# MotoGP 2015... wow! **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 23, 2015, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motogp-2015-wow/735495 "2015-10-23T00:40:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motogp-2015-wow/735495/21 "2015-10-30T21:48:06Z")
After reading what some of the other riders have said, I soften my criticism of VR and mostly agree with shunpiker. Watching it real time, I just assumed both riders had a similar pace and that is what brought them together. But it appears MM was purposely running about a second slower then he could, just to ‘dice’ with VR. I still think VR handled it poorly, but not as bad as I originally thought. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motogp-2015-wow/735495/22 "2015-11-02T15:00:56Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > I don’t think Rossi kicked Marquez. Marquez leaned on Rossi and Rossi pushed his knee out at him. I think Rossi’s version of what caused the fall is reasonably accurate but he shouldn’t have been slowing down and running Marquez out wide. Okay, I’ve read and I’ve watched and I’m coming away thinking that Marquez is a punk. What really chaps me is that he’s going with that “he kick at me with his leg” shit. When they asked him for his take on it, MM immediately goes to the footage and claims all you need to know is there. MM doesn’t really even give his side of things; he uses his words to back-up the (apparent) \*kick \*seen in the footage. I’m not completely sure that MM didn’t take a dive, but I’m also not sure that he did. Jury’s still out on how big a punk MM really is. From the camera outside that corner, it does kinda look like a kick. From VR’s on-bike it doesn’t look like a kick at all. It looks like his knee is pulled away. From MM’s on-bike, it looks like VR sticks his knee out at him in a sorta, “get off me, dude” gesture. From the helicopter, it looks like MM pushes into VR (in a sorta, “get outta the way, asshole” gesture) just a second before he falls. Marquez’s still got hectares of pavement between Val’s bike and the stripe at the edge of the track, so I don’t get why it was so urgent to get the bike turned right then. My point is that MM was forcefully pushing into Valentino’s bike. In conclusion, i think that VR was calling-out MM for riding like a little bitch. MM wasn’t having any of it and was fighting back. MM pushed his bike into VR, handlebar got pressed into Val’s thigh. Perhaps this lifted just enough weight off of MM’s front wheel to cause the crash. I’m sad for Rossi. I’m glad Marquez didn’t get hurt. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motogp-2015-wow/735495/23 "2015-11-08T01:58:17Z")
There have already been some surprises this weekend. What is no surprise was that Jorge is on the pole. Surprising, was the fact that he was quicker than second place (Marquez) by ~1/2 second (setting a lap record). > [@](#): > > Lorenzo said: “_It was my best lap ever and I couldn’t believe it when I saw the time. If I tried it again 100 times I don’t think I could do this lap time. The most important thing is the grid position though for tomorrow._” Dani was ~1/2 second behind Marquez. Also somewhat surprising was that Valentino crashed during the qualifying session. But the biggest news (to me) was that homeboy, Nicky Hayden, was inducted into the Hall of Fame. > [@](#): > > The 2006 MotoGP™ World Champion Nicky Hayden was inducted into the World Championship Hall of Fame as the 22nd MotoGP™ Legend by Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta in a ceremony held at the final round of the 2015 season in Valencia. [The Official Home of MotoGP](http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2015/11/06/nicky-hayden-becomes-motogp-legend/189085) It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, though I was surprised to read it. I don’t recall Nicky doing much throughout his career other than his 1x world championship. I’m very happy for him, nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motogp-2015-wow/735495/24 "2015-11-08T05:40:04Z")
> [@somepumpkin](#): > > It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, though I was surprised to read it. I don’t recall Nicky doing much throughout his career other than his 1x world championship. I’m very happy for him, nonetheless. I don’t think he won a race when he won the championship did he? I agree though, he seems like a nice guy. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motogp-2015-wow/735495/25 "2015-11-08T06:38:28Z")
> [@somepumpkin](#): > > I don’t recall Nicky doing much throughout his career other than his 1x world championship. I’m very happy for him, nonetheless. Nicky was the youngest ever AMA Superbike champion, back when that was still a great series. I watched that season of racing and it was incredible. If I recall correctly, he was still in **high school** at the time. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motogp-2015-wow/735495/26 "2015-11-09T14:09:31Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > I don’t think he won a race when he won the championship did he? I agree though, he seems like a nice guy. Nicky Hayden won one race in 2005 and two races in 2006 when he took the MotoGP Championship. He hasn’t won since. The 2005 and one of the 2006 wins were at Laguna Seca in America. As an American Nicky had the home advantage at Laguna Seca and since 2005 was the first American round of premiere class motorcycling for years most of the other riders were completely unfamiliar with the track. Which is, because of the track layout, pretty unique and different to anywhere else. I have heard, but haven’t checked, Nicky’s three career wins make him the least successful rider to have won a premier World Championship. By way of contrast, former team mate Dani Pedrosa has 28 career wins, is still gaining more wins, but has never secured a premier title. For the record I think Nicky is a real gentleman and I would love him to win a WSBK title (he has switched to WSBK for 2016) where he could become the first rider to ever achieve both MotoGP (or 500cc as it was) and WSBK titles. However Nicky is riding a Honda in WSBK and the WSBK Honda has been rubbish for years. Look at how Rea could never do much with it before switching to Kawasaki and taking the title crushingly. Look at how the 2014 champion Guintoli switched to Honda for 2015 and achieved a single podium (and then jumped ship to Yamaha.) The best hope is the 2017 WSBK Honda will possibly be better. WSBK bikes are based on road bikes and the new Honda Fireblade road bike needs to be a winner. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motogp-2015-wow/735495/27 "2015-11-09T22:43:35Z")
Well, Valentino did what he had to do. I was impressed… didn’t take him long to get to 3rd. It did look like MM was protecting JL as Dani made an attempt at the lead. I’d have to look at the lap times to be certain, but it appeared that JL and MM were going backward rather than Dani coming forward. If that’s true, it tends to build a better case that Marquez was watching Jorge’s back. Either way, it’s all over now. I’m still disappointed about everything that happened in Sepang, regardless of fault or actions. It’s just damn unfortunate. So I’m looking forward to next year. I hope it’s as exciting as 2015 and keeps my interest. If not, i’ll be watching superbike (when I can find it). ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2015, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motogp-2015-wow/735495/28 "2015-11-11T19:05:51Z")
> [@somepumpkin](#): > > Well, Valentino did what he had to do. I was impressed… didn’t take him long to get to 3rd. It did look like MM was protecting JL as Dani made an attempt at the lead. Seemed like half the field just let him pass. Still fun to watch, but I had to mute to shut the announcers down. Jesus, do they get paid by the word? It sure looked like Marquez was running escort for Jorge. And I don’t blame him in the slightest. Of course, he could have let Dani past and held on to third and accomplished the same thing. Maybe he was worried Dani would take Jorge out? I don’t think I can support Rossi anymore. I think he kicked Marquez’s brake lever. Dick move and Dick behavior beforehand unbefitting a multiple world champ. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motogp-2015-wow/735495.md?page=1)