Shocking isn’t it, same result for the top 6 in all 3 races, Lowes riding stunning to just scrap for 6-8 seconds back... such a sack of a championship
That’s a TALL order, but it’s bike time around an amazing circuit. Definitely the worst of the v4rs out there though, under funded and using different suspension it will be a challenge
Rain is apparently forecast for Sunday do you never know, he’s done a great job so far this year hasn’t he. Did you see sr45 post that video of his surgery a couple of weeks ago,
Another dreadful season drawing to a close with this (and a measly 50k spectators witnessing it )... https://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/...decision-to-race-in-san-juan-opener-1-9104745 He's always struck me as a bit of a worm, glad my suspicions have been confirmed.
They were in argentina mate and the track had just been resurfaced (that old chestnut). There was oil seeping up from the new tarmac due to heat and a load of riders said they werent going to race. Then jonny o'rea did a u turn at the last minute of course. E Lav called him spineless and it all kicked off. Chazley the epitome of common sense as usual.
How dangerous could it have been if bautista was happy to ride, surely he's used to to the best tracks and safety conditions in MotoGP? I think the ones who boycotted were lashing out a bit because they felt a bit foolish after the race finished without any incidents, it must have been a bit awkward for chas sitting in the garage watching his teammate win the race and collect points for Ducati. They were always going to go to the teams, without them and sponsors there would be no championship, they pay the riders wages and if they say race you race unless you have a really good reason, and watching the race there didn't seem to be one.
Bit of a 70s reference, so you want riders to be physically intimidated and threatened into not racing as frequently happened on picket lines? But was it too unsafe to race, the result of the race would suggest not, racing is inherently unsafe. They raced because that's what they are paid to do, they are free to pack in anytime they want and choose a safer profession or just bitch about it on the internet like us.
Racing motorcycles is our childhood dream, our passion and our livelihood. We want nothing more than to line up and give our best when the lights go out. We never want to let down the fans in attendance, the viewers at home, our sponsors, our teams or our manufacturers. However, sometimes you have to stand up for what is right, especially when it concerns rider safety. Below we have given some background as to why six of us reluctantly took the decision not to race today. Twenty minutes before the opening of pit lane the majority of the WorldSBK riders (14 of 18) had a private meeting where we all agreed that we were not comfortable racing with the track conditions here in San Juan. The preferred option was to cancel today’s race and go ahead tomorrow with two full length races under the cooler conditions forecast for Sunday, this option was expressed to the organisation. Again, the majority of riders agreed this was the best compromise. Racing on Sunday rather than Saturday would give the opportunity to the organisers to further clean the circuit and take advantage of the lower temperatures (in the cooler conditions experienced during the morning’s FP3 session all riders agreed that the circuit was in an acceptable condition). It is our understanding that the work due to be done to the track had been severely delayed, meaning the asphalt was only finished in the days leading up to the WorldSBK event. This seemingly gave no time for the new surface to settle and therefore in the extremely high track temperatures today, the tar oils were seeping up through the surface. We understand it was this oil which likely caused the huge highside of Haslam and sent Baz to hospital (both while on outlaps). This situation with the oil was confirmed just 10 minutes before the opening of pit lane when an FIM safety officer involved in the final circuit inspection showed us photos showing the oil seepage they had witnessed moments prior. Our expectation upon viewing these pictures was that there was no way the organisation would allow a race to go ahead with such obvious hazards. For several months everyone has been aware of the conditions we were likely to find in San Juan. Despite this, we arrived here to find a circuit that, in our opinion as riders, is not fit for purpose. This was confirmed by an FIM representative, who told us that this circuit falls short of the homologation requirements, even before the weekend began. There are multiple issues that fall short. Today was our opportunity to stand together as a group and demonstrate that we are only prepared to take the huge risks we do on circuits that meet the required safety standard of 2019. Due to various external pressures exerted on riders and personal interests, our group of 14 became fractured and our voice was not heard. Instead, the six of us were made to look like a disruptive minority unwilling to go racing, which was just not true. We put our faith in the organisers to make sure that each circuit we visit is fit for purpose, regardless of the challenges they may face in different geographical locations. Whatever challenges they face, it is our opinion that they should at least listen to the riders and be prepared to adapt the schedule during the weekend if it is in the interest of safety. No one wants change to happen only because of an accident. We hope that, after today, there will be continued and enhanced cooperation between the riders, the teams, Dorna and the FIM to ensure that rider safety remains the priority in our sport. Now, let’s get ready to race tomorrow.
Yes, wasn’t easy with track conditions. Can’t give points to locals, or organizer; new surface was not made from proper mixture to meetthe needs of high temperatures and also never seen such dirty track in the beginning of the race weekend
