| Author | Message | ||
     Jaimec |
Regarding CRT bikes: The first half of the season ain't gonna be pretty... Will they give a trophy for "Most Improved?" | ||
| Bads1 |
Seeing that the Ducati is only 40 days old. Rossi's lap times are not that far off considering Ducati is alittle behind in developing and making the bike just right. I think we're going to see much much better racing out of them this season. Hayden didn't do all tooooo bad considering wrist,shoulder,ribs,etc. are still not 100% and he will improve soon. | ||
| Trojan |
Regarding CRT bikes: The first half of the season ain't gonna be pretty... The CRT bikes testig at Sepang are a bad advert for the concept unfortunately. Colins 2012 bike spent the whole day in pieces with electronics 'issues', so he spent the day riding the 2011 prototype, whcih doesn't work with the 2012 Bridgestone tyres and suffered severe chatter everywhere. The BQR Kawasakis are just miles away from being ready, and don't even have a WSB electronics package to use as a starting point (unlike Aprilia/ART and BMW/Suter). The CRT test at Valencia looks a lot more encouraging, with all riders using the Aprilia built ART machines that may or may not follow the spirit of the CRT rules. Randy De Puniet ended day 2 just 3 seconds off the fastest time set by Pedrosa at the circuit last year, but was importantly only 1 second off his own time from last year when riding the Ducati GP11. Given that this is just the very first test and that he improved by over a second from day one, I think we may see some CRT bikes at least challenge the factory satellite bikes this year, even if those particular ART CRT bikes are actually semi-factory WSB bikes in disguise! Some of the CRT teams don't even have bikes yet to test (Gresini/PBM and others), so it is certainly going to be a long hard learning year for them  Hopefully 2013 will see them getting more competitive combined with some encouragement from the rulebook on parity. | ||
| Trojan |
End of day two, and normal service seems to have been resumed (or is getting there) with positions pretty much the same as they finished at the end of 2011. There are of course major caveats in that this is only testing, and we don't know which tyres the best times were set on etc, but it looks like Honda will be the ones to catch again Rossi & Hayden spent the day testing a variety of new parts on the new Ducati and Hayden only did part of the day before handing over to a test rider due to his injury. Colin Edwards improved on the Suter BMW, but not by a significant amount compared to the other runners. The BQR Kawasakis hardly ran at all due to 'engine problems'. Pos Rider Team Fastest lap Prev. Gap Lead. Gap Laps 1 Casey Stoner 2:00.895 - - 29 2 Ben Spies 2:01.052 +0.157 +0.157 37 3 Jorge Lorenzo 2:01.068 +0.016 +0.173 40 4 Dani Pedrosa 2:01.508 +0.440 +0.613 35 5 Cal Crutchlow 2:01.565 +0.057 +0.670 42 6 Hector Barbera 2:01.788 +0.223 +0.893 50 7 Valentino Rossi 2:01.886 +0.098 +0.991 44 8 Alvaro Bautista 2:01.933 +0.047 +1.038 46 9 Andrea Dovizioso 2:02.160 +0.227 +1.265 42 10 Nicky Hayden 2:02.354 +0.194 +1.459 41 11 Stefan Bradl 2:02.414 +0.060 +1.519 41 12 Karel Abraham 2:02.598 +0.184 +1.703 66 13 Katsuyuki Nakasuga 2:02.941 +0.343 +2.046 40 14 Franco Battaini 2:04.311 +1.370 +3.416 38 15 Colin Edwards 2:05.603 +1.292 +4.708 37 16 Ivan Silva 2:10.297 +4.694 +9.402 16 17 Jordi Torres 2:11.893 +1.596 +10.998 2 18 Robertino Pietri 2:12.546 +0.653 +11.651 5 | ||
| Jaimec |
Three Yamahas in the top 5. I don't think "Honda" is the one to catch, STONER is the one to catch. If Dovi were healthier, I'm sure there would've been FOUR Yamahas and Stoner in the Top 5. | ||
| Blake |
What Jaime said, and Stoner's Honda ahead of Spies Yamaha by only 0.16 seconds. Pedrosa more than a half second back. Not at all the same Honda dominance that characterized the 800cc bikes last season. Time will tell for sure. | ||
| Bads1 |
Watching the huge improvement with Ducati.May see bigger improvements tomorrow I hope. Bought my tickets for Indy 2 weeks ago with Rocketsprink. Can't wait to see them run again. | ||
| Xb1125r |
the only way ducati us going to win is by having Stoner back. I don't think they have the balls to ask him back. | ||
| Blake |
You know the people at Ducati Corse MotoGP Racing? | ||
| Jaimec |
Now that Rossi and Burgess have a bike they can work with, he'll be more of a podium threat this year for sure. Nicky, too. | ||
| Bads1 |
the only way ducati us going to win is by having Stoner back. I don't think they have the balls to ask him back. Ahhhhh yeah what ever you say.lol | ||
| Trojan |
Three Yamahas in the top 5. I don't think "Honda" is the one to catch, STONER is the one to catch. You have to remember though that least year there were 4 factory Hondas (Stoner, Pedrosa, Dovi and Simoncelli) able to run at the front regularly. This year there are only two competitive Honda factory bikes for Stoner & Pedrosa. Bautista and Bradl have 'customer' bikes and I wouldn't expect to see either of them at the front at least for a while. In effect Yamaha have turned the tables on Honda in terms of numerical superiority at the moment, so I would expect to see more of them up front. There isn't anyone else able to run with the Honda/Yamaha brigade just yet, including Ducati. the only way ducati us going to win is by having Stoner back. I don't think they have the balls to ask him back. We'll see  | ||
| Xb1125r |
even Lorenzo said today "whatever Casey rides , he can win" | ||
| Jaimec |
"Can" and "Will" are two different words. Just sayin'... GO ELBOWZ!! | ||
| Xb1125r |
true, but Rossi and Nickky can't lol | ||
| Jaimec |
I'm not counting Vale out. Only a fool would. But I'm rooting for Ben and Jorge! | ||
| Gaesati |
Giacomo Agostini said in an interview that Stoner is to Rossi as Hailwood was to himself. Hailwood could go fast on anything under any conditions, Agostini needed the bike to be right for his style. Racing seems to have a history of these duelling contrasts: Gardner vs Lawson Schwantz vs Rainey Hailwood vs Agostini Spencer vs Lawson Any others which spring to mind? These clashes seem to be mostly won by the riders who can get the bike right rather than sheer riding talent. | ||
| Xb1125r |
"there are also the riders that adopt to the bike and become one, instead of always complaining." that is what the crue chief of max biaggi said in an interview. I like Rossi, but i put him with pedrosa and lorenzo, not with stoner | ||
| Bads1 |
Then your lost | ||
| Trojan |
"whatever Casey rides , he can win" He forgot to mention that both championships that Stoner has won have been on that seasons stand out best bike by a long way (both bikes that he had little or no part in developing). Do you really think that if Rossi had been on the Honda (or even the Yamaha) last year he wouldn't have challenged Stoner for the title? I like Rossi, but i put him with pedrosa and lorenzo, not with stoner When Stoner (or Lorenzo/Pedrosa) has won his 9th world title then I'll start to think of him in the same league as Rossi, Hailwood etc. Until then he should shut up and get on with the job instead of complaining every 5 minutes about everything and everyone. Personally I hope anyone but SToner wins the championship this year, but I can't see it as Honda carried such a technological advanatage over from last year. I think it will take 2 years for other teams to catch up and the series rules to make things more even for everyone. | ||
| Gaesati |
If Stoner won because he was on the best bike in 2007 what were the other Ducati riders doing? | ||
| Jaimec |
2007 was also the last time anyone but Stoner won on a Ducati... Loris Capirossi was also fighting for the lead that year. How soon people forget. | ||
| Xb1125r |
indeed how quick we forget , Stoner was second in 2008 in points and won many of the races. remember that was the season he was not feeling alway good and he missed some races. if he would have been in every race he would have won it again | ||
| Davegess |
Thw whole Rossi/Stoner debate is getting old. Right now, this moment Stoner is Rossis equal and has a better bike. I hope the Ducati comes good and we get to see a fair fight between the too so we can get a real idea of Stoner's talent. As far a Stoner being better than Rossi at his best (and I don't think Rossi is done yet) we will need a few years to find that out. Matt is right, when Stoner, Lorenzo or Pedrosi win 9 titles lets talk. Stoner is certainly a disagreeable fellow however and could win 20 titles and not get the fan love Rossi gets. | ||
| Blake |
Bill (XB1125R),
The season in which Stoner went home to rest was 2009, not 2008. He missed three races in 2009 and finished the championship in 4th place with 220 points to champion Rossi's 306. Had Stoner raced those three events and finished first in all of them, he still would have lost to Rossi with 295 points to Rossi's 296. Indeed. http://resources.motogp.com/files/results/2009/VAL /MotoGP/RidersPerformance.pdf?v1_96143780 In 2008 Rossi beat Stoner decisively 373 to 280. Indeed. http://resources.motogp.com/files/results/2008/MotoGP/VAL/riders+performance.pdf?v1_96143780 (Message edited by Blake on February 03, 2012) | ||
| Bads1 |
Blake is 100% correct on that. And I agree with Dave very much so that Rossi isn't done yet. Rossi is just another phase. If he does indeed get this bike right and wins (maybe not this year) he will indeed quiet nay sayers. Hes done this before. | ||
| Jaimec |
And if Stoner wins EVERY race and still maintains that surly disposition of his, he'll be about as loved in MotoGP as Mat Mladin was in AMA Superbike... the guy you LOVE to see get beaten. | ||
| Davegess |
If Rossi does indeed comes back it will cement him as one of the best ever. I am pulling for him. | ||
| Blake |
Mladin was a hard ass, but he didn't blame his losses on others. | ||
| Bads1 |
Mladin was a hard ass, but he didn't blame his losses on others Blake anytime he was beat,9 times out of ten the guy blamed the bike. |
