth at Austin, but has failed to crack the top half-dozen since, having been soundly outpaced by rookie teammate Pol Espargaro at just about every race since his team's home round at Le Mans.
Consistency was perhaps Smith's biggest virtue last season, but even that seems to have deserted the 23-year-old, who has crashed three times in nine races in his desperation to impress the factory teams. Now the most coveted rides look to be locked down for another two seasons, Smith can shift his focus to convincing Tech 3 to keep him for a third season, though he'll need to up his game considerably to do so.
Pol Espargaro (E, Tech 3 Yamaha) - 7th in Championship, 67pts
Rating: B
Of all the riders in MotoGP currently, Espargaro is arguably under the most under pressure of all. Why? Because, with Rossi in the twilight of his career and Lorenzo struggling to recapture his best form, Yamaha need an answer to the phenomenon that is Marquez, and the reigning Moto2 champion may well prove to be the best response they have in the medium-term.
Bearing that in mind, it's perhaps understandable that the first few rounds for the younger of the two Espargaro brothers were somewhat low-key, but glimpses of his future potential have started to show. The turning point was at Le Mans, where, after qualifying second, he was tantalisingly close to his maiden podium finish before being pipped at the last by Bautista - on a day where teammate Smith struggled home to 10th.
Since then, it's not been much of a contest between the Tech 3 riders, with Espargaro seemingly first in line for a promotion to the works Yamaha squad when Lorenzo departs. That's highly unlikely to happen next year, with all the other factory seats ostensibly decided (bar Aprilia, who may or may not be present), but seeing Pol take the fight to Marquez on a works bike in 2016 is far from beyond the realms of possibility.
Andrea Iannone (I, Pramac Ducati) - 8th in Championship, 62pts
Rating: A-
After a fairly quiet debut season aboard the Pramac Ducati last year, Iannone has started to come of age as a MotoGP rider in 2014, establishing himself as one of the brightest future prospects in the series with a series of eye-catching rides. The first of these came at the second round in Austin, where he incredibly ran third, ahead of Dovizioso's factory-spec machine, for around two thirds of the race.
But his best performance of all was on home soil at Mugello. Having qualified an outstanding second, less than two tenths adrift of pole-sitter Marquez, he led briefly and ran inside the top five for the majority of the race before slumping to seventh in the closing laps. There have been one or two blots on his copybook, such as his clash with Nicky Hayden at Le Mans, but that's to be expected for a rider of his level of experience.
Iannone had been angling for a promotion to the full works squad, which seemed inevitable before Ducati announced it would be retaining its existing line-up. Rather than take the risk of signing with series returnees Suzuki, the 24-year-old will now remain at Pramac next year, albeit with the same specification bike as the factory boys - don't be surprised if the rider they call 'Crazy Joe' proves quicker than either in 2015.
Aleix Espargaro (E, Forward Racing) - 6th in Championship, 1 pole, 77pts
Rating: A
If Espargaro's decision to spurn Aspar in favour of Forward Racing ahead of this season was regarded as something of a risk by the MotoGP fraternity, it's one that has certainly paid dividends for the rider who has consistently proven the outstanding rider of the Open (née CRT) class since its inception in 2012.
This year's Forward machine may amount to little more than a two-year-old Yamaha M1 with standard electronics, but Espargaro has made considerably better use of such machinery than his struggling teammate Colin Edwards, having been the first Open class rider across the line at every race bar Argentina. An outright pole position achieved in the wet of Assen served to further underline the 24-year-old's sheer class.
Such heroics make one wonder what Espargaro might be capable of with a more competitive bike at his disposal. There was talk of Aleix heading to Tech 3 to join brother Pol, but it now appears that the elder of the Espargaro brothers is Suzuki-bound for 2015. Having done more than enough to deserve a shot on a winning bike, he'll be hoping the Japanese manufacturer can supply exactly that in the next couple of seasons.
The Rest:
The lack of the Honda RCV1000R's competitiveness this season will have come as a disappointment to Scott Redding (B+), but the Gresini rider has been the first of the Open Honda quartet home on four of a possible nine occasions despite his class rookie status - with a promotion to the factory machine next season in place of Bautista looking very likely.
The Gloucestershire rider's main opposition has come in the form of Aspar's Nicky Hayden (B), who has struggled somewhat with wrist pain since his crash at Le Mans; fingers crossed that the surgery the 2006 champion recently underwent will allow him to return to peak form in time for his next home race at Indianapolis.
Hiroshi Aoyama (C), aboard the second Aspar bike, has only beat his teammate twice when they've both finished and needs to be doing more in order to be sure of retaining his seat, while Karel Abraham (C) has largely been similarly unspectacular aboard the Cardion Honda - although his ride is decidedly more secure.
Yonny Hernandez (B-) seems to have tamed his wild streak of 2013 somewhat, having finished every race, but as the sole Open class Ducati representative it is very difficult to pass accurate judgement on the Colombian, who is hoping to be given the latest-spec machinery by the Italian manufacturer next season.
The same cannot be said for the elder statesman of the grid, Colin Edwards (D-), who has scored just eight points all year while his Forward Racing teammate Aleix Espargaro has regularly mixed it with the factory bikes - it's a crying shame that the popular Texan's career is set to come to a close in such ignominious fashion.
Hector Barbera (B) has done well to squeeze two points out of a hopelessly uncompetitive Avintia-Kawasaki, and will be hoping that the team's switch to Open class Ducati machinery heralds a rise up the pecking order next year. The Spaniard has easily had the measure of teammate and class rookie Mike Di Meglio (C-).
Ioda Racing's Danilo Petrucci (B-) has performed admirably in spite of missing four races due to wrist injury, while Broc Parkes (C) earns a superior grade to teammate Michael Laverty (C-) solely for the best underdog ride of the year yet which yielded an 11th place at Assen aboard the unfancied PBM machine.
28 September 2013
MotoGP's Marquez era
Just five rounds remain in this year's MotoGP season, and there's every chance that we could be crowning the series' first rookie champion since Kenny Roberts Sr. all the way back in 1978.
Marc Marquez's performances so far this year have marked the young Spaniard as nothing short as a phenomenon. His pace isn't surprising - he demonstrated that lucidly in the Moto2 and 125cc classes - but his sheer consistency is.
Marquez may be riding the best bike in the field, but the fact he has finished on the podium in every race bar one (the sole exception being Mugello, where he crashed) must give his opposition some serious food for thought. If he's this good in his first season, how good is he going to be three or four years down the line?
Marquez has already beaten Valentino Rossi's benchmark of 10 podium finishes in his rookie season, set in the his first season on 500cc machinery in 2000. And, arguably, Marquez has been able to do so in the face of stiffer opposition than the Italian encountered.
Jorge Lorenzo has been, certainly in recent races, Marquez's most formidable foe. The Yamaha rider has re-gained the momentum he lost when he fractured his collarbone during practice for the Dutch TT, winning the last two races in very contrasting styles - coming out on top in an epic last-lap duel with Marquez at Silverstone, and simply galloping away from the rest of the field at Misano.
Yamaha are bullish about their prospects for the rest of the year, but it will be no easy task for Lorenzo to deny his compatriot Marquez the crown. The gap between the pair stands at 34 points; with five races left, Marquez can afford to finish second at each of them to assure himself of the title.
What about the other rider still realistically in the title hunt, Marquez's Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa? Unfortunately, his chances of finally claiming that elusive maiden premier-class crown are looking frail, despite being level on points with Lorenzo.
For one thing, Pedrosa cannot rely on having a bike advantage in the same way that Lorenzo may be able to. He has to beat Marquez purely on merit, something he hasn't managed to do since Catalunya all the way back in June. You have to go back further still, to Le Mans in May, for Pedrosa's last race victory.
As Toby Moody pointed out in a recent column for Autosport, it must be pretty demoralising to see your teammate dislocate his collarbone mere hours before the start of a race, just as Marquez did at Silverstone, only for him to beat you just as easily as he managed at the last race.
The situation must surely beg the question of whether Pedrosa, the man who boasts the unenviable record of having racked up the most premier class wins without having won a title, is ever going to break his duck.
It's mighty unfortunate for Pedrosa that, just as Casey Stoner departed the scene whilst still more or less at the peak of his powers, he ends up with perhaps the most impressive rookie the championship has ever seen as his teammate.
Back in April, I thought Pedrosa's window of opportunity, before Marquez would get well and truly up to speed, would last at least a year, particularly given his strong form towards the end of last year. But, in reality, it lasted less than half a season. It's difficult to see where he goes from here.
It's a mighty shame, in many ways, that Stoner decided to leave MotoGP at the time he did. Had he remained this year, Marquez may have been forced to ride a satellite Honda, thereby giving us a tantalising glimpse of his potential rather before having his considerable talent unleashed by a factory ride.
What's more, a Stoner-Marquez battle for supremacy, both aboard Repsol Hondas, would have been a spectacle to behold. A Stoner comeback seems a dim prospect at best, but it would provide a welcome layer of intrigue to proceedings if Marquez were to start to dominate in a Rossi-like fashion.
The tragic death of Marco Simoncelli at Sepang towards the end of 2011 has also, in retrospect, robbed fans of another potential rival to Marquez. The lanky Italian was poised to be the ideal successor to Rossi in the lineage of Italian Grand Prix racing heroes, and would have surely been capable of at least giving Marquez a decent run for his money.
Without wishing to take anything away from the likes of Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone, it seems that Italian fans have a while to wait yet for their next real championship contender. Spain, on the other hand, seem to have no shortage of talent making their way through the Moto2 and Moto3 classes.
The next Spaniard poised to make his MotoGP debut is Pol Espargaro, Marquez's closest challenger in Moto2 last season. Yamaha appear to be hoping that he can become a serious threat to Marquez sooner rather than later, having signed Moto2 title contender Pol Espargaro to ride for Tech 3 Yamaha next season.
But, Espargaro may be forced to wait for a factory Yamaha seat for a few seasons yet. Lorenzo, probably the Japanese factory's biggest asset, is going nowhere soon, whilst Rossi's marketing value can hardly be underestimated even if he's not quite the rider he was five years ago.
That said, Yamaha would surely jump on the chance to sign Marquez if he was to become available. MotoGP's commercial rights holder, Dorna Sports, would no doubt love such a move to come off, as it would fuel fan interest much as Rossi's switch to Yamaha from Honda did back in 2004.
That particular plot-line, combined with Rossi's peerless charisma and his rivalries with riders such as Max Biaggi and Sete Gibernau were sufficient to maintain interest in the sport even while 'The Doctor' set about racking up the wins. Contrast that to the Mick Doohan era of the mid-to-late nineties, when spectator interest dipped and World Superbikes consequently took up the slack.
At the height of Doohan's supremacy in 1997, there were few, if any, other riders in the field who could be considered of the Australian's calibre. That shouldn't be the case in a hypothetical Marquez era, if only because Lorenzo still theoretically has at least five or so good years left in him.
But, it's too soon to say whether up-and-coming riders such as Espargaro and Scott Redding will be good enough to challenge Marquez. Let's hope that they are, or else this next chapter of MotoGP history may not be looked back upon particularly fondly.
17 August 2013
What next for World Superbikes?
Last week, a fairly bold new set of rules for the beleaguered Superbike World Championship, aimed at reducing the cost of competing in the series and bolstering grid sizes, was announced for next season.
The most striking feature of these 2014 regulations is the fact that motorcycle manufacturers will be obliged to provide official equipment to all competitors at a fixed cost, effectively preventing them from favouring a single 'factory' team.
Though six manufacturers are represented on the 2013 grid in World Superbike, just three - Kawasaki, Aprilia and BMW - are full factory efforts, with Suzuki (Crescent), Ducati (Alstare) and Honda (Ten Kate) relying on favoured third-party outfits to run their bikes.
Even before the new rules were announced, BMW already confirmed their departure from the championship at the end of the season, leaving only Kawasaki and Aprilia in 2014 - that is, if they decide to continue competing under the new rules, which would all but eliminate the advantage of their respective factory teams.
Another major rule change for the 2014 World Superbike season is the introduction of a secondary 'EVO' class, which will cater for Superbikes conforming to more production-based engine and electronics regulations currently seen in the third-tier Superstock series.
Such a move is very reminiscent of MotoGP's decision to add the CRT class last year; this should come as little surprise after World Superbike fell under the control of the same commercial rights holder as MotoGP last year, the Spanish-based Dorna Sports organisation.
The CRT class served to blur what was hitherto a clear distinction between MotoGP and World Superbike - that the former was for prototypes, and the latter for production-derived machinery, a dividing line that gave World Superbike its raison d'être.
Now, Superbike engines from Kawasaki, BMW and Honda are to be found powering a range of different prototype chassis in the back half of the MotoGP grid. To confuse matters further, there are also a brace of machines that amount to little more than re-badged Aprilia Superbikes dominating the CRT class.
Even the most casual observer would have no problem in spotting the remarkable similarities between this CRT bike, entered under the 'Aprilia Racing Technologies' banner, and the Aprilia RSV4 World Superbike.
What's more, proprietary electronic software, which is said to be key to the success of the Aspar-run ART machines relative to their CRT competitors, is to be banned in the CRT class (or the 'non-factory' class, as it is to become known) next year in favour of spec software written by Magneti Marelli.
That means, that if Aprilia wants to continue to use its own software, it must become a full factory team and take on the might of Honda, Yamaha and Ducati. That in turn means conforming to a rigourous 20-litre fuel limit, an enormous barrier to entry that the 'big three' manufacturers are in no mood to see removed.
Whether Aprilia has the resources to overcome this obstacle isn't clear. But, the new rules that have been announced for World Superbike must make taking on the challenge of MotoGP a more attractive proposition than it may have been otherwise.
That potentially leaves Kawasaki as the only remaining works operation on the World Superbike grid, and it would surely be a matter of time before they also departed with the marketing value of competing in the championship significantly diminished by the presence of only one full manufacturer entry.
Thus, it seems World Superbike is in the midst of an identity crisis. It's probable that, after several seasons of trialing 'EVO' bikes, the two classes will meet somewhere in the middle, leaving a fairly tightly-packed grid made up of independent teams with limited factory support.
That would surely signify the end of the two premier motorcycle racing championships trying to compete with one another, which would be the only logical outcome given that World Superbike and MotoGP are now under the control of a single commercial rights holder.
Instead of pretending to be the pinnacle, World Superbike would be able to market itself as an alternative route for riders reach MotoGP, one where young talents can test their skills against those who have already been there and done it.
This make sense, as ever since Grand Prix Racing adopted four-stroke bikes back in 2002, World Superbike has constantly suffered from its best riders leaking away to MotoGP.
The high-water mark for World Superbike was arguably the 2002 season, which witnessed an epic duel for supremacy between Troy Bayliss and Colin Edwards. The following year, both men made the leap to MotoGP.
World Superbike has struggled to scale such heights since, and the past decade has seen three more of its champions - Neil Hodgson, James Toseland and Ben Spies - switch to MotoGP. With several Grand Prix riders going in the opposite direction, most notably Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa, World Superbike came to be defined by its relationship to MotoGP rather than by its own merits.
There simply are not enough financial resources available to make both MotoGP and World Superbike global successes, meaning that the latter is going to have play second fiddle now it is under the Dorna Sports umbrella. That doesn't mean that World Superbike can't enjoy a healthy future, though.
A combination of up-and-coming talents and past MotoGP masters competing on less expensive, more production-based machinery would be make a thoroughly entertaining spectacle. Dorna should therefore leave the elite riders and full factory entrants to MotoGP, and allow World Superbike to evolve into its perfect compliment.
The most striking feature of these 2014 regulations is the fact that motorcycle manufacturers will be obliged to provide official equipment to all competitors at a fixed cost, effectively preventing them from favouring a single 'factory' team.
Though six manufacturers are represented on the 2013 grid in World Superbike, just three - Kawasaki, Aprilia and BMW - are full factory efforts, with Suzuki (Crescent), Ducati (Alstare) and Honda (Ten Kate) relying on favoured third-party outfits to run their bikes.
Even before the new rules were announced, BMW already confirmed their departure from the championship at the end of the season, leaving only Kawasaki and Aprilia in 2014 - that is, if they decide to continue competing under the new rules, which would all but eliminate the advantage of their respective factory teams.
Another major rule change for the 2014 World Superbike season is the introduction of a secondary 'EVO' class, which will cater for Superbikes conforming to more production-based engine and electronics regulations currently seen in the third-tier Superstock series.
Such a move is very reminiscent of MotoGP's decision to add the CRT class last year; this should come as little surprise after World Superbike fell under the control of the same commercial rights holder as MotoGP last year, the Spanish-based Dorna Sports organisation.
The CRT class served to blur what was hitherto a clear distinction between MotoGP and World Superbike - that the former was for prototypes, and the latter for production-derived machinery, a dividing line that gave World Superbike its raison d'être.
Now, Superbike engines from Kawasaki, BMW and Honda are to be found powering a range of different prototype chassis in the back half of the MotoGP grid. To confuse matters further, there are also a brace of machines that amount to little more than re-badged Aprilia Superbikes dominating the CRT class.
Even the most casual observer would have no problem in spotting the remarkable similarities between this CRT bike, entered under the 'Aprilia Racing Technologies' banner, and the Aprilia RSV4 World Superbike.
What's more, proprietary electronic software, which is said to be key to the success of the Aspar-run ART machines relative to their CRT competitors, is to be banned in the CRT class (or the 'non-factory' class, as it is to become known) next year in favour of spec software written by Magneti Marelli.
That means, that if Aprilia wants to continue to use its own software, it must become a full factory team and take on the might of Honda, Yamaha and Ducati. That in turn means conforming to a rigourous 20-litre fuel limit, an enormous barrier to entry that the 'big three' manufacturers are in no mood to see removed.
Whether Aprilia has the resources to overcome this obstacle isn't clear. But, the new rules that have been announced for World Superbike must make taking on the challenge of MotoGP a more attractive proposition than it may have been otherwise.
That potentially leaves Kawasaki as the only remaining works operation on the World Superbike grid, and it would surely be a matter of time before they also departed with the marketing value of competing in the championship significantly diminished by the presence of only one full manufacturer entry.
Thus, it seems World Superbike is in the midst of an identity crisis. It's probable that, after several seasons of trialing 'EVO' bikes, the two classes will meet somewhere in the middle, leaving a fairly tightly-packed grid made up of independent teams with limited factory support.
That would surely signify the end of the two premier motorcycle racing championships trying to compete with one another, which would be the only logical outcome given that World Superbike and MotoGP are now under the control of a single commercial rights holder.
Instead of pretending to be the pinnacle, World Superbike would be able to market itself as an alternative route for riders reach MotoGP, one where young talents can test their skills against those who have already been there and done it.
This make sense, as ever since Grand Prix Racing adopted four-stroke bikes back in 2002, World Superbike has constantly suffered from its best riders leaking away to MotoGP.
The high-water mark for World Superbike was arguably the 2002 season, which witnessed an epic duel for supremacy between Troy Bayliss and Colin Edwards. The following year, both men made the leap to MotoGP.
World Superbike has struggled to scale such heights since, and the past decade has seen three more of its champions - Neil Hodgson, James Toseland and Ben Spies - switch to MotoGP. With several Grand Prix riders going in the opposite direction, most notably Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa, World Superbike came to be defined by its relationship to MotoGP rather than by its own merits.
There simply are not enough financial resources available to make both MotoGP and World Superbike global successes, meaning that the latter is going to have play second fiddle now it is under the Dorna Sports umbrella. That doesn't mean that World Superbike can't enjoy a healthy future, though.
A combination of up-and-coming talents and past MotoGP masters competing on less expensive, more production-based machinery would be make a thoroughly entertaining spectacle. Dorna should therefore leave the elite riders and full factory entrants to MotoGP, and allow World Superbike to evolve into its perfect compliment.
3 August 2013
MotoGP mid-season review
With MotoGP midway through its annual summer break, it's time to look back at the first part of what has so far been a captivating season and rate the riders - who have been the star pupils and who needs to do more homework?
Marc Marquez (E, Repsol Honda), 1st - 163pts A+
As early as the second round of the season at Austin, when Marquez became the sport's youngest ever race-winner, it was clear that the reigning Moto2 champion had the potential to go all the way in his debut season at this level. In a campaign that so far has even put Valentino Rossi's 500cc debut season back in 2000 to shame, Marquez has notched up three wins, two second places and three third places, meaning he has been on the podium at every round bar one - when he crashed in the closing stages at Mugello. It will be fascinating to see how the 20-year old responds to the challenge of preserving his 16-point lead for the remainder of the year.
Dani Pedrosa (E, Repsol Honda), 2nd - 147pts A-
Just as Pedrosa was finally set to emerge from the shadow of the two-time champion Casey Stoner, the pint-sized Spaniard's title aspirations have been dealt a body blow by the arrival of Marquez in the other side of the Repsol Honda garage. Pedrosa responded well after his defeat at Austin with back-to-back victories at Jerez and Le Mans, consolidated by a pair of second places, but his challenge has faltered since his injury sustained in practice at the Sachsenring. He'll need to be firing on all cylinders for the rest of the year if he is to overcome Marquez to take a well overdue first premier class title.
Jorge Lorenzo (E, Yamaha Factory Team), 3rd - 137pts A
Like his countryman Pedrosa, Lorenzo has seen his title aspirations damaged by injury. More impressive than any of his three victories at Qatar, Mugello and Catalunya was his superhuman ride to fifth in the Dutch TT just two days after suffering a fractured collarbone in a crash during practice. He was forced to miss the following race at Sachsenring after he aggravated the injury in another crash, but soldiered to sixth position a week later at Laguna Seca. If titles were won on virtue of sheer bloody-mindedness, Lorenzo would be champion already, but there's a lot of work ahead to reel in the Repsol Honda riders in the latter half of the year.
Valentino Rossi (I, Yamaha Factory Team), 4th - 117pts B+
Rossi's season started auspiciously enough with a strong second place at Qatar behind teammate Lorenzo, but things appeared to tail off somewhat after that. Five more races went by until he returned to the podium, taking advantage of his teammate's injury to take a universally popular victory at Assen, backed up by a brace of solid, if unspectacular podiums in the next two races. Those results prove "The Doctor" can still cut it at the front of the MotoGP field, albeit perhaps not as consistently as we have been used to previously. A title challenge is still within the realm of possibility, but more wins will be essential to keep Rossi's hopes alive.
Cal Crutchlow (GB, Monster Tech 3 Yamaha), 5th - 116pts A
2013 has seen Crutchlow blossom into one of the championship's most impressive performers. The Coventry-born rider managed to take his satellite Tech 3 bike to an incredible four podium finishes in five races, including the second step twice at Le Mans and the Sachsenring, as well as to a superb pole position at Assen. His early fall at Catalunya and a mysteriously indifferent ride to seventh at Laguna Seca have been the only noticeable blots on an otherwise unspoiled copybook for Crutchlow, who must be desperately hoping he can bag a maiden win before he moves to the struggling Ducati team for the 2014 season.
Stefan Bradl (D, LCR Honda), 6th - 84pts B+
It was a shaky start to the season for Bradl, who fell from his bike in three of the first four rounds, but since then the German has begun to rival Crutchlow for the honour of the year's outstanding non-factory rider in his sophomore year in the premier class. Fourth place at Mugello marked the start of five successive top-six finishes, the latest of which was a highly impressive ride from pole position to second place at Laguna Seca. That upturn in form has proven sufficient to guarantee Bradl another season within the HRC stable, though he'll have to do more to be in with any chance of a full factory ride in years to come.
Andrea Dovizioso (I, Ducati Team), 7th - 81pts A-
Much like last year, it's difficult to find too much fault with the performances of Dovizioso, who has been the only rider in the field to have scored points at every race this season. Unlike last year however, when the Italian could be expected to challenge for a podium on a good day with the Tech 3 team, Ducati's struggles have largely relegated the talented Italian to a series of private battles with teammate Nicky Hayden in the lower half of the top ten. Fourth place at Le Mans, when the conditions masked the bike's lack of pace to a degree, has been the highlight, along with a well-earned fifth place on home turf in the dry at Mugello.
Alvaro Bautista (E, Gresini Honda), 8th - 71pts C+
The latter half of 2012 seemed to suggest that Bautista may be ready to prove his worthiness of factory machinery, but the first half of this year's campaign has been underwhelming in comparison to his fellow satellite Honda rider Bradl. In addition to back-to-back crashes at Mugello and Catalunya, the Spaniard has been largely outpaced by the former Moto2 champion, his best finish of fourth at Laguna Seca coming on a day where Bradl was busy fighting Marquez for the win. Bautista will need to find a way back on to the podium before the year is out to be assured of maintaining his seat at the Gresini outfit for next year.
Nicky Hayden (US, Ducati Team), 9th - 65pts B
The MotoGP paddock will be a poorer place next year if, after losing his factory Ducati ride for next year, Hayden takes the opportunity to bid the series farewell. While the "Kentucky Kid" may have been outscored by teammate Dovizioso, the pair have finished very close together at the majority of races this season, no more so than the most recent round at Laguna Seca where he narrowly pipped Dovizioso to eighth place in front of his home fans. Hayden still undoubtedly has much to offer; it's simply a question of whether any other team is willing to eschew youth and exuberance in favour of the 2006 champion's services.
Aleix Espargaro (E, Power Electronics Aspar), 10th - 52pts A
Quite simply the class of the CRT field, it's a huge injustice that Espargaro looks set to be overlooked for a prototype ride in 2014. The Spaniard's crash at Laguna Seca was his first real mistake of the season, before which he had been the first CRT rider home in each and every race. Admittedly, the Aspar-run ART bike is demonstrably superior to its rivals in the class, but the way Espargaro has put more experienced teammate Randy de Puniet to shame - as well as certain prototype riders on occasion - has been highly impressive.
Bradley Smith (GB, Monster Tech 3 Yamaha), 11th - 51pts C
Though it's not unreasonable to expect most MotoGP rookies (Marquez aside) to take half a season or so to find their feet, there comes a time when they need to begin showing what they are made of. It's been an underwhelming first nine races for Smith, who could probably have benefited from a further year of Moto2 competition before making the step up. Still, the Oxford-born rider has made commendably few mistakes, taking a best finish of sixth at the Sachsenring, but it's time Smith added some more speed to his consistency.
Michele Pirro (I, Pramac Ducati), 12th - 36pts B
In addition to two outings as 'wildcard' for the beleaguered Ducati team, test rider Pirro has found himself thrust into the limelight on no fewer than four other occasions as a result of Ben Spies' injuries. The Italian has acquitted himself well in both scenarios, making few errors and measuring up well to his principal opposition, compatriot Andrea Iannone. Taking the 'lab bike' to a creditable seventh place at Mugello has been Pirro's finest hour so far, and if Spies remains on the sidelines there could be more assured performances to come.
Andrea Iannone (I, Pramac Ducati), 13th - 24pts B-
The transition from Moto2 to MotoGP for the rider they call "Crazy Joe" has not been an easy one, and the volatility that prevented Iannone from reaching his potential in the intermediate class shows little sign of mellowing. Crashes at Jerez and Catalunya have taken their toll on the Italian's points tally, as has an injury sustained in practice for the Sachsenring which has seen Iannone miss two races. There have been some solid finishes though, not least of all back-to-back top tens in the first two rounds of the year ahead of teammate Spies.
Hector Barbera (E, Avintia Blusens), 14th - 24pts B
Stepping down from a prototype to a CRT bike must have been a difficult pill to swallow for Barbera. Despite that, the Spaniard has put his teammate and former 250cc sparring partner Hiroshi Aoyama in the shade so far this year, and more often than not he has been the first user of the FTR chassis across the line, even breaching the top ten on two occasions. It's not all been plain sailing for Barbera though, with a crash at Catalunya and a subdued ride at Assen among the low points of the first half of the season.
Randy de Puniet (F, Power Electronics Aspar), 15th - 19pts C
Whereas Aspar teammates de Puniet and Espargaro were relatively evenly matched in 2012, this year the pendulum has swung decisively in favour of the latter. The Frenchman continues to crash far too frequently for a rider of his experience, more than likely trying to compensate for the inadequacy of his CRT bike, and has been regularly outpaced by Espargaro all season. That de Puniet is being linked with Suzuki's forthcoming MotoGP return shows nevertheless that he is still highly regarded; it may be just the thing to reinvigorate his career.
To see my Formula One half-term report, click here.
Marc Marquez (E, Repsol Honda), 1st - 163pts A+
As early as the second round of the season at Austin, when Marquez became the sport's youngest ever race-winner, it was clear that the reigning Moto2 champion had the potential to go all the way in his debut season at this level. In a campaign that so far has even put Valentino Rossi's 500cc debut season back in 2000 to shame, Marquez has notched up three wins, two second places and three third places, meaning he has been on the podium at every round bar one - when he crashed in the closing stages at Mugello. It will be fascinating to see how the 20-year old responds to the challenge of preserving his 16-point lead for the remainder of the year.
Dani Pedrosa (E, Repsol Honda), 2nd - 147pts A-
Just as Pedrosa was finally set to emerge from the shadow of the two-time champion Casey Stoner, the pint-sized Spaniard's title aspirations have been dealt a body blow by the arrival of Marquez in the other side of the Repsol Honda garage. Pedrosa responded well after his defeat at Austin with back-to-back victories at Jerez and Le Mans, consolidated by a pair of second places, but his challenge has faltered since his injury sustained in practice at the Sachsenring. He'll need to be firing on all cylinders for the rest of the year if he is to overcome Marquez to take a well overdue first premier class title.
Jorge Lorenzo (E, Yamaha Factory Team), 3rd - 137pts A
Like his countryman Pedrosa, Lorenzo has seen his title aspirations damaged by injury. More impressive than any of his three victories at Qatar, Mugello and Catalunya was his superhuman ride to fifth in the Dutch TT just two days after suffering a fractured collarbone in a crash during practice. He was forced to miss the following race at Sachsenring after he aggravated the injury in another crash, but soldiered to sixth position a week later at Laguna Seca. If titles were won on virtue of sheer bloody-mindedness, Lorenzo would be champion already, but there's a lot of work ahead to reel in the Repsol Honda riders in the latter half of the year.
Valentino Rossi (I, Yamaha Factory Team), 4th - 117pts B+
Rossi's season started auspiciously enough with a strong second place at Qatar behind teammate Lorenzo, but things appeared to tail off somewhat after that. Five more races went by until he returned to the podium, taking advantage of his teammate's injury to take a universally popular victory at Assen, backed up by a brace of solid, if unspectacular podiums in the next two races. Those results prove "The Doctor" can still cut it at the front of the MotoGP field, albeit perhaps not as consistently as we have been used to previously. A title challenge is still within the realm of possibility, but more wins will be essential to keep Rossi's hopes alive.
Cal Crutchlow (GB, Monster Tech 3 Yamaha), 5th - 116pts A
2013 has seen Crutchlow blossom into one of the championship's most impressive performers. The Coventry-born rider managed to take his satellite Tech 3 bike to an incredible four podium finishes in five races, including the second step twice at Le Mans and the Sachsenring, as well as to a superb pole position at Assen. His early fall at Catalunya and a mysteriously indifferent ride to seventh at Laguna Seca have been the only noticeable blots on an otherwise unspoiled copybook for Crutchlow, who must be desperately hoping he can bag a maiden win before he moves to the struggling Ducati team for the 2014 season.
Stefan Bradl (D, LCR Honda), 6th - 84pts B+
It was a shaky start to the season for Bradl, who fell from his bike in three of the first four rounds, but since then the German has begun to rival Crutchlow for the honour of the year's outstanding non-factory rider in his sophomore year in the premier class. Fourth place at Mugello marked the start of five successive top-six finishes, the latest of which was a highly impressive ride from pole position to second place at Laguna Seca. That upturn in form has proven sufficient to guarantee Bradl another season within the HRC stable, though he'll have to do more to be in with any chance of a full factory ride in years to come.
Andrea Dovizioso (I, Ducati Team), 7th - 81pts A-
Much like last year, it's difficult to find too much fault with the performances of Dovizioso, who has been the only rider in the field to have scored points at every race this season. Unlike last year however, when the Italian could be expected to challenge for a podium on a good day with the Tech 3 team, Ducati's struggles have largely relegated the talented Italian to a series of private battles with teammate Nicky Hayden in the lower half of the top ten. Fourth place at Le Mans, when the conditions masked the bike's lack of pace to a degree, has been the highlight, along with a well-earned fifth place on home turf in the dry at Mugello.
Alvaro Bautista (E, Gresini Honda), 8th - 71pts C+
The latter half of 2012 seemed to suggest that Bautista may be ready to prove his worthiness of factory machinery, but the first half of this year's campaign has been underwhelming in comparison to his fellow satellite Honda rider Bradl. In addition to back-to-back crashes at Mugello and Catalunya, the Spaniard has been largely outpaced by the former Moto2 champion, his best finish of fourth at Laguna Seca coming on a day where Bradl was busy fighting Marquez for the win. Bautista will need to find a way back on to the podium before the year is out to be assured of maintaining his seat at the Gresini outfit for next year.
Nicky Hayden (US, Ducati Team), 9th - 65pts B
The MotoGP paddock will be a poorer place next year if, after losing his factory Ducati ride for next year, Hayden takes the opportunity to bid the series farewell. While the "Kentucky Kid" may have been outscored by teammate Dovizioso, the pair have finished very close together at the majority of races this season, no more so than the most recent round at Laguna Seca where he narrowly pipped Dovizioso to eighth place in front of his home fans. Hayden still undoubtedly has much to offer; it's simply a question of whether any other team is willing to eschew youth and exuberance in favour of the 2006 champion's services.
Aleix Espargaro (E, Power Electronics Aspar), 10th - 52pts A
Quite simply the class of the CRT field, it's a huge injustice that Espargaro looks set to be overlooked for a prototype ride in 2014. The Spaniard's crash at Laguna Seca was his first real mistake of the season, before which he had been the first CRT rider home in each and every race. Admittedly, the Aspar-run ART bike is demonstrably superior to its rivals in the class, but the way Espargaro has put more experienced teammate Randy de Puniet to shame - as well as certain prototype riders on occasion - has been highly impressive.
Bradley Smith (GB, Monster Tech 3 Yamaha), 11th - 51pts C
Though it's not unreasonable to expect most MotoGP rookies (Marquez aside) to take half a season or so to find their feet, there comes a time when they need to begin showing what they are made of. It's been an underwhelming first nine races for Smith, who could probably have benefited from a further year of Moto2 competition before making the step up. Still, the Oxford-born rider has made commendably few mistakes, taking a best finish of sixth at the Sachsenring, but it's time Smith added some more speed to his consistency.
Michele Pirro (I, Pramac Ducati), 12th - 36pts B
In addition to two outings as 'wildcard' for the beleaguered Ducati team, test rider Pirro has found himself thrust into the limelight on no fewer than four other occasions as a result of Ben Spies' injuries. The Italian has acquitted himself well in both scenarios, making few errors and measuring up well to his principal opposition, compatriot Andrea Iannone. Taking the 'lab bike' to a creditable seventh place at Mugello has been Pirro's finest hour so far, and if Spies remains on the sidelines there could be more assured performances to come.
Andrea Iannone (I, Pramac Ducati), 13th - 24pts B-
The transition from Moto2 to MotoGP for the rider they call "Crazy Joe" has not been an easy one, and the volatility that prevented Iannone from reaching his potential in the intermediate class shows little sign of mellowing. Crashes at Jerez and Catalunya have taken their toll on the Italian's points tally, as has an injury sustained in practice for the Sachsenring which has seen Iannone miss two races. There have been some solid finishes though, not least of all back-to-back top tens in the first two rounds of the year ahead of teammate Spies.
Hector Barbera (E, Avintia Blusens), 14th - 24pts B
Stepping down from a prototype to a CRT bike must have been a difficult pill to swallow for Barbera. Despite that, the Spaniard has put his teammate and former 250cc sparring partner Hiroshi Aoyama in the shade so far this year, and more often than not he has been the first user of the FTR chassis across the line, even breaching the top ten on two occasions. It's not all been plain sailing for Barbera though, with a crash at Catalunya and a subdued ride at Assen among the low points of the first half of the season.
Randy de Puniet (F, Power Electronics Aspar), 15th - 19pts C
Whereas Aspar teammates de Puniet and Espargaro were relatively evenly matched in 2012, this year the pendulum has swung decisively in favour of the latter. The Frenchman continues to crash far too frequently for a rider of his experience, more than likely trying to compensate for the inadequacy of his CRT bike, and has been regularly outpaced by Espargaro all season. That de Puniet is being linked with Suzuki's forthcoming MotoGP return shows nevertheless that he is still highly regarded; it may be just the thing to reinvigorate his career.
To see my Formula One half-term report, click here.
11 July 2013
Rossi: There's life left in "The Doctor" yet
Had you suggested, after Valentino Rossi's triumph at the Malaysian Grand Prix back in October 2010, that it would take the better part of three years for him to win his next MotoGP race, chances are you would have been laughed out of the room.
Yet, before the Italian rider's unexpected triumph at the Dutch TT at Assen almost two weeks ago, it seemed as if Rossi's sixth victory at Sepang would go down in history as his 79th and last in the top tier of motorcycle racing.
Regardless of whether you're a fan of the man they call "The Doctor", you can't deny that Rossi returning to the top step of the podium comes as positive news for the championship - not only because it injects some much needed variety in the Spanish hegemony that has prevailed recently, but also because of the headlines it has generated.
Rossi is to motorcycle racing is essentially what Roger Federer is to tennis. It's the familiar sporting tale of the experienced star striving to fend off the inexorable advances of the next generation; there's always a certain romance when someone like Rossi is able to rekindle some of the old magic and stick it to the upstarts.
Rossi has returned to the factory Yamaha team this season, for whom he previously won the MotoGP title in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009, after two years of what can only be described as profuse struggle at Ducati.
Few doubted that the Rossi-Ducati partnership - a match made in heaven for Italian fans - would be a success when it was announced in the summer of 2010. After all, Casey Stoner, the man whom Rossi would replace, had been winning races aboard the red machine that year, while Rossi was still more or less at the peak of his powers.
With just three podium finishes to show for his two seasons at Ducati however, it came as no surprise when it was announced last summer that Rossi would be departing the team and returning to Yamaha to race alongside his old nemesis Jorge Lorenzo.
The pair had been teammates at Yamaha from 2008 to 2010, and some close on-track battles, most notably Rossi's breathtaking last corner lunge on Lorenzo at Catalunya in 2009, led to an increasingly acrimonious relationship between the pair that was said to be part of the reason for Valentino's move to Ducati.
Lorenzo has since won the title himself on two occasions - firstly in 2010, after Rossi's challenge was derailed by a practice crash at Mugello that ruled him out of four races, and again last year after a closely fought battle with Honda rider Dani Pedrosa.
In 2008, it was Lorenzo, at the time the reigning 250cc champion, who had everything to prove whilst Rossi was the undisputed number one. Five years on, and it's the seven-times champion that has been forced to re-establish his credentials with Lorenzo now considered by many the best in the business.
A competitive second place behind Lorenzo at the season-opener in Qatar was just about as good a start as Rossi fans could have hoped for after two years away from Yamaha. On that basis, few would have foreseen that the rider of the #46 would be absent from the podium for the next five races.
Two fourth places, a sixth, a twelfth after falling in the damp at Le Mans and a retirement as a result of a first-lap crash on home soil at Mugello left Rossi languishing in fifth place in the standings, 63 points away from leader Pedrosa and one place behind satellite Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow.
Even those, myself included, that before the season started had expected Rossi to give Lorenzo a serious run for his money were beginning to find themselves questioning whether the 34-year old's star was irreversibly on the wane. Time was certainly running out for "The Doctor" to diagnose the cause of his competitive illness.
The turning point came a week before the Dutch TT, when Rossi claimed to have made a "breakthrough" during a test session at Aragon. The Italian explained that with the help of some set-up changes, he had been able to rediscover the "feel" in his braking, a lack of which had been previously holding him back.
Additionally, the fact that Lorenzo broke his collarbone during practice for the Assen race meant that there be one less bike standing between him and the top step of the podium, and that Rossi would become the sole focal point for Yamaha's efforts for the weekend.
As it turned out, Lorenzo incredibly took the start of the race and finished in a superb fifth place in spite of his injuries. But, the day without doubt belonged to Rossi, who took a victory every bit as convincing as those MotoGP fans witnessed during his early-to-mid 2000s heyday.
The burning question now is whether Rossi can replicate a similar performance this weekend at the the German Sachsenring circuit. If he genuinely turned a corner during testing at Aragon, there's no reason to think why not, and the fact that Lorenzo will once again not be at full fitness makes the race another golden opportunity for Rossi.
His Assen victory - the 80th premier class win of his career - has cut the gap between him and the championship lead to 51 points. With eleven races still to run, and thus a total of 275 points left up for grabs, that's far from an insurmountable deficit.
At 34 years of age however, Rossi isn't getting any younger. Realistically, 2013 is likely to be his last real stab at championship glory. The odds are of course stacked firmly against Rossi, with bookmakers still offering up to 50/1 for him to pip Pedrosa, Lorenzo and rookie sensation Marc Marquez to the post.
Just imagine the publicity MotoGP would enjoy if Rossi could overcome those odds to take an eighth premier class title. It would be just what "The Doctor" ordered...
Yet, before the Italian rider's unexpected triumph at the Dutch TT at Assen almost two weeks ago, it seemed as if Rossi's sixth victory at Sepang would go down in history as his 79th and last in the top tier of motorcycle racing.
Regardless of whether you're a fan of the man they call "The Doctor", you can't deny that Rossi returning to the top step of the podium comes as positive news for the championship - not only because it injects some much needed variety in the Spanish hegemony that has prevailed recently, but also because of the headlines it has generated.
Rossi is to motorcycle racing is essentially what Roger Federer is to tennis. It's the familiar sporting tale of the experienced star striving to fend off the inexorable advances of the next generation; there's always a certain romance when someone like Rossi is able to rekindle some of the old magic and stick it to the upstarts.
Rossi has returned to the factory Yamaha team this season, for whom he previously won the MotoGP title in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009, after two years of what can only be described as profuse struggle at Ducati.
Few doubted that the Rossi-Ducati partnership - a match made in heaven for Italian fans - would be a success when it was announced in the summer of 2010. After all, Casey Stoner, the man whom Rossi would replace, had been winning races aboard the red machine that year, while Rossi was still more or less at the peak of his powers.
With just three podium finishes to show for his two seasons at Ducati however, it came as no surprise when it was announced last summer that Rossi would be departing the team and returning to Yamaha to race alongside his old nemesis Jorge Lorenzo.
The pair had been teammates at Yamaha from 2008 to 2010, and some close on-track battles, most notably Rossi's breathtaking last corner lunge on Lorenzo at Catalunya in 2009, led to an increasingly acrimonious relationship between the pair that was said to be part of the reason for Valentino's move to Ducati.
Lorenzo has since won the title himself on two occasions - firstly in 2010, after Rossi's challenge was derailed by a practice crash at Mugello that ruled him out of four races, and again last year after a closely fought battle with Honda rider Dani Pedrosa.
In 2008, it was Lorenzo, at the time the reigning 250cc champion, who had everything to prove whilst Rossi was the undisputed number one. Five years on, and it's the seven-times champion that has been forced to re-establish his credentials with Lorenzo now considered by many the best in the business.
A competitive second place behind Lorenzo at the season-opener in Qatar was just about as good a start as Rossi fans could have hoped for after two years away from Yamaha. On that basis, few would have foreseen that the rider of the #46 would be absent from the podium for the next five races.
Two fourth places, a sixth, a twelfth after falling in the damp at Le Mans and a retirement as a result of a first-lap crash on home soil at Mugello left Rossi languishing in fifth place in the standings, 63 points away from leader Pedrosa and one place behind satellite Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow.
Even those, myself included, that before the season started had expected Rossi to give Lorenzo a serious run for his money were beginning to find themselves questioning whether the 34-year old's star was irreversibly on the wane. Time was certainly running out for "The Doctor" to diagnose the cause of his competitive illness.
The turning point came a week before the Dutch TT, when Rossi claimed to have made a "breakthrough" during a test session at Aragon. The Italian explained that with the help of some set-up changes, he had been able to rediscover the "feel" in his braking, a lack of which had been previously holding him back.
Additionally, the fact that Lorenzo broke his collarbone during practice for the Assen race meant that there be one less bike standing between him and the top step of the podium, and that Rossi would become the sole focal point for Yamaha's efforts for the weekend.
As it turned out, Lorenzo incredibly took the start of the race and finished in a superb fifth place in spite of his injuries. But, the day without doubt belonged to Rossi, who took a victory every bit as convincing as those MotoGP fans witnessed during his early-to-mid 2000s heyday.
The burning question now is whether Rossi can replicate a similar performance this weekend at the the German Sachsenring circuit. If he genuinely turned a corner during testing at Aragon, there's no reason to think why not, and the fact that Lorenzo will once again not be at full fitness makes the race another golden opportunity for Rossi.
His Assen victory - the 80th premier class win of his career - has cut the gap between him and the championship lead to 51 points. With eleven races still to run, and thus a total of 275 points left up for grabs, that's far from an insurmountable deficit.
At 34 years of age however, Rossi isn't getting any younger. Realistically, 2013 is likely to be his last real stab at championship glory. The odds are of course stacked firmly against Rossi, with bookmakers still offering up to 50/1 for him to pip Pedrosa, Lorenzo and rookie sensation Marc Marquez to the post.
Just imagine the publicity MotoGP would enjoy if Rossi could overcome those odds to take an eighth premier class title. It would be just what "The Doctor" ordered...
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