With MotoGP ready to emerge from its mid-season break, CycleOnline.com.au ponders a handful of pressing questions from the first nine grands prix.

Source: MotoGP.

Q: What has been the best MotoGP race to date?

A: It really is hard to narrow down a single race. Marc Marquez has been the clear dominator in terms of race wins achieved but a good handful have been a real battle. For mine, it is hard to go past the hand-to-hand combat between Marquez and nemesis Jorge Lorenzo at Mugello. Marquez started from pole but it was Lorenzo who seized the advantage and would set the pace for the first 17 laps. The Honda rider was getting his own hurry along by Valentino Rossi and would make his move for the lead, only to find a particularly defiant Lorenzo unwilling to relinquish the top spot. It had the makings of a classic battle, one of the best since Marquez entered MotoGP, and although the Honda rider would prevail it was great to see Lorenzo back where he should be, if it were only for a fleeting moment.

Q: Which GP has been Marquez’ best?

A: What makes one win better than another? Is the best win one of complete and utter dominance, or one that has to be worked for? Again a matter of personal opinion, but I’d be inclined to rate the challenges presented to the Spaniard at the Sachsenring as being right up there. Given the chaotic start, if one any occasion he could be forgiven for losing his cool composure, this would be it. Marquez, like many, chose to dive back to pit lane to make the desperate swap from the wet to dry machine. He handled the task with ease, positioning himself at the head of the second half of the field which was elbowing for space at the exit. Those on the grid had the biggest head start they could ever hope for against Marquez but it wasn’t enough. Stefan Bradl was up by 7.7 seconds after the first lap and less than five laps later he had been caught and passed by the leading Repsol Honda.

Q: What’s going on with Lorenzo?

A: If you told me this time last year that Jorge Lorenzo had only recorded three podium places (and no wins) from nine starts, I’d have to assume that he had been injured or missed a fair chunk of the races for some other reason. The man who factored on the podium in the nine final races of 2013 has suffered a horror start to his campaign this year. He was behind the eight ball to begin with, having had a series of operations in the off-season. These dramatically impacted his fitness and were coming into play down the stretch on Sunday. His crash in Qatar was the result of a rare mistake but also signs that he was far from happy on the 2014 incarnation of the R1. Changes to the Bridgestone tyres had him baffled, and the litre of fuel sapped from the prototypes was resulting in an edgy and nervous race bike. His confidence took a beating, probably best highlighted by the forlorn sight of the number 99 machine fading in the patchy conditions at Assen. The German GP was somewhat of a turnaround, but the real test will be this weekend when the season resumes at Indianapolis.

Who has been the surprise packet of the MotoGP season?

A: A few riders rate a mention in this regard. Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso has ridden consistently, bagging points finishes in all nine outings and making the podium twice. The Ducati has been in a class of its own this season, quite literally, and Dovizioso has exploited that small edge the Italian marque has been afforded to sit fourth at the half-way mark. Forward Yamaha’s Aleix Espargaro was always going to be strong, so perhaps his seventh place at this point isn’t too much of a surprise. Essentially racing the Tech3 package of 2013, Espargaro has been a regular pacesetter in practice and even snared a pole position. Two fourth places and a bunch of solid top 10s have him handily placed in seventh. 2013 Moto2 champion and premier class graduate Pol Espargaro also rates a mention. Currently the best of the satellite machines, Espargaro has comprehensively outraced teammate Bradley Smith, along with Honda rivals Stefan Bradl and Alvaro Bautista. He’s a great future prospect for Yamaha but will have to wait his turn at a full factory seat, with 2016 the earliest possibility of a ride.

Q: And who has been the most disappointing?

A: A number of factors lead to this but ultimately Cal Crutchlow has been the most disappointing to date. A constant podium threat on the Tech3 Yamaha in 2013, Crutchlow chose to dice with Ducati in his preference for a factory ride over the satellite berth and has inherited many of the problems of his predecessors. A number of technical hitches have held him back, as have tyre problems and even overheating brakes. Add injury into the mix and you have just three points-paying finishes for the first half of the season, with any kind of dramatic improvement not forthcoming in the second half. Crutchlow’s saving grace? The promise of 2015, not with Ducati, now officially confirmed to have broken his contract to pilot the LCR Honda machine.

Source: MotoGP.

Q: How has Broc Parkes fared in his first full-time MotoGP campaign?

A: Given the limitations of the bike beneath him and his relative inexperience on the grand prix-specific circuits, Parkes position at Paul Bird Motorsport was always going to be a difficult one. The Aussie has taken the challenge in his stride, however, using his experience to his advantage. He is reliable, adaptable and gets on with the job, and as such has been able to wrangle out two points finishes where his regular rivals have faltered. He achieved his first points finish in the first race of the year and then played a strategy masterstroke to take 11th place in Assen. Considering the PBM outfit is by and large the smallest team on the grid he is definitely exceeding expectations as he sits 20th on the championship standings, just two points shy of Colin Edwards in 18th.

Q: Will Ant West win again?

A: A decade between drinks is a long time but Ant West has staying power and showed he is still at the top of his game in the wet by snagging the win in Assen. In a fairly comfortable seat with the QMMF Racing Team, West’s machine is lacking the necessary pace to challenge consistently for podiums, mostly hurt by mid-pack qualifying performances against better bikes. But it’s not uncommon to see the Aussie make in excess of 10 or 15 positions in a race, showing he has the experience and consistency to get it done on any given Sunday. Sure, for him to win again there will need to be a certain amount of luck involved, but his Assen ride was one of both class and control. He still has it and there’s no reason why he can’t be back on the rostrum!

Q: Will Jack Miller’s move to KTM prove career-defining?

A: Absolutely. Miller’s battles to wrangle results out of last year’s underpowered Honda were painfully evident and it was an exciting prospect to consider the lanky Aussie on a class-leading KTM. He has made the most of the opportunity and was the early pacesetter in class with wins at Qatar and the Circuit of the Americas. It hasn’t all gone to plan, with some controversial clashes and a pair of DNFs at Mugello and Assen, but even if he doesn’t win the Moto3 title it seems close to certain Miller is set to move to a top team in either Moto2 or MotoGP for 2015. His skill and size make him a prime pick for either class, and we’re excited to see him round out the season on top as well as find out where he’s headed next season. 2014 will definitely be remembered as a landmark year in his career.

Q: How has Sissis managed the move to Mahindra?

A: 2014 has been an arduous task for the South Australian, who we had been used to running within the top 10 last year in his seat at Red Bull KTM Ajo Motorsport. Mahindra’s factory Moto3 operation just hasn’t had the legs to take it to Honda and KTM and Sissis is struggling below his own standards as a result. He had some tough luck with illness early on but the achilles heel of his first half has been qualifying, with a best grid place of 18th and an average effort in the mid 20s. On the positive side his results were improving as we went to the mid-season break, with his first points finish of the season registered at the Sachsenring. The only way is up now for Sissis.