That’s why Ago’s records are * to me. Most of his wins and titles came aboard the MV. It was more dominant back then compared to Ducati in 2023, by a good margin.

Morbidelli out; Rins in for 24

quote:

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce the signing of Alex Rins. He will be joining Yamaha’s factory team rider line-up for the 2024 MotoGP™ season alongside Fabio Quartararo.

The vastly experienced Spaniard has many premier-class and lower-class race victories (6x MotoGP™, 4x Moto2™, 8x Moto3™, 18 in total) and podiums (18x MotoGP™, 17x Moto2™, 23x Moto3™, 58 in total) to his name. His vast experience and undeniable talent make him a fully qualified and welcome addition to the Yamaha rider line-up.

Following Rins’ leg injury sustained in the 2023 Italian GP Sprint, MotoGP™ fans the world over eagerly anticipate his return to action. He underwent two surgeries and is working hard on making a full recovery.

Lin Jarvis, Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing: “We are delighted that Alex is joining the Yamaha line-up, and we warmly welcome him to the Yamaha MotoGP group.

“We expect Alex to be a great asset. He has vast experience as a MotoGP rider and is known to be a natural talent and a multi-time MotoGP class race winner. He already has experience with two other MotoGP manufacturers and has ridden bikes with similar characteristics to the YZR-M1, which should help him adapt quickly to our bike. His win in COTA earlier this year underlines his speed, hunger, and determination to succeed.

“Alex has been away from the MotoGP paddock for a while due to the injury he sustained at Mugello, but we are confident that he should be fully recovered and up to speed for the 2024 season. We are really looking forward to working with him and believe that he will collaborate well with Fabio and enhance the total performance of the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team.”

Hope the Yamaha suits Rins better than the Honda. Not that either is a great choice, looking at this season. If you're not seated on an Italian [or Austrian], you're not in the mix.

Awesome!! The Yamaha M1 is more like the GSX-RR so I expect to see Alex on a bike that suits his riding style and talent beautifully. He will be able to help Yamaha develop and and improve the M1 which is desperately needing to become more competitive.

The Suzuki championship in 2020 is very much because of the help and input of Alex Rins and the almost paternal leadership of Davide Brivio. That team looked like a family in some ways. I think this is something that many do not realize because his teammate Mir took home the title.

I hope Rins doesn’t sign with another team that eventually decides to quit MotoGP. I don’t think it is too likely but damn that would be heartbreaking.

Sucks for Frankie. He was winning races on that thing and killing it then down the tubes, and it’s the bike, not Frankie. I hope he gets another ride.

This is an interesting admission from Silverstone’s CEO. I don’t think the situation is all that much different from the US as far as shrinking/non existent TV coverage and recognition of the brand/race trending in the wrong direction compared to F1.

Silverstone CEO admits F1 has distracted it from MotoGP

Silverstone CEO Stuart Pringle has admitted that his circuit has perhaps got some responsibility to bear for stagnant MotoGP crowd figures since it took over the series’ British Grand Prix from Donington Park in 2010.

He conceded that the focus Silverstone has to put on its booming Formula 1 race has perhaps “distracted” it from the challenges of growing the motorcycle event at the same time.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s MotoGP round at the circuit, Pringle suggested prioritising F1 had been a factor in the low MotoGP crowd, but only alongside poor British mainstream media coverage and the switch to pay per view TV on BT Sport.

This year’s British GP was due to be broadcast live on ITV, but a late change of plan means that now won’t happen.

Pringle promised that the continuing growth of F1’s British GP means Silverstone now has more, not less, resources to try to tackle its MotoGP issues.

“Perhaps I’m guilty of running a business that is distracted once a year by a bigger event and maybe we should put more hours into this one, but you’ve just got to play the ball in front of you,” Pringle admitted to The Race.

“The reality is that you can fall massively out of bed if you don’t get things right at Formula 1, but you can win big if you get it right.

“You have to be sensible about where you apply your efforts.”

Alongside that frank but pragmatic admission, Pringle made clear that Silverstone alone can’t get the wider British public more interested in MotoGP.

“We’ve got to be supported with the tools to get the job done,” he continued.

“MotoGP is not enormously visible in the United Kingdom at the moment and it hasn’t been for a while. That makes our job harder.

“It’s not impossible, but we’ve got to think differently about how we attract people to this compelling sport.

“When they get here, I’ve never met anyone who’s gone away from a MotoGP race and said ‘that was a waste of my day’.

“I absolutely believe in the not-insignificant financial commitment we’re making to make a more entertaining event.”

Part of that involves working to fix what has been the most persistent complaint about Silverstone: a perceived lack of good spectating viewing areas compared to Donington.

That’s something Silverstone is working hard to address with new viewing areas and free grandstand admission for every ticket holder.

“They’ll see a better view of the track,” Pringle said when asked what fans could expect from this weekend, “because everyone coming in has a grandstand seat inclusive in their general admission ticket should they want to it.

“I get that some people just want to stand on the bank and that’s fine.

“We’ve actually got some enhanced general viewing areas this year. We’ve created a berm down at Brooklands through to Luffield; we took the old stage earth mound and moved it down there.

“We’ve put another in up at Chapel, which is absolutely fantastic. It’s good there at the grandstand that we put in last year but actually, lower down you’re just at the right height to look down on the change of direction, and it’s absolutely stunning.”

It comes as the MotoGP paddock also moves, shifting away from the old National Pits and returning to the visually-spectacular Wing complex for this year, a move that Pringle feels is “more befitting of the world championship” and MotoGP’s status.

“If we stayed up in the old paddock, you’re not helping present yourself as well as you could,” he said.

“It’s quite a striking piece of architecture here, with the big roof, and outside Le Mans and Texas I’m struggling to think of somewhere that’s like this.

“Everywhere else is smaller, with a more traditional motorcycle racing feel, but this feels bigger.”

The changes, along with an extended free music line-up that includes the Kaiser Chiefs and Razorlight over the weekend, comes as the circuit attempts to boost sales – and is part of an ambition from Pringle to rival other European races like the now hugely-popular Le Mans race.

“Look, I accept that we have a responsibility as a promoter to make our own luck,” he admitted, “and I look at people like Claude [Michy] in France who has done a good job.

“He’s stuck at it doggedly over the years and he’s built up a strong fanbase.

“There’s no reason why the French fanbase should be stronger than the British one, because it existed before Fabio [Quartararo]. It’s not just down to that home hero effect, although I’m sure it helps cement and secure it.”

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
admission from Silverstone’s CEO.

What I don't think he's taking into consideration is that F1 has a lot of drivers born in the UK and a few of the teams are also based in the UK, so in effect, Silverstone is their home race. If you wanted a similar comparison in Moto GP, look at the attendance numbers from tracks in Spain and Italy since those are the countries where the riders are mostly from. You always come out to support your home team kind of thing.

quote:

Originally posted by mutedblade:

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
admission from Silverstone’s CEO.

What I don't think he's taking into consideration is that F1 has a lot of drivers born in the UK and a few of the teams are also based in the UK, so in effect, Silverstone is their home race. If you wanted a similar comparison in Moto GP, look at the attendance numbers from tracks in Spain and Italy since those are the countries where the riders are mostly from. You always come out to support your home team kind of thing.

All except Ferrari & AlphaTauri are UK based, IIRC.
AT will be moving to a UK base next year.

That was the best race of the season! Add another magical last lap overtake at Silverstone to the history books.

I was screaming just about as hard as I did when Rins overtook Marc Marquez to win one of the closest finishes in MotoGP.

You will even get to see a what a naked GP bike looks like on the track! That was wild. There was tons of contact with great footage of aerodynamic bits flying off the bikes.

WHAT A RACE!!!!!!!!

Was rooting for Maverick to double podium this weekend. I think he cooked his tires with all the overtaking as he was pushing and had to back off when the rain came.

Bags rode a brilliant race, but Aleix played it smart and waited for the end. A little more rain, and I have no doubt that Binder would have got them all as he is an alien when it comes to a wet track on slicks. Finally a last lap overtake. I detest this circuit (Donington Park was a MUCH better British GP, as that track is one of the best in the world for motorcycles. Silverstone is a F1 track) but it produced an excellent race. Attendance sucks at Silverstone too. Empty stands all around the track.

Looks like Aprilia did something over the summer break. 3 in the top 5.

Miguel Olivera was on fire at the end of the race. I too was disappointed to see Maverick fade at the end of the race. I would love to have seen an Aprilia double podium.

This guy had an interesting race! It looks like he is on one of Yamaha’s naked bikes.

Yamaha and Honda are in shambles. Shit like that happens when you have to run in the rear with the gear. Marquez lost fairing parts too, I think winglets.

Great race, IMO.
Binder was the shock, mixing it up in the front, bummer for Miller to fall back after a storming start.
Bez, unlucky.

Happy for Aleix, that was a brave dive into Maggots, wouldn't expect an overtake there.

Also, a bit amusing that FQ blew the front off the bike, got on the spare & still managed to grab the last point, ahead of the LCRs.

What do you guys make of this?

Track limits [Bag]? Commentary mentioned it, but doesn't appear to have been noted by stewards.

Hard racing, IMO, and a good fight.
No advantage gained, and had he choked it up to stay in, unlikely it would've closed Binder up enough to be a threat.

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
What do you guys make of this?

I think if it was anyone else, the results would have been different. The problem is the lack of consistency in the administration of penalties and this is simply another example. The stewards are playing favorites and it’s quite obvious. Advantage or not, the rules need to be enforced the same for everyone!

Don’t the rules state that doing that on the last lap will result in a loss of position? It’s not like soccer where advantage comes into play because they have already penalized people before who didn’t gain any perceived advantage.

Not a good look for MotoGP during a time when they need to gain fans and paint the sport in a positive light.

quote:

’t the rules state that doing that on the last lap will result in a loss of position? It’s not like soccer where advantage comes into play because they have already penalized people before who didn’t gain any perceived advantage.

This has happened 3 times to Brad Binder now. He did go onto the curb on the final laps in Assen during the final lap at both the Sprint and Moto GP race. Resulted in him being dropped from 3rd to 4th.....So far the rules had been enforced until #1 should have been dropped a position at the end of the race. I go back to the point about these penalties not being handed out for infractions of the superstars with a correct passport. Pecco must be untouchable for whatever reason.

Hope it gets straightened out soon. Quality/value for me is hitting a negative return. We've got plenty of season left and if they begin to fix it, I might renew, otherwise I'll lose a C-sport to nepotism/corruption.

I am on ADVRider and user Oscar know's the head of race direction. Do you think he takes all of the negative BS back to him so it can get sorted? No, just plays dumb and says the racing is as close as it's been for years.

Watching the races is fun but the bullshit needs to go. Just be just and equal in penalties handed out. Rules are right there to follow.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mutedblade,

Fabio Quartararo isn’t happy at Yamaha. If the 2024 M1 isn’t a drastic improvement and I mean BIG step forward he could potentially go to Aprilia (if Aprilia is smart and grabs him) which makes me wonder if Mir and Rins might find themselves back as teammates and on an inline four again.

Yeah it’s way too soon to do anything other than speculate but that is an interesting scenario.

I've got to admit, I think I'm done paying for a Moto GP videopass unless they remove the aero and ride height/cornering devices for next season. These races get more boring every weekend. What a snoozefest. Even the sprint races aren't doing it for me. Stewards can fuck themselves too. Handing out penalties for racing incidents to some riders while others are clearly overlooked.