MotoGP - WSBK - MotoAmerica 2019 silly season thread

Map8

Map8

I want nothing
Staff member
There aren't that many contracts up this year and none among the biggest names in road racing so I'm combining these three series into one thread.


Recent news from the MotoGP Paddock:

Tito Rabat just signed for two more years with Reale Avintia Racing for two more years. The announcement said they will have "factory bikes" but no mention of which factory.

No word on Rabat's team mate Karel Abraham.

Lorenzo Baldassarri and August Fernandez will stay in Moto2 with Pons racing for 2020.



WSBK Paddock:

There was speculation that Bautista would announce his new deal with Ducati at Laguna but there is no news on that front. It has been suggested that Bautista's current Ducati contract is short on salary and heavy on win bonuses and #19 would like to see that change for next year. There are rumors that Yamaha or other WSBK teams are talking with Bautista about 2020 and beyond.

Yamaha is also supposedly courting Toprak Razgatlıoğlu. Leon Haslam, long thought to be a seat warmer for the Turk, probably cemented a 2020 seat with KRT after contributing so much to Big Green's Suzuka 8 Hours victory.



MotoAmerica:
So many crazy rumors about next year - 99% coming from Ben Spies. :laughing
 
stangmx13

stangmx13

not Stan
oh I really hope that Toprak jumps ship to Yamaha if Leon is re-signed. factories that don't bring up new talent are detrimental to the sport IMO. they need some negative consequence if they don't move Toprak up to factory.
 
WorldSBK

WorldSBK

Well-known member
Any chance for more MotoGP riders joining WSBK ?
Or champions from MotoAmerica stepping up to WSBK ?
 
stangmx13

stangmx13

not Stan
WorldSBK said:
Any chance for more MotoGP riders joining WSBK ?
Or champions from MotoAmerica stepping up to WSBK ?
Click to expand...

Karel and Syahrin are prob the only ones leaving GP. I could see Karel going back to WSBK.

id guess theres zero chance anyone from MA will move to WSBK. all the paid riders seem happy where they are.
 
FXCLM5

FXCLM5

bombaclaud
Spies is sour that Herrin got a factory ride

But if you ask me MA looks to be struggling even though it has $$$ backing, there are nobody in the grandstands.

And remember a year or 2 ago where Meen pulled out - they were prolly the 1st runner privateer teams at the time

Who knows if MA will continue and if factories are really going to stick around, even ppl like Josh Hayes are finding it difficult to stay in the moto world even with his families background, like they can only race the 600 when they actually have enough funding (skip rounds when they dont have the $$) - all to get his wifes team manager position in the spotlight
 
Map8

Map8

I want nothing
Staff member
Nicolo Bulega will not return to VR46 Academy Sky Racing in 2020. Translation of announcement via Twitter below.

Bulega is obviously the love child of Rossi and Hilary Swank* so you'd think that would be enough to keep him around the support classes for a few more years.

Rossi_Swank-Bulega.jpg




https://twitter.com/LucioLopezGP/status/1156659149930946561

#OFICIAL
@nbulega and @SkyRacingTeam
, as announced by the representation of the pilot, JNB Sport Business, do not renew their collaboration agreement. Therefore, the Montecchio Emilia rider is no longer part of the VR46 Academy.
Click to expand...





*This is a joke. Do not take it seriously.
 
clutchslip

clutchslip

Not as fast as I look.
Map8 said:
............
MotoAmerica:
So many crazy rumors about next year - 99% coming from Ben Spies. :laughing
Click to expand...
Elbows. The pain of being a normal sized guy on a super-sport. :thumbup
I would say he was the first elbow down big time rider, but I actually think it was Stoner, and he is a little guy.
iu
 
Last edited:
Map8

Map8

I want nothing
Staff member
I'm guessing first prominent and regular elbow dragger was Jean Philippe Ruggia. Didn't he bring slip-on elbow sliders the first time he raced at Laguna?

CM4zhr3XAAAxii_.jpg
 
squidworth

squidworth

Well-known member
Rumors that I heard at Laguna:

- Yamaha US will be pulling out of MA, but funding Attack Performance to be the main Yamaha team
- Yoshimura Suzuki to be down to one rider next year
- Leon Haslam will not be returning the KRT
- Toprak going to KRT is being held back by princess shenanigans of his manager, Sufuoglu, demands and wanting control in the team as well as their tight relations with Rebdull.
- Spies never got a ride in MA as he was looking for nearly a million a year to ride. Long gone are those days
- Redding to move up to Ducati Factory team from BSB.
 
WorldSBK

WorldSBK

Well-known member
squidworth said:
Rumors that I heard at Laguna:

- Yamaha US will be pulling out of MA, but funding Attack Performance to be the main Yamaha team
- Yoshimura Suzuki to be down to one rider next year
Click to expand...


If those are true, they are pretty bad news for MA
 
stangmx13

stangmx13

not Stan
im sure the SBK mid-pack will be stoked to not have to compete against 4 full factory bikes. perhaps more privateers will join the grid because of it. the SS grid is doing just fine without factory teams after-all.

but its def bad for us if (when) the number of paid rides decreases. SBK needs celebrities, deserves them. I suspect it'd be hard to get Toni to ride for a medium-sized privateer team, say like Rickdiculous. maybe he'd just retire and enjoy family time.
 
Map8

Map8

I want nothing
Staff member
Taka Nakagami is still negotiating with Honda/LCR for 2020. Nakagami has been offered a 2019 HRC bike for next year but he is holding out for a 2020 factory bike (what Crutchlow will get).


Iker Lecuona will move to the KTM Red Bull Moto2 team next year, filling the spot left by Brad Binder's promotion to the Tech 3 KTM MotoGP team.
 
Map8

Map8

I want nothing
Staff member
Anyone think this Miller/Lorenzo Ducati drama was made up by Miller's management to get Ducati to stop dragging their feet on Jack's contract? Miller keeps insisting there is "some truth" to this but no one else can provide even the most remote confirmation about this. Petrucci got his contract several weeks ago so Miller is probably wondering what the hold up is and trying to push Ducati.
 
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