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Hard to believe that the Tech3 team doesn't have a replacement for Folger. They are giving Syahrin a shot at the Thailand test. This is a top ten MotoGP team. Why don't they have guys knocking down the door to get this ride?
The first test for the year.
A Brit on the top!
MotoGP Buriram Test Day 1 Results 2018. The very first go-around, from Chang International Circuit, Thailand.
Let’s not forget: Enjoy the Souper Amazon Link!
Pos. Rider Team Bike Time
1 Cal Crutchlow LCR Honda Honda RC213V 1:30.797
2 Alex Rins Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-RR 1:30.809
3 Marc Marquez Repsol Honda Team Honda RC213V 1:30.912
4 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati Team Ducati 1:30.945
5 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team Honda RC213V 1:30.960
6 Danilo Petrucci Alma Pramac Racing Ducati 1:31.003
7 Jack Miller Alma Pramac Racing Ducati 1:31.044
8 Valentino Rossi Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha YZR-M1 1:31.189
9 Andrea Iannone Team SUZUKI ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-RR 1:31.235
10 Jorge Lorenzo Ducati Team Ducati 1:31.246
11 Maverick Vinales Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Yamaha YZR-M1 1:31.294
12 Johann Zarco Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha YZR-M1 1:31.305
13 Tito Rabat Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 1:31.523
14 Alvaro Bautista Pull&Bear Aspar Team Ducati 1:31.525
15 Aleix Espargaro Aprilia Racing Team Gresini Aprilia RS-GP 1:31.662
16 Scott Redding Octo Pramac Racing Ducati 1:31.685
17 Takaaki Nakagami LCR Honda IDEMITSU Honda RC213V 1:31.692
18 Karel Abraham Ángel Nieto Team Ducati 1:31.698
19 Franco Morbidelli Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda RC213V 1:31.729
20 Bradley Smith Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 1:31.741
21 Thomas Luthi Team EG 0,0 Marc VDS Honda RC213V 1:32.716
22 Xavier Simeon Reale Avintia Racing Ducati 1:32.720
23 Mika Kallio Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM 1:32.749
24 Hafizh Syahrin Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha YZR-M1 1:33.165
After the races be sure to read Soup’s MotoGP World Standings. Updated automagically!
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http://www.superbikeplanet.com/tech3-yamaha-part-ways-2019/
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Everyone was suspecting KTM.
If it’s Honda, that’ll be an even bigger shocker to the entire paddock. As it means MVDS or LCR will lose their deal.
And someone has to fill the void at Yamaha for their satellite team. Someone who is NOT already in competition with SkyVR46 in the lower ranks because a merger with VR46 is likely. That rules out MVDS and Aspar.
The battle/bidding war for satellite teams is really heating up. KTM is still looking to add. And so is Aprilia. Suzuki claims to want to add but never makes a decent offer and teams do not trust their commitment to actually producing a winning bike.
(If it ends up Tech3 Suzuki Im gonna each a dirty sock)
When Gigi came on board, he fast forwarded development by using all the customers to help develop the bikes. EVERYONE on a Ducati is testing something or another on race weekends. As a result, the teams are getting the bikes for much cheaper and the riders get a chance to show their developmental skills. It's a win for everyone except in the results column. But let's be honest, nobody is going to win races on a customer bike anyways.
And this formula goes all the way up the food chain even to Ducati's #3 rider Petrucci. Who is constantly sacrificing results so that he can further develop the current model year bike for the factory team.
The result? The Ducati is the best bike on the grid and the customer teams are starting to get quite competitive hand me down equipment after a few years of doing the mule work.
Honda took notice and last year for the first time ever started doing the same thing. Crutchlow is the #3 handling the Petrucci type role. And MarcVDS is asked to test parts and sacrifice results constantly. Of which they are getting frustrated with and is why they have looked seriously at jumping to Suzuki. But that creates it's own issues because MarcVDS is pretty much the official Honda team in Moto2 and Moto3.
And then there is Yamaha, which has been dead against using it's satellite team for development. I personally believe it is because of the politics of having both Rossi and Vinales. Those guys do not want Zarco on equal machinery or steering development. People forget that the Yamaha team may be "factory" in name, but it's actually a Italian team that is sub-contracted by Yamaha. Tech3 knows that while they have a very nice deal with Yamaha, they will never get the same support and eventually had to jump ship with the certainty that the VR46 team is on the horizon.
Rossi has always had his eye on getting the factory team. Which would have left room for T3 to stick around I suppose. But that is all moot now anyways.
I still dont believe it will be Tech 3 Honda. I dont see how T3 jumps LCR and MVDS. I dont get it. But LCR has been rumored to have strong personal ties with Aprilia and MVDS has been eyeing Suzuki. What a shakeup that would all be.
KTM is the obvious choice. They have the budget and that is what matters to a team like T3. It's not about the quality of the bike. Yamaha is going nowhere fast until they start letting their satellite in on the development process. KTM will eventually be competitive. Especially with T3 on board. Ultimately for Poncheral, I think he wants to win races and Zarco is the best talent he's ever had so he's doing what he has to in order to keep Zarco on his team and go for short term success. I cannot fault him for that. And having KTM support for his Moto2 and Moto3 teams wont hurt either.
Well it's all but official...
The "silly season" between teams will be as exciting as anything the next couple years. Here's what we know...
Factory Yamaha
VR46 Yamaha (Rossi wants full factory support)
Factory Ducati
Pramac Jr Ducati (1 factory bike)
Factory KTM
Tech 3 KTM (full factory support)
Factory Honda
LCR Honda (1 factory bike)
Factory Suzuki (I think Lorenzo ends up here)
Gresini Aprilia (I think Iannone ends up here)
My guesses on the rest?
MarcVDS Honda (they steal LCR's role)
LCR Suzuki (they almost made the switch before)
Avintia (sells their grid spot to the VR46 team)
Aspar (receives some sort of financial help from Dorna to make the switch to Aprilia)
Thanks.
When the fourstrokes era started, the OEMs took a greater interest and wanted officially branded teams. Yamaha took over a Italian squad. Kawi was based out of Holland. Etc. In-House favtory teams like Ducati we’re actually the exception.
During the early fourstroke era the mfg’s needed all the development help they could get so they put their satellites on good equipment. That’s why the racing was so good from ‘03-06.
That tapered off after mfg’s started dropping out. It became a Honda vs Yamaha show. The factory bikes were much better and received cobstant updates whereas the satellite & customer Hondas would start the year on a current bike yet fall behind the development curve due to lack of support. Yamaha simply would give Tech3 their bikes from the previous year. Sometimes with updated engine specs.
But now that Dorna got lotsa mfgs back in the sport, the development race has heated up again and all the satellites & customers are getting good stuff. It’s not that Tech3 were getting bad bikes. The Yamahas are good, even if a year old. But look at it this way now...
Honda (3 factory bikes)
Ducati (3 factory bikes)
Yamaha (2 factory bikes)
KTM (2 factory bikes)
Suzuki (2 factory bikes)
Aprilia (1 factory bike)
That’s THIRTEEN bikes that in theory should be better than anything Yamaha was willing to give Tech3.
Tech3 was tired of their satellite status that wasnt on par with what Ducati & Honda gove their satellites. And Tech3 finally has the rider to warrant the complaint.
Zarco is the real deal. How Suzuki let him go (they had him under contract) I’ll never figure out.
EVERYONE wants him. But here’s reality...
Repsol wants both Marquez brothers on the HRC squad
Rossi & Vinales are both staying w/ Yamaha for 2 more years.
Suzuki already blew their shot at Zarco.
I suppose Ducati might make a run at him once they dump JLo.
But KTM is gonna have big money to spend and Zarco is VERY big on team culture and loyalty. He wants to stay with Tech3. So my guess is he does. They’ll have the money now that they’re KTM’s “official” junior squad.
Although, I would argue that they are “junior” only in name. Tech3 will be the first satellite team to get factory status equal to the factory team that can think of. It’s especially interesting because they will be getting TWO factory bikes.
Ironically, you can expect the VR46 team to get the same deal from Yamaha.
SIDE NOTE: Im secretly hoping Tech3 gets branded as Husqvarna. Zarco on a Factory Tech3 Husky would be pretty awesome.
What Repsol wants, they get.
Pedrosa has simply been holding Simoncelli’s spot for several years.
If LCR goes Suzuki they will likely take Crutchlow with them. That would be the biggest problem for HRC as they’d need a suitable development rider to replace him with. That’s why they’ve been eyeing Dovi.
But with how Dovi has been going, I don’t see Ducati letting him go. And I would imagine he certainly isn’t going to settle for being a test donkey on MVDS even if it is a factory bike (assuming they take LCR’s role).
Yes, I have the videopass. It easily streams to TV if you have either Goggle Chromecast or AppleTV. I prefer AppleTV tbh. I have both and the Chromecast requires a WiFi network whereas the AppleTV will work without one via Apple's Airplay.
I bring one with me when Im on the road so I can easily watch MotoGP from my hotel.
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