2020 FIM MotoGP World Championship.

[Wouter]

Ducati MotoGP rider Andrea Dovizioso has broken his left collarbone in a motocross crash on Sunday in Italy
and will undergo surgery on Sunday evening.

Dovizioso was taking part in a motocross race in the Emilia Romagna regional championship in Italy on Sunday when he crashed and landed heavily on his left shoulder, according to eye witnesses.

He was taken to a nearby hospital in Forli to undergo scans on a possible broken collarbone.

Ducati has since confirmed that the three-time MotoGP world championship runner-up has broken his left collarbone, and will undergo an operation on Sunday evening in Modena to correct this.

A spokesperson from the team confirmed that ordinarily an injury like this would be left to heal on its own, but Ducati and Dovizioso have taken the decision to have the operation in order to be ready for the opening round of the 2020 season at Jerez on July 19.

However, with only 13 rounds scheduled so far, any missed race through this injury will prove disastrous to his title ambitions.

[Morteza]

This is interesting. So they are replacing Alex Marquez with Pol Espargaró for 2021, even before Alex has done a race with them

[nacho]

Alex Marquez to Repsol was a bit of a surprise move as it happened only because Lorenzo and Honda split before the two year contract ended. I think it's better for Alex to have a two year contract in LCR with HRC support than the one year contract for Repsol. He now gets three seasons to learn MotoGP.

[Andres125sx]

This is interesting. So they are replacing Alex Marquez with Pol Espargaró for 2021, even before Alex has done a race with them
https://twitter.com/MotoGP/status/1282590301073420289

https://twitter.com/MotoGP/status/1282595621115965440

Extended agreement is different to replace

I also was surprised, but they did explain HRC is not the best team for a rookie, so they will move him to the satellite team to earn some experience.

But yes, this is surprising after giving him an HRC seat in his very first season, someone didn´t do a good job

[rscsr]

This is interesting. So they are replacing Alex Marquez with Pol Espargaró for 2021, even before Alex has done a race with them
https://twitter.com/MotoGP/status/1282590301073420289

https://twitter.com/MotoGP/status/1282595621115965440

Extended agreement is different to replace

I also was surprised, but they did explain HRC is not the best team for a rookie, so they will move him to the satellite team to earn some experience.

But yes, this is surprising after giving him an HRC seat in his very first season, someone didn´t do a good job

Not really surprising to be honest. They needed someone to replace Lorenzo. Crutchlow didn't want to switch teams, when he already has a works bike and a team that works so shortly before his retirement.
Nakagami is not quick enough.

All the other top riders are on a 2 year cycle, so they couldn't get another top rider.

So he or another rookie was always meant to be a stop gap. And since he didn't show any signs of greatness, or that he might be able to ride in the top group, he shouldn't keep probably the best ride until he has proven that he is going to achieve something.

[J.A.W.]

This is interesting. So they are replacing Alex Marquez with Pol Espargaró for 2021, even before Alex has done a race with them
https://twitter.com/MotoGP/status/1282590301073420289

https://twitter.com/MotoGP/status/1282595621115965440

Fair call from Honda, for themselves, & the Marquez family, too.
& (if I durst say so - myself), as the O.P. post put up for proper consideration.

[Andres125sx]

Good explanation thanks

But once he will ride a HRC for one season, I'd have waited to see his performance. First season is the most difficult, if he will go through it with HRC maybe for second he's up to the task

[rscsr]

Good explanation thanks

But once he will ride a HRC for one season, I'd have waited to see his performance. First season is the most difficult, if he will go through it with HRC maybe for second he's up to the task

The problem with that approach would be, that you can't really wait that long. Especially at HRC. When you wait for a couple of races you will only have crumbs left and can't get the rider you want. And Pol seems to be easily the best on the KTM and probably the best that they could get. Probably Rins would have also been a decent choice, but the Suzuki is an I4, so he would also be risky to try.

The last three riders Honda put into the works team in their rookie year have been Rossi, Pedrosa and Marc Marquez.
Kinda like the who is who in MotoGP. Each of them won in their first season.
I don't think a lot of people believe, that Alex Marquez is going to win a race this season. Especially after the difficult tests he had. And his 5 years in Moto2, usually worse than the other rider on the MarcVDS bike.

[nacho]

Alex has been very different from Marc. Marc has been immediately fast on anything from the first go, for Alex it has taken a longer time to build up speed and concistancy. I think Alex started racing later so that might affect him, he also seems a bit different in personality.

We've heard from Marc that other bikes thank Honda would be better for a rookie. I think this is a good situation for all of them. Whatever happens this short rookie year Alex still has two seasons to learn MotoGP and Honda.

Livio Suppo said it used to be normal to sign a rookie for three years. First year you don't expect anything, second year you wanna see some results and third year you have to perform.

Nicky Hayden was also a rookie that HRC signed, before him it was Valentino Rossi, and after Hayden it was Pedrosa and Marc. All of them became MotoGP champions except Pedrosa, who might have become one on an easier bike due to his size and not having extraordinary team mates like Stoner and Marquez.

[Andres125sx]

Have to agree with both

[etusch]

Alex has been very different from Marc. Marc has been immediately fast on anything from the first go, for Alex it has taken a longer time to build up speed and concistancy. I think Alex started racing later so that might affect him, he also seems a bit different in personality.

We've heard from Marc that other bikes thank Honda would be better for a rookie. I think this is a good situation for all of them. Whatever happens this short rookie year Alex still has two seasons to learn MotoGP and Honda.

Livio Suppo said it used to be normal to sign a rookie for three years. First year you don't expect anything, second year you wanna see some results and third year you have to perform.

Nicky Hayden was also a rookie that HRC signed, before him it was Valentino Rossi, and after Hayden it was Pedrosa and Marc. All of them became MotoGP champions except Pedrosa, who might have become one on an easier bike due to his size and not having extraordinary team mates like Stoner and Marquez.

Marc Marquez fast at first year. That year Pedrossa also fast. But later seasons Pedrosa can not be close tho MM. I derive from this, when MM entered to motogp Honda bike was easy to be fast with. But now it is not. Alex Marquez not so fast developed even in moto2. So Honda don't need to see him on bike. I also believe they made true thing

[nacho]

Honda is very difficult, evident lately by the total unability of Lorenzo to go fast on it.

Difficult doesn't seem to mean slow if you can ride it, and only Marc seems to be able to ride it fast every weekend, but he's having to do things no one else is able to, like saving the front multiple times a weekend to avoid a low side crash. All riders can save these once in a while but no one does it like an ordinary part of riding like Marc.

Pedrosas size and strength meant he couldn't fight the bike like other riders and should have had a very balanced bike. Also I think the move to Michelin's was not good for Pedrosa. From what I've read he had big problems in gettin the tires to the correct operating temperature which meant he was going absolutely nowhere then. I don't remember which races this was very evident, but it's easy to check from results.

I would presume tire temperature is even more critical in bikes than cars because the rider's confidence level is a huge factor in going fast.

[etusch]

[Ringleheim]

I am just glad there is MOTO GP racing with all the pandemic stuff lately.

MOTO GP still maintains a lot of its innocence and exotic thrill that is long gone from F1.

I'm looking forward to Spain this weekend.

[etusch]

Honda looks a bit better than winter.
FP1 Result


Junior Marquez doesn't look promising. But Espergaro looks good.
FP2 Result