Cycle News

VOL. 52 ISSUE 25 JUNE 23, 2015 P127 he was one of many victims of rapidly changing track tempera- tures. He also fell in San Marino and in streaming rain at Aragon, but was able to get going again every time. He was still Merciless, but much less Manic. Hardly bumped into anybody. Even started to get a better reputa- tion. That's what confidence will do for you. This year, he has been robbed of that confidence, and has turned back into a mad dog. Asked after the Catalunya race whether Marc was riding dangerously again, the Yamaha pair were amused, kind of. "Just look at my face. I don't need to answer," said Lorenzo, nod- ding gravely; while Rossi gave his cackling laugh. "Marc is very friendly, he likes to be very close. Sometimes he wants to come inside your bike." These are the actions of a desperate man, and despera- tion is something of a motif for Marc this year, as his champion- ship chances become increas- ingly minuscule with every fresh prang. The first was in Argentina, when Rossi turned up to take over his long-held lead. Went to pieces a bit, hit him twice—quite hard the first time, and crashing the second. Next was in Mugello—a simple going-too-fast crash with the front sliding away. And now at the next round in Catalunya. Again a collision, and then a crash. Well, you have to admire his determination. Only first place is good enough. He's got used to it; has been used to it for years, in fact. Paradoxically, in the con- text of the World Championship, this makes him less of a racer, when it comes to amassing points. There are some occa- sions when, through techni- cal or other circumstances, it's simply not possible to win. Those days you are supposed to accept second, or even worse. You might get tagged as a percentage-racer, but you'll keep piling up the points. This year, after seven races, he has won once and actually did accept second at Jerez, where he had a freshly broken finger hampering his perfor- mance. But three no-scores mean he lags badly behind Iannone and Dovizioso, who haven't won any. Indeed, he is only one point clear of satellite Yamaha rider Bradley Smith, who has been impressively con- sistent all season. Kind of the Yin to Marquez's Yang. Finger apart, the changed circumstances are technical. Yamaha has unlocked more hid- den potential from their in-line four than Honda has from its V4, which until this year everybody would have agreed was a bet- ter bike in every way. For one thing, a V4 is more compact than the wider in-line four, al- lowing more variation in engine placement. Nor does it need a power-sapping balance shaft. But the paradoxes continue. Somehow, this might be an advantage. The difference this year is in one particular area—corner entry. That is where the Honda suffers, while the Yamaha—with a more exaggerated weight transfer because of its higher, wider engine—has found a sig- nificant improvement. This is so important. The Honda is faster and more powerful than the Yamaha. But speed and power aren't ev- erything when it comes to lap times, as Suzuki is proving in the hands of the elder Espar- garo brother, and class rookie Vinales: they were first and second fastest in qualifying at Catalunya. Corner entry, on the other hand, is vital. That is where nearly all the overtaking hap- pens. If you're weak in that area, it makes you very vulner- able. Is this vulnerability what Marc can't stand? He has spoken repeatedly about how he has been forced to ride over the limit, where ac- cidents can happen. There is another choice, but it's not for him. CN

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