| Author | Message | ||
     Vagelis46 |
"Bridgestone have done a much better job this year than Michelin, that is for sure. Unfortunately that takes away the sport and makes the championship into just a tyre war, which is a shame. There are riders such as Hayden, Pedrosa & Rossi whose ability is not able to show through simply because Michelin cannot provide them with the best tyres. " What happened to Bridgestone Gresini Honda bikes ? If Bridgestones were so superior to Michelin in the wet, Gresini Honda should have also done better than Michelin Repsol Honda. Melandri is OK in wet conditions and with the Super-super Bridgestones (as you claim)should have beaten the Michelin riders. BUT he did NOT . So it is not the tires that are winning this year. It is the PACKAGE rider & bike & tires. So far, in all the races and conditions, the best PACKAGE has won. Rossi won easily in Muggelo. Pedrosa was second. Were the Michelis crap in that race too? Do you suggest that they did it with a big tire disadvantage? Stoner' GP7 was 4th in Muggelo and 5th in Jereth. Were his tire superior in that race, and still that was the best he could do? The fact that this year Bridgestone and Michelin is closer (I still think that Michelin are better in the dry), adds to the credibility of the sport, and not vice versa, as you suggest. I suggest that Rossi fans should get used to the idea of Rossi not winning every weekend despite doing his 100%. Rossi should get used to this idea as well. We should have realised the need for a top machine&team to win. He should have taken Ducati's offer. | ||
| Trojan |
Gresini have more problems than just tyres, and are struggling badly with the basic Honda package. Remeber both their riders are race winners, as are the Repsol riders. They don't get the parts that Repsol get to improve the bikes until much later in the day, so are probably still on the original spec bikes that they started the season with. Honda admit that they have gone in the wrong direction witheir 800 bike and are struggling without a good development rider. When the Michelins have worked well they have been good and we have seen a much more level playing field. The trouble is that, even in the dry, the Michelins only work well in hot temperatures. A couple of degrees drop and they don't work at all. We have seen this happen all year and they have no consistency at all. The new rules have only made this more noticeable. Bridgestone have both wet and dry tyres that seem to work in a much broader temperature range. Michelin really need to up their game very quickly in order to get Yamaha and Honda back on terms with Ducati. Assen will be interesting for sure, as it will in theory suit the Yamaha more than any other bike. However if it rains then it is anyone's guess though. | ||
| Jaimec |
Rossi explained everything BEFORE Donington. If it was a dry race, they'd be okay. If it was a wet race, they'd be okay. But if it were in changing conditions, they'd have a problem. He was right... the conditions changed mid race when the track started drying up. The fact that Rossi didn't crash and managed to finish with what was left of his tires is testimonial alone to his skill. By the way, Vagelis... I haven't checked lately but as of a few weeks ago the Gresini team was ahead of the Repsol team in the standings... so their Bridgestone tires ARE working out for them. | ||
| 12r |
Look at those chicken strips...  What a lightweight lol | ||
| 12r |
Michelin are working to close the gap: http://www.michelinsport.com/sport/moto/en/mgp_act _affich.jsp?news_id=20185&nomPage=Michelin's%20Ans wer&codeRubrique=243&lang=EN&codeCategorie=GPX_MOT OGP_9_AVT_REP_ | ||
| Jaimec |
As a follow up to my last post: Repsol is currently ahead of Gresini now, thanks mostly to Pedrosa I suspect. | ||
| Jaimec |
Just read this article: http://tinyurl.com/2gy8vg And the Brits criticize American sports fans?? | ||
| Trojan |
And the Brits criticize American sports fans?? Unfortunately there will always be a mindless minority at every event. These are not sports fans at all, just brain dead Chavs. | ||
| Trojan |
 It was only after the race that the mechanics noticed how scared Rossi had been when he ran onto the grass!! | ||
| Jaimec |
I could understand fans booing Max Biaggi... the guy did little to endear himself to the fans. But Casey? What's not to like about him?? He looks like Richie Cunningham and Opie Taylor all rolled into one! | ||
| 12r |
It could only happen in the UK. They are Rossi fans but not racing fans and would struggle to name three other riders. "Ooh doesn't it hurt their knees when they go around the corner ?" | ||
| Vagelis46 |
Will Assen be another win for Ducati&Stoner?? FP1 & FP2 are looking good for Ducati. | ||
| Jaimec |
Breaking news: Toseland to replace Elias?? http://tinyurl.com/39apcf | ||
| 12r |
Replica paint job anyone ?    And that suit  it's so 50s dahling | ||
| Trojan |
Rossi deserves to win just for sporting that paint job!  Perhaps the idea is to blind the opposition. | ||
| Jaimec |
Or get them too nauseous to compete properly... | ||
| 12r |
lol it seems to be working in FP3... 1. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1min 37.537 secs 2. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 37.580 secs 3. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 37.816 secs 4. Colin Edwards USA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1min 38.020 secs 5. John Hopkins USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 38.185 secs Must be the new helmet...  | ||
| Davegess |
Interesting comment on this site. Apparently Hayden has been trying to convince Honda to reduce the amount of tractions control on his bike and they have finally done so. He seems to think this change is as important as, perhaps more so, than the changes to the bike. Sounds like a typical kind of Honda move, the engineers know more than the rider and the rider needs to ride what the engineers say will work best. http://www.motogpmatters.com/ | ||
| Macbuell |
Davegess, that makes a little sense considering Nicky's dirt tracking back ground. He has always liked the spin the tire up coming out of the corner and the slid that back end on corner entry. I don't know is this approach will be the best for lap times though. I have to say this as a race fan though ... I hate traction control (launch control as well). To me one of the greatest skills the best racers have is throttle control and traction control has severely reduced the need for riders to develop and use that skill. Now they can just twist the wrist (within reason) and the computer will sense rear grip and adjust the amount of throttle. Hate it. | ||
| Vagelis46 |
Rossi's paint job?? I prefer Ducati's red! | ||
| Blake |
I agree with Mac. | ||
| Heads |
New colours wont help him if its a wet race go AUSSIES MotoGP Qualifying (WET) Vermeulen 1m48.55 Stoner 1m48.57 De Puniet 1m49.57 Melandri 1m49.67 Hopkins 1m49.68 Edwards 1m49.69 West 1m49.80 Hofmann 1m49.92 Pedrosa 1m50.13 Capirossi 1m50.16 Rossi 1m50.39 Barros 1m50.40 Hayden 1m50.58 Roberts 1m51.25 Nakano 1m51.82 Checa 1m53.27 Guintoli 1m54.25 Tamada 1m57.52 | ||
| Blake |
Fresh of the press from www.MotoGP.com ... Hayden leads the way as Stoner crashes in Go Nick, Hopper, Stoner, and Rossi...  | ||
| Heads |
Very good race,michelin done well... Going to be a good fight for the championship | ||
| 510toy |
anybody know what time and what channel for the assen race, i can`t find it anywhere. | ||
| Macbuell |
510, you missed it. CBS threw us a curveball and broadcasted the race yesterday. I was just lucky in that I noticed it on the schedule or I would have missed it too. | ||
| Jaimec |
Looks like Michelin is catching back up. Gonna be an interesting second half of the season. I'm still not betting against Rossi... | ||
| Davegess |
Anyone else catch what Rossi said to Schwantz after the race? Something about remembering what Kevin told him about getting though some turn and using to catch Stoner? | ||
| Jaimec |
Honda is the company I just LOVE to hate, and I'm having a BALL this year. Dani Pedrosa hasn't won a race in a full YEAR now. When he first came on board, he was hyped as the man who would dethrone Rossi once and for all. Although Rossi was dethroned last year by Honda, it wasn't Pedrosa who did it, and although Nicky rode an excellent season, it was due more to Rossi's bad luck than anything else. And now, the man the Honda didn't want to hang on to, Casey Stoner, is cleaning EVERYONE'S clock on a Ducati! Honda MAY finally get a win at Laguna Seca. Nicky Hayden has pretty much proved he pwns that track, and he's finally hitting his stride again. On the other hand, Colin really likes that track too... and Rossi has a point to prove. Should be a good race! | ||
| Blake |
Dave, Yes, I heard that. I think Valentino said something like "Thanks for sharing your secret for passing in the chicane" or something like that. Jaime, I agree that it is refreshing to see someone other than Honda dominating in MotoGP for a change, and I've never been much of a Pedrosa fan either. I think he's proving that he is just too small for some tracks; Assen was the perfect example. That is a very rigorous heavy workload track and it may have just wore the little guy out with arm pump and whatnot. Here's the text from www.MotoGP.com on Pedrosa... Pedrosa’s winless streak extends to a full calendar year. | ||
| Trojan |
Yes, I heard that. I think Valentino said something like "Thanks for sharing your secret for passing in the chicane" or something like that. Assen has changed completely since Scwantz last rode there, so I doubt if he had any meanigful advice on the circuit that Valentino didn't already know. Maybe he had noticed that Stoner was slower and more vulnerable to attack at that point? As for Pedrosa being finished. I very much doubt that at all. He will be a front runner for a long time yet, and once honda get the bike sorted expect to see him battling for the wins again. I think he lacks metal toughness rather than physical strength, but that will come. Rumour has it that Neil Hodgson will replace Tony Elias at the next few GP's, although Neil is also racing in AMA for Honda again (on Josh Hayes bike), so will be a bit busy in the coming weeks if he gets the ride! |
