Is it really that time of year again already? BRILLIANT right then, spies, reckon he'll do ok actually, big enough to thow it about and get the elbows working for him, it won't be smooth but it could be good to watch. hayden, well maybe he'll do better now he's got his fellow countryman to compare against and also I don't perceive him as a number 2 this year (I don't mean a turd). Fingers crossed for him but odds are he'll make up the numbers dovi, well he's good no question but do I like him? Nah, not really. Maybe ill change my mind but frankly I think they're best signing is spies. Iannone is also a good selection if only to bring in some new blood. personally scott redding should be looked at for next year if hayden dosnt cut it, reckon he's got what it takes myself.
Would definitely have been good to see Redding move up but, as I understand it, the Marc VDS team weren't overly impressed with the Ducati or the support they'd get so decided to wait it out a bit. I think he'll be there next year. I wonder if Herve will ditch Smith this year if he doesn't perform, he has a two year contract... Not sure about Spies ... he's quick, of course, but there seems to be something missing. I hope he finds it this year because he's a top rider and a chilled dude. Dovi is also good, but his level isn't going to be regular winner - even on the factory Honda. I just hope that ze Germans there turn the Ducati into a competitive bike again and generate some interest so the best riders want to get on it again - they simply don't now.
I'm expecting Ianone to bin it frequently, but I'm thinking he'll do quite well when he doesn't - dark horse on the outside for me - good lad
Spies's style might come good on the duke with a bit of luck! Dovi's a front end rider and so is Ianone so i think they will find it hard going to adapt like Rossi. My favourite for the championship is Lorenzo! He's going to be fired up this year to rub rossi's nose in it!
I reckon Lorenzo has to be favourite but I think Dani is a lot closer. He was FAST last year, and stayed injury free. You can see his confidence and overall mood has changed, HRC bosses have noticed too. He's my dark horse!
Re the Dorna Control ECU - wasn't it built by Magnetti Marelli? I had their electrics on an old Fiat X19! Not exactly reliable would be the understatement of the millennium.
The writing was on Dani's wall when Casey came across and started handing him his arse. I think Dani learned a bit from Casey and also drew some motivation from him. Dani was always fast but he lifted his game when Casey showed up. I'm sure having Suppo in the backroom having demarcation disputes with Puig and currying Honda favour was also stunningly motivating :biggrin: ... Dani has had a long time, and a lot of support, to win a premier class title and hasn't managed it. While two of his contemporaries have managed two each in the same or less time which tends to put Dani in the 'Dovi class' for a manufacturer looking to win the title, even though Dani is faster. Dovi = fast and will get you on the podium, maybe even win a few races, but he'll never win you the title. Dani needs to win the title this year or he'll be out I think. Marquez is the Repsol future and Dani needs a title win to stem the tide against him.
If Dani doesnt win this year then I fear he never will. The title will be Lorenzo's to loose, as has been mentioned before. He wants to put Rossi down, however if Rossi out performs he, it will be a major blow. Dovi and will be chasing Hayden down in 5th or 6th, followed by Spies in 8th. Iannone will be in the medical tent most weekends. Now Marc Marquez is the one to watch. He'll be top three within three races, winning within five Cal will be on the podium a good few times, but Bradley Smith will top ten
Poorly in the test because he's still nowhere near fit and in no condition to wring the neck of such a tricky bike. Makes his learning curve even steeper. I think the season will be all about Dani and Jorge, though I'm happy to be proven wrong. I reckon that Vale has lost the smidgen that made him the multiple winner: it happened when he had his accident - until then he'd always bounced very well. I don't think that Marquez has so much talent that it will outweigh the massive talent + experience combo offered by Lorenzo and Pedders. I also think that his propensity for losing it and saving it on his knee is going to see him in the gravel in Moto GP, at least to start with. The only way Dovi is going to do anything is if Ducati suddenly build a bike which is actually better than any of the others cos Dovi sure isn't as fast over a race as Jorge or Pedders and probably Rossi. And we all know how likely that is. So essentially another season in which your motivation for watching can't be to see the Ducatis perform well. The most interesting thing will be to see how Rossi gets on. Then, when he isn't as dominant as Stoner on the Honda, we'll be able to have endless ill-tempered Rossi vs Stoner threads again. Can't wait!
if the Germans are meant to be the ex BMW crew, then ok.. Alstare is Belgian... i'm sleeping well now ik know that the nr 7 bike is standing 100 miles from here..
True, but the GP13 may have something to say about it. With his style (which is great by the way) he'll just keep pushing and pushing right up until the front washes out on him I really want him to prove my statement wrong as I think he and Marquez and the Rossi/Biaggi of this generation
glid, you may be rigth in MM but when looking back on the M2 season in detail, MM is quit something.. it seems as thoug everytime he was under pressure, he just upped the odds, pushed a tad harder and won... it seams he's quit ok in his head to... 0.5 sec faster then Bautista on your second outing leaves little to be desired.. but indeed, wisdom says that he still has a learning curve ahead of him and i guess it will be steep...
Think MM will definitely win championships in the future - maybe even in a season's time. But instant success is a big ask in this category. It may also depend on how lucky he is when he hits the deck. There's quite a lot of luck of this sort in Moto GP. Had Loris not had bad luck (Barcelona) Ducati would probably have had a championship that year.
