MICHAEL SCOTT
‘Part of the joy is that it’s naughty’
Three moments of GP history. One, on a YouTube prowl, showed legend Jarno Saarinen, diving inside the oppo in a 1970s 250 race. Right inside the white line onto the dirt at the apex. Much like Rossi’s defeat of Stoner at Laguna in 2008 (No.2). The third, another legend: Freddie Spencer in 1983, when he took the title from Kenny Roberts by two points. The key moment came at the end of Anderstorp’s straight in Sweden, where Freddie’s aggressive late braking put King Kenny off the into the dirt. The move was hard, the result crucial.
All three riders were lauded for their daring but this year sees a new crop of regulations, robbing riders of lap times and results. For Moto2’s Jorge Martin in Austria, a win. Although a fighting first over the line. Strictly applied rules would also have punished Saarinen, Rossi and Spencer. Dropped one place. Freddie would have lost the title. The same Freddie who since last year has been chairman of the super-strict Panel of Stewards. MotoGP’s new police force. Unfair to pick on him? Well, he signed up for it, and presides over a very inflexible panel, ruthlessly applying the letter of the law. Only following orders.
One new rule automatically cancels a lap time set while yellow flags are displayed. Neither rider nor stewards can respond to circumstances or apply judgement. In time-tight qualifying sessions, this has several times cost riders important grid positions through no fault of their own.
Another concerns even minuscule transgression onto the green paint on corner exits… easily done inadvertently in a tough race. Repeated mid-race slips trigger a potential penalty. On the last lap, it’s automatic lose-one-place, no matter how tiny the error.
Martin is far from the only victim. Japan’s impressive Moto3 rider Ogura was one of several in the class, although Pol Espargaro got away with it in MotoGP because he was judged to have been pushed. Aha. Flexibility at last.
Part of the joy of racing (indeed, motorcycling) is that it’s a bit naughty. Or perhaps grid positions and race results should be determined not by lap times and finishing order, for fear of breaking rules, but by choir practice instead.