English
Italiano
Valentino's injury just prior to the Misano GP totally changes the face of the MotoGP championship. Aside from the disappointment on a human level, the consequences are also significant from a sporting standpoint. Regardless of personal preference, we were really hoping for a four-way fight for the title, one that might even continue as far as Valencia.
Rossi will definitely miss his home race and, lying 26 points from Dovi and with 3 riders ahead of him in the standings, it's easy to assert that his championship has been compromised, if not actually written off.
Removing the Doctor from the group of contenders undoubtedly reshuffles the championship cards. Up until now, Yamaha was the only team able to fight with two riders (we haven't forgotten Honda with Pedrosa, but Dani is still too inconsistent). There are some pros and cons to having two riders fighting for the title.
The best case scenario sees the pair battling it out between them, with the team certain to win either way. But when there are other contenders in the mix, the risk is that the riders take points from each other, to the benefit of their rivals. Without mentioning the friction that can arise in the garage as the grand finale draws ever closer.
Now, after Ducati and Honda, Yamaha too has just one horse on which to bet, and that's Vinales. Maverick will be alone, while Dovizioso can count on Lorenzo and Marquez on Pedrosa. We don't yet know if anyone will stand in for #46 at Misano but if the team opts for a replacement, it could well be a test rider, Nakasuga or Nozane.
Two good riders but who cannot be expected to run ahead of Marc or Andrea. The Japanese may choose to use them in order to test something new with the M1 in the race and this may prove useful in the final stages of the championship.
This is the theory, because team orders have never worked well in MotoGP in fact. In 2010, Rossi himself, having returned from injury sustained at Mugello, starred in a skin to skin fight in Japan with then team-mate Lorenzo, who was fighting for the title. Logically, Valentino wanted to prove that his injury was behind him and had no trouble cutting across Jorge's line.
Having said that, there is still the chance that a team-mate may have the back of the title contender in a decisive race, and it would be better for Maverick to have Valentino as an ally than as an enemy, the same going for Dovizioso with Lorenzo and Marquez with Pedrosa of course.
A lot depends on when Valentino will be able to return, with the Japanese GP looking most likely, though Aragon stands a chance, a little over 3 weeks post-surgery. As we well know, in 2017 anything is possible.
