I explained how surprised I was that my cast iron tip for Baker to win the Superprestigio didn't come to fruition, well it seems there wasn't a level playing field, or so some paddock insiders believe. They say both Marquez and Elias (a former Honda MotoGP rider and Moto2 champ on a Honda-powered bike) had electronic traction control systems fitted to their HRC Honda CRF450s. They were the only two riders to beat Baker.
Traction control is banned from all levels of flat tracks, so if this is true it's pretty sad. This is supposed to be a fun race, I thought. I guess if you're at Marquez's level, losing is bad for your image. I'm not accusing Marquez or Elias of cheating, because I'm sure there is nothing written into the Superprestigio rules to stop this technology. It's Marquez's event after all.
The last time I went to the Superprestigio, MotoGP racewinner Scott Redding explained he'd brought a knife to a gunfight, when he turned up with his stock 450. He was amazed by the level of tuning and technology HRC had put into Marquez's bike. It's racing, it's about winning, I get that, but it also kills what could be a cool event for real fans, not just Marquez fans.