P102
CN
III IN THE PADDOCK
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
T
hat's the thing about Mo-
toGP. It is utterly predict-
able. You always know
who is going to win. It's Rossi.
Whoops. Mistake there. My
memory slipped a decade and a
half. Now I recall, the opposite
is true. MotoGP is, nowadays,
thoroughly unpredictable, and
most times Rossi doesn't win.
It is especially unpredictable
for the forthcoming 2017 season,
with significant rider changes at
all levels. A new entry from KTM.
And new rules banning wings.
Who would be bold enough
guess the outcome of the cham-
pionship?
All the same, as we settle in
to the new year, there are some
things that will definitely happen.
Here is my list.
1 – Marc Marquez will be
penalized—back of the grid and
several penalty points—for kick-
ing Rossi and causing him to fall
off. Tit for tat. It's only fair.
2 – Jorge Lorenzo will join
the spirit of Ducati's technical
adventure by making up for the
red bikes' loss of wings under
the new regs. Cleverly hinged
knee-sliders will have the same
effect. For faster tracks, a pro-
filed visor and shoulder-guards
as well. The wind will be his new
18 REASONS TO LOVE MOTOGP
