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coimbrabertone · 8 months ago

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MotoGP Silly Season Predictions - Plus Larson Waiver Talk.

As recently as this morning, I was planning on this week's blogpost being about the Kyle Larson waiver situation over in NASCAR, however, MotoGP then decided to do everything all at once and launched silly season into high gear.

So, with regards to Larson, I'll just say one thing: he raced in the Indianapolis 500 competitively and made NASCAR look good mere years after Jimmie Johnson, unfortunately, struggled in a Chip Ganassi Indycar on road and street circuits - and there were a lot of jokes at NASCAR's expense after their seven-time world champion spun out every race. So how does NASCAR repay him? Utter silence over whether or not he'll get a playoff waiver.

Kyle Larson is the 2021 champion, took his car to the owner's championship final four as a result of playoff shenanigans in 2022, and then made the final four in 2023 again. He is considered one of the top talents in NASCAR and he has the results to back it up. So why is there controversy over him getting a playoff waiver for this year?

Because Kyle Larson prioritized the Indianapolis 500 last weekend.

I talked about this in my Motorsports Christmas blogpost, but the Indy 500 was rain delayed and Kyle Larson stayed there to compete, and only then he flew out to Charlotte. Now, Kyle Larson landed, was ready to get into the car, but then it started raining in Charlotte too. Just before midnight, as the track was drying, NASCAR controversially decided to call the race, thus Kyle Larson was not able to relieve Justin Allgaier in the #5 and resume the rest of the Coke 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR is mad because every other weekend of the year, they're the biggest show in racing, they can throw their weight around and try to chase NFL ratings while all other racing series are considered a niche. That's true every weekend except Memorial Day weekend, when the Indianapolis 500 reigns supreme. The whole existence of the Charlotte 600 is to compete with Indy.

Larson prioritized the bigger race and that made NASCAR made, because they're used to getting their egos stroked.

Larson is one of the best drivers in NASCAR and the double attempt brought good publicity to both sports. He had already won his way into the playoffs and made an effort to get to Charlotte for the end of the 600 - give him a waiver. If not, well, you face the possibility that Austin Cindric is in the playoffs after his shock win at Iowa, and one of the top drivers in the series isn't.

I like Austin, I'm glad he won, but he's nowhere near the same level as Kyle Larson. If he can compete for the championship and Kyle can't, then it makes the NASCAR playoffs look even less legitimate than they already are.

Anyway, that turned into a longer rant than I intended, so I'll leave it there. Now onto the main topic for today: MotoGP silly season.

Yesterday at Mugello, Enea Bastianini spent the final laps of the race charging from fourth to second, overtaking Marc Marquez for third and then pulling off an audacious last corner pass on Jorge Martin for second. This meant that Enea finished just eight tenths off leader Pecco Bagnaia for a factory Ducati 1-2.

So naturally, Ducati has decided to replace him.

Marc Marquez, who finished four and last out of these three, is going to the Ducati Lenovo Team, according to Autosport.

This was all but confirmed when, a few hours later, Aprilia confirmed the signing of Jorge Martin for Aprilia. Jorge Martin who finished third and got overtaken by Enea Bastianini in the final corner, mind you.

Now, of course, Ducati is not judging this off of one race alone and I acknowledge - as I did in two recent blogposts - that Enea has had a rotten time on the factory Ducati seat. That being said, seeing him lose Ducati to Marc Marquez, who finished last of the main three, and then lose out on the Aprilia seat to the guy he overtook in the final corner. It stings.

That being said, some news out of this weekend might offer a possibility for Enea to have a bit of a soft landing from the factory seat anyway. Let me explain:

Earlier in this weekend, Marc Marquez spelled out his demands in an interview. He said that he was not interested in going to Pramac, saying that he didn't want to switch from a satellite team (he's currently riding a 2023 Ducati at Gresini Racing) to another satellite team (Pramac runs 2024 Ducatis, same as the factory team, with factory contracted riders, they are still customers, however). Instead, Marquez said that the best option was a factory team, and if not that, then a factory bike at minimum.

Translation: Marc Marquez wanted the factory team for 2025, and if he couldn't get that, then he wanted a 2025 Ducati at Gresini, remaining at his current team.

In response, Gino Borsoi, who is the team manager at Pramac, insisted that his team had a contract for two factory-spec Ducati GP25s next year. This was somewhat of a surprise for a number of reasons, one: Ducati announced late last year that they signed Moto2 rider Fermin Aldeguer for 2025, and it seemed like the natural landing spot for him was going to be Pramac...until it emerged later on that Ducati wanted to start Fermin out on a 2024 bike. Two: regardless of which spec Ducati Fermin is going to be on, Pramac has been heavily linked to Yamaha lately.

The Japanese bikes are struggling in MotoGP right now and, ever since RNF switched to satellite Aprilias for 2023, Yamaha has not had a satellite team. Four bikes capturing data instead of two could really help Yamaha right now, so they've been linked to pretty much every Ducati satellite team the last few months. VR46 with the romanticism of a Valentino Rossi and Yamaha reunion, Gresini until they renewed their deal, and most recently, with Pramac.

Yamaha was desperate and the rumor has been that they offered very generous terms to Pramac.

So, the news that Pramac may stay with Ducati after all is a shock to the media, but it does not seem to have been much of a shock to Ducati. Ducati had been working on a way to keep both Martin and Marquez, and it seems that they wanted to offer Pramac the chance to run MotoGP's biggest star - Marc Marquez - as a reason to stay...and potentially a reason to accept taking on a rookie Aldeguer on a year-old bike as well.

Now that Marquez is going to the factory team instead and Jorge Martin has snatched the open Aprilia seat, I see an opening. Ducati can send Enea Bastianini to Pramac, keeping him on a factory spec bike while giving Pramac another frontrunning rider. Aldeguer joins as Bastianini's teammate, on a GP25 if that's what it takes to keep Pramac in the fold, because Marc Marquez will be in the factory team so freeing up a GP25 won't be as important.

What about VR46 and Gresini then? Well, I think Marco Bezzecchi's current season has been a bit of a disaster, so he won't really have much of a chance to get a factory ride next year, so staying at VR46 seems likely. Furthermore, his struggles mean that Bezzecchi probably isn't going to have much luck demanding Ducati gives him a GP25, so status quo is probably the most likely outcome there. It's unfortunate for Bezzecchi, but the sheer reality is that, with all these hot riders on the market, his options seem to be either stay at VR46, or make a more or less lateral move to Trackhouse Aprilia.

Then Franco Morbidelli, another Valentino Rossi academy product, can drop from Pramac into the other VR46 seat.

Where does Fabio DiGiannantonio go then? Well, with Marquez going to the factory, Fabio can now return to Gresini and be reunited with Frankie Carchedi. Thus, restoring the 2023 lineup of Fabio DiGiannantonio and Alex Marquez.

So, to sum things up, I think Ducati can keep all three of its satellite teams and all eight bikes like this:

Ducati Lenovo (GP25): Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez.

Pramac (GP25): Enea Bastianini and Fermin Aldeguer.

VR46 (GP24): Marco Bezzecchi and Franco Morbidelli.

Gresini (GP24): Fabio DiGiannantonio and Alex Marquez.

Maybe Pramac will go to Yamaha after all, maybe my predictions will look radically wrong in a few weeks. I don't know how it'll turn out, but this is the scheme I've thought up in my mind.

I need to do something since with Marc Marquez at Ducati and Jorge Martin at Aprilia, my two favorite teams now have my two least favorite riders and I'm trying not to dwell on that part.

So yeah.

Oh, also this weekend Indycar raced at Detroit, but uhh...the less said about that, the better.

#motorsports #racing #indy 500 #motogp #nascar #nascar cup #nascar cup series #kyle larson #ducati #pramac #gresini #vr46

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fall0utmind · 2 months ago

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Medical Leak AU CH9

On a roll this week!!!!

ao3 here / medical leak au tag on tumblr

Hope you guys enjoy this one, I loved writing it. We are so nearly done now wooooo!!!

Let me know what you think :)

Chapter 9: Redemption (~5k)

The sound of motorcycle engines is humming in his veins. The smell of leather lighting up every synapse. It’s better than any high he’s ever had.

He guns it off the line but misjudges slightly and drops some positions. He ends up swerving to avoid a collision in the middle of the pack and bites his tongue to hold in a shout. Pole to 10th in a corner. Fucking typical. He keeps his head down and pushes on.

Marc knows he can put on a good performance, he can feel it in his bones, the same way he knows that he can be world champion again, that he has the strength to continue in the face of adversity. The world will throw its gauntlet at his feet, but Marc continues to pick it up, bloodied and bruised from the battles that came before. He refuses to give up, taking the hard line at every turn, making moves through the pack. By turn 5 he’s in 4th, just Jorge, Enea, and Pecco ahead of him. In his peripheral, he catches a flash of yellow, Bezzecchi riding by his side. His stomach gives a sickening lurch at the lurid colour, Valentino’s yellow. His mind threatens to fixate on the memories of him but he squashes it down as small as possible. He refuses to let Valentino wreck anything else. This race is his. He will think about Valentino after.

He feels good, the bike is dancing to his tune, not fighting him on every corner like the last few years on the Honda. He’s not on the quickest bike, but he sure as hell will back himself as the best rider. He gives it hell on the next lap, battling hard and clinching a place from Enea. He almost loses the front on the same turn as yesterday, his elbow and knee brushing against the tarmac before he slings himself upright, heaving a deep breath.

He lets out a manic laugh. He feels alive.

On lap 20 he breaks the gap to Pecco and Jorge, hunting them down like prey. He passes Jorge fairly easily, whipping around him on a tight corner line, body tucked close to the track.

Pecco puts up more of a fight. They battle through the penultimate laps, trading positions once they have dropped Jorge. A glance to his right reveals that the Italian is beside him. He grins, pressing down on the throttle.

He throws everything at the last lap, taking every corner on the edge, tucking himself flush against the bike on the straights. He’s pulling away from the red Ducati; it slots in behind him on the last few turns. Marc is too far ahead now, head bowed as he approaches the start/finish straight.

The emotions that rise when he crosses the finish line threaten to overwhelm him. They bubble up and explode as he pumps his fists in the air, screaming at the top of his lungs. He ducks his head to press against his bike, fighting the tears that want to fall.

On the cool-down lap, it feels like every rider on the grid congratulates him. Marc flips his visor up to meet Pecco’s eyes as he swerves closer for a fist bump. Aleix shouts praise at him, audible even over the wind which whips past them. Even Bez rides adjacent to gesture happily to him.

He does cry when he pulls up to the number one spot. It’s been so long. After everything, it feels like redemption. His team, his family, pull him into their arms, screaming at him and slapping him all over. Marc is crying and grinning and laughing. Alex is there, tugging him into a long hug, kissing his head as they pull apart. Dani and Jorge wrap their arms around him and whisper praise into his ears. Dovi leaps over the fence to tug him into a hug. It makes Marc laugh and laugh until he can barely see straight through the dampness in his eyes and the ache in his stomach.

Pecco and Enea have pulled into the second and third-place slots respectively. They both embrace him, congratulating him quietly. Marc smiles at them, small but honest. He feels like he has broken through a glass ceiling somewhere. He doesn’t know what that means. Some of the Factory Ducati team slap his back as he passes; GiGi grins at him knowingly.

He is on top of the world.

He barely registers as they are escorted into the back of a car. Marc tries to keep his feet on the ground. He dances onto the podium, drinking up the atmosphere as his team whistles from below. He allows a real, beaming smile to engulf his face, stretching wider as he looks up at the sky. Despite the predominantly Italian crowd, he can’t hear any boos, Marc wonders what that means. They cheer when he receives his trophy and get louder as he is drenched in champagne by Frankie, Pecco, and Enea. All of them are grinning proudly at him. He feels a little drunk.

(He hasn’t had a sip yet)

As the podium celebrations die down, something catches his eye. In the crowd, standing to the side is Valentino. Marc chokes. Valentino never watches a podium when Marc is on it, even if one of the academy boys has won. Valentino does not look away, staring at where Marc is glowing on the top step, champagne and sweat glistening on his skin.

Vale looks like he has seen a god.

Marc feels off-kilter, something akin to hope blooming within him.

Rules dictate that Marc has to endure another media session after he is swept off the podium. He temporarily pushes Vale to the back of his mind as they are herded into the usual post-race routine. The media pen is as busy as usual, and the sickening dread has returned in full force. He considers ignoring any questions related to his mental health in prior years, but then he remembers the interactions from this morning. Marc decides that he will no longer be ashamed.

Instead, he stares directly into the cameras as he confirms the truth of the articles. He stands tall and says he is proud of himself for overcoming his challenges. He desperately hopes it inspires others to reach out for help. He smiles as he details that he is doing much better now, thanks to the support of his family and professionals. When he asks for respect and privacy, he thinks about all the damage this has caused. He knows there will be people who never look at him the same, their cruel words will now always take a certain tone, and from now on he will be the rider who almost died by suicide. He makes peace with it.

Marc frowns at the cameras, considering for a second. He thinks of Valentino standing at the bottom of the podium and decides. He steals himself and does what he should have done years ago. For once, he hopes it goes viral. Marc must lay out the pain caused by the people who have manipulated the truth. He bites his lip.

“My life has been dramatically changed across the last 11 years in this sport. It has been the most incredible opportunity, but it has also been the hardest time of my life. I have been slandered by the press, stalked, and harassed. It has been a rough ride, some of the most painful moments of my life. A lot of it is due to words rather than crashes or injuries. I will always be more than the comments and the press, but I am a real person, with real feelings, and a family who love me.”, he states.

He smiles slightly, feeling vindicated and continues.

“The people who say these things must live sad and shallow lives and should find a more productive use of their time. I will no longer sit and take it. I am an 8-time world champion. I have come through hell and back and have the scars to prove it. You do not get to sit and comment on me until you have been through similar.”

He smirks, his PR training has gone out of the window. The reporter looks shell-shocked. Despite it all, the pain and the lies he has relived this weekend, Marc is grinning to himself as he walks away.

When he arrives back at the garage, his press officer wisely doesn’t say anything. He detects a slight hint of pride on her face and grins widely. He knows they will talk about it another day, but for now, he allows himself to get sucked into the team celebrations. A sea of blue surrounds Marc, his little family that he now calls home. Someone is blasting music out of a speaker. Marc is singing at the top of his lungs, bouncing around with Alex, and pulling his crew into the celebration.

Before long, the booze is brought out. Two guys from the team grab Marc, holding him tight as they drench him in champagne, making him splutter and squirm in their arms. He is covered in the sticky liquid, wiping at his eyes in a failed attempt to see. Dani, Dovi, and Jorge are still with them, watching on with proud expressions. Another bottle of champagne is dumped over Marc’s head, and he cackles loudly, his elation spilling over. He has missed this. Marc drinks some of the sweet liquid from the bottle being poured into his mouth. Once he is released, he turns his attention to Alex and the crew, and an evil smile is on his face. Marc aims for revenge but somehow gets more drenched in the process. He couldn’t care less; happiness bubbling inside of him.

He feels like a weight has been lifted, in more ways than one. He won a race again; he effectively told the media to fuck off. He giggles a little, champagne going straight to his head and making him giddy. He hands the bottle to Dovi and Dani, goading them to drink some before he thoroughly soaks them straight after. Jorge glares at him for that. Marc can’t find it within himself to give a shit.

It’s Alex who shows him, once the champagne has been put away and the towels handed out. He shoves his phone into Marc’s hands with no preamble. Marc squints at the screen and almost chucks the phone back at his brother. On-screen, Valentino is giving an interview, it’s clearly from this weekend, after the race. Marc wonders what the hell Alex is thinking. He shoots his brother a look, silently asking.

“Just listen to it”, Alex implores.

Marc sighs, unimpressed by Alex’s demands. He doesn’t want to see whatever Valentino has said to the press; he’s sure it won’t be nice. He presses play anyway. Once the video loads, Marc can’t tear his eyes away. Valentino looks deflated as if the wind has been stolen from his sails. He looks sad. Marc strains his ears to listen intently to Valentino's rapid Italian, shock punching him in the stomach as he registers exactly what he is saying. Valentino compliments Marc’s race and his win, even suggesting that races like this were what made him one of the greats.

One of the greats.

Marc thinks he might have hit his head, maybe he’s in a coma and this is some weird dream. On his screen, Valentino looks into the camera and says that Marc is brave to have faced all his life adversities and come out smiling, which the average person would not be able to manage. The real kicker is what happens next. Valentino apologises, live on air. Claiming that he was sorry his actions had caused such turmoil in Marc’s life and asking the media to respect his privacy and be kind. Marc drops the phone.

The cynical part of Marc’s brain screams that Valentino is being superficial, an easy way to make himself look good. The rational part admits that the Valentino he knows could never apologise in private, let alone in front of millions of people in a public interview. He’s serious about this. This is his way of proving he is sorry. It makes him feel hesitant.

(It makes him feel a tiny bit pleased and possessive that Valentino would admit that in front of everyone).

He bends down to pick up the phone, smiling sheepishly as he hands it back to Alex. Deep down he knows it is an olive branch from Valentino, but he will have to do more than that to win Marc’s trust back. The older man has caused too much hurt to be fixed in one simple interview. At this point, Marc doesn’t know if he will be able to rekindle their friendship, no matter how much he loves Valentino.

Once the track celebrations have died down, they make plans for the evening. Soon enough, Marc finds himself strolling into a local club with Alex in tow. The lighting is low and red, very red. It casts everything in an atmospheric hue which screams drama and sex; Marc grins at the thought. Strobe lights shine in time to the throbbing bass, illuminating the floor in flashes. Opposite the entrance is a large bar stocked with every type of alcohol Marc could think of. A sprawling dance floor is already filled with writhing bodies. Across the room, tucked into a quieter corner, there are elaborate tables and booths of plush leather with golden details. Marc guesses this is what money buys.

He beelines to the bar, dragging Alex with him. He has to lean over the counter to shout his order, smiling at the bartender who stares with wide eyes. When they return with his drinks, Marc promptly chugs the first of the two drinks he ordered. He grins as he places the cup down, unabashed. Alex reaches around him to take his own drink before he tugs Marc back onto the floor.

They make their way towards the table which the team have claimed, Marc, clutching his drink in one hand and holding onto Alex’s shirt with the other. People cheer as the brothers approach, slapping Marc’s back and shouting greetings at them both. Dovi is already there and when their eyes meet, he raises his drink in a toast. Marc sips some of the sweet alcohol, allowing himself to relax. He is still in the afterglow of his win, practically buzzing with it. The weekend has been tough, but after 3 years without a win, he deserves this.

Most of the Gresini team are here to celebrate Marc’s victory with him. Marc takes the time to search the vicinity for familiar faces. He lights up when he spots Frankie walking towards the group carrying more drinks and pulls him into a warm hug. There are also several other teams and pilots, Marc thinks he sees Pecco in the distance. The alcohol is free-flowing from pretty early on in the evening, so it’s not long before Marc is feeling loose and tipsy. He allows people to grasp him, shouting congratulations in his ear. Marc feels happy.

Dani and Jorge turn up half an hour late, looking slightly flushed. Dovi smirks at them but Dani steps on his foot before he can comment. Marc and Alex grin. No one says a word.

They lose Alex at some point. Upon a quick scan of the area, Marc spots him chatting away with Franco, which is certainly a turn of events. Alex is talking excitedly, hands moving rapidly as he does. Franky is watching with rapt fascination, his face slightly awed. And gross. Since when were they a thing? He makes a mental note to grill his brother at a later date. Preferably once he’s drunk. He looks away. A head of brunette curls catches his eye in the crowd, Marc really hopes that’s not who he thinks it is. He swallows around the discomfort in his throat and suddenly feels way too sober. Consequently, he offers to get the next round, forcing his friends to come with him.

Dovi slots himself against Marc’s back as he orders, talking to Dani and Jorge animatedly as he does so. Those two have given up being subtle at this point, Jorge’s hand on Dani’s waist as they talk. Marc is happy for them; they seem to be made for one another with their shared understanding of each other’s lives and passions. It is a good fit. They are sickeningly domestic; Jorge looks at Dani like he’s the whole universe. It makes Marc’s chest ache a little.

He focuses instead on handing each man their drink, indicating that the bill should be added to his tab. Dovi takes his drink and smacks a kiss onto Marc’s cheek, laughing when he pulls a disgusted face.

“Thanks, babe”, Dovi says, amusement colouring his voice. Marc sticks his tongue out.

Jorge scoffs, “Get a room, guys.”

Dovi grins back at him, a little sharp around the edges.

“Ah, maybe we will”, he retorts.

Marc smirks, chipping into the teasing conversation, “It will be right next to yours”.

Marc laughs, loud and delighted, at the grossed-out look on Jorge’s face. Dani starts giggling, muttering something about Marc probably being loud. Marc doesn’t deny it. He’s still chuckling to himself when he realises that the others have fallen oddly quiet. Dani is staring at something over Marc’s shoulder, his eyes wide. Marc turns to look behind him, only to stumble when he sees Valentino a few steps away, his face sour.

Valentino closes the gap a little more, eyes flicking between the group of four. He looks way too sober to be here. His eyes look dull without their trademark spark of humour. Marc wonders why he’s come. Valentino’s voice is calmly controlled when he asks to speak to Marc but even he cannot conceal the flash of irritation when Dovi replies first.

“No, Rossi. Leave him alone for once in your life”, Dovi seethes.

Valentino looks like he’s going to argue, the familiar anger building behind his eyes. But to Marc’s surprise, he exhales harshly, dropping his gaze to the floor before he turns on his heels and stalks away. It leaves Marc feeling adrift, the haze of alcohol lifting and leaving behind pure confusion. What could Valentino want so badly and why did he leave without a fight? It was so unlike him.

He thinks back on the interview from earlier, the easy way Valentino had praised Marc, had defended him. Now this, his uncharacteristic calmness and walking away from an argument. Marc doesn’t understand what it means. He puts his head in his hands and groans. Things could never be simple, could they? He turns back to the others, who are staring at him with looks of sympathy and pity. He can’t stand it. Instead, he gestures to the tables, determined to forget about it all for the next few hours.

Marc has lost track of the number of drinks he’s had; at some point, people had begun pressing them into his hands- the perks of winning. He’s been dragged onto the dance floor by someone and is happily swaying his hips to the beat. He had lost his friends a while ago, he assumes they are back at the table rather than dancing (too old or something). Instead, he finds himself with a very drunk Bezzecchi and a substantially more sober (although definitely tipsy) Pecco.

Bez is careless as he happily dances with Marc, his hands all over the Spaniard as he bounces to the music. When they had first bumped into each other on the dancefloor, Bez had fluttered around awkwardly, as if unsure about what he was allowed. Pecco had pulled Marc into a tipsy hug, grinning at him and staying by his side and Bez had taken this as permission. It’s no secret that the Italian is a touchy person, and clearly, he now feels content to be as close to Marc as physically possible. Hence Marc is dancing with two Italians who can’t keep their hands to themselves. He is too drunk to care. He feels eyes on him all evening, burning hot attention. He cannot identify who it is.

At some point, Celestino joins their group. Marc is unfamiliar with the younger rider since he has not yet made the step to the higher class. But Bez is clearly fond of him. The two are plastered together from the minute he arrives, giving Marc some needed breathing room. He laughs at their clinginess. They were clearly made for each other, he says as much to Pecco, who just laughs knowingly. Marc cannot help the sense of contentment he feels, alongside the slither of sadness that he has been missing out on this. He is not sure he can lose the fondness he has gained for the other riders this weekend. He hopes he won’t have to.

Bez turns to Marc, breaking him out of his thoughts.

“Can you stop Vale from being so grumpy? I do not want to do more laps next time we train”, he slurs, drawing out the ‘e’ in Valentino’s name.

“What?”, Marc asks.

“I don’t know. He has been moody all day. Pecco is not talking to him, Luca is being odd. Now he is staring daggers at us for no reason. I do not like it. I want us to be normal.”, Bez grumbles. Marc thinks he sounds a bit like a child when he is drunk and cranky.

Bez frowns, as if deep in thought.

“Although you can stay.”, he decides.

“I like you more than I thought. He is obsessed with you though. It’s always Marc this, or Marquez that. Anyone would think he was jealous with the way he goes on-”

Bez’s monologue is prematurely cut off by Pecco slapping a hand over his mouth, preventing him from saying much else. But the damage is done, Marc stands with his mouth agape, staring at the Italians. Belatedly, Marc thinks it's rather sweet that Bez already appears fond of him, although that could be alcohol speaking. His brain is stuck on the idea that Valentino is obsessed with him, that he talks about him, and that the boys think he is jealous. Jealous of what, Marc is not sure. Thinking about it makes his head spin. Suddenly, he feels like he desperately needs some fresh air.

He turns on his heel and pushes through the crowd, distantly aware of Pecco scolding Bez in his periphery. He’s hot and sweaty when he eventually escapes the dance floor. He picks his way across the room, stumbling out the back, which is blissfully empty. He gulps in the fresh air, allowing it to cool his clammy skin. Marc is too drunk to fathom the words Bez has just said.

Marc doesn’t know how long he has been standing there, staring into space, when he hears the door open and close behind him and the warm press of another body. He jerks backwards, his eyes bugging when he realises that Valentino has joined him. The older man looks worse for wear, yet somehow still gorgeous. His normally startling blue eyes are clouded, and he is swaying slightly on the spot. Marc groans internally. Now is the worst possible time for this to happen. Marc has consumed far too much alcohol for this and Valentino undoubtedly has too.

“Marc,” Valentino says his name like a prayer. It makes Marc shiver slightly, much to his dismay. Valentino clocks it immediately, whispering his name again and stepping closer.

Marc inches backwards.

“Marc, Marc please listen to me”, Valentino pleads.

“What do you want Vale?”, he responds. His voice is deeper than he expected. He clears his throat. He kicks himself for letting the nickname slip out. Valentino takes another step forward and sinks to his knees.

Marc freezes, his mouth hanging open as he stares at where Valentino is kneeling in front of him. He feels hot under the collar and really, he should not be turned on by this, not now. Not when it’s Valentino.

His eyes are wide and so, so blue as he looks up at Marc, the outside lights illuminating his face. He looks ethereal. Marc is so fucked.

“Please, Marc”, Valentino begins.

“Just give me a chance, I would do anything. I have been an asshole, such an asshole. Cazzo, I promise I didn’t know. I will have the journalists fired. I will make sure whoever leaked this loses their jobs. I will do anything.”, Valentino pleads.

“You had nothing to do with this then. You didn’t set your people on me again?”

“I didn’t know. I was blinded by my jealousy and inadequacy. I am so tired of channelling my anger into something that happened years ago. I promise I'm going to work on it”, he is slurring now, looking more defenceless than Marc has ever seen him.

Marc sighs, torn between his heart and his head.

“And the text”, he whispers.

“What text?”, Valentino asks, confusion marring his voice.

Marc pulls out his phone, showing Valentino the singular message he had received earlier in the weekend. His face drops when he sees the number.

“Bastard”, Valentino seethes. Marc watches him carefully, but only sees the truth in his eyes, he sighs.

“Someone, you do know, I assume?”, Marc enquires.

Valentino nods slowly, he winces slightly, shifting on his knees, still peering up at the younger man.

“Uccio. He has led me astray for too long. He may be my best friend but he holds a grudge.”

Marc raises an eyebrow, challenging Valentino.

“That’s rich coming from you.”, he comments. Vale winces.

“Just give me a chance. I will do anything you want Marc. I will spend every second of the rest of my life proving myself to you. I miss you. I miss your smile and your laughter. Every time you walk past, I cannot help but stare. When you get on a bike it is like I am a moth drawn to a flame. You are addictive to me. I will no longer hide from it. The past is the past. It is behind us, now I am asking for your forgiveness. Forgiveness I should have sought a decade ago. I will not stop until you can see that I mean it. However long it takes.”

Marc is saved from replying as the door bangs open. He startles at the noise, whirling around to see who it is. Luca stands in the doorway, rooted to the spot, gaping openly at Marc and his brother, who is still on the floor. He glances between the two, before setting his gaze on Valentino.

“Valentino what are you doing?”, he says slowly, as if talking to a child.

“What does it look like I’m doing” Valentino hisses back. “You said I should get on my knees and beg if I have to. So here I am.”

Marc can only watch in stunned silence. He turns to Luca

“Is he sick? Dying? Being blackmailed?”, he asks, a pleading tone in his voice.

“Nope he’s just drunk and stupid”, Luca replies, shaking his head at Valentino, who has finally clambered back to his feet.

(Marc isn’t disappointed)

(He isn’t)

“Ah, Okay.” Marc murmurs, still baffled. Valentino scowls at Luca but before he can comment, Luca has him by the arm and is pushing him towards Franky, who has stuck his head outside the door. Alex isn’t far behind him, peeking over his shoulder at the commotion.

“Look after him”, Luca demands. Alex and Franky have moved fully outside now, coming to stand next to the others, watching Valentino warily.

“But-” Franky begins to protest. Luca cuts him off.

“You can fuck Alex after, I’ll sort him out in a minute. I need to talk to Marc”, he grouses.

Marc groans but then looks at his brother, smirking as Alex turns bright red. He is unable to resist the quip.

“Be safe little brother. You know use a-”, he starts. Alex slaps a hand over his mouth, glaring. It makes Marc giggle, his inner turmoil momentarily forgotten.

“Shut up, Marc” he grits out, but cannot help the fond amusement that radiates off him. Marc continues to giggle, unaware of Valentino’s lovestruck face as he is handed over to Franky. Alex rolls his eyes and leaves, patting Franky and whispering something in his ear on his way back inside. The two Italians follow, Franky almost dragging Valentino away.

Luca has his hand on his forehead when Marc glances back at him, looking way more stressed than anyone should on a night out. He looks up at Marc and smiles, looking slightly embarrassed.

“You did well today. You should be proud.” Luca remarks with the kindness Marc has come to know him for. He smiles at the younger, who goes on.

“I’m sorry about Vale. He is trying you know? I know my brother normally has his head up his ass but I’ve never seen him this crazy about anyone but you. I get it if you can’t do it anymore. But I know love when I see it”, he blurts.

Marc is stunned. Love? Surely not. His heart aches in his chest. Before he can question it any further, or dispute it because there is no way that Valentino loves him, Luca turns and leaves, undoubtedly to go find Vale and take him home. With that, all Marc can do is get spectacularly pissed.

So, he does.

He knocks back drink, after drink, after drink. He doesn’t see Alex again for the rest of the night, Marc makes a face at the thought of where he has gone. Luca has taken Vale home. Marc has stayed with the others, celebrating with the team into the early hours. The way it should be. Yet he can’t help but feel like something is missing.

He stumbles back to his motorhome at some stupid hour. Jorge and Dani make sure he gets back safe, taking him from the club back to the track before they head off to the hotel. His memories feel hazy as he tries to fit the key into the lock, failing several times until it finally clicks into place. He remembers doing shots with some of the academy boys, dancing with Fabio (he vaguely recalls being on a table), and sloppily kissing someone. He’s pretty sure he told Dani and Jorge that they’d be great parents one day since they were looking after him so well. Dani had laughed hard whilst leaning on Jorge, who was blushing. Marc feels happy. So happy. He pointedly does not think about Valentino.

Once he is in the motorhome, he staggers through the front room and into his bedroom. He falls into bed after stripping off most of his clothes and drifts into a dreamless sleep.

#motogp #marc marquez #rosquez #motogp rpf #my fics #medical leak au #valentino rossi #really happy with this #come talk to me about it #pleaseeeee #dovquez #pedrenzo

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legomotogp · 6 months ago

Video

youtube

Deretan Ducati Terkeren di World Ducati Week 2024!

#youtube #motogp #ducati #wdw #world ducati week #marc marquez #pecco bagnaia #jorge martin

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kwisatzworld · 1 year ago

Text

‘My dad and my uncles used to go on track with their street bikes and sometimes I had the possibility to go with them and I was so excited to see them riding,’ says the 25-year-old Italian, who looks more like a philosophy student than a mean, lean motorcycle racer. ‘I remember perfectly when my dad got his Aprilia RSV4, the one with the trick taillight, and I thought how beautiful it was.’

‘Then I remember one of my uncles arriving at my home to call my dad to go for a ride and hearing the dry clutch of his Ducati 996. So from a very young age I was inside that world and every time Valentino was on TV we cheered for him. I was so happy when he was winning and I was crying when he didn't win the title in 2006. I believed a lot in him when he was at Ducati but it didn't work.’

That performance won him a ride in the 2013 Moto3 world championship but the step was too big. He didn’t score a point all year and wandered around the paddock, a lost, forlorn 16-year-old. Bizarrely, this proved to be his greatest fortune, because Rossi and lifelong sidekick Uccio Salucci saw talent inside the morose teenager. ‘I remember meeting Uccio for the first time at Brno,’ Bagnaia recalls. ‘He told me to smile more, because whenever he saw me I was angry or unhappy. A few weeks later Uccio called my dad and they had a meeting at Phillip Island. They discussed their new project for young riders, the VR46 Academy - I became one of the first academy riders.’

‘I didn't work with psychologists because I think the people that can help you more are the people around you. I love it when those people tell me what they think about me and what I need to improve.’

Bagnaia is so different from his mentor - quiet, humble and hardly bubbling with charisma - but perhaps he will get more interesting with age (riders usually do). However, he does already have some rock-and-roll credentials: during MotoGP’s 2022 summer break he went clubbing in Ibiza with Rossi and the rest of the VR46 clan. On the way home he stuck his car in a ditch and got nicked for drink-driving. This misdemeanour got him into big trouble with many, but not so long ago it was pretty much compulsory for motorcycle racers to get drunk and drive their cars into ditches. At least that episode proved Bagnaia isn’t as squeaky clean as he seems.

Archive｜Bike Magazine February 2023

#pecco bagnaia #motogp #bike magazine #magazine #by mat oxley

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batsplat · 3 months ago

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about 2007 motegi, i’ve really thought a lot… when valentino congratulated casey on his title, he specifically mentioned his championship t-shirt. from my observation there wasn’t anything particularly special about it, it might just be valentino’s joke

but casey really cared about valentino’s actions… he not only wanted valentino’s verbal congratulations but also asked just like why didn’t you come shake my hand!!! i should get the same treatment as nicky!!!😠

(vaguely following on from this and this post) oh I remember the shirt, it's actually one of my favourite bits of niche valentino/casey lore!! valentino isn't JUST being a facetious dickhead here, his name is literally on casey's 2007 championship shirt as one of casey's heroes:

isn't this crazy?? I've never been able to find a great source for the actual list of names, so god knows how exclusive this club was... apparently casey also had the names of his ducati crew on there, which is a nice touch tbh. but he had valentino's name on that shirt!! given how by this point he was already mad at valentino for switching up towards him, it's such a funny choice to make. literally nobody would have questioned his exclusion! you're competing against the guy! idk, I love it when casey does something just a little unexpected like that, really makes you want to poke at the guy to figure out what his deal is. and pleasingly, we do also have an actual clip of valentino commenting on the shirt:

Yes, like I say before, it's a great pleasure that one of my fans wins the world championship - so I think half is also mine!

look at his smirk. insufferable. just a fantastic dynamic they've got going on, isn't it

but I did NOT know about casey complaining about not getting a cooldown lap handshake. and. lol?? casey?? come on. some dignity, please. I can't believe they actually got valentino to respond to that. reminds me of a similar-ish 'controversy' from 2010 about how jorge was accused of deliberately ignoring future teammate ben spies coming to congratulate him on the cooldown lap, as like... a form of sophisticated mind games ig. at least there it wasn't actually spies complaining. you can tell that even casey upon reflection probably decided this wasn't a legitimate grievance by how he's not brought it up again since... valentino did have a pretty nightmarish motegi race for annoying tyre-related reasons, so was understandably not in a great mood, and he was not in fact the defending champion... so like. I checked the footage and reckon valentino probably could have worked a little harder to get over to casey, but also this is obviously an extremely petty thing to complain about

and while we're talking petty, the ghostwriter of casey's autobiography thinks that casey was also pissed at valentino at the next race in phillip island for *checks notes* having a special helmet design at casey's home race? incredible scenes

literally started off the infamous phillip island streak with a spite win. your regular reminder that casey says in his autobiography that he doesn't use his rivals to motivate himself

estoril, the race before motegi, was also the race where they had their little table football date [ed.: originally thought it was at motegi itself rip. nope, table football was at the first matchpoint race]

so late 2007 is when casey really starts going in on how valentino had cooled off towards him AND talking about not liking valentino's tone in the press, that valentino wasn't as complimentary of him as he'd been at the start of the season... which might be true, but casey wasn't exactly a shrinking violet either when answering questions about valentino. as an example, this is how he's talking about valentino in july of 2007:

"This rule is not good and we need more tyres," Rossi said earlier in the week, "The problem is for the show because, at the end, it is the tyre that decides the race." "At the beginning of the season, Valentino and the others were all for the new tyre rules," Stoner points out, "but, as soon as they don't win, the rule is crap. I've had my bad races this year, especially in Germany, and I'm not complaining about the tyre rule. "They can moan and whinge about it as much as they want, but it shows that [Michelin] has had such an advantage in the past. This season, they cannot bring a tyre in just for the race [and] it's a matter of relying on the company that supports you to do a good job."

"moan and whinge" steady on casey

valentino over the years has talked about this rivalry far less than casey has... which includes not being all that interested in diagnosing when things soured interpersonally between the two of them - beyond saying a couple times in 2010-12 during the pettiest phase of the feud that casey hadn't gotten over laguna. mostly this isn't that big a problem because valentino's side of the rivalry is so much more straightforward, but it's still obviously not ideal. it's that relative scarcity which makes the following interview answer from 2009 one of my other favourite tidbits:

"He bases his sentences on the results. Even at the beginning of 2007 he was giving me a lot of compliments, then, after winning the World Championship, he started with heavy criticism."

isn't it lovely that casey thinks valentino switched up his tone towards him because casey started winning, and valentino thinks casey switched up his tone towards valentino because casey started winning... just nicely mirror each other, don't they. such good foils

so taking all these pieces of evidence together... you get a really nice sense of how casey by end of 2007 was all over the place wrt valentino. he misses valentino being as friendly to him as in years past!! he liked valentino congratulating him by rubbing his head in qatar 2007 :) enough to mention that parc fermé interaction THREE TIMES in his autobiography!! doesn't appreciate not getting his hand held after sealing the title :( is increasingly surly that whole year about how nobody is giving him enough credit for his successes :/ is building on a reputation already established in 2006 for being rather an outspoken character when it comes to complaining about everyone in complaining range... but also has an issue with valentino being rude about him in the press :| but still puts valentino on his championship shirt on his list of heroes <3 like... buddy. what is going on here

part of what's going on ofc is that casey takes offence incredibly easily and valentino can be a pretty offensive character. now, again, I really don't think valentino was doing that much in 2007, but obviously my standard for 'valentino being reasonably respectful to rivals' is probably rather different to 2007!casey's standards. it's the malice casey reads into valentino's actions that I reckon is mostly misplaced... like yeah sure valentino distances himself from championship rivals, but. y'know. that's pretty normal behaviour. the fun thing about 2007 is that knowing valentino's entire feud history, you're sort of primed to read it as valentino being the aggressor... but if anything, casey is generally openly ruder towards valentino than vice versa. now obviously, valentino at this stage is a lot better at the subtler, under the radar nastiness that must be infuriating to be subjected to... but y'know, at the end of the day valentino still isn't openly attacking casey. and when discussing this rivalry, it's crucial to acknowledge what an extremely prickly character casey is - that's what makes it so enjoyable!! even better, he's an extremely prickly character who is very ready to make enemies but is ALSO kind of weird about valentino rossi specifically

and yes, having a valentino rossi complex is basically part of the job description if you're a motogp rider of a certain age. still, always important to acknowledge that all of valentino's feuds with younger riders involved guys who were already A Bit Weird about valentino going into the rivalry, which inevitably affected how those respective rivalries ended up laying out. what's so fun about it is that all three of them express it in completely different ways - from jorge's somewhat deranged level of dedication to analysing valentino's every breath, to marc's overenthusiastic commitment towards imitating valentino and beating him and also throwing himself at him at every opportunity, to casey's rather more repressed approach where he's simultaneously extremely sensitive to any possible offence on valentino's part while also kind of wishing they could be friends...? or something? I don't even know what casey's after! doesn't help that he's subsequently retconned this period where he like... kinda looked up to valentino, sure, and respected him and all that - but certainly no mention of putting valentino on championship celebration shirts. so we still have quite a limited amount of evidence at our disposal, but I would gently suggest that casey's cool, composed 'didn't even care who I was beating' rhetoric doesn't quite match up to reality. and casey thinks that valentino got more critical of casey because he was losing and valentino thinks casey got more critical of valentino because he was winning... and the thing is, they're both going to be somewhat right!! attacking rivals from a position of strength is actually kinda part of both of their preferred MO's - it's a similarity between them that plays into how casey at times gets to play the valentino role in this rivalry. so yeah, casey will have almost certainly gotten even mouthier once he could get away with it. but equally, even though valentino wasn't escalating hostilities by his standards, even just his natural process of distancing himself a little from his direct title rivals and getting a tad snarky about them in the press wasn't exactly being well received by casey. and thus they can both say with some justification that the other rider was a lot friendlier towards them at start of the year, and both will have reacted to this in a way that helped further gradually ramp up the level of hostility. lovely stuff

still, you do have to come back to how imbalanced this rivalry was wrt how emotionally invested the pair of them were. having a firm grasp of their dynamic in 2007 is key to understanding how the whole thing subsequently played out, in part casey was less guarded and just a little more likely to let a few things slip... valentino wants to beat this challenging new rival, but I reckon he's mostly being sincere in that his main frustration in 2007 is feeling like he's not even able to fight casey at all for bike/tyre reasons. it's a rivalry he generally enjoyed when they were actually going at it! a comfort zone rivalry that really isn't all that emotionally messy from his side. even if he'll maybe still imply casey's compliments of him were never sincere, seeing how they dried up over the course of 2007... or perhaps joke about casey putting his name on his championship winning shirt, how at least he's losing to a fan... something fun about how valentino is always aware of that idolisation dynamic and is capable of playing with it, just a little. even with casey

whereas for casey, this isn't a game. casey really enjoyed valentino being nice to him and is ever so sensitive towards valentino pulling back. casey thinks valentino isn't giving him the credit he is owed and escalates his rhetoric in response. casey puts valentino's name on his championship winning shirt and then complains valentino didn't hold his hand. poor casey... it'd all be easier if he just didn't care, but that's the one thing he could never quite manage

#the casey scholarship happening on this blog in the current month is revolutionising the field imho. brave strides are being taken #i just love this sport so much man like how has valentino managed to give us so many completely unique spins of the idolisation dynamic #full credit obviously to the other halves of those respective dynamics for also being completely off their rockers #//#brr brr #heretic tag #kwisatzworld #batsplat responds #casey low key done an excellent job at the pr war b/c you will NOT find many out there aware of just how much he was looking for head pats #again. they hated jesus because he told them the truth #2

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uwabbittuwabbit · 6 months ago

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we got a schedule for world ducati week! mark your calenders...

#eternalectics #motogp

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scrollonso · 7 months ago

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Silverstone might be in August but World Ducati Week and the race of champions next week, and all the current Ducati riders are going to be there :)

oh im so ready

#idk what this means #BUT IM READY #AHHHHHH

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coimbrabertone · 21 days ago

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Who is the Ferrari of the Motorcycle World?

A bit of a short blogpost this week since this is that time in my writing schedule where I've just posted a chapter of Fastest of the Prancing Horses, have to post this month's chapter of Racing in the Golden Age, and then back to Fastest of the Prancing Horses for that story's biweekly uploads. Self-imposed fanfic upload schedules aside, let's talk motorcycles.

Who is the Ferrari of motorcycles?

Ducati comes to mind first, being Italian and red and heavily associated with racing. The fact that when Ducati entered MotoGP in 2003, it had a very Ferrari like set of sponsors didn't hurt either. Marlboro and Shell at first, then Telecom Italia's Alice brand got involved in the late 2000s, and after diverging a bit in the early 2010s - when Ducati had a sponsorship with Mercedes-AMG of all people - they both wound up with Philip Morris' Mission Winnow as a sponsor.

And around the same time as Mission Winnow, both gained Lenovo sponsorships. Ferrari's Lenovo deal seemed to only last for 2018 and 2019 and has recently been replaced by a title sponsorship from HP, whilst the ties between Ducati and Lenovo have only grown stronger, becoming a title sponsorship from 2021 onwards.

So, the sponsorship is very similar, but it's not the same.

Plus, there's now a pretty big stumbling block to the whole Ducati = Ferrari thing.

That being that Ducati is owned by Lamborghini. Yup, in 2012, Ducati was acquired by Audi - which itself is part of the Volkswagen Group - and Ducati was placed under the control of Lamborghini. So, in a funny little shell game, Ducati was owned by Lamborghini who was owned by Audi who was owned by Volkswagen.

So yes, Ducati may have the superficial resemblance to Ferrari, but being owned by Ferrari's greatest rival kinda breaks the whole comparison.

Another thing that doesn't help is that Ducati's Grand Prix racing history is rather recent. Sure, their history with superbikes and the Isle of Man TT, with famous riders like Mike Hailwood and Carl Fogarty, but they did not have that MotoGP pedigree until 2003 onwards. Even then, Ducati only had a single 2007 championship until their recent (2022-present) success.

So, how about someone who does have GP pedigree?

MV Agusta.

The massive amount of success that MV Agusta had with the likes of John Surtees, Guy Hawking, Mike Hailwood, the great Giacomo Agostini, and Phil Reed gave MV a stranglehold over the 500cc class from 1958 to 1974, a level of domination that Ferrari could only dream of.

The problem is that, since then, MV Agusta hasn't really had the money to race.

They've tried a couple of times, with various Superbike and Supersport efforts, most prominently with Reparto Corse who is still in WSSP, as well as a brief partnership with Forward Racing in Moto2 between 2019 and 2022. None of this compares to MV Agusta's past greatness, and none of it is really comparable to Ferrari either.

That being said, on the road bike side, I think MV Agusta matches Ferrari in terms of being these rare, expensive, incredibly desirable things. Ducati is no slouch either in that regard, but, come on, just look at a MV Agusta F4 or Superveloce and tell me those aren't some of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made.

So MV Agusta and Ducati both meet some criteria, but both fail at some others.

So here is another contender: Aprilia.

Now, Aprilia's racing history started rather recently, but they've done a lot in that time - their 125cc and 250cc bikes dominated the lower classes of GP racing in the 90s and 2000s, with riders like Max Biaggi, Valentino Rossi, Loris Capirossi, Marco Melandri, Alvaro Bautista, Jorge Lorenzo, and Marc Marquez all taking championships on board their bikes and then going on to have massively successful careers.

Even once the two-stroke success dried up, Aprilia took the fight to World Superbikes, winning the 2010 and 2012 titles with Max Biaggi and then the 2014 title with Sylvain Guintoli. The likes of Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri also took wins on the Aprilia WSBK bikes at this time.

Their factory team efforts ceased in 2015, but that was because Aprilia was entering MotoGP.

First with Gresini, Aprilia began a long preparation period, but come 2022, Aprilia was ready. Gresini went its own way as a Ducati satellite team, while Aprilia entered a full factory effort with Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales.

Aleix would win in the third race of the season at Argentina and finish fourth in the standings while Maverick took three podiums and an eleventh place finish.

In 2023, Aleix would win at Britain and then sweep the weekend at Catalunya to finish sixth in the standings, while Maverick Vinales was just behind him in seventh. That Catalunya race would also mark Aprilia's first 1-2 finish.

2024 wasn't as strong, but Maverick Vinales still swept the weekend at COTA on his way to a seventh-place championship finish, whilst Aleix Espargaro won the sprint race at Catalunya for the second year in a row, a fine feather in the cap for his retirement year, even if he did slip to eleventh in the standings in the process.

Now, with Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin as their riders - and Jorge having the option to put the #1 plate on the Aprilia if he so chooses - Aprilia is certainly on the way up in MotoGP.

Oh, and the team is run by former Ferrari man Massimo Rivola.

If that's still not enough to convince you, then let me take you back to the 90s when, for a brief period of time, it seemed like the Piaggio Group (Aprilia's parent company) and Fiat (then Ferrari's parent company) were on the verge of a merger.

Giovannino Agnelli - the nephew of Fiat supremo GIanni Agnelli and the son of Antonella Becchi Luserna Piaggio, the adopted daughter of Enrico Piaggio - became President of Piaggio in 1993. In 1995, Gianni Agnelli officially named Giovannino his successor...only for Giovannino to pass away from cancer in December 1997.

Gianni Angelli would die in January 2003, with the Ferrari F2003-GA named in his honor.

Had Giovannino not predeceased his grandfather, Aprilia and Ferrari could well now be sister companies.

Another side effect of the whole Piaggio ownership thing is that Aprilia's sister companies include Moto Guzzi, Gilera, and Derbi, and those brands certainly fill out Aprilia's racing history.

Gilera was the first giant of 500cc motorcycle racing, winning six titles between 1950 and 1957. while Moto Guzzi wasn't quite as successful with its 500cc V8, it did win the very first 250cc championship in 1949, as well as five consecutive 350cc titles from 1953 to 1957.

As for Derbi, it had a ton of success in 50cc and 125cc GP racing with Angel Nieto in the 70s, and then later on during the golden age of two-stroke Aprilias, Aprilia had some of their bikes badged as a Gilera or as a Derbi.

Marco Simoncelli won the 2008 250cc title on a Gilera whilst Marc Marquez's aforementioned 2010 125cc title was on a Derbi.

So, when you put it like that, Aprilia does have a pretty consistent history in GP racing after all, huh?

Well, if none of those convinced you, there's a surprise fourth candidate, because the rumor mill is that, with KTM's financial difficulties, Lewis Hamilton is in talks to invest in the KTM MotoGP team. So, there is a possibility that we'll see a MotoGP team owned by a Ferrari Formula One driver in the near future.

Yup, after all these Italian companies, the Ferrari of MotoGP might end up being the road racing arm of an Austrian dirt bike company.

We live in strange times.

#motorsports #racing #motogp #ducati #mv agusta #aprilia #gilera #moto guzzi #derbi #ktm #lewis hamilton #ferrari

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fall0utmind · 14 hours ago

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CHAPTER 14

On AO3 here

Under the cut to read on tumblr -

If you missed my post after an ask- please catch up on the Dovquez alt ending ideas/ thoughts. It will be happening so if you have any burning desires lmk !!!

Lots of love to you all

A week later, they’re in Aragon. It’s been two weeks since Marc’s world fell to pieces at his feet; it feels like he’s still trying to piece it back together. He holds his head high as he enters the paddock. It is nice to be back in familiar territory, where the fans paint the stands red and Marc’s number is plastered everywhere. But there’s an uncomfortable awkwardness in the air like people don’t know how to act around him. Only the crew members and staff mill around the track on Thursdays. The fans will not be here until tomorrow; Marc wonders how they will react this weekend, especially considering the crowd tends to favour him more in Aragon compared to Misano.

Thankfully, his team welcomed him with open arms, instantly pulling him into rapid conversations about the break and race conditions for this weekend. It eases the tension Marc has subconsciously been holding.

Media day goes better than Marc expects. He strongly suspects someone has ordered the journalists to behave this weekend. He feels thankful; he isn’t sure he could do another weekend of strangers digging up his past. When the press conference ends without a hitch, Marc breathes a sigh of relief and has to restrain himself from bolting out the door. He wanders back to his motorhome alone, glad to be released from duties. He is tired and on edge. It feels like the ghost of the last weekend is haunting him as he walks through the paddock, echoing off the walls.

Thursdays are slower days at the track, time to settle in and make any last-minute changes. Marc tries to shake out of his weird headspace as he walks, reminders of the last race threatening to pull him under. His brain keeps jumping back to memories of the fans, of Valentino, and then he ends up down a rabbit hole of their kiss and fights, and the stupid podcast which he has watched at least 5 too many times.

Marc thinks Valentino is somewhere around, probably in the VR46 garage. He can’t remember if the other man usually comes to Aragon. He doesn’t think so. Marc wonders whether this was a deliberate move from Valentino, after Misano, or if it is just a coincidence. Things are starting to add up in his head, he just prays that he’s doing the right sums. He hopes Vale will be willing to talk soon – but he has hoped for decades to no avail.

He doesn’t notice the curious eyes following him as he makes his way down the pit lane.

The walk is quick, and he doesn’t waste any time once he reaches his motorhome. If he uses the track walk as a warm-up, he can probably do a decent run before he calls it a day. It will help him to clear his head too. He shrugs off his team polo and shorts, changing into athletic gear before heading back out. It will drive him insane if he sits down too much this weekend, getting lost in his thoughts. So, he ambles back to the garage, nodding at Fabio as he passes in the opposite direction.

Frankie is waiting for him on the garage’s threshold, calling over his shoulder to someone Marc can’t see. The other man smiles kindly when he notices Marc’s approach. He can’t help but smile back – he doesn’t think he would have managed last weekend without the constant reassuring atmosphere in the Gresini garage. His team have always been his grounding within the paddock, and he is thankful that he has managed to make a home within Gresini like the one he had at Honda. He hopes he will settle as well in Ducati.

They chat idly for a few minutes; Marc being pulled into their conversation about who would be the best rider out of the mechanics. It leaves him almost bent in half cackling as they debate why they would be better than each other – often for the most ridiculous reasons.

(They never agree on an answer)

(Marc doesn’t think he trusts any of them on the bike after that)

It makes Marc feel lighter, being surrounded by people who aren’t giving him looks or tiptoeing around him. It’s exactly what he needs, to be back here, to normality. The race track has always been a safe space for him (until Valentino ripped it away). He had just rebuilt his safety and confidence at the track when Jerez happened, sending him straight back to square one, and putting him in a hospital room for far too long. It happened again last weekend in Misano, the comfort in his home away from home being shattered before his eyes.

Sepang 2015

Jerez 2020

Misano 2024

He thinks that he either has terrible luck, or someone is out to get him. Either way, the past has shown him that he is nothing if not resilient – he can recover from this too.

A hand claps onto his shoulder and breaks him from his thoughts. He spins around on the spot, his lips quirking at Frankie’s gentle nudge. Once Marc nods, confirming that he is okay, the other man tilts his head towards the open garage door. Alex is in some last-minute meeting with his engineers and had waved him off earlier, suggesting they catch up later instead. They head out for the track walk in silence, Frankie close enough to bring comfort without feeling suffocating.

Up ahead, two figures are strolling out of the Ducati garage. Marc’s stomach sinks.

Bez and Pecco.

The two Italians are deep in conversation, seemingly unaware of their surroundings or the fact that they are only 10 feet in front of Marc. From this distance, they look young, almost childlike in the way they grabble with each other and tease in lilting Italian. Marc reckons that Bezzecchi acts much like the younger brother of the group, but he hasn’t had enough experience to confirm it.

A smile creeps onto his face as Pecco swipes at the younger man, clearly wound up by whatever he’s saying. Bez spins away from him, grinning from ear to ear. His eyes catch Marc’s. His smile dims slightly and an unreadable expression clouds his features. Marc stumbles slightly as Bez turns back towards Pecco, mumbling something under his breath. Pecco glances back over his shoulder but Marc looks away first. They aren’t being subtle.

Marc covers his shock with a gasping cough when Bez stops, making eye contact with him and pulling Pecco aside- waiting. A part of him wants to turn and flee, only Frankie cautiously walking by his side keeps him going. He tilts his chin up despite the tension stiffening his frame, reminding himself that this might be a trap.

“How are you doing, Marc? " Pecco asks kindly once he is close enough. There is no insincerity in his voice, although Marc supposes that the academy boys usually don’t go out of their way to disguise their dislike.

Marc tries to rearrange his face into a smile and only partially succeeds, probably looking more like a grimace. Shaking off the residual awkwardness is proving difficult.

“Okay, thank you. I'm glad to be back in Spain. I'm looking forward to a friendlier reception,” he replies, grinning sharply as he reflects upon Italy. Interestingly, Bez’s face dims slightly while Pecco rolls his eyes.

“I think you did okay last race. I’m sure they will come around. How are you feeling about this track?” Pecco probes, shifting the conversation to something easier. The strain relaxes minutely.

From there, they fall into a rapid conversation about the race, this track, and the rest of the calendar. Bezzecchi chips in sporadically but spends most of his time analysing Marc as if trying to figure him out.

Frankie is nudging into his side as they walk the track, with Bez and Pecco’s teams also joining them. It’s odd, to be in such proximity to the others – he knows anyone watching will be instantly confused. He supposes that Pecco and him could be attributed to future teammate bonding. But Marc and Bez have never had much of a friendly relationship, it’s slightly earth-shattering.

They continue to amble around the track together, settling into an almost comfortable companionship. As they walk, Pecco tells Marc about their latest training story, which ended up with Bez, Luca, and Cele in a pile on the floor. Surprisingly, Marc finds himself laughing along with Bez and Pecco’s squabbling over which parts are true and which aren’t. He can almost imagine it, Bez pouting at the others in the way he is now, Luca trying to maintain diplomacy as Cele lies in the dirt. Marc barely notices the cameras on them and it seems like the others don’t either.

By the time they’ve looped the track, Marc is almost sad. It’s the most confusing feeling in the face of the situation. He never thought a time would come when he would be disappointed to be leaving their company. When they are alone again, the Italians calling goodbyes over their shoulders, Frankie tugs on Marc’s arm.

“What the fuck was that?” he asks, in utter disbelief, looking hysterically between the boys and Marc. It is such an accurate representation of how weird all of this is that he can’t help but bark out a laugh. He grins and shrugs back at Frankie. He has no clue whatsoever about what is going on, or why, but he can’t take the smile off his face for the rest of the day. If he was not so relieved, he would think it’s rather pathetic.

They duck into the garage together, Frankie pulling him into a quick goodbye bro hug before he treks off to do some actual work. Alex’s meeting is finished, by the looks of things. So, Marc makes it his mission to annoy his brother instead. He sits in the chair near his brother, spinning around in circles waiting for Alex to give him some attention. Eventually, he gets bored of that and starts aimlessly tapping on the desk, until Alex snaps and tells Marc that he will join the run.

Alex elbows him in the side as they set off, winding their way to the first turn from the pit lane.

“Why do you look like someone has done something wonderful?” he asks.

Marc’s smile only widens, chuckling at his brother’s dramatics. “Am I not allowed to be happy? That’s mean Alex”.

Alex scoffs, pushing his brother harder off the track and laughing when Marc actually stumbles this time. Underneath it all, he is happy for his brother, and he isn’t stupid, he knows that Marc has spent some time with Pecco and Bez this morning, he would be hard-pressed to have missed it with the way most people have been talking. After years of isolation, it is nice to see his older brother being accepted into the wider community again. He did not expect it to be caused by such dramatics, but he supposes at least there have been some positives. He is fonder now of Bagnaia, but the jury is still out on Bezzecchi – the younger man is too worshipping of Valentino to be trustworthy. But he keeps an open mind, it is not like all of them are bad. Franky, as it turns out, is wonderful, and Luca is a good guy. Alex doesn’t know the others too well but is willing to give it a shot if they are good to Marc.

Alex doesn’t think that Marc has noticed the way Rossi’s eyes are tracing them around the track. The old man thinks he is being subtle, talking to various people in the garage threshold coincidentally as the brothers are running down the pit straight. He rolls his eyes. At the very least, his and Franky’s plan has worked, and with their combined knowledge of Marc and Valentino, it was bound to do something, even if Marc hasn’t said much about Vale since last weekend. Alex won’t bring it up. It isn’t worth disturbing the peace.

They settle for one lap because even according to Marc, 5k is enough on a race weekend. When they loop back into the pits, Vale is still there, pretending to not look. Marc isn’t stupid, he knows that the older man is looking, but he also knows Valentino well enough to understand that he won’t speak.

When he catches Valentino's eyes, tipping his head minutely in greeting, he sees a gauntness in Vales's face. His eyes look red-rimmed, the bags underneath purple. He looks like he hasn’t slept in a month. Worry sweeps through Marc as he wonders what’s happened to make Valentino look like that. It's only when Alex tugs on his arm that Marc realises, he’s stopped still in the middle of the pits, Valentino and him standing and staring at each other.

He flushes, his embarrassment prominent, and allows Alex to lead him into the garage. He doesn’t catch Valentino's creased eyebrows and downturned lips.

The rest of the day blurs slightly, thoughts of Vale consuming him. The media team make Alex and him do some silly video and they’re happy to oblige. Afterwards, he takes a call from a sponsor to discuss new brand deals. He’s swept along in a tide of things to do and places to be so by the time he’s done for the day he hardly remembers what happened earlier.

Alex and him grab food and eat in the comfort of the motorhome. Marc hasn’t felt much like facing the world recently. They’re halfway through their paella when Alex pushes his phone under Marc’s nose, a grin on his face. Marc takes it. On the screen Instagram is open, and the MotoGP account has posted a video. It’s Marc, Bez, and Pecco, laughing loudly at whatever had been said. Their happiness is clear in the video and as they walk, you can see Marc and Pecco's shoulders brushing.

Marc looks up, his brother's pleased face greeting him. He rolls his eyes, laughing to himself.

“Yes, yes. I know. They accosted me to a track walk; they are nicer than I realised” Marc laments. It makes Alex huff, rolling his eyes.

“Look at the comments” he requests, making Marc mutter “please” under his breath in admonishment. Alex looks at the heavens again but the way his lips tick up betrays him.

The comments range from pure disbelief to rage to happiness. Half of the fans make jokes about divorced kids and their mandated time with each parent. Marc has to admit it’s kind of funny, given at least Pecco was around when Marc and Vale fell out. A few of the comments are outraged that Pecco would associate himself with Marc, he doesn’t think those fans are going to survive next year.

As it turns out from further investigation. Social media has exploded, it has Marc giggling as he reads the posts from the fans. It is nice not to be hated for once. Of course, there are still the occasional negative comments but they seem to be fewer and farther between. He stumbles across a couple which makes him and Alex laugh so hard that they can barely breathe after. It’s refreshing, after so many years of tension.

He goes to sleep that night with hope singing in his heart.

The weekend could be a strong one for the team, especially at this track, he can feel it in his bones. But Marc never truly knows if the 2023 Gresini Ducati could throw up a curveball. It’s not a new model, so the other Ducati teams will always have the edge. He has the advantage of home turf but the challenge of last weekend hanging over him.

He doesn’t let it impede his confidence too much, determined to push the most out of the bike during practice.

And he does, topping the time sheets in a display of dominance that he didn’t think was possible this year. It settles somewhere in his chest, glowing warmly as he pulls the bike to a stop.

Both of his parents are already waiting for him with open arms. They had arrived this morning, his mother fussing slightly over him and Alex before teaming up with Nadia to become matriarchs for the weekend. They have managed to hold back the fretting for the time being, but he can see the concern in his mum’s eyes when she hugs him, pressing her lips to the crown of his head.

Since they arrived, Marc has felt a strange dichotomy of rising anxiety and a settling comfort in his parent's presence. There’s an odd sense of foreboding about his parents being here, the way they feel the need to protect him. He had to tell his mum quite firmly that he couldn’t skip media yesterday. Marc has a sneaking suspicion that she’s been staring down any journalist within a foot of him - God forbid if Valentino attempts anything.

Alas, they are determined to be here the whole weekend. And as his parents pull him into their arms, he feels endlessly grateful. Through it all his family have been a constant – with him even in his worst moments. He and Alex are lucky, he thinks. Some others do not have the blessings which they do. Another pair of arms join the hug – Alex. When he pulls away, his baby brother is beaming at him. Marc smiles back, bathing in his family’s affection for some time longer.

Soon enough, Marc is dragged away to debrief with the team, happy to talk through the ways they could improve to drag the milliseconds out of every corner and achieve the blistering speed they need down the straights. The team are in good spirits, Alex has put in some quick laps too, meaning that both bikes are in the top 5. Marc knows the energy tomorrow will be electric. There’s a lot of potential.

Debrief is blissfully short, giving them both plenty of time to spend with their family in the evening. By the time they have finished in the garage and are wandering back to the motorhome, their parents have somehow made all the dinner plans at some place close to their hotel. Although this is considered a ‘local’ race for them, the drive is still over two hours. And the motorhome doesn’t quite fit 4 adults in it.

As he and Alex are cleaning up and getting ready, Marc is beginning to feel nervous about the interview release. Without the distraction of practice and racing, there are a thousand questions and worries floating around his head- what if he said too much? What if people think he’s weak or attention-seeking?

The thoughts keep rising over dinner, like an inevitable and colossal tidal wave. Marc knows he’s being quieter than usual, choked by fear. His family notices, trying all they can to distract him. They won’t let him sit out of any conversations, even when he only gives one-word answers. Alex keeps his arm resting next to Marc throughout the whole meal.

Marc refrains from checking his phone, or more Alex steals it from his pocket and turns it off. Once they’re outside of the restaurant, Alex returns it and Marc turns it on with no small amount of trepidation.

It instantly floods with messages. He trails his eyes across the notifications, reading word after word of positivity. There is an overwhelming number of supportive messages from friends and colleagues alike. A quick look online suggests that the reaction from the fans is overwhelmingly positive too, which is a relief.

Marc has to admit that they did a fantastic job with it, the editing and production of the video tiptoes the fine line between professional and personable. It feels good to have it out in the open, knowing there isn’t some big secret hanging over him. Being able to tell the story from his own narrative and not someone else’s lies feels like a weight lifted.

There are plans for him to team up with some mental health charities, and maybe even become an ambassador. Marc needs to make something good of this. The team was a little reluctant at first but Marc insisted. If everyone has to know his story, then he wants it to be one of positivity and recovery. It isn’t often that he gets the choice to be a part of things that truly matter to him, so he isn’t letting this one go.

It was a good choice. He’s proud of himself and his family all pull him into tight hugs and whisper that they are too. He ignores the rude comments, the ignorance, and the blind hatred and sinks into his parents’ arms like he is a child once more.

At that moment, somewhere in the north of Spain, on a warm summer night with the stars coming out above him. Marc Marquez forgives himself for all that he has done, he lets go of his past and pledges to keep pushing forward, no matter what.

#motogp #marc marquez #rosquez #motogp rpf #my fics #valentino rossi #medical leak au #pecco bagnaia #andrea dovizioso

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