redtailracing
gone tuna fishin'
Yep. And like I said, I bet there were some promises made about making it a better package that not only never came to fruition, but they seem to keep going backwards.
MOTOGP | 2027 | SILLY SEASON
- Thread starter LukeLucky
- Start date
onesixsix
Oh, Bother
The Royale w/ Cheese extended for '25 & '26 back in April of 2024. Lin Jarvis did not go on record to acknowledge a V4 was being bench testing until September of 2025. I don't think Fabio would have signed up if he'd known that it would be eighteen months before Yamaka would be bench testing a V4 let alone putting one in a bike that he can ride. Effectively, he will finish the 2026 season with the same potential (from an equipment standpoint) to win a championship as he had when we signed his new contract in 2024. And it took Yamaha the better part of two years to develop the engine in a lab. I think he can be forgiven for deciding to phone it in for the rest of his tenure there. Yamaha effectively stood still. That's not me saying that; that's the published timeline of the project.
HPPT
!!!
Come on, we had send enough to know that Yamaha wasn't going to turn things around in one off season. He knew. He may have buried it in his subconscious, but the information was there.
I don't remember the chronology. Did Marc sign with Gresini before Fabio extended his stint with Yamaha? Because if the answer is yes, then Fabio had an example of someone deciding when it's no longer worth it. And even if he signed before Marc, he had to have heard that it was under serious consideration.
HPPT
!!!
There you go, no excuse.
Rdrace42
Almost Cheddar
Agreed. He prioritized the money over the performance, or he was naive in thinking they'd be able to sort the significant problems they had in short order. That said, Marc had a metric ton of cash saved from getting paid all those years, so taking the risk of signing with a satellite team wasn't as big of a risk for him financially. Moot point, but I think he truly screwed himself, as I don't see Honda giving him something to win on till at least 2028.
HPPT
!!!
Just to clarify, I absolutely don't blame Fabio for securing his retirement over these last two years and sacrificing competitiveness to achieve that goal. He has no right to quit, and especially no right to criticize his employer every time someone puts a microphone in front of him. So really, one has to keep the money grab in context to understand my criticism.
kenessex
unregistered user
Not picking one way over the other, but if we compare Mir crashing an uncompetitive bike at every opportunity vs Quatarero riding it around getting the best results he can without yard sailing his equipment, who is doing a better job for his team? Also, if we look at their respective team mates Marini and Rins, who is worth more?
redtailracing
gone tuna fishin'
Only part I'll disagree with here is Honda's ability to deliver. They've made solid progress lately and the big reset in '27 evens the playing field even more. Not to mention, Honda has a long history of winning and competitive machines (albeit sometimes by virtue of simply paying the best alien the most money but still...). As someone else said here recently, they won't stay down for long. Not saying Fabio will be world champion on the Honda in '27. But easily top 10, probably routinely top 6 by the end of the season and I wouldn't bet against a win or 2. That's just my guess.
Rdrace42
Almost Cheddar
While I wouldn't be surprised at that outcome, I also wouldn't be surprised to see Honda take a massive step backwards. They've had a history of making bikes that hit wide of the mark, with rare bullseyes.
Razr
Well-Known Member
While I agree Pedro is as fast as Fabio, I think Fabio is a better racer. At least he was when the Yamaha wasn't a complete turd.
05Yamabomber
Dammit Haga
Im just thankful 2026 MotoGP season has been entertaining. 2027 is going to be a big surprise and hope its as good as 2026 is. As far as the GOAT, I am re-watching 2015 MotoGP right now. All the aliens in there... All on good bikes. I think we need to give some more credit to mister scarf... Also, those haters who say MM93 is the GOAT. Just watch 2015 season.. Just watch it.
Quicktoy
Is it Winter yet?
Lorenzo?
05Yamabomber
Dammit Haga
Yesir. 2015 had a MM93 in his prime when Honda was a good bike, Lorenzo was still 28 I believe, on a good Yamaha, Pedrosa, Crutchlow, Ionne and Dovisioso on the good Ducatis. Valentino (was 36) still fast on a good Yamaha. Lorenzo ended up beating them all. He doesnt have the stack of championships that 46, 93 have but he went head to head and beat em. Vale also hunting MM93 down in races and passing him. I dont think Lorenzo gets enough respect.
redtailracing
gone tuna fishin'
No sorry, the 2015 was known to be possibly the worst bike Honda had made in decades. That was well established.
05Yamabomber
Dammit Haga
How do explain MM93, Pedrosa, and even f-ing Crutchlow fighting for wins all year? That is not well established turd like it was later when only MM93 could be anywhere near the front. Just watch the season. Its a great year of racing for many riders. Even Crutchlow. I forgot he was ever competitive until I re-watched 2015.
Rdrace42
Almost Cheddar
Personally, I always appreciated Lorenzo's sublime riding technique. His personality, not so much. He probably doesn't get much respect more for his attitude. All the things that Marquez was accused of, Lorenzo IS. Arrogant, whiny, although I can appreciate his being direct. Not sure how the conversation about GOAT comes into play though. Are you saying that Jorge is in the running for that title? BTW, if you want to talk about where Jorge didn't really get the respect he deserved (for his riding), I'd say his time on the Ducati and Honda were much more impressive. Those bikes weren't suited to his riding style, yet he did a great job of adapting to them.
HPPT
!!!
Did you watch 2013 and 2014? Lorenzo was there.