In Pit Lane
MICHAEL SCOTT
More questions than answers
THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS turn 70 this year; the series
is pretty spry for a septuagenarian. MotoGP’s exuberance is a
measure of its success: the growing pains of the last decade and
the ghastly proddie-based CRT bikes now all but forgotten. It is
once again paradoxically youthful and renewed.
It is traditional at this pre-season point to look ahead with
optimism – something those of us who love racing
can hardly avoid. For 2018, there seems little
need to break out the happy pills or stretch the
imagination in the hope and expectation of
another fine and compelling battle. Let the
new Golden Age continue.
Unless Honda and Marquez spoil the
party, that is.
Of course, the dominant Marc has
won it four times in the past five years,
including the last two years straight. But
Honda’s endless and obsessive quest for
improvement has led them into some
dark places, and he’s really had to work for
it every year except 2014. Last year the title
remained open until the last of 18 races.
Can the same thing happen again in
2018? Depends if Honda engineers manage
to confuse themselves with yet more major
mechanical changes.
Over the past couple of years they’ve radically altered
crankshaft rotation, internal inertia and firing intervals at
different times, all while struggling to adapt from in-house
electronics to the unified software and hardware. With engine
design frozen from the first race, no quick fixes were available
and engineers and riders were given a big hill to climb.
We shall see if HRC can stop itself from doing it again.
In this particular regard, the dumb-down engine-freeze
rules worked in favour of the fans and the quality of racing. But
it’s been chancy. W hat last year favoured Ducati, after some
inspired winter development, worked against Yamaha, with
Rossi and Viñales saddled with an uncooperative package that
was several times outclassed and even beaten by rookie Zarco
on a year-old Yamaha bitsa.
The imponderables remain; the rules simply make it harder
for designers and engineers to recover from early errors. At this
level, an error can be very small but have big consequences.
So we stand by, watch and try to avoid reading too much into
the first tests. You will recall that last year Viñales was majorly
dominant throughout testing and won the first two races.
Thereafter, just one more win and his results slumped.
He ceased to be a factor.
Quite apart from that about Honda – which
will also impact on satellite rider Cal
Crutchlow – the questions that will be
answered over the 18 races are manifold.
Can Rossi, now 39, remain motivated
enough to pose a serious threat?
Can his teammate Viñales reverse his
broken promise?
And can either of the factory Yamaha
riders keep themselves clear of Zarco,
now in his second year? Come to that,
will the Frenchman be hindered by
being obliged to ride one of the under-
performing 2017 M-1s?
Will Ducati keep on with the technical
progress, and if so will brand sophomore Jorge
Lorenzo steal ‘Old Boy’ Dovizioso’s thunder? Or
will they just steal points from one another?
Will ex-Moto2 class rookies Luthi and Nakagami come
any where near last year’s efforts by Zarco (and, until he fell ill,
Jonas Folger)? And who will replace Folger at Tech 3 Yamaha,
after the German’s sudden and belated withdrawal on the eve of
the season?
Will Aprilia manage to get closer to the limelight, with Scott
Redding joining Aleix Espargaro? Will KTM manage to sustain
the impressive impetus of their first season?
And will Jack Miller’s switch to the satellite Pramac Ducati
team be the restart the young Aussie needs, after mixed fortunes
in three years with Honda?
But enough of the questions. All will be revealed over the course
of the next several months. And needing to know the answers is
what has kept us all coming back for the past 69 years.Will Miller’s
switch to the
satellite Pramac
Ducati team be the
restart the young
Aussie needs?