[kropotkin thinks...] - The 2016 MotoGP Season Preview: Best Ever Season Or Bust?

[Ninjette Newsbot]

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The 2015 MotoGP season will go down in history as one of the best and most memorable of all time. The title was tightly contested between two of the best motorcycle racers of all time, while two more of the best motorcycle racers of all time won races and helped make the championship exciting. It saw a resurgence of Ducati, bringing the grand total of competitive manufacturers back up to three, along with a solid return to the fold of Suzuki. It saw rising young stars join the class, showing promise of becoming possible future greats.

Above all, 2015 offered fantastic racing, with the results going all the way down to the wire. We were treated to triumph and tragedy, the title battle ebbing and flowing between Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo almost week to week. We saw races decided by fractions of a second, brave passing maneuvers rewarded, while hubris was punished mercilessly. We saw controversy, including one of the most controversial incidents in many, many years, where a clash between riders looked like deciding the championship. The title went down to the wire, decided only at the final race, in another event which was filled with controversy. It was eerily reminiscent of the 2006 season, the first year I started writing about MotoGP.

The aftermath of the 2006 season also has valuable lessons for 2016. There were major changes to the technical regulations for 2007, just as there are for this year. In 2007, MotoGP went from 990cc bikes to 800cc, with restrictions on tires and fuel. 2016 sees the introduction of spec electronics – the so-called common or unified software – and the switch from Bridgestone to Michelin tires. Unfortunately for the new fans who were captivated by the spectacle of 2006, the 2007 championship saw the combination of Ducati, Bridgestone and Casey Stoner get the rules right to devastating effect, and the Australian run away with the championship. It shook MotoGP to its core, and marked a pivotal point in MotoGP history.

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