MotoGP Round 3: Estoril (Spoilers) No Time to Rest as Estoril Awaits Following an enthralling race weekend at the inaugural European round in Jerez, the MotoGP World Championship heads across the border to contest the Gran Prémio de Portugal Circuito Estoril. With all three races going right down to the wire, the riders have just four days to recover before testing their machines on the Estoril track, which combines a long straight, some tire-punishing corners, heavy braking zones, and a tricky chicane in between. Challenging enough as it is, riders and teams will be hoping for greatly improved weather conditions compared to the Spanish round, which provided different track conditions for almost every session. Championship Leader Jorge Lorenzo, who won three years in a row at the Portuguese circuit between 2008 and 2010, will be looking to replicate that kind of form on board his Yamaha Factory Racing machine, as he looks to hold off the challenge from Repsol Honda Team pair Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa. For Stoner, who won last weekend's Jerez round just fractions ahead of Lorenzo, this is now the only track on the current MotoGP calendar where he has not yet recorded a premier-class win. As well as wanting to make it a full house, taking the championship lead off his Yamaha rival will be top of the agenda for the Australian. Teammate Dani Pedrosa took the win at Estoril last year ahead of Lorenzo and Stoner. Despite not running with the pair at the front in Jerez, Pedrosa is looking in good form. Monster Yamaha Tech3's Cal Crutchlow, who continues to be the revelation of the season after almost getting the better of Pedrosa in Spain, will be seeking his first ever podium finish in the premier class. Coy about his performances so far, the Britain will no doubt be boosted by his latest showing. His teammate, Italian Andrea Dovizioso, is still getting to grips with the Yamaha, yet will be buoyed by his fourth place finish at the Portuguese track last year. Lorenzo's teammate, Ben Spies, who has endured two tricky first rounds, will not want to finish last Yamaha for a third time in a row, and has vowed to bounce back in the next race, after showing much promise in pre-season testing aboard his bike. San Carlo Honda Gresini's Álvaro Bautista and LCR Honda MotoGP's Stefan Bradl have been consistently fast on their satellite Hondas in the first two rounds of the season. Last year at this point, Bautista was still recovering from a broken femur and finished last, while Bradl won the Moto2 race. Ducati Team pair Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden have not had an easy start to the season, yet have been boosted by some glimpses of hope in Jerez; Hayden by putting his Ducati on the front row of the grid, and Rossi by discovering some good form in the wet. Tire wear and handling continues to be an issue, yet the team feels it is now heading in the right direction. Pramac Team's Héctor Barbera, who has tussled with Rossi the previous two races will be looking to get one over the Italian in Portugal. Second satellite Ducati rider, Cardion AB Motoracing's Karel Abraham, has had a disappointing start to the season and will be looking to turn his fortunes around this time out. The new Claiming Rule Teams (CRT) did not have it easy in Jerez, having to adapt to the ever-changing weather and track conditions with little previous data to go on. The coming round will not prove and awful lot easier, as Estoril is a track which is renowned for providing set-up complications due to its highly varied nature. Power Electronics Aspar's Aleix Espargaró finished top CRT last weekend, after his teammate Randy de Puniet retired towards the end. Paul Bird Motorsport's James Ellison and San Carlo Honda Gresini's Michele Pirro suffered a similar fate, whilst Came IodaRacing Project's Danilo Petrucci recorded a positive 13th place for his team. Joining them will be Speed Master's Mattia Pasini, NGM Mobile Forward Racing's Colin Edwards, as well as Avintia Blusens pair Yonny Hernandez and Iván Silva, who will once again be gunning for top CRT spot. The Grande Prémio de Portugal Circuito Estoril takes place from May 4-6th, and the MotoGP bikes will be on track for the first practice session at 10.10am local time on Friday morning.
Wet Race (looking likely) Pedders Rossi Cal Dry Lorenzo Stoner Cal (praying for it) VR 8th NH 9th Test on Monday (If ducati have new engine and updates) 1 Lorenzo 2 Stoner 3 Pedders 4 Cal 5 Rossi (long shot 749er, but you will hope it fails and he's last)
I hope everyone is playing the Dainese Challenge game. It's more fun making predictions if you do. Maybe we could have a compare at the end of the season and see who was the least incapable of forecasting the results?
Wet: Stoner/Lorenzo/Pedrosa - in any order. Dry: Stoner/Lorenzo/Pedrosa - in any order. Mind you, we've not had a big pile-up in motogp for years; perhaps Estoril is the place, in which case... Crutchlow Bradl Rossi Well, you never know...
First I've heard of that; my prediction is now made. If James Ellison makes it to the podium I'll be a very rich man...
My comment from last time was right! 'I don't errr know aaa what to do so maybe I err try to copy Nicky' Valentino Rossi optimistic for Estoril after adopting Ducati team-mate Nicky Hayden's set-up - MotoGP news - AUTOSPORT.com
The only problem I can see with using Nicky's settings, is that Rossi cannot seem to adjust his silky smooth riding style....to the let it all hang out, bull by the horns sideways sliding style of Hayden and Stoner. And that looks like the only way to make the GP Ducati work. :frown:
Its funny you should say that as I watched the moto2 race from last week again yesterday and Scott redding has a style not so unlike stoner & hayden, he was sideways in to near every corner and really ragging it, I was well impressed and thought ducati straight away Not that it helps now obviously but at least he's got the same stupid hair as hayden Stoner Lorenzo Cal Wet: Stoner pedders lorenzo
Redding was interviewed in the latest Racer mag and he basically said (I'm paraphrasing here) that the Ducati isn't competitive even with Rossi on it so he'd be unlikely to sign... and fair enough too!
FP1: [TABLE="class: width100 marginbot10 fonts12"] [TR] [TD="class: alignright"]1 [/TD] [TD="class: alignright"]11[/TD] [TD]Ben SPIES[/TD] [TD]USA[/TD] [TD]Yamaha Factory Racing[/TD] [TD]Yamaha[/TD] [TD="class: alignright"][/TD] [TD="class: alignright"]1'40.813[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE="class: width100 marginbot10 fonts12"] [TR="class: even"] [TD="class: alignright"]2[/TD] [TD="class: alignright"]69[/TD] [TD]Nicky HAYDEN[/TD] [TD]USA[/TD] [TD]Ducati Team[/TD] [TD]Ducati[/TD] [TD="class: alignright"][/TD] [TD="class: alignright"]1'41.086[/TD] [TD="class: alignright nowrap"]0.273 / 0.273[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="class: alignright"]3[/TD] [TD="class: alignright"]46[/TD] [TD]Valentino ROSSI[/TD] [TD]ITA[/TD] [TD]Ducati Team[/TD] [TD]Ducati[/TD] [TD="class: alignright"][/TD] [TD="class: alignright"]1'41.502[/TD] [TD="class: alignright nowrap"]0.689 / 0.416[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] FP2: [TABLE="class: width100 marginbot10 fonts12"] [TR] [TD="class: alignright"]1 [/TD] [TD="class: alignright"]1[/TD] [TD]Casey STONER[/TD] [TD]AUS[/TD] [TD]Repsol Honda Team[/TD] [TD]Honda[/TD] [TD="class: alignright"][/TD] [TD="class: alignright"]1'38.396[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE="class: width100 marginbot10 fonts12"] [TR] [TD="class: alignright"]7[/TD] [TD="class: alignright"]69[/TD] [TD]Nicky HAYDEN[/TD] [TD]USA[/TD] [TD]Ducati Team[/TD] [TD]Ducati[/TD] [TD="class: alignright"][/TD] [TD="class: alignright"]1'39.029[/TD] [TD="class: alignright nowrap"]0.633 / 0.070[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [TABLE="class: width100 marginbot10 fonts12"] [TR] [TD="class: alignright"]9[/TD] [TD="class: alignright"]46[/TD] [TD]Valentino ROSSI[/TD] [TD]ITA[/TD] [TD]Ducati Team[/TD] [TD]Ducati[/TD] [TD="class: alignright"][/TD] [TD="class: alignright"]1'39.357[/TD] [TD="class: alignright nowrap"]0.961 / 0.164[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
I'd like to see it, I think it would be an interesting proposition, as you say his hooligan style seems like it's right up the Ducati's street. I was above Scott's garage in Valencia in 2010, and every time he came in he was doing stoppies and burn out's, just like a teenage TWOCer would. Shame he can't take it for a test ride, before he signs for the finance like normal people. :wink:
CIV a Monza | Luca Marini migliora, è 7° in Moto3 VR's brother is doing well! Is that san carlo all over his bike!!
