NOT the MotoGP News – #ValenciaGP – We go round and round until we pick it up again…
Photo: motogp.com
Valē* Valencia! (Well until Tuesday….)
Sometimes the last race of the season is a complete waste of time; championships already decided and jeopardy at zero. Well not this weekend dudes! This is what we wanted, this is what we paid for, this is what Carmelo needed!
Having said all that Bagnaia was certainly a nailed-on champion. And nailed on it was. He was 14 points ahead going into the race, so what could possibly go wrong? For him nothing. For just about nearly everyone else, everything. Winning a second title from the top step is without doubt as good as it gets.
It was always going to be hectic, Martin needed to win and hope Bagnaia finished lower than 5th, so the pressure mounted and was hyped and talked up and everything became a vicious circle of impending expectation. Some riders (a lot of riders) said sod this and bailed. First to go was Bez. Lap 1 turn 1 and Marc Marquez cut under him and nerfed the Italian off. Was it reckless? Possibly. Did Marquez cop a penalty? Nope.
At the front Bagnaia had made just the sort of start he needed – out in front. But Martin was hot on his heels in second. But being hot on his heels was just too close for comfort and for braking. At the start of lap 3 into Turn 1, Martin got too close to Pecco and somehow (just) managed to avoid rear-ending him but had to run wide demoting himself to eighth. Not good for him and not good for 3 laps later. It’s hard to say if a professional and experienced rider gets a red mist. They shouldn’t but possibly do. So, on lap 6 after being held up by Viñales but eventually passing him, Martin arrived at Turn 4 behind Marc M, who had just screwed up turn 3 and was therefore a little wide. Martin had a title to chase, so he took the gap and the gamble and lost both plus also collected Marc. Game over. Title aspirations over.
Deflated after six laps. It’s a bit rubbish really, but as we said the rest of the field took massive turns at falling off. Bastianini off at Turn 1 on lap 10; Augusto Fernandez at Turn 8. Miller off at Turn 10 on lap 19; a lap later Rins off at Turn 1. Chaos reigned and we all got wet.
Pecco had the lead back after Binder ran wide on lap 14 and then Miller fell as we mentioned. The only rider to trouble him? Digi! Yep, the gun for hire (until Monday morning when he signed for VR46) was making everyone here in the bunker eat humble pie. We’ve continually questioned why he was turning up every weekend. Wondered which WSBK team would sign him. And we were wrong. A good crew chief makes a good rider good. The relief in his head must be exquisite. Anyway, he pushed and pushed until he was just about to make Pecco’s win turn into second place, but Digi either just didn’t have it, or he was thinking about the VR46 contract waiting to be signed. So Pecco 1st, Digi 2nd and evergreen journey man J-Zee himself was in third. Until the stewards found out Digi’s front tyre pressure was incorrect and demoted him to 4th and promoted Binder to third. That’s rubbish and they know it.
Thank you to Gareth for publishing us (it’s a long-standing Stoner joke). Thank you if you’ve read any of this waffle and thank you to Frine and Fran.
We’ll do a rider review sometime in the off-season full of cutting snarky comments and with a lawyer on stand-by.
*Borrowed from Latin valē (“be well, goodbye”)
