MotoGp 2012 kicks off this weekend at Losail, in Qatar. Just about everything will be new with new, 1000cc MotoGp bikes, CRT bikes on the grid for the first time and a brand new “tiddler” class, Moto3, replacing the lamented 125cc class. And there will be new teams, new riders and new combinations.
Missing from Moto2 will be a rider who we were fully expecting to see there this season. Australia’s Damian Cudlin was signed with the QMMT Team, based in Qatar (where Cudlin is the reigning Superbike champion) but a disappointing test season has seen him replaced at the last minute. The split was supposed to be “amicable” and a “joint decision” but, in my experience, these things never are and Damian’s silence on the matter on Facebook suggests that he was “given the elbow” in pretty acrimonious circumstances. It will be no comfort to him that his place in the team has been taken by another Aussie, Anthony West, who has shelved his BSB plans to take up a chance in Moto2 with a much better-funded team than the woeful MZ outfit with whom he has wasted the last two years.
Marc Marquez came through his testing in good shape and is reportedly recovered from his vision problems which is good for him and good for the class.
On the MotoGp front, the always perceptive Michael Csysz has penned a very good article that tips the bucket on CRT and makes some extremely good points about the future of MotoGp.
Read Michael’s article (courtesy of crash.net) here.
That’s all for now, but make sure that you check your local TV guides for broadcast times this weekend because the Qatar race is at night time, under lights so it’s going to be on in the early hours of Monday morning sometime if you live in Oz.
As well, this morning I am publishing a huge update on the Shadowfax restoration page so check the link on the right hand side of this page.