| Author | Message | ||
     Gaesati |
I find Rossi's current state confusing. One of his great strengths was his ability to change his style which enabled him to transition from 250's to 500's to 1000's and then 800's and do it succesfully. I am more inclined to think that:a) Rosssi has never really been the same since he hurt himself before he went to Ducati and 2 years of crashing himself senseless has probably not helped his confidence.Michael Doohan was notable because he could choose to ride the 500 either like a 250 or sliding like an American according to the situation, often he would do this in the same race. Doohan claimed that the 250 style was fastest if he had a clear track in front of him. if involved in a fight for first place where block passing and overtaking under braking was called for then the stop point and squirt was best. At his finest Rossi was able to also able and willing to risk changing styles. | ||
| Jaimec |
Maybe Rossi is realizing that at his age, he is less likely to bounce right back up after a crash (like Marquez)... It amazes me at the age of 55 that someone in his early 30s is "getting old" but that's the nature of sport (unless it's golf or bowling). | ||
| Trojan |
I think Rossi has changed some elemenmts of his style, but he has always retained the way he wants to brake hard and then turn the bike around the front wheel rather than slide the rear like Stoner did. Although Rossi has shown that he can slide if he wants to, he is quickest when he keeps it neat and 250 like (just as Lorenzo is, but his style is different again). Rossi and all the top riders tend to adapt their style slightly as the race progresses to counter tyre wear and fuel load etc. However this isn't a step change in style that would be required for Marquez/Rossi/Pedrosa to ride like Marquez does. If Marquez had been around to race a 250 it is quite conceivable that he could have struggled and been mid pack with his current style, and that would have been difficult for him to change too much. A case of right style, right place, right time maybe? | ||
| Trojan |
Anyone who thought that the Spanish domination of GP racing was anywhere near ending should read this and weep  http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2013/Sep/130917a.ht m | ||
| Simond |
I read that earlier and thought the same. The article I read had this picture which rather reinforces the argument:  | ||
| Trojan |
And that is just the MotoGP contingent Add in the Moto2 and Moto3 riders and it gets even more depressing. If anyone thinks that BSB/AMA/WSB is still the favoured route to GP stardom theya re sorely mistaken. Now it has been officially recognised that the Spanish championship is the ONLy FIM endorsed feeder series | ||
| 46champ |
I think this puts the nail in the coffin weather Nicky rides a Ducati in world superbike. http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2013/Sep/130917pl.h tm | ||
| Jaimec |
After that snub, I certainly wouldn't want to be associated with them any more. I'd rather see him on the Forward M1 because I believe it'll be more competitive than an Aspar ART, but we'll see... | ||
| Smoke4ndmears |
Forward seems to have Colin and Aleix locked in (even with Aleix 600K eu contract penalty). | ||
| Jaimec |
Have they confirmed Colin? I'd heard he hadn't been signed yet... | ||
| Xb1125r |
Nicky is going to be riding with Aprilia. he should win the title hands down. the Aprilia is the bike to beat. and I have to say besides checa, nicky would be the best rider unless, some of the spniards form motgogp go to SBK. Bautisat could spank Nicky | ||
| Trojan |
After that snub, I certainly wouldn't want to be associated with them any more. I'm sure it isn't a personal snub, just standard procedure for a rider leaving the team at the end of the year. Yamaha did the same when Rossi left for Ducati and I'm sure Crutchlow won't be testing any new parts for them either now. Nicky is going to be riding with Aprilia. he should win the title hands down. the Aprilia is the bike to beat. and I have to say besides checa, nicky would be the best rider unless, some of the spniards form motgogp go to SBK. I don't think Nicky will be riding for Aprilia in WSB. Even the current Aprilia riders don't know if the factory will have a team for 2014 yet or will give the job to a satellite team as Ducati and BMW have. Nicky is far more likely to be employed directly by Aprilia to ride the improved ART CRT/Non factory bike for Aspar next year in MotoGP. It will probably be an improvement on this years Ducati but I can't see them winning any races on it (unless the others run out of fuel that is!). he has apparently agreed terms and will announce his new MotoGP team shortly............ According to this week's MCN, Marco Melandri will join Sylvain Guintoli at Aprilia for WSB next year. Still not clear if that is a factory team or run as a satellite effort though. Eugene Laverty must be wondering what he has to do to keep a factory ride in WSB. Even a double win and a shot at the title hasn't been enough to keep his job at Aprilia. I hope he can now go on and win the title just to stick two fingers up at them. As for Nicky being the best rider in WSB? A brave claim seeing as he has never raced in that competition. Maybe Tom Sykes, Guintoli, Melandri et all may argue that. (Message edited by trojan on September 18, 2013) | ||
| Jaimec |
I remember when Rossi was leaving Yamaha they wouldn't let him test the new prototype, but they didn't deny him any new developments for his EXISTING ride. I know, I know... Nicky Hayden is no Valentino Rossi... but his years of uncomplaining dedication and work ethic should rate for SOMETHING. | ||
| Trojan |
but his years of uncomplaining dedication and work ethic should rate for SOMETHING. The situation at Ducati is not the same as at Yamaha though. Ducati are still trying to find a solution to their chronic understeer problem (+ untold other problems that keep repeating), and Dovi has already said that the latest iteration of the GP13 frame hasn't made much difference. Just making another flawed chassis for Nicky would be a waste of time, energy and money for the company when they have Michele Pirro available to test new parts. I think that secretly Ducati would probably prefer to finish this season quietly with one race rider (if that!) than support two factory riders equally. If they could shift one rider to full time testing duties things could be done quicker and out of the public gaze. Also, Hayden has been very loyal and never outspoken about the company I agree, but he has also been kept on at Ducati without delivering the results to back up his position. Other riders have come and gone with better results than him during his tenure, so he really has nothing to complain about. Maybe his lack of criticism & US passport have actually extended his stay at Ducati longer than it would otherwise have been. | ||
| Walt221 |
When I watched Rossi at Indy, it was my opinion he had a front end confidence problem. His entry and mid corner speeds were as fast as anyone, but it took him much longer to pick up the throttle, as if he was afraid to unload the front tire. Talking to friends who have raced on the MotoGP Bridgestone, they work amazing but also need lots of load in them to make the tire work. Again, why the Ducati struggles. With that being said this is why Lorenzo and Marquez are the class of the field. Lorenzo can keep the front tire loaded like no other rider. Marquez is able to pick the bike up and fire it out getting to the rear tire much faster than any other rider thus taking the front out of the equation; the same way Stoner did. My opinions of course. | ||
| Trojan |
Rossi is quoted as saying this extra height and weight probably counts against him with the current and proposed fuel limits hindering heavier riders. Surely it is only a matter of time before they introduce a combined rider/bike weight as in Moto3 and Moto2? It will be interesting to see how Scott Redding fares, although he will be on a 'CRT' bike next year with a higher fuel allocation so it will really only affect him from 2015. Rossi was able to lap within a couple of hundreths of a second of both Lorenzo and Marquez last weekend, and actually lapped faster than pedrosa. He was unable to do it consistently and to the end of the race unfortunately. Another advantage that Lorenzo has figured s to go fast right from the flag. It soundsw obvious, but most racers tend to use the first couple of laps to get up to speed before going 'full chat'. Lorenzo has the ability and confidence in his tyres to go for it straight out of the blocks. A 1.2 second lead after just 1 lap is a morale killer for the others and they then need to ruin their tyres or risk crashing trying to catch up. I remember Ayrton Senna used to do the same thing in F1. | ||
| Jaimec |
Lorenzo seems to have taken a page out of the Mat Mladin/Josh Hayes school of racing. Don't waste time demoralizing your opponents! | ||
| Trojan |
Remember when Doohan was winning every race by milesa and making Moto Gp more boring than it was last year (difficult I admit). He was asked about running away from the pack to win, to which he replied...'What do you want me to do F********* slow down?' At least Rossi used to make it look like the racing was close, even if he was shamming most of the time for the spectators benefit. This year Marquez has kept everyone very honest for at least most of the season, with no room for showboating so far  Lest hope it stays close right to the end. | ||
| Trojan |
Looks like Karel Abraham is out for the rest of the season now too. It will be interesting to see who they can get to fill in for him, as there are very few riders left who have the relavant experience at this level and aren't either under contract or already injured! I'm sure the team won't want a stand in who is quicker than the regular rider either, although that really shouldn't be too hard. I'd give the ride to Gino Rea, but then I'm biased  | ||
| Jaimec |
Marquez appears to be a "stalker" a la Rossi. Follow your opponent, look for his strengths and weaknesses, and pounce when the time is right. That is more interesting to watch than Lorenzo's "Catch me if you can" approach but I'm still a Lorenzo fan. | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
I read that too in MCN Matt, and you raise a great point. At this level of technology and science the only way to determine the order of merit when racing, excepting all things beyond a riders control such as DNF's, there has to be a rider/ bike combined weight limit if we are to witness how their skills on a bike place them in order of merit. To me Rossi is no worse a rider than he was ten years ago. You can't tell me his age and how his fitness changes from that of him being a younger man make so much of a difference to his speed and ability they serve to slow him, when his experience and wisdom are more advanced they nserve to speed him up. Marquez therefore is no better than Rossi (yet), even if statistically this season he proves to be so. We are only talking a matter of 100th of a second here and there in who's faster difference, and this ruke applies to the other Aliens too. I'm for weighting bike and rider. Rocket in England | ||
| Bads1 |
I stand by my feelings that Vale is in a somewhat mind funk. He is not quite as aggressive as he was. His last year at Yamaha it was a bad injury. Then he went Ducati for two years and he couldn't piece that bike together so he could even ride it aggressive unless he would risk injury. He stated that he wouldnt push to risk injury on it to just place outside of the top 3. Then one of his best friends and training partner dies on the track in a accident that Rossi was involved. He trudged onward on a unrewarding bike. Today hes riding a good bike but he has had three horrible years that would bring the mentality down on most everyone. Just my thoughts!! (Message edited by bads1 on September 19, 2013) | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
Maybe, but he is only fractions of a second off the pace so it's a strange mind funk that would be doing such to him I'd think. I mean, you'd imagine he'd be half a second or a second or so. Not fractions. I have to believe what he and Burgess said in MCN this week, and it basically comes down to weight and how it affects the front tyre loading and how the decreasing fuel weight alters the bike. These are the fractions of a second Rossi is chasing. Even if there's an excuse or three in such comments from them, I don't think his pace is 'slow' enough (for me) to believe he's not on his best pace. I think he is racing the bike as fast as he can until there is no point in trying any harder once race order is established. Rocket in England | ||
| Xb1125r |
you boys keep making excuses for Rossi. i feel bad for Rossi, Ibet he wishes he would have left last year. he is gettign powned By a Rookie. He should retire and enjoy life. Lorenzo keeps enbarrasing Rossi every single week | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
you boys keep making excuses for Rossi Don't be bloody stupid. Rossi needs no excuse. His return to Yamaha has already garnered him a win this season, and he's cemented his place firmly as a valid top four finisher. Let's take a closer look to support your unfounded comment. We have possibly a once in a generation rider, in his rookie season, leading the race to the championship. Hot in pursuit of Marquez for the 2013 title are the two fastest regular riders in the championship. One, Lorenzo, the current world champion. The other, Pedrosa, current runner up. Rossi, returning to Yamaha, consistency is paying off with a firm 4th place in the title hunt. I'm curious 1125. Who would you have take Rossi's place and how well do you imagine they'd be doing this season thus far? Perhaps when you've considered your answer you'd care to give us the benefit of your wisdom and explain how well your choice will be doing next season too, as no doubt you have a long term reason for retiring Rossi off despite him being the sports most grossing participant and still the fourth fastest man in the world to beat! I'm all ears  Rocket in England | ||
| Rasta_dog |
Iove motorsports. I don't understand the need for some to tear down other racers in order to validate their favorite racer, whether its Marquez, Rossi, Stoner, or another. We all have our favorites for our own reasons, but these racers crown themselves by their own actions competing with the World watching...they are badass. Suggesting that Rossi, or any other rider on a grid that you are not on should retire the spot they have, well...that just makes you an ass. | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
I think it's about who as spectators (as what's the point of sport if none) we believe could do better as that's what we want to see. The competition. I don't think any of us as fans mean it personally. Well, except in Stoner's case of course! In this sense 1125 is right to air his opinion. I'm curious to see who he thinks at this moment in time is more worthy and therefore more capable of doing a better job this season on the Yamaha than Rossi is already doing. It seems to me the answer is, they are already in front of him so I really am curious for 1125's answer. Rocket in England | ||
| Trojan |
Like most sports, MotoGP tends to encourage subjective point of view rather than purely objective (othewise why would anyone support Accrington Stanley of the Chicago Cubs?). In that respect then of course we all have favourite riders, and riders we are not so keen on, whether that is because of riding style, lifestyle, attitude or just human reaction doesn't matter. However, you do need to back up an argument to sack the greatest GP rider of all time with some hard facts, rather than just to say he is past it, particularly as Rocket haas said, he ain't doing too badly now is he? There are lots of young riders who deserve a shot at MotoGP, but that should be at the expense of the underperformers such as Bautista and others......Not a world champion who is still in front of 99% of the field. | ||
| Gaesati |
Let's see, there are 12 prototypes on the grid, 4 of them are uncompetitive which leaves 8. Rossi is running fourth, I.e a midfield runner.(lol) Or Rossi is better than the other 99 percent . He is running fourth therefore 1 percent equals 4 bikes and riders and 100 percent equals 400 MotoGp bikes. We have just solved Dorna's problem of falling grid numbers. There are just a huge number of stealthed bikes and riders on the grid. (Lol) | ||
| Jaimec |
I find this article particularly amusing since Pedrosa is one of the fastest "starters" on the grid: http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresul ts/MotoGP/2013/September/sep2513-marquez-pedrosa-u rged-start-faster/ And I see Honda is starting to fall back on the "Ducati Mantra:" Casey could do it, so can you... |
