MotoGP is boring? No!
October 20th, 2008The Biker Gene has analysed close finishes and winning margins over the last decade, and come to the conclusion that MotoGP is at its most boring for a decade. His analysis is hard to refute - winning margins have grown and the gaps between podium finishers have also increased.
Why? When MotoGP was in the 500cc two-stroke technology cul-de-sac, innovation was hard-fought and incremental in nature keeping team performance broadly similar, the rulebook remained roughly the same, and here was also no real tyre competition: Michelin ruled the roost. When the rules allowed four-stroke engines, suddenly a world of research and development opened up. Plus we also gained the disruptive technology of Bridgestone tyres, adding another variable into the mix. Inevitably, some manufacturers adapted better than others - initially Honda’s four-stroke, five cylinder machine was without doubt engineering nirvana in the first year of the four-strokes. Then Ducati aced them with the move to 800cc with their Desmo valve actuation and awesome power - and Bridgestone tyres. Honda no longer dominate and even now, Ducati have been usurped as the class leaders by Yamaha - brilliant!
So The Biker Gene is right in that winning margins have widened. More boring? No! Maybe if you found Rossi circulating in second place and then taking the win in the last couple of laps exciting, or you were excited to see Mick Doohan win … again, you will agree. I for one love the fact that we have had different bikes and riders winning the title in recent years. A period of stability in the rules will see Kawasaki and Suzuki begin to close the gap and bring their own innovations along to the party. Perhaps the one-make tyre rule will also help, and perhaps it won’t, but one thing is certain: we need more stability in the rules.
One final point - the winning margin for Rossi at Laguna this year was huge, yet it was the best race I can recall in the ten years under consideration. The statistics, as always, do not tell the full tale.
October 20th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Completely agree Rob that MotoGP is far from boring especially when you consider Formula 1 race margins and how races are won and lost over there i.e. in the pit lane. And to make matters worse the F1 stewards deem in necessary to penalise drivers who actually try and race and overtake which is only going to add to the processional races we see in F1. Can you imagine F1 race stewards watching that fantastic race in Laguna Seca? Rossi and Stoner would be banned from racing.
Fact of the matter is racing is about overtaking, speed and winning. There are boring races but there are boring football matches to. However when a Laguna Seca 2008 or an Assen 2007 shows up it is all worthwhile.
Feel free to comment on my blog at jamesbrominho.blogspot.com
October 20th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Cheers Rob - I’ve stuck a link up to this piece over at TBG.
I feel that technical diversity is fantastic when you’ve got two guys racing closely - perhaps one’s stronger midcorner and the other has the edge on the brakes or the exits. The tyre wars were always interesting as well - but for me motorcycle racing is a human spectacle, and only a close race can draw out the extraordinary in these godlike riders.
Laguna Seca was an awesome race - right up until Stoner fell off and Rossi walked the last few laps. If more of this year’s racing had been as hard-fought as that, right to the checkered flag, nobody would be complaining.
The other thing about this relentless march of development, while it in itself is fascinating, is that it seems to be turning MotoGP machines into bikes most of us wouldn’t be scared of. I’d jump on an M1 and wobble my way around for a few laps in a heartbeat given the choice. An NSR500? Not in a million years, it would kill me for food.
It’s intellectually fascinating to learn all the new tech that’s making the 800s faster month by month, but I miss the stomach-churning emotion of watching the best riders in the world tame a pit full of ferocious animals that would scare the trembling shit out of mortals.
To each their own
Cheers
Loz:TBG
October 20th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
There can still be exciting racing further down the field, of course. Dovi versus Nicky at Sepang was quite good fun. But yes, this year hasn’t really been up to much.
I’d be interested to see how that graph would extend back another ten years, though.
Anyway, now it looks like the regulations will stay the same for a few years while the tinkerers are busy ruining 250GP.
October 23rd, 2008 at 5:09 am
The only reason Yamaha have usurped Ducati is because of that Italian genius Valentino Rossi, take his performance out of the mix and Yamaha would be mediocre. Formula one is dead pan boring when compared to Moto GP, no contest, I actually fell asleep during the last F1 race in China, it was a true procession. The real racers and talent is in Moto GP, Valentino Rossi is ten times the racer Lewis or Massa are, in fact, I don’t know what it is about Italians but many of them seem to be great racers, Rossi Moto GP champion, Simoncelli 250 cc champion, I have seen Italians win all three classes at quiet a few race meets in the past? is it because many Italians start riding at a young age on vespa’s? whatever it is they have an uncanny ability to be fast….. hell, i reckon if you put Trulli in a Mclaren or Ferrari he would be world champion!
October 27th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
moto GP is fantastic, it have challenge for that fans and it’s not boring, because in there we can see overtaking action from each the rider. Every lap, we can see extreme action and new challenge. I like this racing and I fans with valentino rossi. moto GP is best of the best.
November 3rd, 2008 at 1:25 pm
[...] stirred up a bit of criticism recently with our assertation that the 800cc era has produced the most boring MotoGP racing in at [...]