They say timing is everything, and so it proved to be at the Aragon circuit earlier today. With the Repsol Hondas running out front, wet weather intervened and shook up the field. Both Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa were a bit too reluctant to switch to their bikes with wet tires, and crashed. Others pitted right away and were able to lap much more quickly, as a result.
In the end, Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo took his first victory of the year with Aleix Espargaro (Yamaha) finishing second and Cal Crutchlow (Ducati) finishing third.
Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi crashed heavily early in the race. He briefly lost consciousness, and was removed from the track on a stretcher in a groggy condition. He was later taken to a hospital off-circuit, from which he ultimately discharged himself.
Despite poor results today, Marquez continues to have a sizeable lead in the championship points. For additional details, results and points visit the official MotoGP site.
Congrats Jorge! This season’s Champion is likely decided, but till then, it’s not.
not related but a bird told me some photos of the h2 has been filtrated… two versions, the R 300 hp, trellis frame, turbo i4 and weird angular style….
single side swingarm… bonus
very related…
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2014/09/the-ninja-h2-has-a-supercharger-developed-in-house-by-kawasaki/
Flag to flag races are crap. They are not even fun to watch. I wish they would just stop the race when it starts raining, let everyone switch their bikes and then start everyone out of pit lane at the gaps they were running before it started raining.
That sounds like how the AMA would do it. Bring out the pace car. Booo! I actually like the flag to flag races as it shakes up the results and sometimes lets a non factory bike win. Wet weather races reward guys like Nicky Hayden that have dirt track skills too. I do like the way MM jumps from bike to bike too, that’s just amazing.
+1 for flag to flag
+ 2 for flag to flag. This way if you are way behind you can’t catch up unless you make the right decision of when to switch bikes and everyone is in the same boat.
Head injuries are all serious and damage is cumulative. Hoping for the best for Valentino.
Rossi thinks his brain is OK. He won’t really know until his brain is put to a real test in the next race where it’s abilities will be tested 100%. How do I know? I’ve had a head injury.
Or later in life
Time to check safety issues, without that grass Rossi wouldn’t have crashed …
Yeah, that seems like a real random spot to put down grass. Also did they say on the broadcast that’s artificial grass?
re: “Time to check safety issues”
Ze, 1
Dorna, 0
Who else thought artificial turf surrounding the track was a good idea? Just because it’s pretty?
Assen comes to mind. I remember Spies binned it after touching the astro turf in WSBK.
re: “Despite poor results today, Marquez continues to have a sizeable lead in the championship.”
which was the whole point behind going hammer and tongs for 10 straight…
with that out of the way, MATH takes over and it becomes a simple game of numbers/running out the clock.
With 4 races remaining there are 100 points up for grabs. I think Pedrosa and Rossi are less than 80 points behind, so anything is still possible, but in all likelihood this one is in the books for Marquez, which is why the run to 10 was so significant. All Marquez has to do is dog paddle around somewhere in the middle the next 4 races to win it, and try not to break some major bones in a stupid crash in the next race
I’m thinking the T shirt order is already at the printers
in one of the HRC shipping crates unopened boxes sit…
waiting to be opened.
On this weekend, HRC = dumb.
HRC had the rain-tire equipped bikes ready. The Repsol riders just didn’t come in and get them.
And HRC mechanics appeared quite exasperated by that. I think Dani thought as long as Marquez was out and still upright, he’d stay out too. But then…….. That horrible sound of carbon and titanium sliding on the ground…ugghhh
That assumes that HRC couldn’t order their employees in.
All they can do is show the rider a pit-board. It’s up to the rider to make the choices on the track.
Same as in rain shortened 2013 Australian race when Marquez ignored pit board and stayed out an extra lap and was disqualified
Well not exactly the same, but the rider can choose to ignore his pit board and suffer the consequences, bit it disqualification, or in this case, crash.
Too bad Rossi ran out of room and crashed because he rides well in the rain. Lorenzo was smart… had the Honda’s thinking they couldn’t pit.
Strange that the Repsol boys took such risks. Those were the acts of desperate racers, not two who are in commanding positions.
good, point, didn’t worth the risk, better lo loose a couple of points and finish third than 14th.
as Mickey says above “if Lorenzo can I can” were a bad approach….
re: “Marquez and Dani Pedrosa were a bit too reluctant to switch to their bikes with wet tires”
lil’ bit. (Deniro voice)
When Nicky ran into and over a wall a few years ago, I thought that Aragon could be the worst designed track in the world with regards to safety.
Seeing Rossi and Iannone slip on the grass that surrounds the track and high side totally confirms it.
Otherwise great race. the flag-to-flag adds some great drama. Who picked that top 3???
re: “Aragon could be the worst designed track in the world with regards to safety.”
and yet the FIM homologated.
kinda makes you wonder if they inspected the place at all don’t it…?
still wondering, if it had been built in any other country…
Now we have to get rid of grass too?
A wet track, changes everything.
mates swapping paint changes everything. nothing new about rain. for rain we have solutions.
True, true….if solutions are applied. I would have liked to hear the team conversations following the race. Or, maybe not.
Brains are bigger than balls, use both as the demand requires.
What an incredible race. Learning opportunity for MM. Dani should have known better. Too bad about Rossi, always tough to see them carried off. Hope he’s ok. Think I saw Crutchlow smile..not sure. Never seen it before. Heck of a comeback for Alexis Espargaro.