Moto GP thread.

[Zarkov]

.

[maorifulla]

Rossi pwns

that is all

[Quasikomodo]

The 2010 Grand Prix schedule for the FIM MotoGP World Championship:

Date - Grand Prix - Circuit:
11 April - Qatar* - Losail
25 April - Japan - Motegi
2 May - Spain - Jerez
16 May - France - Le Mans
30 May - Italy - Mugello
6 June - Great Britain - Silverstone
26 June - Netherlands** - Assen
4 July - Catalunya - Catalunya
18 July - Germany - Sachsenring
25 July - United States*** - Laguna Seca
15 August - Czech Republic - Brno
29 August - Indianapolis - Indianapolis
12 September - San Marino - Misano
19 September - Hungary - Balatonring
10 October - Malaysia - Sepang
17 October - Australia - Phillip Island
31 October - Portugal - Estoril
7 November Valencia Ricardo Tormo-Valencia

The teams taking part:
Fiat Yamaha Team
Valentino Rossi | Jorge Lorenzo

Aspar Ducati
Hector Barbera

Pramac Racing
Mika Kallio | Aleix Espargaro

San Carlo Honda Gresini
Marco Melandri | Marco Simoncelli

Ducati Marlboro Team
Casey Stoner | Nicky Hayden

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
Alvaro Bautista | Loris Capirossi

LCR Honda MotoGP
Randy De Puniet

Interwetten Honda MotoGP Team
Hiroshi Aoyama

Yamaha Tech 3
Colin Edwards | Ben Spies

Repsol Honda Team
Andrea Dovizioso | Dani Pedrosa

Can't wait to see Rossi vs. Spies and Simoncelli.

Great to see Melandri on a decent bike again!!

[Quasikomodo]

Rossi fastest in all pre season testing so far in 2010 including the latest in Sepang

http://www.allaboutbikes.com/sport-mainmenu-34/motogp/1653-motogp-session-2-day-2-testing-rossi-fastest-yet-again


Day 2 of second pre-season testing at Sepang:

1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team, 2:00.271 (39 laps)
2. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team, 2:00.512 (33 laps)
3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Marlboro Team, 2:00.703 (42 laps)
4. Colin Edwards (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 2:00.988 (35 laps)
5. Ben Spies (USA) Monster Yamaha Tech 3, 2:01.014 (44 laps)
6. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, 2:01.320 (50 laps)
7. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Repsol Honda Team, 2:01.439 (46 laps)
8. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team, 2:01.478 (57 laps)
9. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Interwetten Honda MotoGP, 2:01.692 (50 laps)
10. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, 2:01.732 (25 laps)
11. Randy de Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP, 2:01.980 (58 laps)
12. Marco Melandri (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini, 2:02.078 (60 laps)
13. Hector Barbera (SPA) Paginas Amarillas Ducati, 2:02.080 (52 laps)
14. Mika Kallio (FIN) Pramac Racing, 2:02.082 (66 laps)
15. Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Pramac Racing, 2:02.367 (49 laps)
16. Marco Simoncelli (ITA) San Carlo Honda Gresini, 2:03.689 (2 laps)

[Quasikomodo]

Qatar MotoGP -Friday free practice.

Usual suspects are fastest!!

1   27   Casey STONER   AUS   Ducati Marlboro Team   Ducati   317.7   1'55.500   
2   99   Jorge LORENZO   SPA   Fiat Yamaha Team   Yamaha   314.3   1'56.026   0.526 / 0.526
3   46   Valentino ROSSI   ITA   Fiat Yamaha Team   Yamaha   315.2   1'56.028   0.528 / 0.002
4   4   Andrea DOVIZIOSO   ITA   Repsol Honda Team   Honda   319.1   1'56.698   1.198 / 0.670
5   69   Nicky HAYDEN   USA   Ducati Marlboro Team   Ducati   315.1   1'56.793   1.293 / 0.095
6   11   Ben SPIES   USA   Monster Yamaha Tech 3   Yamaha   312.9   1'56.818   1.318 / 0.025
7   19   Alvaro BAUTISTA   SPA   Rizla Suzuki MotoGP   Suzuki   315.2   1'56.998   1.498 / 0.180
8   14   Randy DE PUNIET   FRA   LCR Honda MotoGP   Honda   311.8   1'57.031   1.531 / 0.033
9   36   Mika KALLIO   FIN   Pramac Racing Team   Ducati   318.6   1'57.059   1.559 / 0.028
10   40   Hector BARBERA   SPA   Paginas Amarillas Aspar   Ducati   318.2   1'57.105   1.605 / 0.046
11   26   Dani PEDROSA   SPA   Repsol Honda Team   Honda   317.3   1'57.133   1.633 / 0.028
12   5   Colin EDWARDS   USA   Monster Yamaha Tech 3   Yamaha   311.3   1'57.167   1.667 / 0.034
13   65   Loris CAPIROSSI   ITA   Rizla Suzuki MotoGP   Suzuki   317.2   1'57.363   1.863 / 0.196
14   58   Marco SIMONCELLI   ITA   San Carlo Honda Gresini   Honda   312.5   1'57.535   2.035 / 0.172
15   41   Aleix ESPARGARO   SPA   Pramac Racing Team   Ducati   314.2   1'57.605   2.105 / 0.070
16   33   Marco MELANDRI   ITA   San Carlo Honda Gresini   Honda   316.4   1'58.035   2.535 / 0.430
17   7   Hiroshi AOYAMA   JPN   Interwetten Honda MotoGP   Honda   316.6   1'58.082   2.582 / 0.047

[Ambushed]

I watched the Qatar (qualifiers) race I think it was on the weekend. I was surprised to see Stoner come out on top.

Did anybody else watch this?

[Quasikomodo]

Japan postponed to October .... bloody volcanoes!!

[Quasikomodo]

MotoGp Qualifying - MONSTER ENERGY GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE - Le Mans

1   46   Valentino ROSSI   ITA   Fiat Yamaha Team   Yamaha   290.6   1'33.408   
2   99   Jorge LORENZO   SPA   Fiat Yamaha Team   Yamaha   283.5   1'33.462   
3   26   Dani PEDROSA   SPA   Repsol Honda Team   Honda   279.3   1'33.573   
4   27   Casey STONER   AUS   Ducati Marlboro Team   Ducati   288.8   1'33.824
5   69   Nicky HAYDEN   USA   Ducati Marlboro Team   Ducati   284.1   1'33.845
6   14   Randy DE PUNIET   FRA   LCR Honda MotoGP   Honda   290.0   1'34.074
7   4   Andrea DOVIZIOSO   ITA   Repsol Honda Team   Honda   280.1   1'34.204
8   5   Colin EDWARDS   USA   Monster Yamaha Tech 3   Yamaha   276.6   1'34.304
9   65   Loris CAPIROSSI   ITA   Rizla Suzuki MotoGP   Suzuki   281.5   1'34.306   
10   41   Aleix ESPARGARO   SPA   Pramac Racing Team   Ducati   281.2   1'34.514
11   33   Marco MELANDRI   ITA   San Carlo Honda Gresini   Honda   286.2   1'34.523   
12   11   Ben SPIES   USA   Monster Yamaha Tech 3   Yamaha   287.5   1'34.920   
13   58   Marco SIMONCELLI   ITA   San Carlo Honda Gresini   Honda   279.3   1'34.942
14   7   Hiroshi AOYAMA   JPN   Interwetten Honda MotoGP   Honda   285.8   1'34.979
15   40   Hector BARBERA   SPA   Paginas Amarillas Aspar   Ducati   278.0   1'35.323   
16   36   Mika KALLIO   FIN   Pramac Racing Team   Ducati   278.5   1'35.810   
   19   Alvaro BAUTISTA   SPA   Rizla Suzuki MotoGP   Suzuki   
7th Rossi - Lorenzo top two.

Bautista out after crash, reinjured shoulder.
Have to say that the Moto2 just doesn't do it for me, bring back the 250GP bikes!!

[Quasikomodo]

Gran Premio d'Italia

Rossi breaks leg in practice, has two operations and may be out for 6 weeks. He suffered a compound fracture of the tibia when he highsided in timed practice.

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2010/rossi+second+operation

Pedrosa wins easily on the Repsol Honda, Lorenzo second (and not happy) Dovizioso third. Stoner a distant fourth on the Ducati after an epic battle with Melandri, and de Puniet. Hayden crashed out early after he lost the front.
With Rossi out and the Honda's rapidly improving makes for a very interesting season.

[Zarkov]

Amazing.


Second row for Rossi on return

Valentino Rossi will start his first race back after injury from fifth place on the grid at Sachsenring after an impressive qualifying session from the 31 year-old Fiat Yamaha rider on Saturday.

The Italian used the morning practice session to ease himself back into riding after Friday’s efforts, and also completed some set-up work on his factory M1 before putting in a sterling effort in afternoon qualifying to finish 0.578s off team-mate Jorge Lorenzo’s pole effort.

"I am really happy after this second day because I feel confident on the bike,” he stated. “I have suffered more today because we've had two sessions instead of one and I have some pain and I'm more tired than yesterday, but I feel good and my movement is okay. Also the shoulder feels fine so it's definitely a positive return for me.”

Of the set-up tweaks attempted Rossi noted: “Unfortunately today at the end we tried a small modification to improve the setting but it made it worse, so I think we lost one position for this. I don't think the front row was possible because Lorenzo, Stoner and Pedrosa went under 1'22” and I don't think I could have done that today.”

Sunday’s race will provide another test for Rossi’s fitness and he effectively ruled out a potential podium finish after a promising weekend to date. “For tomorrow of course there is a question mark but I hope to be able to finish; I think the podium will be difficult for me but top five would be a very good result,” he concluded.

[Zarkov]

http://www.motogp.com/en/videos/2010/Rossi+debuts+Gyroscopic+OnBoard+camera

Check out the crutch assistance at the end of the clip.

[Hmmmgood]

Just watched old hop a long miss out on 3rd place at the GermanGP,simply amazing him fighting with Stoner.

Stoner must have been thinking wtf.

Great to see Pedrosa cane Lorenzo aswell.

[Zarkov]

Just watched old hop a long miss out on 3rd place at the GermanGP,simply amazing him fighting with Stoner.

Stoner must have been thinking wtf.

Great to see Pedrosa cane Lorenzo aswell.

Same.

Legend.

[Hmmmgood]

Rossi 3rd at Laguna Seca,amazing for a guy still needing crutches to get on/off the bike.

Gutted Pedrosa crashed though.I dont like Lorenzo,his post race antics reek of tosser.

I suppose at least he pulls wheelies when he wins though.

[Zarkov]

How long before the sponsors get sick of post race antics?

[Hmmmgood]

They wont unfortunately it seems.

Rossi has done a few but their usually a dig at someone and are done in good taste.

[frankytanky]

Got pay cheque?

http://www.gpone.com/index.php/en/news/in-evidenza/1406-tutti-gli-ingaggi-dei-piloti-motogp.html

Edwards must be gutted! no mention of hayden though.

[Hmmmgood]

Edwards,another one of those great superbike riders who just couldnt cut it in Motogp.He should have left last season.

Too much time spent riding loose superbikes and not taut gp machines imo.Same thing happened to Bayliss/Vermulen and others.

Hopefully Ben Spies can buck this trend.

[frankytanky]

I think next year will be interesting with the bike getting a cc increase. This will definately favour the american riders again. Namely Nicky Hayden and Elbowz.

[Zarkov]

I think next year will be interesting with the bike getting a cc increase. This will definately favour the american riders again. Namely Nicky Hayden and Elbowz.

How so?

[frankytanky]

European riders mainly come from a grand prix up bringing, ie they have ridden bike that are basically on rails, high corner speeds are critical, passing is usually done off a draft at the end of a straight, so maintaining a very high corner speed is paramount to get good drive off the corner.
American riders are generally from the superbike background more of a point and squirt style where they run into the corners straighter and brake harder, square them off and then gas on hard, hence why the bikes are sideways more of the time.
Basically the bigger the cc's the more power is available, the best place to use more power is on the straight so they will revert to going into the corners deeper and breaking later to square off the corner. I will put money on the fact the ther will be alot of backing in and big black lines coming out of corners again.

[Zarkov]

So, Valentino has no chance next year?

[Hmmmgood]

The ex AMA/WSBK guys will definitely find the larger more flexible engines easier to get along with than the 800s.

But that wont give them an advantage,the gp boys seem to be able to ride them no worries.

[frankytanky]

So, Valentino has no chance next year?

Wow, way to take it out of context cat.
Valentino would win on just about anything (probably on a Ducati next year).
I am saying big cc's and the required setup for the power delivery favour american riders with their point and squirt style. Ie/ the front end is set up stiffer as not only do you have a weight increase with an engine size increase but you have the effect of the rotating components in the engine pulling you into the corner as well.
I am shit at explaining things but with a bigger engine you get a bigger distance between the crank and the cams, basically you have 2 gyroscopes moving further apart inside the engine. which really changes the way a bike behaves. A bike wants to go in a straight line by itself (hence sometimes you see a rider get flicked and the bike sorts itself out and carries on down the track) this is due to the gyros of the wheels and engine. the bigger the gyro's the bigger the input required to turn the bike, hence why it is harder to turn a bigger bike.
Until you have railed a bike into a corner it is hard to comprehend what a big difference this makes and the changes you have to make in your riding style. An easy example is to compare a 600 and a 1000 cc bike.


Fark i got kinda sidetracked there, I am not saying that the americans will dominate but that the bikes will suit their style more.
However the cream will always rise to the top.
The 4 aliens, ie George Lawerence, Vale, Casey and Pedrosa will still be doing all the winning still but I think guys like Spies and Hayden will feature more predomintly than now rather than the De Puneits and dovincioso's do at the moment.
I would also Tip spies to win at least once next year (if he gets a bike that is a little closer to the factory boys)

Either way it is good rossi is back up to good health and they should all be starting back on the same page and i think the 2nd half of the season will be much more exciting!

[Zarkov]

Rossi versus Lorenzo at Motego.

Fantastic.

 Sunday, 03 October 2010
The Italian came out on top in an awesome fight with Fiat Yamaha team-mate and Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo for the final podium spot in the Grand Prix of Japan.

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2010/rossi+funny+third+place