Zhang Xue’s rise from repair shops to world champion has cast an unflattering light on an innovation system in academia that rewards publishable research and polished grant proposals.
A little bit of context about ZXMOTO's achievements, which, while genuinely impressive and a breakthrough for the sport in China, are not quite as momentous as Chinese media have made out.
The top level of international competition is Moto GP, followed by Moto2 and Moto3 (roughly equivalent to F1, F2 and F3). Then comes WorldSBK (GT3/DTM). And below that is WorldSSP (think GT4 or a national touring car series) - and it's at this level where Valentin Debise won two races for the Chinese team.
My intention is not to discredit here, but "world championship" and comparison to Yamaha and Honda in the opening paragraph gives the impression right from the start that China has risen to the top of the motorcycle pyramid, which is not the case - at least not yet! It's important (IMO) to set realistic expectations because Chinese sports media has a long history of breathlessly over-celebrating achievements which are short-lived (Zhou Guanyu and Su Bingtian are two examples that come to mind), needlessly setting up disappointment further down the road.
Inspiring stories. China on the move. Grass roots innovation. Dedication. Ambition. Intelligence. Work harder for longer. Better and cheaper. Deflationary. Ethical.
A little bit of context about ZXMOTO's achievements, which, while genuinely impressive and a breakthrough for the sport in China, are not quite as momentous as Chinese media have made out.
The top level of international competition is Moto GP, followed by Moto2 and Moto3 (roughly equivalent to F1, F2 and F3). Then comes WorldSBK (GT3/DTM). And below that is WorldSSP (think GT4 or a national touring car series) - and it's at this level where Valentin Debise won two races for the Chinese team.
My intention is not to discredit here, but "world championship" and comparison to Yamaha and Honda in the opening paragraph gives the impression right from the start that China has risen to the top of the motorcycle pyramid, which is not the case - at least not yet! It's important (IMO) to set realistic expectations because Chinese sports media has a long history of breathlessly over-celebrating achievements which are short-lived (Zhou Guanyu and Su Bingtian are two examples that come to mind), needlessly setting up disappointment further down the road.
thanks!!
Inspiring stories. China on the move. Grass roots innovation. Dedication. Ambition. Intelligence. Work harder for longer. Better and cheaper. Deflationary. Ethical.