Interesting to note that the top three through the speed-trap were all Barbera, Hayden and Rossi. The Duc certainly goes in a straight line, which is a start. Corners next... Some interesting comments here: MotoGP Losail: Rossi hints at style change to cope with GP12 power | Bikesport News | News
Does Cal mean Vale is working for the beers at the end of the race? Pretty ominous that Casey is out there turning down the electronics and running on old tyres ... He'll be parting the Red Sea next! :wink::biggrin:
Anyone got Dorna's address? I've got an idea, how about replace the CRT machines with mondeo's towing caravans? That would make it interesting...the same pace but more difficult to pass, should make for even more interesting racing on the narrower circuits too. Why else are they there? Just a thought.
Says a lot about his personality and his winging really.....if you could f*ck off out of ear shot, you would. :wink: P.s. I actually like Stoner, but I like a wee bit of needle too.
Enough about Rossi n' Stoner, what about CAL, 2nd in practice 3, real possibility of seeing a Brit on the podium this year, GO CAL !
1 LORENZO J.Yamaha Factory Racing1:54.634 2 STONER C.Repsol Honda Team+0.221 3 CRUTCHLOW C.Monster Yamaha Tech 3+0.388 4 SPIES B.Yamaha Factory Racing+0.878 5 HAYDEN N.Ducati Team+1.003 6 DOVIZIOSO A.Monster Yamaha Tech 3+1.224 7 PEDROSA D.Repsol Honda Team+1.271 8 BARBERA H.Pramac Racing Team+1.349 9 BRADL S.LCR Honda MotoGP+1.429 10 ABRAHAM K.Cardion AB Motoracing+1.564 11 BAUTISTA A.San Carlo Honda Gresini+1.887 12 ROSSI V.Ducati Team+2.179 13 EDWARDS C.NGM Mobile Forward Racing+3.010 (CRT) What the hells up with Rossi!!??
Yep Stoners Honda has a few issues at the moment it would seem but I'm sure he'll get it dialled in, but that's nothing in comparison to a factory 'Rossi developed' Ducati posting only 0.8 of a second just above the CRT noob bikes. I think as ducati fans and not Rossi fans that should be the main talking point, cos I know we might not all agree on how great the bloke is or whether they shouldve just thrown the money at it with stoner, but c'mon, he's managed to have an entire team continuously change the entire bike for the last god knows how long and produced what exactly? Has anybody just sat and considered for a moment that Rossi may simply of just lost 'the pace' , therefore Ducati are never going to know how good the bike is unless they relieve him of it and have some fresh newer, hungrier and ultimately faster hands take it on? Hayden has just got on with it and look where he is, good on him. All stars fade, Rossi was a star, but is he still front running fast? I'm not so sure at all Cal for Ducati next season I reckon, he at least strikes me as a guy who'll just bloody try hard with what he's given and stop chasing the 'M1 feel' Bloody 12th
It is an absolutely shocking day, very hard to stomach. Last year there was the transition to the bike, and VR's injuries, to cling to as explanations for under-performance. But to take a winning bike, insist that it's unrideable, demand an entirely new one, and then be even further back, wow. (And I'm a worshipper at the shrine.) I have repeatedly suggested that for all the positive rhetoric in testing, if you looked at the times there was no basis for thinking that they had reduced the gap to the front. But nothing prepared me for watching that QP. Mullered by Hayden, beaten by Barbera and Abraham, 2 seconds from the front and much closer to the CRTs - and the ignominy of seeing the 9-times world champ clearly holding up the rookie Bradl on their last, flying laps. It doesn't get worse than this. If I hear someone saying "Jerry will find something in Warmup" I'll scream.
If Cal's not careful, he might end up on Ben Spies bike next year when tech 3 make space for Bradley Smith. Here's hoping anyway, it would be good to see what he could do with a top spec Yamaha.
I was thinking that. And having warned Spies of the necessity to raise his game this year you can guarantee Lin Jarvis was thinking that. The suggestion that Crutchlow was vulnerable to losing his seat to Smith is looking laughable now. (I wish I liked Crutchlow, but that's neither here nor there.)
Got to agree with you on most of above! If i was Ducati i would offer Cal a contract now before Yamaha snap Him up to replace spies. It will be a good race tomoz but i think Yamaha have the package this year with 4 good riders. The other honda's on race tyres are way off the pace unlike last year.
I wouldn't think Cal would be too keen to pick up the poisoned chalice at Ducati, even with his positive approach.
