Michael Scott | April 21, 2018
Saturday News From 2018 COTA MotoGP–After the first day, riders had enlarged on their criticism of the track, with Rossi describing it as “critical – a disaster”; Petrucci calling it dangerous, and Jack Miller saying that the work seems to have made the bumps worse rather than better… comments echoed by other MotoGP riders.
Saturday News From 2018 COTA MotoGP
Rossi was scathing in his criticism of the COTA bumps.
Rossi praised the layout of the track with its “emotional corners”, but continued: “For me, it’s the worst situation of the whole season.” The bumps on the straight threw the bike around at more than 190mph. “Three or four bumps are very big. The bike moves very much,” he said.
At another corner, turn 18, there was such a big bump that the bike was grounding out, he added.
Miller compared the straight – longest of the season – to a motocross track, complaining that “both wheels are coming off the ground and it makes the electronics cut in and out”. He also had his screen broken by a flying rock.
New Ducati Fairings
Dovi used this old fairing before switching to the aero unit later in the day.
The bumps saw many riders switching to their aero fairings, including (for the first time all year) Andrea Dovizioso and satellite-team rider Danilo Petrucci; both Ducati riders joined in the move by Jack Miller and Tito Rabat.
On the Yamaha side. Johann Zarco switched to the aero fairing, and in the afternoon also Maverick Vinales. But there were differences within the same pit, with Zarco’s team-mate Syahrin using a different style of aero fairing with a smaller wing; while at Aprilia both riders used the side extensions, but Espargaro’s were full-depth two-tier boxes, but Redding used only the top tier.
For qualifying, Marquez added small, slightly angled tabs added to the trailing edge of his top fairing, either side of the back of the screen.
The aerodynamic advantages sought were small but important in helping deal with the bumps. As Ducati team chief Davide Tardozzi explained: “You need to load the front a bit more, although it does mean a bit less grip in the corners.”
More Black Flags?
The Argentina race continued to have its fall outs at COTA.
Riders’ hopes of clarity about dangerous riding came to naught at a heated Friday Safety Commission meeting – but they did come away with a promise of stricter enforcing of the existing rules, including more liberal use of the black flag for riders causing others to crash.
The meeting was attended by Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, and although proceedings are strictly confidential, some leakage made it clear that the promise of stronger supervision had come from him.
But in spite of strong accusations flying around in the meeting, there was no specific censure of the current bad boys – the names most frequently censured are Marc Marquez, Danilo Petrucci and to a lesser extent Johann Zarco; and no further talk of race suspension for Marquez.
The rules are purposefully vague, talking only of riding “in a responsible manner” without endangering others; which means punishments are case-by-case judgment calls for the panel of stewards, introduced last year to relieve Race Direction of this task.
Maverick Back On Track
Vinales is starting to look more like his old self on the Yamaha.
Maverick Vinales hoped to have turned his fortune around after a difficult start to the season after cutting back on electronic controls on his Movistar Yamaha.
Speaking after a strong showing in the first free practices, the Spanish star told press: “We made big changes to the electronics, and the bike is working much better for my riding style.”
Reducing the level of interference had made throttle response more aggressive, giving him more direct control of the power. “I am controlling more with my hand than with traction control,” he explained.
