MotoGP 2010

[Testarossa6000]

This weekend took the boys to Le Mans with all looking strong in FP. Qualys saw Vale take pole which was good news for his shoulder.

The race had it's moments, but they were few. Despite a brilliant start by Rossi, eventually Lorenzo took the lead and Vale did not have the speed to catch him and settled for 2nd. Casey still not right with the bike? or was it traffic - anyway he highsided on lap 3. Pedrosa was up there with the Yams and then it all went wrong for him when his team mate repaid the favour from last year and pushed in front for the last podium place. Good for Dovi - no love lost there. Dani went backwards and Hayden took 4th on the Duc. My man of the match was Melandri - at last the Grisini Honda is doing it for him. About time. As for Spies - I like the guy and he was awesome in Superbikes last season, but it just shows the difference and once again Ben drops his bike. (Let's hope the JT critics will shut up now - even the magnificent Bayliss struggled).


1. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team 44m 29.114s
2. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 44m 34.786s
3. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 44m 36.986s
4. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 44m 38.46s
5. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team 44m 41.727s
6. Marco Melandri ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 44m 51.032s
7. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 44m 58.402s
8. Hector Barbera SPA Paginas Amarillas Aspar 45m 2.242s
9. Aleix Espargaro SPA Pramac Racing 45m 2.607s
10. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 45m 2.919s
11. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Interwetten Honda MotoGP 45m 3.46s
12. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 45m 6.237s
13. Mika Kallio FIN Pramac Racing 45m 24.175s

DNF:

Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
Ben Spies USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team


The Lorenzo celebration - no flag this time, but a chair and popcorn in front of the big screen.

http://resources.motogp.com//files/images/xy/2010/MotoGP/n509931_LORENZO02_5.preview.jpg

Standings so far:
1 Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Team 70
2 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team 61
3 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 42
4 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 40
5 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 39
6 Randy de Puniet LCR Honda 26
7 Marco Melandri San Carlo Honda Gresini 21
8 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 16
= Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 16
10 Hector Barbera Aspar Racing Team 15
11 Hiroshi Aoyama Interwetten Honda MotoGP 13
12 Mika Kallio Pramac Racing Team 12
13 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Team 11
= Ben Spies Monster Yamaha Tech 3 11
15 Alex Espargaro Pramac Racing Team 8
16 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 7
17 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 6

[Ste]

:lol Usual Pedrosa heading backwards throughout the race! Great job from Lorenzo but Rossi's shoulder was obviously giving him a bit of stick. Loved the celebration. Rossi will get annoyed if he thinks up too many more things like that! :lol

[Sianellen]

Hehe Lorenzo's celebration was fab, would love to see more like it.

[Tifoso]

Awesome thread! Thanks, amica mia :wine

[Ferrarichamp]

Who could have predicted that Hayden would be beating Stoner this year? :Hmm

[Rob]

Looks as is Ducati has got the bike so that he can ride aswell. In past, seem only Stoner could get that beast around in good speed and times.

[Rob]

Yamaha willing to retain Rossi, Lorenzo

By Michele Lostia and Pablo Elizalde Monday, May 24th 2010, 12:48 GMT www.autosport.com


Yamaha's racing chief Lin Jarvis says the Japanese squad would like to retain its rider line-up unchanged in the 2011 season.

Valentino Rossi's contract comes to an end this year, but Jarvis is willing to retain the Italian and team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, and he reckons Yamaha is still a very attractive team.

"That's our program," Jarvis was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport. "They cost too much together? I don't think it's just a matter of money.

"We can give them an adequate retainer for their value, plus a very interesting technical situation and bike."

He added: "I don't like market talk so early in the season. However, we must accept it, so we are doing our talks and we hope to be able to define the 2011 team by mid season, let's say by Laguna Seca, in order to be able to focus on results during the second half of the season."

He said, however, that his company is not ready to enter a financial fight with Ducati for Lorenzo, the Spaniard having received offers from the Italian manufacturer in the past.

"We certainly have no interest in fighting over the retainer. Fiat are very happy and they would like to go on with the same people. In any case, we'll sort out the riders first."

HRC vice-president Shuei Nakamoto added that Honda is also interested in having Rossi or Casey Stoner in its line-up.

"We haven't drawn a program for next year yet. Maybe we'll do it in July. But the four best riders have their contracts expiring so it's normal we are interested in all of them, Valentino too.

"Because Honda is not content with podiums, we want to win. We've asked Colin Stoner if they would like to come with us. However, we absolutely didn't get into the details - like number of years or retainer - at all."

[Rob]

Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium. Rear: Soft, Medium (asymmetric – Med. only)

Race day in France brought the highest ambient and track temperatures seen all weekend. The frontrunners used Bridgestone’s harder option front and asymmetric rear slicks, and it was Jorge Lorenzo of the Fiat Yamaha Team who took victory, ahead of teammate Valentino Rossi and Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso.

As the track temperature rose to a scorching 48 degrees Celsius, almost unheard of at the French circuit, laptimes were slightly affected but both specifications of Bridgestone slicks proved their durability and consistent performance.

Whilst the top eight riders set a consistent pace on Bridgestone’s harder option fronts and rears, ninth-placed Aleix Espargaro of Pramac Racing used the soft compound rear tyre to record his highest MotoGP finish. Even with the high track temperature, the soft compound rear slick proved sufficiently durable to perform well throughout the 28 laps, and Espargaro’s final lap was only 0.3seconds slower than his best effort in the race which came on lap 13.

Hiroshi Yamada, Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department said:
“Congratulations to Jorge Lorenzo for not only this victory but his first consecutive pair of wins in MotoGP. The conditions today were very difficult, much more so than could be expected of Le Mans, both for riders and our tyres so this is a great achievement. We saw some good battles between Andrea, Nicky and Dani, and also in the midfield. I’d like to congratulate Hector Barbera and the Aspar team for his highest MotoGP finish in eighth as top rookie.”

Tohru Ubukata, Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department said:
“The conditions all weekend have been very challenging, and the temperature during the race was at its highest but I am pleased with the durability and consistency of both slick tyre options. The high temperature did not help laptimes and overall race time but I am pleased that consistency was good. Nicky’s fastest lap came on lap 20 of 28 which shows good durability over race distance. Clearly our harder slick tyre options were favoured by most riders today, for the added durability of the asymmetric rear tyre, but it is encouraging to see that Aleix was able to make the soft rear work well despite the high temperature.”

Jorge Lorenzo, Fiat Yamaha Team Race Winner
“Today it was tricky to find the limit between being fast without doing too much but my bike and Bridgestone tyres just felt so good and it wasn't difficult for me to keep this pace up. I made a good start and didn’t lose too much time in the first two laps but it was difficult to pass Valentino. I was patient and just waited for my moment. If this happened a few years ago maybe I would have been more crazy, but maybe this is something I’ve changed. I have a very good feeling now and am much more confident this year.”

[Tifoso]

I really hope that Rossi goes to Ducati (or at least a rider capable of winning the "WDC" )

[Ste]

I really hope that Rossi goes to Ducati (or at least a rider capable of winning the "WDC" )

I think Stoner has proven he can win Titles, even if he's not having a good time of it at present. They've also got another World Champion in the team. :-)

Rossi won't go to Ducati in my opinion. A move to F1 is more likely than that. He has it good at Yamaha, a great team, a great teammate and a bike capable of winning every year.

[Suzie]

I had to go out as soon as the race ended so I didn't see that celebration from Lorenzo! Brilliant stuff.
Was shocked to see Casey crashing out again but I like seeing Nicky doing better on that Duke this season.

[Tifoso]

@Ste

It would be a perfect fit, though. On a Ducati, and able to do a Schumi and win several titles in a row

I am beginning to think that Casey might be the same case as Felipe :-s

[Ste]

@Ste

It would be a perfect fit, though. On a Ducati, and able to do a Schumi and win several titles in a row

I am beginning to think that Casey might be the same case as Felipe :-s

I think Rossi already has the perfect fit - he's able to win multiple World Titles with Yamaha. He won in 04 and 05, 08 and 09 and I imagine he will win this year if Lorenzo can't.

Moving Ducati doesn't mean winning is certain, sure they would have the best rider but they no longer have the best bike. The Honda is faster in a straight line and neither Stoner or Hayden are capable of winning at present. Both of those riders have been World Champions, they don't suddenly lose their ability to win, they simply can't beat Yamaha.

I'm sure Rossi will be looking at them struggling and then see how he and Jorge are performing and come out with the same conclusion. Although, he did move from Honda to a struggling Yamaha, so who knows. :-)

[Tifoso]

OTOH, the team would "his" as Ferrari was "Michael's"

The Italians would go nuts with an Italian winning on an Italian bike :-)

[Testarossa6000]

When the Duc was a beast and only Stoner could handle it, all was well. They have changed the bike, so yes, Hayden can ride her too, but Stoner is now having problems with it.

Last time rumours of vale to Ducati surfaced the reason he gave for not wanting to go over was that the team were not flexible enough. I think he will stick it out on the Yam and then try rallying for a bit.

[Ste]

Rossi Hurt In Mugello Practice Crash


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A06Eojtzc6I


Valentino Rossi's bid for an eighth MotoGP title has been hit by a serious crash in Saturday practice for his home Italian Grand Prix at Mugello.

Rossi lost control of the rear end of his Yamaha at the left-hand element of the Biondetti esses, and he was launched into a spectacular high-side.

Rossi was in agony as he lay in the gravel trap, clutching his right ankle, which appeared to be bent at a worrying angle.

He has been taken to the medical centre for treatment.


It has just been announced that Rossi is undergoing treatment in the medical centre for a suspected fracture of his right shinbone.

:-(

[Suzie]

I was out all morning so I've only just heard this. Terrible news, feel so bad for him and the fans. Apparently he could be out for 2 months.
Championship Lorenzo's to lose now unless Stoner can start producing the goods?

[Sianellen]

Rossi sidelined with shin bone fracture
By Toby Moody and Matt Beer Saturday, June 5th 2010, 09:45 GMT


Valentino Rossi will miss his home grand prix at Mugello after sustaining a fractured right shin bone in a violent crash in final practice this morning.

The reigning champion, who had already been struggling with shoulder injuries following a motocross crash in April, had a high side at the Biondetti esses 15 minutes from the end of the session.

Rossi landed awkwardly on his right leg and was clearly in agony in the gravel trap. He had to be taken away from the scene on a stretcher.

"Valentino Rossi has suffered a displaced and exposed fracture of his right tibia after crashing in practice for the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello this morning," said a statement from the Yamaha team.

"The reigning world champion crashed his Fiat Yamaha M1 at Turn 13, the fast chicane at the top of the hill, and was taken immediately to the circuit medical centre for x-rays.

"Further information will be made public as soon as a more detailed examination has been completed.

"Rossi will not take any further part in this weekend's Italian Grand Prix."

This will be the first time in Rossi's MotoGP career that he has had to miss a race due to injury, and is a severe blow to his 2010 title hopes, with his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo already holding the points lead thanks to two wins from the three races held so far this year.

AUTOSPORT understands that Rossi will be taken to the Central Traumatological Hospital in Florence for surgery this afternoon, where his open wound will be operated on by Dr Roberto Uzzi. He has been flown to Florence's nearby Careggi Hospital for a thorough assessment first.

Medical sources at Mugello have suggested that the normal recovery period for such an injury would be two months - but have pointed out that fellow riders Toni Elias and Max Sabbatani were able to ride again within 40 days following similar accidents. However even such a rapid recovery would potential rule Rossi out of at least four races.

Terrible news :-(

[Ferrarichamp]

2 Ducatis on the podium today? :-D

[Tommy_F]

Rossi ‘really happy’ with Friday results

16 July 2010

Valentino Rossi shocked all on Friday afternoon by finishing only two hundredths of a second off team-mate Jorge Lorenzo’s pace in first practice for the German Grand Prix, despite returning from a broken leg only six weeks after his Mugello accident.

Many expected ‘The Doctor’ to be away for six months as opposed to six weeks, although the World Champion – who currently sits seventh in the World Championship – has managed a best effort of 1:23.244 in comparison with Jorge Lorenzo’s 1:23.224 at the Sachsenring.

“I am really happy today, especially because I am a lot more agile on the bike than I was in the tests,” he said, having twice ridden a Yamaha World Superbike machine since his fall. “I feel good and this track is helping me because a lot of it turns to the left.

“I am feeling quite confident on the bike and also my shoulder is good and not giving me problems. Now I have some pain in the leg and ankle but it's not too bad, I was able to do some laps in a row and I was quite fast, so things seem okay.

“Now we will have to wait until tomorrow morning to see how the leg is and whether it has swelled overnight or developed any problems.”

"Once again Valentino has surprised everyone!" said Team Manage Davide Brivio. "After missing four races and not being completely fit, this can be considered a very good session. From a team point of view, it was like he had never been away."


http://www.gpupdate.net/en/motogp-news/239022/rossi-really-happy-with-friday-results/


http://uppix.net/5/7/d/d13278e46a41592bcbeb5e8643559.jpg (http://uppix.net/5/7/d/d13278e46a41592bcbeb5e8643559.html)

http://uppix.net/c/0/9/573c7d5a0213c962c91591044e288tt.jpg (http://uppix.net/c/0/9/573c7d5a0213c962c91591044e288.html)




He's just amazing, can't walk without crutches and yet he rides like hell.:bow

[Tifoso]

2 Ducatis on the podium today? :-D

Please :-)

[Suzie]

Amazing recovery from Rossi. Personally I think he's mad but you can't keep those guys down. I just hope that he doesn't have another accident in case it just worsens his leg and shoulder injuries.
Would be awesome if he could come back and still end up challenging for the championship.

[m schumy]

Rossi`s amazing, I`m happy he`s back :thumb

[Rob]

great news. I start watching it again. Shallow i know. How much ground has he lost to Lorenzo??

[Suzie]

I think it's 52 points, something like that.

[Rob]

really, not to bad then. Still on then.

[Ste]

He's actually 104 points behind Lorenzo. :-D

Thats just over 4 races with Lorenzo scoring nothing. Or to put it a different way, 9.45 points per race over Lorenzo.

Still, all it would take is a few great rides from Rossi and some mis-fortune for Lorenzo. The tables can turn very quickly.

[Suzie]

He's actually 104 points behind Lorenzo. :-D

Thats just over 4 races with Lorenzo scoring nothing. Or to put it a different way, 9.45 points per race over Lorenzo.

Still, all it would take is a few great rides from Rossi and some mis-fortune for Lorenzo. The tables can turn very quickly.

Really? Ha ha, I don't know where I got 52 from. Although I was, literally, half right at least.

[Ste]

Really? Ha ha, I don't know where I got 52 from. Although I was, literally, half right at least.

52 is what Pedrosa in P2 is behind Lorenzo :-D

[Suzie]

Ah maybe that's why 52 seemed familiar to me ;-) Go Dani!

[Rob]

He's actually 104 points behind Lorenzo. :-D

Thats just over 4 races with Lorenzo scoring nothing. Or to put it a different way, 9.45 points per race over Lorenzo.

Still, all it would take is a few great rides from Rossi and some mis-fortune for Lorenzo. The tables can turn very quickly.

mmm that is bit ahead, but, anything can and usually happens.

[Ste]

So, Lorenzo should take the win pretty comfortably tomorrow. Rossi is aiming for P4. It'll certainly be interesting to see what he does.

Casey Moaner will........moan.

[Ste]

What a great race.

It's awesome to have Rossi back, much more exciting!

Pedrosa did fantastically, very quick. Lorenzo another P2, but Pedrosa takes 5 points out of his lead.

Rossi was just amazing. Very nearly P3, just taken in the final corner which was a shame.

Awful for DePuniet, fractured Tibia and Fibula which is even worse than Rossi's break. He'll be out for the season now.

[m schumy]

For me Rossi was star of the race, well done to him :thumb

[Suzie]

BBC Northern Ireland cut off before the end because of the delay, so I didn't see the end of the race as I'm at my mum and dad's and they don't have Sky. Fuming I missed Dani winning! Rossi did amazingly well, although I was watching him through gritted teeth and praying he didn't fall off.
Hard lines for De Puniet, especially considering what a consistent season he's been having.

[Ste]

Casey Moaner will........moan.

Ooh! I was right!

[Tifoso]

Friday Practice




MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 1 Classification

Brno, Friday, August 13, 2010
Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Bike Km/h Time Gap 1st/Prev.
1 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 294.5 1'57.215
2 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 300.2 1'57.756 0.541 / 0.541
3 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 293.4 1'57.821 0.606 / 0.065
4 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 297.0 1'57.873 0.658 / 0.052
5 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati 295.6 1'58.286 1.071 / 0.413
6 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 292.8 1'58.497 1.282 / 0.211
7 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Team Ducati 293.7 1'58.532 1.317 / 0.035
8 58 Marco SIMONCELLI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 291.0 1'58.840 1.625 / 0.308
9 11 Ben SPIES USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 290.3 1'58.970 1.755 / 0.130
10 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 294.2 1'59.204 1.989 / 0.234
11 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 293.0 1'59.216 2.001 / 0.012
12 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Pramac Racing Team Ducati 291.2 1'59.254 2.039 / 0.038
13 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Team Ducati 291.7 1'59.289 2.074 / 0.035
14 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 296.1 1'59.510 2.295 / 0.221
15 40 Hector BARBERA SPA Paginas Amarillas Aspar Ducati 294.5 1'59.910 2.695 / 0.400
16 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 289.9 2'00.184 2.969 / 0.274
17 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM Interwetten Honda MotoGP Honda 295.5 2'01.098 3.883 / 0.914




5th and 7th (and 3rd :-D ) in Friday practice. :-)


MOTOGP »

Rossi: My condition has improved a lot
Valentino Rossi began his third race weekend back from a broken leg, at the Brno event he had originally targeted for his MotoGP comeback, with third in Friday practice.

The world champion was fastest several times during the session, most latterly from the 29th to 36th minute, but was then out-paced by Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa.

Rain in the final fifteen minutes brought an early end to the session, but Rossi was pleased with how his fitness has improved in the two-weekend break since Laguna Seca.

"I'm happy, this was a good practice and I feel good on the bike," said Rossi who was 0.606sec slower than Lorenzo but only 0.065sec off Pedrosa. "After some laps I started to feel some pain in the shoulder and the leg but in general I am okay and my condition has improved a lot from the last race.

"We've done a good job on the setting and I was [among the] fastest throughout most of the session. It was a pity the rain came because we couldn't make the final step, but hopefully we can improve again tomorrow.

"Even though I still have some pain I am quite a lot stronger, especially with the shoulder, so I don't have such a big problem in braking," revealed Rossi, who won at Brno last season.

"It seems we're in good shape," stated team manager Davide Brivio. "Tomorrow we will continue to fine-tune the setting and hopefully make another step with the lap times."

Rossi hasn't won a race since round one in Qatar, but took his first podium since his leg injury with third last time out at Laguna Seca.

motogp.com

[Tifoso]

Hayden news (lose the haircut :roll )


MOTOGP »


http://pix.crash.net/motorsport/360/PA800384.jpg
Holiday ideas help Hayden be top Ducati
Nicky Hayden was the leading Ducati rider during Friday practice at Brno, the American claiming fifth position as he put some holiday ideas to the test.

“It was certainly nice to be back in the saddle today and the bike felt quite good out of the gate," began Hayden, who was one-second from fastest man Jorge Lorenzo. "The two weeks away gave me time to think about some things and the team too, and together we were able to come up with some ideas that seemed to have worked.

"I have to say thanks to the team for that and for the job they did today – every change we made throughout the session made the bike more comfortable and improved the lap time so they all did a great job.

"The only bad thing is that they say there's a chance of rain tomorrow and we didn't get chance to try the soft tyre in the final ten minutes because we were ready to go with it but the track was damp.

"Having said that I did my best time on the hard tyre just when the spots of rain started to come down a little bit - I'm not sure what everybody else had in the bag but I'm sure we're not miles away for the first session. Hopefully it's the start of good things to come!”

Team-mate Casey Stoner, who spoke on Thursday about reaching his maximum potential too early in previous weekends and then not improving, will certainly hope for more after seventh on Friday.

“The session didn't really go the way I would have liked," said the Australian. "We struggled from the start getting comfortable with the bike, trying to get it working better through the middle of the turns. We made it slightly better and the lap times came down by a couple of tenths but no more.

"We've also struggled a little bit for rear grip. We spent the session out on the softer tyre because we thought the track would be dirty but never really found the pace that we needed. We tried a few different things to get it smooth over the bumps but still didn't find the grip we were looking for out of the corners.

"In the last two sectors we look okay so we'll be working hard on the first half of the lap tomorrow. We have a long way to go but if we can improve through there I'll be happy.”

crash.net

[Rob]

Apologises if this has been posted already and chatted about but, if Rossi going to Ducati, where Stoner (moaner) going? and is Hayden staying at Ducati???

[Tifoso]

Apologises if this has been posted already and chatted about but, if Rossi going to Ducati, where Stoner (moaner) going? and is Hayden staying at Ducati???

Stoner is going to Honda.:-)

STORY (http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/161389/1/official_stoner_joins_honda.html)

I have a warm spot in my heart for him, TBH. He did bring Ducati their only title. ;-)

[Tifoso]

ull qualifying times from the Czech Republic MotoGP, round ten of the 2010 world championship.

Rizla Suzuki's Alvaro Bautista missed qualifying after hurting his back in Saturday morning practice.

Randy de Puniet, who broke his leg at the Sachsenring on July 18, is returning to LCR Honda this weekend, while Alex de Angelis continues to replace Hiroshi Aoyama at Interwetten Honda...

1. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 1m 56.508s
2. Ben Spies USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 56.846s
3. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Fiat Yamaha Team 1m 56.865s
4. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 56.868s
5. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 1m 57.059s
6. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 1m 57.117s
7. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 57.222s
8. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 57.635s
9. Hector Barbera ESP Paginas Amarillas Aspar 1m 57.960s
10. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m 57.981s
11. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 1m 58.089s
12. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 58.169s
13. Mika Kallio FIN Pramac Racing 1m 58.182s
14. Marco Melandri ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 58.43s
15. Alex de Angelis RSM Interwetten Honda MotoGP 1m 58.522s
16. Aleix Espargaro ESP Pramac Racing 1m 58.700s

[Tifoso]

Ouch:-E



Lorenzo, Rossi caught out in qualifying
The dominant Fiat Yamaha Team endured a tough end to qualifying at Brno on Saturday when both 2010 MotoGP title leader Jorge Lorenzo and reigning world champion Valentino Rossi crashed at Brno.

The good news is that neither rider was hurt, but the falls meant they were unable to challenge for pole position and will start from third (Lorenzo) and fifth (Rossi) on the Czech Republic Grand Prix grid.

Lorenzo's bike ended up on to of a tyre wall with the engine running, before he switched it off, and - having crashed out of last year's race while battling Rossi - the Spaniard's confidence is sure to have taken a dent.

"This wasn't the best practice session of the year for us," he admitted. "We made some modifications that didn't work and it was especially a problem in the front, which was closing on me a lot. I wasn't fast and I was having to take too many risks. Then I made a mistake and the bike went flying!

"I really hope the engine is okay for tomorrow, luckily I am not hurt and I was able to get up straight away. We are still on the front row and we can't always be on top! I think tomorrow will be a tough race but we will see how we can improve our setting and see what happens."

"The crash was unlucky; he lost the front although it wasn't totally clear what happened," added team manager Wilco Zeelenberg. "Anyway he is okay so we're not worried and now we will try to improve his confidence in the front tomorrow."

Rossi was the most visibly frustrated of the pair after his slower speed spill at the final chicane, which he thinks cost him a shot at pole. Nevertheless, the Italian was naturally have been relieved to walk away from his first accident since breaking his leg in June.

"I'm okay and I haven't made any of my injuries worse, so this is the most important thing," he said. "I was pushing hard and trying to make my best flying lap and I just lost the front, so maybe we're still missing a bit of grip. I was really angry when I crashed because I think it was possible to get second or even the pole position!

"Apart from the mistake though I'm very happy because I feel confident on the bike and I enjoyed riding today; I think for tomorrow I can be competitive. Warm-up is going to be important because we need to try to slightly improve my feeling with the front. We also need to wait to see what the weather does

crash.net<---aptly named source:-D

[Rob]

thanks Lou, he sure did. Im hoping for great things when Rossi goes there. Yeah Rossi and Lorenzo lost it on left hander corners. Looked as if Rossi rear end let go and Lorenzos front end, but couldnt really tell from the camera angle.

[Tifoso]

thanks Lou, he sure did. Im hoping for great things when Rossi goes there. Yeah Rossi and Lorenzo lost it on left hander corners. Looked as if Rossi rear end let go and Lorenzos front end, but couldnt really tell from the camera angle.

I didn't get a chance to see it, Rob mate :-s (not that I wanted to see them crash, obviously). Stuck at work again. Taping the race for tomorrow, though. :-)

[Rob]

I didn't get a chance to see it, Rob mate :-s (not that I wanted to see them crash, obviously). Stuck at work again. Taping the race for tomorrow, though. :-)

i just watched it, recorded qualie. Spies was so so close to pole.

[Tifoso]

I believe that you meant to write " Spies were so close to Interpol." :lou

[Rob]

I believe that you meant to write " Spies were so close to Interpol." :lou

:lol

[Ste]

Lorenzo phenomenal once more. Nobody has an answer. Rossi was poor today, not sure what the problem was.

Dovizioso was so lucky not to get collected by Rossi or Stoner after his crash.

Expect the Rossi>Ducati announcement later on. :-)

[Tifoso]

Lorenzo phenomenal once more. Nobody has an answer. Rossi was poor today, not sure what the problem was.

Dovizioso was so lucky not to get collected by Rossi or Stoner after his crash.

Expect the Rossi>Ducati announcement later on. :-)


Rossi is still hurting from the broken bone. He mentioned that in some turns he was in pain :-s


Attaboy Casey for the podium :wine

Monday test times (Crash.net)


MOTOGP »

Brno MotoGP test times - Monday
Following Sunday's Czech Republic Grand Prix a test session was held back at Brno on Monday.

The test ended earlier than planned due to rain.

All of Sunday's race riders except Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) and Alex de Angelis (Interwetten Honda) were back on track for the test, which also saw Hiroshi Aoyama complete his first MotoGP laps since fracturing a vertebra at Silverstone in June.

Former MotoGP rider Sylvain Guintoli returned to the paddock to take over from Rizla Suzuki rookie Alvaro Bautista, who injured his back on Saturday.

MotoGP title leader Jorge Lorenzo and assumed 2011 team-mate Ben Spies both tried an early version of next year's Yamaha YZR-M1, while Honda, Ducati and Suzuki also brought new parts to try for this season and next.

Dani Pedrosa rode a Honda test bike as well as his usual RCV. Each bike was fitted with a transponder so the Spaniard is listed below with his best time on each bike. Pedrosa was unhurt in a fall from his usual 2010 bike.

The next chance for MotoGP testing will be immediately after the Valencia season finale, in November.

Final lap times...

1. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Fiat Yamaha Team 1m 56.269s (44 laps)
2. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 56.844s (37 laps)
3. Dani Pedrosa* ESP Repsol Honda Team 1m 56.944s (6 laps)
4. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 1m 57.129s (50 laps)
5. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 1m 57.424s (28 laps)
6. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 57.512s (41 laps)
7. Ben Spies USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 57.575s (42 laps)
8. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 1m 57.691s (48 laps)
9. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m 57.700s (51 laps)
10. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 57.991s (38 laps)
11. Hector Barbera ESP Paginas Amarillas Aspar 1m 58.017s (47 laps)
12. Marco Melandri ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 58.07s (42 laps)
13. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 58.091s (35 laps)
14. Aleix Espargaro ESP Pramac Racing 1m 58.612s (53 laps)
15. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Interwetten Honda MotoGP 1m 58.830s (46 laps)
16. Mika Kallio FIN Pramac Racing 1m 58.926s (62 laps)
17. Alvaro Bautista** ESP Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m 59.454s (30 laps)

* On Honda test bike
** Bike also used by Sylvain Guintoli.

[Tifoso]

Interesting.


MOTOGP »

Iconic Norton brand considering MotoGP entry?
The British manufacturer would use an entry into the premier class as a chance to re-launch itself on the motorcycling stage.
The upcoming change in the rules to allow 1,000cc engines in MotoGP could already be doing its job to ensure larger grid sizes from 2012 after Norton was identified as a potential new entrant.

The iconic British marque has a long history of success in motor racing, but has been absent from the competition scene for decades now.

However, having been bought out in 2008 by UK businessman Stuart Garner, Norton – which is now based at Donington Park - is currently in the process of being re-launched, with plans for a Superbike and Supersport in the pipeline.

Furthermore, MotoGP is considered an ideal platform to promote Norton's new modern image, with Speedweek.ch reporting that Dorna has already accepted a two-rider entry for 2012.

It is anticipated it would run under the 'Claiming Rule Team', which would enable it more fuel and engines for the season than it would as a factory entry.

The decision to change the rules from 2012 has seen a handful of names linked to a MotoGP move, most notably Aprilia and BMW, though only the Italian manufacturer has expressed a modicum of recent interest.
crash.net

Aprilia:thumb

[Rob]

Pedrosa wins Indianapolis MotoGP
Reuters - Sun, 29 Aug 20:53:00 2010

Spain's Dani Pedrosa, riding a Honda, won the Indianapolis MotoGP to claim his third victory of the season and close the gap on runaway championship leader Jorge Lorenzo to 68 points.

Pedrosa started fifth on the grid but snatched the lead at the end of the seventh lap and was never headed as he took the chequered flag at the famous 'brickyard' circuit.

American Ben Spies took second place on a Yamaha, his best finish in his first full season in MotoGP, after starting on pole for the first time.

Pedrosa's fellow Spaniard Lorenzo crossed the line third to maintain his perfect record of finishing on the podium in all 11 races this season, although it was his worst result after he had finished no worse than second in any previous race.

With seven rounds to go, Lorenzo leads the championship standings with 251 points.

Pedrosa is second with 183 followed by Italian Andrea Dovizioso (126) who leapfrogged Casey Stoner (119) into third place after the Australian lost the front end of his Ducati.

World champion Valentino Rossi remained fifth overall, one place ahead of Spies, after finishing fourth in the race despite crashing in morning practice.

Pedrosa won the 125cc world championship in 2003 and the 250cc category in 2004 and 2005 before switching to the premier class in 2006.

He won two races in each of his first four seasons in MotoGP but already has three victories this year after previous triumphs in Italy and Germany.

The next race on the calendar is the Sept. 5 San Marino Grand Prix.

[Rob]

Satisfied Spies says Pedrosa too fast
By Matt Beer Sunday, August 29th 2010, 20:51 GMT www.autosport.com

Ben Spies described his podium finish on home ground at Indianapolis as a 'big' result, but admitted he did not have the speed to fight for victory.

On the weekend that he was named as Valentino Rossi's replacement in the factory Yamaha team for 2011, Spies took his first MotoGP pole with the satellite Tech 3 squad and led the opening laps of the race before being passed by Dani Pedrosa's Honda. He then held second for the remainder of the race, beating both works Yamahas.

"It's big. We did a good race," said Spies. "It wasn't perfect, but pole yesterday and a good start today, I led the race for a few laps, didn't make too many mistakes, but just wasn't fast enough. Dani came by and I just tried to stay where I was comfortable."

With the whole field struggling with the hot conditions and a slippery track surface, Spies said that having lost the lead he rode carefully to ensure he made the finish.

"It seemed like every couple of laps someone was crashed on the ground, so it was definitely getting greasy," he said. "It was tricky. It wasn't just the heat, it was the way the track was.

"I saw that I had two and half to three seconds [gap] pretty much the whole race and I just tried to stay consistent to Dani and to Jorge [Lorenzo]. To be able to put it up on the podium in front of the American crowd was good."

[Suzie]

Enjoyed that yesterday, it was nice to see some other people in the mix. And seeing Casey come off the bike is always amusing :-)

[Tifoso]

MOTOGP »

Rossi 'not fit enough to win'
Valentino Rossi insisted his he was happy with his fourth place in Sunday's Indianapolis MotoGP, which came after he had fallen three times in practice.

The Fiat Yamaha rider overtook the knee-slider-less Nicky Hayden on lap four and settled into fifth place, a few tenths off the Lorenzo-Dovizioso battle.

Once Lorenzo was past Dovizioso, the world champion too began to close down his compatriot and with eight laps remaining he passed him for fourth place.

By then however his lack of fitness following his leg injury had caught up with him in the searing heat and he was unable to push any more, coming home some six seconds behind his team-mate.

"During the race, I had some good laps, and I wasn't far from the other Yamahas. Unfortunately, I have problem with my physical condition, and it's hotter," he said.

"And at the end, I needed to give up because I didn't have any more strength, any more power. But I'm happy because we came back to our normal setting to the bike like I want it. And I ride well considering I crashed three times. Fourth place is OK.

"I suffer a lot in the race. From yesterday, my physical condition improved because I have less pain. But I have less strength throughout the race. I think it's normal. I'm not at the maximum, for sure.

"Right now, I'm not fit to try to win. There was a part of the race where I was competitive. But I didn't have enough power for the whole race. This is the main target to come back to getting a victory," he concluded.
crash.net

Ducati 6th (Hayden) and a Stoner DNF :-s

[Tifoso]

MOTOGP »

Rossi 'not 100 per cent' but hoping to please fans
While he admits he isn't yet 100 per cent, Valentino Rossi is expecting to gain extra motivation from performing in front of his home crowd at Misano.
Valentino Rossi says he is determined to put on a 'good show' for his fans as he prepares to return to Misano for his home grand prix.

The Italian arrives at the Adriatic circuit having finished fourth in the Indianapolis Grand Prix, the reigning champion conceding that he is yet to reach 100 per cent fitness as yet.

While he doesn't expect much to have changed in the week between races, he is hopeful of giving the patriotic tifosi something to cheer about.

"In Indianapolis we made some progress with our race setting but the conditions made me realise that I'm still not 100 per cent fit," said the FIAT Yamaha rider. "It's hard going straight to Misano with no break but hopefully it will be a little bit cooler than Indy!

“Of course it's my home race and it's near my house so it's always very special to race there, in front of all of my fans. I have won there the last two years but this year we come in slightly different circumstances. Still, we will be trying our hardest and I really hope I can give the fans a good show!"

I want a Ducati driver to win this year. And another Ducati driver next year--Rossi :-D

[Tifoso]

Ducati test ban would hurt Valentino Rossi

By Matthew Birt -

MotoGP

01 September 2010 10:01

Casey Stoner reckons Yamaha could deal a massive blow to rivals Ducati by banning Valentino Rossi from testing for the Bologna factory immediately after the final race in Valencia.

Ducati and Rossi are anxiously waiting to hear if Yamaha management will grant a request for the Italian star to be released early from his contract.

If Rossi was banned from testing for Ducati, it would be three months before engineers could get crucial technical feedback from the 31-year-old, with Rossi unable to make his debut on a GP11 until early February in Malaysia.

And Aussie Stoner, who will be replaced by Rossi having agreed a transfer to Honda, said: “I think it will be a big help for Ducati if he can test at the end of the season.

"From the end of the season they have a lot of time to make parts if something needs to happen. You get every bit of data you can from the Valencia test and in those months they go away and do as much work and thinking about everything as they can before testing starts in the new year.

"I think it will be important for them to have that first test so in the ban period they can do as much work as possible.”

motorcyclenews.com

I hope that Yamaho will be gentlemen about this, but wouldn't blame them one bit if they stood firm.

Possibly a dumb question, but could not Ducati do the same to Stoner? :Hmm

[Tifoso]

PLEASE NO MISANO SPOILERS--WATCHING RACE FOR 1st TIME IN 7 HOURS. Thanks :wine!

Watching San Marino GP2 for the 1st time. Holy carp, what a crash :-E :-s

How is the Japanese driver?

[Suzie]

Tomizawa died, sadly.

[Jonny]

PLEASE NO MISANO SPOILERS--WATCHING RACE FOR 1st TIME IN 7 HOURS. Thanks :wine!

Watching San Marino GP2 for the 1st time. Holy carp, what a crash :-E :-s

How is the Japanese driver?

He died unfortunately 14.20 local time:-s

RIP

[Tifoso]

Oh, dear Giod. :-(

Eternal rest grant unto him, o Lord.....

I am so sad. :-s

[Tifoso]

Was it his mistake? It seemed to be so. It would be even more tragic if someone else caused his death. :-s

[Tifoso]

I am new, as you know, to Moto. When is the last time someone died?

[Jonny]

Eternal rest grant unto him, o Lord.....



... May perpetual light shine upon him. Amen

[Tifoso]

... May perpetual light shine upon him. Amen

Thanks mate.

[Suzie]

I am new, as you know, to Moto. When is the last time someone died?

2003 I believe (someone correct me if I'm wrong) - Kato died at Suzuka that year.

I just saw the accident briefly as I wasn't watching it this morning so I'm not 100% sure what happened. He came off the bike and 2 other riders hit him. Just a tragic accident rather than anyone's fault. Redding and Di Angelis are both okay, physically anyway. I feel for them.

[Tifoso]

2003 I believe (someone correct me if I'm wrong) - Kato died at Suzuka that year.

I just saw the accident briefly as I wasn't watching it this morning so I'm not 100% sure what happened. He came off the bike and 2 other riders hit him. Just a tragic accident rather than anyone's fault. Redding and Di Angelis are both okay, physically anyway. I feel for them.

Thank you, amica mia.

[Rob]

2003 I believe (someone correct me if I'm wrong) - Kato died at Suzuka that year.

I just saw the accident briefly as I wasn't watching it this morning so I'm not 100% sure what happened. He came off the bike and 2 other riders hit him. Just a tragic accident rather than anyone's fault. Redding and Di Angelis are both okay, physically anyway. I feel for them.

RIP Shoya Tomizawa.
http://i52.tinypic.com/rcsvir.jpg
I didnt even see that race, so no idea what happened. But reading the report, seems as it was tragic accident.

[Tifoso]

Can someone explain what the numbers at the top of the screen (15:20 in the second SBK race) mean? :oops

[Ste]

I don't even feel like watching todays Moto2 race. Utterly horrifying and tragic news. Only 19 years old and a major talent.

Rest in peace Tomizawa.

[OldskoolF1]

Was it his mistake? It seemed to be so. It would be even more tragic if someone else caused his death. :-s

I just watched a clip on youtube of the accident. Looks like the front end of the bike folded away underneath him and unfortunately the guys behind had no time to react or get out the way. Tragic. Rest in peace son. I think we have been very lucky in F1 to have all the new safety measures which have saved lots of lives but with motorbike racing there is only so much you can do in terms of protection.

Am i right thinking Shoya was leading the Moto 2 championship?

[red5]

No,Toni Elias (Spain) was the leader.
RIP Shoya,trully horrifying accident :-(

[Tifoso]

No,Toni Elias (Spain) was the leader.


Won 6 (or is it 7?) races.

[red5]

Won 6 (or is it 7?) races.
6 out of 11 races.Tomizawa won the first one.

[Tifoso]

6 out of 11 races.Tomizawa won the first one.

Thanks, mi amigo :-)

[Tifoso]

Errrr, what?

"I'll release him, but....."



Yamaha boss: ‘I would release Rossi to test Ducati’

By Matthew Birt -

MotoGP

13 September 2010 15:08

Yamaha boss Masao Furusawa has said his personal preference is not to block Valentino Rossi from testing for Ducati in Valencia in early November.

But the senior race boss, who was influential in helping Rossi win four MotoGP titles for the Japanese factory, said it was difficult contractually to let the Italian begin testing for Ducati immediately after the final race.

Yamaha has still to release Rossi from his contract to test for Ducati in Valencia in early November.

The Italian has piled pressure on Yamaha management recently by declaring his confidence that he will be freed from his contract to make his much-anticipated Ducati debut on November 9.

He has said it is only fair that Yamaha grant Ducati’s request for Rossi to test after he transformed the YZR-M1 from a no-hoper into consistent winner.

Yamaha is aware that holding Rossi to his contract could be a spectacular PR own goal, with any backlash inevitably hitting them.

Furusawa said: “From a contract standpoint he will not be allowed to test after Valencia. It is not just between Valentino and Yamaha, we have a lot of sponsors and contracts and it is really difficult to convince all of the people who are involved in this issue. So it is really difficult to allow Valentino to test at Valencia.”

Furusawa though has enjoyed an intimate relationship with Rossi since he signed the Italian at the end of 2003.

And it is clear that his personal view is Rossi should be released.

“My personal view is I am a fan of Valentino’s and I would release him to Ducati after Valencia. But as this moment I can’t say anything,“ added Furusawa

motorcycleracing.com

[Tifoso]

Uh oh :-E :-(



Rossi to undergo shoulder op

By Gary Pinchin -

MotoGP

15 September 2010 14:35

Valentino Rossi is to have an operation on the shoulder he injured earlier this year in a motocross accident – according to an interview with Sky Italia.

Rossi broke his tibia and fibula in a crash at Mugello in June but after sitting out four races over a six-week period is now back in action.

However, the shoulder he damaged in April is continuing to give him problems and now the 31-year-old has decided to have an operation to speed up the healing process.

Rossi is due to switch from Yamaha to Ducati at the end of the year but told Sky Italia: “The shoulder is still giving me problems and therefore at the end of season I shall have an operation.”

Following surgery, Rossi’s shoulder could require an extended period of physiotherapy before he could race again.
motorcyclenews.com

[Tifoso]

:-E




Motorsport
WWOS

* > Motorsport

* > Article

Stoner doesn't push hard, says Rossi
By Robert Grant
16:32 AEST Wed Sep 15 2010
Australia's MotoGP rider Casey Stoner of Ducati.
MotoGP star Valentino Rossi claims Aussie rider Casey Stoner (pic) has eased off this season.

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MotoGP star Casey Stoner has returned fire at rival Valentino Rossi after the Italian accused him of easing off this season.

Angered by the attack, the Australian reminded Rossi that he was being beaten this year by his Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo.

The war of words comes as the pair line up for the new Grand Prix of Aragon in Spain this weekend.

Both Rossi and Stoner will swap teams at the end of this season.

Rossi is taking up Stoner's spot at Ducati while the Australian has been recruited to try to rejuvenate the Honda factory team.

But Rossi says it is hard to judge the potential of the Ducati because Stoner does not ride the machine to its limits.

"It is very difficult to understand the level of the Ducati because Stoner doesn't push at 100 per cent," Rossi said.

"Both (Honda's Dani) Pedrosa and Lorenzo work a lot in practice on their bikes and they try to understand everything with long runs but Stoner makes just one lap, so it is difficult to understand the performance."

Stoner has rejected the Italian champion's assessment, saying he should sort out his own problems first.

"I don't care about his opinion, at the moment he's getting his kicked by his teammate so he has to worry about that first," Stoner said.

"Somebody else is doing a better job in the same garage."

Stoner has had a miserable year struggling with the front end of his bike and is without a win in 12 races.

Rossi has just one victory while his Yamaha teammate Lorenzo is headed for the title - although Rossi missed several rounds with a broken leg.

"I can't get anymore out of the bike or myself," Stoner said.

"I'm happy with my performances. Things are constantly going wrong and we haven't got the speed, simple as that."

"And if he's fast from the beginning (with Ducati) without all the testing he will just say he's a genius."

Stoner says Ducati has had limited developmental resources in his time at the team Rossi is understood to be greeted by a massive engineering assault in 2011.
ninemsn.com

Rossi :roll

Say it again next year, and I will agree completely, though :lou

[Tifoso]

Fresh from the news of a renewed deal with HRC for the next two seasons and brimming with confidence after back-to-back wins in the two previous rounds, Dani Pedrosa was the quickest rider in the first day of practice at the Gran Premio A-Style de Aragón on Friday. Riding at the new track for the first time the Repsol Honda rider set a best time of 1'50.506 in the reinstated morning first free practice, before the rain arrived for the afternoon session to prevent his rivals from getting close to his mark.

Pedrosa finished 0.411s ahead of Ducati's Nicky Hayden, with championship leader Jorge Lorenzo third fastest on his Fiat Yamaha M1 just 0.011s further down on Hayden, making the Spaniard the final rider under the 1'51" barrier this morning.

Casey Stoner was next up on the timesheet in fourth place, but can be satisfied with his day as whole, having led the wet afternoon practice with a best lap of 2’01.710. He was closely followed in the damp 45-minute session by Lorenzo and Hayden, with Pedrosa unable to match his dry weather form in 13th place.

Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini) was the fastest rookie with an overall fifth and a 1'51.768, just a thousandth of a second ahead of fellow Italian and reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha). Héctor Barberá (Páginas Amarillas Aspar) put in an impressive penultimate lap to end seventh, whilst Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda), Colin Edwards and Ben Spies (both Monster Yamaha Tech 3) completed the top ten.

There was only one fall during the day with Aleix Espargaró suffering an early high-side on only his second lap out this morning. The Pramac Racing rider fell victim to a cold tyre as he crashed at turn two and fortunately escaped injury, returning to the track shortly after and setting the 13th fastest time.

The third and final practice session takes place at 10.05am local time on Saturday morning, with a 45-minute qualifying session for the Gran Premio A-Style de Aragón due to start at 2.05pm.
paddocktalk.com

[Tifoso]

Rossi encouraged by pace in wet
By David Emmett and Matt Beer Friday, September 17th 2010, 20:05 GMT

http://cdn.images.autosport.com/editorial/1284753995.jpg
Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, Aragon

Valentino Rossi was buoyed by his performance in the wet second practice session at Aragon today, as he felt his pace in the rain had been an area of weakness since he returned to action following his lay-off with a broken leg.

The world champion was fourth quickest in the afternoon, having been sixth in the dry in the morning.

"I'm happy especially about the wet practice, because after my accident I've only ridden the bike in the wet at Brno in the warm-up, and it was very, very bad, so I need some kilometres to come back to the right pace with a good feeling," said Rossi.

"In the wet I am in the fourth place, not far from the top, and I'm happy because I can improve - tomorrow we have some modifications to try. So it's a good day of testing, and to ride a little bit in the wet is positive for me to come back to the right feeling."

He also felt the wet track had been kinder to his shoulder, which has remained problematic since his April Motocross crash, and may yet require surgery in the winter. But he said he had accepted that he would just have to cope with the discomfort in the remaining six races.

"In the wet it was better, in the dry I had some problems," said Rossi. "I have three right corners where I have some pain. After this morning I already had more pain than yesterday.

"But now the situation is clear - the shoulder will remain like this. We have to stay with the problem and do the maximum with the problem.
autosport.com

[Tifoso]

Stoner may land in Honda mess
Robert Grant
September 17, 2010

AAP

Australian MotoGP star Casey Stoner could find himself in the middle of a messy situation at Honda next season after Spaniard Dani Pedrosa's contract was renewed.

Pedrosa has signed a new two-year deal and is expected to team with Stoner, who leaves Ducati at the end of this season.

But the issue has been complicated by the refusal of factory Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso to move.
Advertisement: Story continues below

Dovizioso has invoked a clause in his contract which stated that if he was in the top five on the MotoGP points standings at the end of July he would automatically be re-signed for next year.

The outcome is unclear and could end up in court after major sponsor Repsol refused to increase its backing to run a three-bike outfit.

Honda is desperately searching for a solution after Dovizioso ended up in the top five after the Laguna Seca round in the US.

He has resisted any attempt by the factory to palm him off to one of the lesser satellite teams which Honda supports and his manager, Simone Batistella says the situation is unambiguous.

"The contract is pretty clear and there are a few things that need to be clarified between us and Honda Racing," Batistella told motorcyclenews.com.

"It is important to understand the will of both parties and if the project that we thought was in place is still there.

"It would be a big, big blow (for Dovizioso to be dropped) and I can't predict the reaction of the rider," he said.

Pedrosa, who has been with Honda throughout his career, is in the best form of his life.

The 24-year-old is currently second in the title race behind compatriot Jorge Lorenzo and said he was delighted to sign a new contract.

"This has been the team of my dreams since I was a kid and that's still the same feeling I have now," said Pedrosa, who will be chasing a third successive win this season in Sunday's Grand Prix of Aragon.

"Over many years we have built up a very strong relationship and have enjoyed the successes and faced the difficulties together."

Stoner, meanwhile, is yet to win a race this season, the 2007 world champion struggling with handling problems and some self-inflicted setbacks.

He remains highly rated but will face a major challenge in 2011 to outpace Pedrosa, a rider who has stepped up dramatically and has always been comfortable on the Honda.


wotaday.com.au

:-E

[Suzie]

Would much rather have the current Honda line-up of Pedrosa and Dovi - can't stand Stoner.

[Tifoso]

Would much rather have the current Honda line-up of Pedrosa and Dovi - can't stand Stoner.


Don't like him a whole lot, either. I cut him slack because he brought us our only Championships.

[Tifoso]

Ducati look strong in QP.

When is Q? :oops

[Tifoso]

Ducati look strong in QP.

When is Q? :oops


On Sunday, no? :oops

[siberianlady]

Quali was this afternoon- Stoner, Lorenzo, Pedrosa in first row.
Rossi 7th.........
Sad there are only 16 bikes this weekend........

[Ferrarichamp]

best race of the season so far (especially if you're a Ducati fan :-D)

well done Casey and Nicky :cflag

[Tifoso]

Briiliant ride by Stoner. If he can maintain this form, Ducati just could get the Constructors :clap

Hayden--attaboy! I think I soiled myself when he pulled off the pass on the final lap:-D

FORZA DUCATI

Decent ride by Rossi, as well :-)



Alcañiz, Sunday, September 19, 2010

Pos. Points Num. Rider Nation Team Bike Km/h Time/Gap
1 25 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Team Ducati 165.8 42'16.530
2 20 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 165.4 +5.148
3 16 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati 165.1 +9.496
4 13 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 165.1 +9.580
5 11 11 Ben SPIES USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 164.9 +13.771
6 10 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 164.0 +27.330
7 9 58 Marco SIMONCELLI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 163.9 +28.511
8 8 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 163.5 +35.254
9 7 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 163.5 +35.393
10 6 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Pramac Racing Team Ducati 163.5 +35.467
11 5 40 Hector BARBERA SPA Paginas Amarillas Aspar Ducati 163.5 +35.522
12 4 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 162.8 +45.360
13 3 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Interwetten Honda MotoGP Honda 162.7 +48.319
14 2 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Team Ducati 162.1 +58.047
Not Classified
4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 164.9 1 Lap
14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 163.3 8 Laps

[Tifoso]

Nice ride by Iannone in Moto2 :clap

[Tifoso]

MotoGP Team Standings


1. FIAT Yamaha Team 425
2. Repsol Honda Team 367
3. Ducati Marlboro Team 280
4. Monster Yamaha Tech3 201
5. San Carlo Honda Gresini 148
6. LCR Honda MotoGP 81
7. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 41
8. Pramac Racing Team 33
9. Interwetten Honda MotoGP 15



MotoGP Rider Standings:


[1 Jorge Lorenzo 20 25 25 20 25 25 25 20 25 25 16 20 13 284
2 Dani Pedrosa 9 20 11 25 8 20 20 25 0 20 25 25 20 228
3 Casey Stoner 0 11 0 13 11 16 16 16 20 16 0 11 25 155
4 Valentino Rossi 25 16 20 0 0 0 0 13 16 11 13 16 10 140
5 Andrea Dovizioso 16 10 16 16 20 11 2 11 13 0 11 13 0 139
6 Ben Spies 11 0 0 9 16 13 10 8 10 13 20 10 11 131
7 Nicky Hayden 13 13 13 0 13 9 8 9 11 10 10 0 16 125
8 Randy de Puniet 10 7 9 10 10 10 13 0 0 6 3 3 0 81
9 Marco Melandri 3 8 10 11 0 0 7 6 8 8 0 6 7 74
10 Marco Simoncelli 5 5 6 7 9 7 0 10 0 5 9 2 9 74
11 Colin Edwards 8 4 4 3 7 8 5 0 9 9 0 9 4 70
12 Hector Barbera 4 3 8 4 5 4 6 7 0 7 6 7 5 66
13 Aleix Espargaro 0 1 7 8 6 6 0 0 0 4 7 5 6 50
14 Alvaro Bautista 0 6 0 2 4 2 11 0 0 0 8 8 8 49
15 Loris Capirossi 7 0 0 6 0 3 9 5 6 0 5 0 0 41
16 Mika Kallio 0 9 3 0 3 5 4 0 7 0 0 0 2 33
17 Hiroshi Aoyama 6 2 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 3 29
18 Alex de Angelis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 3 0 0 0 11
19 Roger Lee Hayden 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 5
20 Kousuke Akiyoshi 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
21 Wataru Yoshikawa 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

[Tifoso]

Rossi to miss the last 2 races? :-s


Valentino Rossi may decide to miss the last two races of the 2010 MotoGP season in order to undergo early surgery on his shoulder.

The Italian has battled with the ligament damage ever since round two of the championship, having hurt his back in a motocross training accident shortly after winning round one of the season.

Rossi, who has since recovered from a broken leg, continues to be hampered by the injury and finished an off-pace sixth at Aragon on Sunday - his worst result of the year.

The Italian, who is leaving Yamaha for Ducati next season, will now use the forthcoming flyaway rounds in Japan, Malaysia and Australia to decide if he should see out the season or head for surgery early.

Rossi is fourth in the world championship and cannot be champion this year, although he retains a mathematical chance of second place.


goal.com

[Tifoso]

Gee, where in motorsports have I heard this before? :Hmm




JERRY BURGESS and the rest of the Valentino Rossi's pit crew WILL leave Fiat Yamaha at the end of 2010 to join the Italian at Ducati from next year, amid souring relations at the factory team - that's the latest from within the premier racing paddock, says Visordown's MotoGP man.

It now seems certain that Rossi’s pit crew will move with the rider to Ducati, despite the “we haven’t signed anything yet” comments emanating from Burgess.

Our man says the atmosphere at Yamaha continues to deteriorate between Rossi and the management, as the end of their mutually fruitful relationship nears.

Latest news also suggests Rossi may elect to leave Yamaha early to undego an operation on his injured shoulder; the move would be an almost dead-cert if Yamaha refuse to allow Rossi to ride for Ducati at the post-season test at Valencia.


Read more: http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-racing-news-moto-gp/burgess-will-join-rossi-at-ducati/14084.html#ixzz106kEBMLR
visordown.com

[Tifoso]

Rossi to run a Moto2 team. :-)




http://photos.gpupdate.net/small/161624.jpg

Wednesday 22 September 2010


Rossi set to run Iannone in 2011 Moto2 team


It is being reported that reigning MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi has launched a bid to help fund a Moto2 project from next season. The squad, as revealed by Motorcycle News (MCN), would be run alongside lifelong friend Uccio Salucci.

With the latest race having been staged at the Motorland Aragón circuit in Spain, it was then reported that the Yamaha rider - bound for Ducati in 2011 - was in negotiations with Eskil Suter with regards to a chassis deal.

One of the new outfit’s riders is set to be Italian compatriot Andrea Iannone, who clinched his third victory of the season by crossing the Moto2 finish line first on Sunday.

“It looks like one very high-profile MotoGP rider will have his own Moto2 team next season,” a ‘prominent source’ explained to MCN. "Iannone will be one rider. He has interest from just about every team but it looks like he will end up with Valentino.”

New 2011 Moto2 entries will be announced by MotoGP governing body the FIM on 8 October, the Friday of the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend, with those teams granted acceptance then being required to submit a security deposit of 20,000 euros (17,100 pounds) per rider within the space of the following three weeks.
gpupdate.net

[Tifoso]

Rossi's Ducati debut date set :-)


Valentino Rossi will make his Ducati race debut in Qatar on March 20, 2011.

The first chance for European fans to see the Italian in race action for Ducati will be on April 3 at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez.

The final 2011 calendar will be published this week after late changes were made to the Formula One schedule.

The F1 changes have impacted on three dates in MotoGP, with Le Mans one of the races that has had to be moved.

Next year’s MotoGP championship will again be run over 18 races but India and Abu Dhabi are expected to join the schedule in 2012.
motorcyclenews.com

[Ste]

You've really got into this MotoGP lark haven't you Lou! :-D

I think it's pretty poor form of Yamaha not to release Vale to test for Ducati before March. I understand the problems involved in getting sponsors to release their contracts with him, but after so many years of dominance and good relationships it seems as though they couldn't care less.

It's probably better for Vale if he misses the final races of the season to have the shoulder operation and then fully focus on 2011. He's not going to be challenging up-front for the remainder of the season and he therefore is of no use to Lorenzo.

[Tifoso]

You've really got into this MotoGP lark haven't you Lou! :-D

I think it's pretty poor form of Yamaha not to release Vale to test for Ducati before March. I understand the problems involved in getting sponsors to release their contracts with him, but after so many years of dominance and good relationships it seems as though they couldn't care less.

It's probably better for Vale if he misses the final races of the season to have the shoulder operation and then fully focus on 2011. He's not going to be challenging up-front for the remainder of the season and he therefore is of no use to Lorenzo.

I am mate :-D

Hayden's last lap pass was magic :cheers

They are taking a great deal of PR heat over this. My guess is that they eventually cave.

[Tifoso]

Rossi: better and not better :-s


Rossi: Leg is healed, shoulder still trouble
The Italian says his leg is now almost fully healed, but he is far from being in peak physical condition.
Valentino Rossi says he has almost fully recovered from the broken leg that forced him on the MotoGP sidelines earlier this season, but concedes he is now more concerned about the condition of his shoulder.

The FIAT Yamaha rider finished sixth at Motorland Aragon, explaining after the race that he was suffering with problems from a persistent shoulder injury that has dogged him for much of the year.

Indeed, having already hinted at curtailing his season in order to get surgery on the injury, Rossi admits it will continue to hamper him at this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi.

"Aragon was a hard weekend, both because we couldn't find the right setting for our M1 and because I had a lot of trouble with my shoulder. The leg is now almost back to normal again - I have even started running - but the shoulder is a problem and we know now that this is not going to change until we have time to treat it properly.

“I have some great memories from Motegi, especially winning the championship in 2008, but I am expecting this weekend to be quite difficult on my body. We have a hard three weeks ahead but after this race two of my best tracks are coming up, and I am hoping for some good results. We will do our best and see what happens!"

Rossi is currently fourth in the standings, one point ahead of Repsol Honda's Andrea Dovizioso, while Ben Spies and Nicky Hayden are also just nine and 15 points adrift respectively.

crash.net

Anyone know if Crash.net still does the live radio+racing updates?

[Tifoso]

Very sad news:-s


http://pix.crash.net/motorsport/360/PA832263.jpg:-E

Dani Pedrosa's Motegi crash
Dani Pedrosa's Motegi crash caught on camera
This looks to be the moment that Dani Pedrosa and Honda lost the 2010 MotoGP World Championship.

Pedrosa, already 56 points behind Jorge Lorenzo heading into this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, crashed on his third lap of Friday practice at Motegi, breaking his left collarbone in three places.

Circuit cameras only provided on-board footage of the incident, but this picture shows the full ferocity of the crash.

The Repsol Honda rider will now return to Spain for surgery and, with three races in three weeks and only five remaining before the end of the season, his slim title hopes have all but evaporated. crash.net

Also, please see my question in post #96 ;-)

[Rob]

Rossi: better and not better :-s



Anyone know if Crash.net still does the live radio+racing updates?

not sure myself, will chase that up for you and let you know :thumb

[Tifoso]

not sure myself, will chase that up for you and let you know :thumb

Thanks mate (again) :-)

[Suzie]

Gutted about Pedrosa, he's my fave. Jorge was always going to get the championship but Dani's been putting in some great performances recently and it sucks that he's injured AGAIN.

[Tifoso]

Gutted about Pedrosa, he's my fave. Jorge was always going to get the championship but Dani's been putting in some great performances recently and it sucks that he's injured AGAIN.

You have to admire him for obviously being on the limit. :-)

[Tifoso]

Nice job, Andrea :-)


Dovizioso takes pole for Japan MotoGP

By REUTERS

Published: Oct 2, 2010 18:20 Updated: Oct 2, 2010 18:20

TOKYO: Honda's Andrea Dovizioso claimed pole for the first time on Saturday ahead of the Japanese MotoGP Grand Prix with champion-elect Jorge Lorenzo fourth for Yamaha.

The Italian set a quickest lap of one minute 47.001sec in front of defending world champion Valentino Rossi's Yamaha and Ducati's Casey Stoner at Motegi.

"I'm so happy and surprised," Dovizioso told reporters. "We've improved a lot. Normally my style is not to go too fast in practice. I'm sure we can have a strong race." Lorenzo, virtually assured the title after fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa fractured his collarbone in Friday's practice, was upset at missing the front row for the first time this year.

"I would have liked to have been on the front row in Japan — Yamaha's home," said Lorenzo after signing a new two-year deal for the team earlier in the day.

"But it's only qualifying and the most important thing is that we're ready for the race. We have a good pace and we only have one or two more small things still to work on.

"This afternoon I tried the new engine for the first time and it felt good in the high gears." Pedrosa, who trails Lorenzo by 56 points with five races remaining, suffered a multiple fracture of his left collarbone on Friday and is likely to miss the next three races.

The Honda rider was the only man in a position to overtake Lorenzo in the world championship.

[Tifoso]

Sore shoulder and all :clap :thumb


Valentino Rossi back on the front row of the MotoGP grid
After leading his first MotoGP track session since June on Friday, Valentino Rossi qualified on the front row of the grid for the first time since May on Saturday at Motegi in Japan.

The last time the outgoing seven time MotoGP champion started a race from the front row was when he took pole for round three at Le Mans, on May 22, which was the event before his leg-breaking fall at Mugello.

Although doubtful of a strong weekend in Japan due to his lingering shoulder injury, Rossi attributed his strong Motegi form to all-round improvements with his Fiat Yamaha.

"It is a good feeling to be back on the front row after so long, the last time was at Le Mans, before the Mugello crash!" confirmed Rossi, who finished the session just 0.054 seconds behind debut pole-sitter Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda).

"We have improved in every area here, firstly we have made a big step with our setting, then we have the new engine from Yamaha which is enabling us to push more and be faster on the straights, plus we also have slightly harder Bridgestone tyres here than in Aragon and they are working better for me.

"As I said yesterday I expected to suffer more with the shoulder but I am feeling quite good and when I brake in a straight line here I don't have too much pain. I am so happy about all of this. This front row is going to be very important for tomorrow, we really hope for good weather and let's see what we can do," he added.

Rossi hasn't won a race since round one of the season in Qatar, but the possibility of race day rain means Sunday's contest is hard to predict.

"Valentino was very close to pole position and things are looking good for us to be in with a chance tomorrow," said team manger Davide Brivio. "The weather is a question mark, some rain is expected and we will have to wait and see what the temperature is like before making a final tyre decision, but we're excited about the race."

Rossi and Dovizisoo will be joined on the front row by Ducati's Casey Stoner. Rossi's team-mate and world championship leader Jorge Lorenzo will start fourth.

crash.net


1. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 1m 47.001s
2. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 1m 47.055s
3. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 47.105s
4. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Fiat Yamaha Team 1m 47.206s
5. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 47.464s
6. Ben Spies USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 47.648s
7. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 1m 47.752s
8. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 47.914s
9. Alvaro Bautista ESP Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m 48.002s
10. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m 48.068s
11. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 48.182s
12. Marco Melandri ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 48.238s
13. Aleix Espargaro ESP Pramac Racing 1m 48.371s
14. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Interwetten Honda MotoGP 1m 48.396s
15. Hector Barbera ESP Paginas Amarillas Aspar 1m 48.535s
16. Mika Kallio FIN Pramac Racing 1m 49.480s

[Tifoso]

WOW oh WOW...brilliant ride by Stoner :ferrarifl

BUT

possibly the ride of the season by Rossi. Holding off Lorenzo 50 times (or thereabouts :-D ). Just fantastic racing :wine (still happier about Stoner, though :-) )




Pos. Points Num. Rider Nation Team Bike Km/h Time/Gap
1 25 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Team Ducati 160.0 43'12.266
2 20 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 159.8 +3.868
3 16 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 159.7 +5.707
4 13 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 159.6 +6.221
5 11 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 158.4 +27.092
6 10 58 Marco SIMONCELLI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 158.2 +30.021
7 9 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 158.1 +31.826
8 8 11 Ben SPIES USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 157.9 +35.572
9 7 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 157.1 +47.564
10 6 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Interwetten Honda MotoGP Honda 157.0 +49.598
11 5 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 157.0 +49.999
12 4 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati 156.9 +50.703 :-s
13 3 40 Hector BARBERA SPA Paginas Amarillas Aspar Ducati 156.9 +51.422
14 2 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Pramac Racing Team Ducati 156.8 +52.843
15 1 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Team Ducati 155.5 +1'14.668
Not Classified
65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 158.0 3 Laps


Forza Ducati!

[Tifoso]

:-)


http://pix.crash.net/motorsport/360/PA835133.jpg
MOTOGP »

Fired up Rossi hoping to build on Motegi form
Valentino Rossi eyes another podium finish at Sepang on the weekend he could lose his MotoGP crown to team-mate and rival Jorge Lorenzo.
Having proven that team orders are not in effect at FIAT Yamaha between himself and MotoGP title-elect team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi is plotting a similarly feisty performance in the Malaysian Grand Prix.

The Italian scored his sixth podium of the season after coming out on top of an exciting duel with Lorenzo during the latter stages of the race, Rossi overcoming pain from his shoulder to get the edge on the Spaniard.

One of his most convincing performances since returning from injury in July, Rossi was pleased to be fighting back at the front in Japan, though he is reserving judgement on how his shoulder will contend with the Sepang circuit until action gets underway.

"Japan was very exciting for us and it felt good to be fighting at the front through all the sessions and the race; it's been a long time since we were that strong. I don't know until I start riding how Sepang will feel on my shoulder but it is one of my two or three favourite tracks in the world and I am always excited to go there.

“We were strong there in winter testing, obviously a lot has changed since then but we made some good improvements to our bike in Japan so I hope we can be in the same kind of form this weekend."

Despite his podium, Rossi dropped behind Andrea Dovizioso in the fight for fourth in the standings at Motegi.
crash.net

[Tifoso]

Too bad :-s



Pedrosa admits defeat, won't race in Malaysia
A disappointed Dani Pedrosa has conceded that he will not race in the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang this weekend - but the Repsol Honda star is fully-focussed on a return to fitness for Phillip Island a week later
Repsol Honda star Dani Pedrosa has reluctantly been forced to concede defeat in his bid to rejoin the MotoGP grid for this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix, and has instead turned his efforts towards a return to full fitness in the Australian Grand Prix a week later.

Pedrosa suffered a multiple fracture to his left collarbone last Friday on the third lap of the first free practice session ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, and the following day underwent successful surgery to have a titanium plate fitted at the USP Dexeus clinic in Barcelona.

Whilst the Spaniard has endeavoured to recover in time for Sepang, the condition of his collarbone, the bruises he received in the fall and the lack of strength in his left arm and shoulder have forced him to take the difficult decision of postponing his comeback.

Only yesterday, the 25-year-old – whose current second position in the riders' standings is beginning to come under threat from in-form Ducati rival and 2011 team-mate Casey Stoner due to his absence – maintained that there remained a slim chance that he might yet be able to make the journey from Spain to Malaysia to get back on his Honda RC212V [see separate story – click here], but after careful consideration, he has now elected to continue his rehabilitation at home in preparation for an anticipated return at Phillip Island.

Repsol Honda has confirmed that Pedrosa will not be replaced for Sepang, leaving Andrea Dovizioso to fly the factory Honda outfit's colours on his own.

crash.net

[Tifoso]

He's right, IMO


Rossi lashes out at F1

MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi has lashed out at Formula One, Dorna (head of MotoGP) and Bernie Ecclestone, FOM chief, because this weekend’s MotoGP round in Malaysia, being held in the same time zone as the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix, will be raced at a time when the monsoonal weather is likely to hit.

Formula One experienced for themselves that running the event too late in the afternoon saw drivers forced to cope with Monsoonal weather conditions and the event was actually stopped just over half way. This year it was put back an hour so that they would miss the heavy rain and see the race through to the end.

However, due to the fact that Formula One is racing in Japan on the same weekend that Moto is being run in Malaysia, means that the two are clashing, television audience wise and Moto is being left out in the cold as a result, something Rossi is far from happy about...

"Racing at four in the afternoon in Malaysia instead of 2 o'clock is crazy," Rossi is quoted as saying in the Gazetta dello sport. "Everyone knows by now that around the same time here, usually about 15.30, it always rains. It's almost like we're just there hanging about waiting for it to start. We always end up kowtowing the all-powerful Formula 1 that couldn't care less about us at the MotoGP and that's not scared of anything. We're the ones that are scared! At 2pm, there's a 90% chance that it won't rain whereas at 4pm there's a 90% chance it will. It really is pathetic."

"Last year I was gunning for the World Championship and I was really afraid. The race started at 4pm, I started in pole and was out in the lead. Then a few laps later we had to stop the race and start over with the rain setup. The organizers should have taken this into consideration and think a bit less about the TV."

Rossi has tried discussing the situation with Dorna president Carmelo Ezpeleta and offered to speak with Bernie Ecclestone about it, but has not received any positive feedback, either way....

"I've pointed it out loads of times. I also told him that I'll talk to Bernie if he wants, but he made a face as if to say that Bernie couldn't care less, he's not bothered about what goes on here at the MotoGP because F1 dominates the Italian TV ratings."

f1.automoto.com

[Tifoso]

Rossi sends out warning to rivals by topping practice session
By SHAMSHUL FITRI
SEPANG: Valentino Rossi sent out an early warning of his intention in the Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix by topping the timesheets in yesterday’s MotoGP practice session at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).

Championship leader and team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was third fastest.

Seven-time world champion Rossi’s favourite track is Sepang, and having won five times between 2001 and 2008, he clocked 2:02.724 yesterday.

The Fiat Yamaha rider was just 0.109 seconds quicker than second place Andrea Dovizioso, who returned the fastest time of 2:02.833, until Rossi - nicknamed ‘The Doctor’ took over with just 10 minutes to go in the session.

“It’s another good start for us and we found the right settings right away,” said Rossi, who sits fifth in the MotoGP standings on 156 points. Lorenzo leads the title race on 297 points.

“My shoulder is OK so far and we’re confident that we will be able to make some improvements tomorrow to try for the front row.”

Dovizioso, the sole rider for this week’s race for team Repsol Honda after Dani Pedrosa pulled out to recover from a broken collarbone suffered in Japan last week, was happy with yesterday’s practice although he had to cope with the extreme heat.

“It is even more than we’re used to here, so physically it was very hard,” reflected Dovizioso after the session. “I think we have found the limit of the tyres in these conditions, so I will try to change my riding style tomorrow to improve my lap times.”

Lorenzo, who could well clinch the world title this weekend with the absence of Pedrosa, meanwhile, found it difficult to find grip on the track.

“The conditions were quite difficult today, with the high temperature and the dirty track. But I’m happy though because I rode fast and was close to the first position,” he said.

Last year’s winner in Sepang Casey Stoner, suffered a crash 10 minutes into the session. But the Ducati Marlboro rider soon got back onto his bike and managed to clock 2:03.160 for the fourth fastest time.

In the Moto2 class, Alex De Angelis of JIR Moto2 emerged fastest with a best lap of 2:09.586 ahead of Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing) on 2:09.774 and championship leader Toni Elias (Gresini Racing) on 2:09.835.

In the earlier 125cc session, three riders in the fight for the world title this season, Marc Marquez, Pol Espargaro and Nicolas Terol, gave a glimpse what to expect in tomorrow’s race proper by topping the timesheets.

Marquez was quickest on 2:14.274, followed by Espargaro (2:14.650) and Terol (2:14.784). Terol currently leads the standings on 228 points, followed by Marquez (222) and Espargaro (215).

Meanwhile, SIC will continue to host the MotoGP event for another three years after Dorna, the worldwide rights holders of MotoGP races, agreed to extend their contract yesterday.

Dorna chief excutive officer Carmelo Ezpeleta said the circuit has seen many improvements along the years and it has become one of the favourites among riders in the championships.

Pracice times

MotoGP: 1. Valentino Rossi (Ita) Yamaha 2:02.724,2. Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Honda 0.109s behind, 3. Jorge Lorenzo (Spa) Yamaha 0.174, 4. Casey Stoner (Aus) Ducati 0.436, 5. Alvaro Bautista (Spa) Suzuki 0.614, 6. Colin Edwards (US) Yamaha 0.669, 7. Marco Melandri (Ita) Honda 0.714, 8. Alex Espargaro (Spa) Ducati 0.747, 9. Ben Spies (US) Yamaha 0.753, 10. Randy de Puniet (Fra) Honda 0.815.

Moto2: 1. Alex de Angelis (Rsm) Motobi 2:09.586, 2. Scott Redding (Ger) Suter 0.188s behind, 3. Toni Elias (Spa) Moriwaki 0.249, 4. Julian Simon (Spa) Suter 0.390, 5. Andrea Iannone (Ita) Speed Up 0.397.

125cc: 1. Marc Marquez (Spa) Derbi 2:14.274, 2. Pol Espargaro (Spa) Derbi 0.376s behind, 3. Nicolas Terol (Spa) Aprilia 0.510, 4. Esteve Rabat (Spa) Aprilia 1.043, 5. Bradley Smith (Bri) Aprilia 1.205.




thestar.com.my

Who cares about FP2? :-D Wait: Alex Espargaro? Huh? Hayden??? What am I missing? :oops

[Tifoso]

Nice ride, Hayden :clap


MOTOGP »

Hayden 0.1sec from first Ducati pole
Nicky Hayden was denied his first MotoGP pole position as a Ducati rider by just 0.1sec in the final minute of qualifying at Sepang on Saturday.

The 2006 world champion, on pole five times with Honda between 2003 and 2007, had been only 15th and 11th in the two free practice sessions in Malaysia.

Hayden, who lost out to world championship leader Jorge Lorenzo, admitted he had surprised himself.

“This is a bit of a surprise, I didn't expect to be on the front row today," said the American, after taking only his second front row start on a Desmosedici. "We only missed pole by one tenth but don't anybody feel sorry for us, we're pretty happy!

"The lap itself was obviously a good one, I don't think I could have got any more out of myself or the bike, but overall we've done a good job today.

"We were struggling yesterday but we went back to a setting that worked for us in the test and even though I didn't get the lap time this morning I told the guys not to make too many changes to the bike because I felt comfortable and knew I could improve purely through riding."

If Hayden was pleasantly surprised, team-mate Casey Stoner - winner of the last two races - expected better than fifth.

“I'm a little disappointed with the way qualifying went today," said the Australian. "We made a little progress with the race setting on the harder tyre. We didn't get a lot of laps in but we are happy with the work we did on the bike and feel reasonably confident.

"When I went to use the softer compound to set a qualifying lap on we lost feeling completely. There was no traction on the rear yet it was still pushing the front at the same time.

"We couldn't do the lap time we wanted or even deserved but we know our pace is faster than a couple of the guys in front of us on the grid so we'll see if we can get past them in the race.


Qualifying:

1. Lorenzo
2. Hayden
3. Dovizioso
4. Spies
5. Stoner
6. Rossi
7. Edwards
8. Bautista
9. Capirossi
10. Melandri
11. Simoncelli
12. Espargaro
13. de Puniet
14. Aoyama
15. Barbera
16. Kallio

crash.net

[Ste]

Lorenzo is champion! Excellent season for him, even though Rossi was out injured for a while!

Great race from Rossi today, dropping back from 6th to 11th and back to 3rd within 5 laps. Then going on to pass Lorenzo and Dovizioso. Excellent!

[Tifoso]

Heeeeeeeeeeelp. I recorded Moto2 instead of MotoGP. The rebroadcast is not until Tuesday :-E

Does someone have a legal, non download anything, non p2p place where I can watch the race before then?

If Rossi hadn't been hurt......... ;-)

[Tifoso]

Anybody?

Oh well, I guess I wait until Tuesday :-s

[Tobes]

Anybody?

Oh well, I guess I wait until Tuesday :-s

Well worth the wait Lou, Rossi coming through from 11th after turn 1 is brilliant... :clap

[Tifoso]

Well worth the wait Lou, Rossi coming through from 11th after turn 1 is brilliant... :clap


:-E

[Tifoso]

I will put up results after I've watched the race, BTW. Sorry for the inconvenience. :oops

[Tifoso]

Watching tonight. No spoilers, please :-)

Rate the race 1-10; 1 awful 10 best MotoGP race you've ever seen....which gives me an idea...

[Tifoso]

Holy cow, what a ride by Rossi! Q6 to 11th to 3rd in what seemed like a heartbeat to 1st to the win. Wow.

Stoner :-(

Hayden uninspired,, as well. Horrible ride.


Rossi ends losing streak at Sepang, Lorenzo champion
Valentino Rossi wins the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang, Jorge Lorenzo is 2010 MotoGP world champion.
Valentino Rossi ended his longest losing streak in the premier-class in style with an 11th-to-1st charge in Sunday's Malaysian MotoGP, handing him his 46th victory for Yamaha.

Meanwhile, a safe third place for Rossi's Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo was more than enough to win the world championship (see separate story).

Lorenzo led from pole at Sepang until being passed by Repsol Honda's Andrea Dovizioso on lap 9 of 20.

Rossi, who had qualified sixth, got a nightmare start and was only eleventh after the first few turns - but had sliced through the field to third, less than one second from Lorenzo, by the time Dovi took the lead.

The Italian superstar then took second place from Lorenzo on the brakes into turn nine, a move he repeated on Dovizioso on the following lap.

Dovizioso stuck with Rossi, and briefly retook the lead on lap 16. But Rossi - who broke his leg at round four and has been without a win since round one - wasn't to be denied and held on for victory in round 15 by just 0.224sec from the RCV rider.

Lorenzo - who only needed ninth place - maintained a healthy pace, before backing off in the closing stages to ensure his first premier-class title.

Dani Pedrosa, the only rider that could still beat Lorenzo to the championship, was not present this weekend after fracturing his collarbone at Motegi.

Another 2010 race winner failing to score points on Sunday was Casey Stoner. The Ducati rider, winner of the last two races, fell from third place at the hairpin at the end of the first lap.

Ben Spies took fourth place for Monster Yamaha Tech 3, while fellow rookie Alvaro Bautista (Suzuki) won a thrilling four-way fight for fifth against Nicky Hayden (Ducati), Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda) and Marco Simoncelli (Gresini Honda).

Bautista was the only GSV-R rider to finish with inured team-mate Loris Capirossi stopping out on track with technical problems. Colin Edwards and Aleix Espargaro joined Capirossi and Stoner in failing to reach the flag.

Pedrosa hopes to return to action next weekend in Australia.

Malaysian Grand Prix:


1. Rossi
2. Dovizioso
3. Lorenzo
4. Spies
5. Bautista
6. Hayden
7. Aoyama
8. Simoncelli
9. Melandri
10. de Puniet
11. Barbera
12. Kallio
Stoner-DNF


Congratulations to Lorenzo. :-)

[Tifoso]

Ryo goes wide...what the heck was he thinking? :-E Rossi through!

I suppose it was inevitable :lou


Now returning you to the 2010 MotoGP Thread....and...err....to 2010 :-D

[Tifoso]

Passing the backmarkers: Ryo almost got him. I nearly had a heart attack in 2002...

[Tifoso]

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSIIIIIIIIII


Fitting that he wins the 1st MotoGP race ever. :-)

Thanks mate!! (you know who you are ;-) )

[Tifoso]

Autralian GP 17Oct2010:Preview


Australia MotoGP: Phillip Island Preview
Ron Lieback
10/12/2010

Australian MotoGP

Although Jorge Lorenzo has been crowned champion, much is still to be decided at the three remaining rounds of the 2010 MotoGP Championship.

And Round 16 this weekend for the Australia Grand Prix at Phillip Island will be stressful on riders both mentally and physically, considering it's the final of three back-to-back GPs.

Lorenzo will be competing aboard his Fiat Yamaha M1 with much self-respect and confidence, since the title is already his. But he's sure to have many challengers, including his teammate Valentino Rossi, and the Repsol Honda boys of Andrea Dovizioso and the returning Dani Pedrosa.

A fellow Spaniard to Lorenzo, Pedrosa is back after not competing at Sepang and Motegi. He missed these rounds due to fracturing his collarbone at practice for the Motegi race. Going into Motegi, he was 56 points behind Lorenzo, and the only one able to challenge for the title.

But missing the subsequent two rounds left Lorenzo without any challengers. Lorenzo's fourth-place finish at Motegi, and third at Sepang for the Malaysia Grand Prix allowed him to clinch his debut 2010 MotoGP title.

Lorenzo, who has two titles in the former 250cc class, will be seeking his eight win of the season in Australia. And if he ends up on the box, it'll be an impressive 14 podiums in 16 races. He will also be looking to redeem his DNF last season at Phillip Island.

Although Pedrosa missed the last two races, he still has a solid hold second place with 228 points, but must keep it from the man fast approaching in third, Nine-Time World Champion Rossi. Pedrosa holds a 47-point advantage over Rossi, but the Italian is coming off a dominating win in Malaysia; last week, Rossi dropped down to 11th and came back to win.

Additionally, Rossi finished second last year at Phillip Island, leaving Pedrosa to take the final spot on the podium aboard his Honda RC212V. But it wasn't just last year...Rossi has finished on the podium every time while competing in the premier class in Australia, including five consecutive victories (2001-2005).

Just one point behind Rossi in fourth with 180 points is the man who won at Phillip Island for the past three years, Ducati Team rider Casey Stoner. The Australian will be looking for another home victory, and to redeem himself after a DNF at last week's race in Sepang. Before Malaysia, Stoner won two consecutive races at Aragon and Motegi.

Just as Stoner trails Rossi by one point, Dovizioso trails Stoner by a single point. The Italian, who is coming off two consecutive second-place finishes, managed sixth at Phillip Island last year, but has tasted victory there with a win in the 125cc Class in 2004.

The highest-placed American is Monster Tech 3 Yamaha rider Ben Spies, who has 152 points. He is looking to finish in the top six, and will be fending off his fellow American Nicky Hayden. The Ducati Team GP10 rider Hayden is currently in seventh with 139 points, and has been on the podium three times at Phillip Island.

Rounding out the top ten in the championship are LCR Honda rider Randy de Puniet with 94 points, San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Simoncelli with 92, and Simoncelli's teammate Marco Melandri with 86 points.

Phillip Island MotoGP TV Scedule:

SPEED TV will air the Australian Grand Prix at 1 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 17, and then again at 2 p.m. The 2 p.m. showing of premier-class race will be preceded by the Moto2 race.
ultimatemotorcycling.com

[Tifoso]

Good news :-)


Rossi hoping to race at ‘100 per cent’
Valentino Rossi targets another strong performance at Phillip Island, a circuit he believes is more forgiving on his shoulders.
Valentino Rossi says the flowing nature of the Phillip Island course should prove less troublesome for his injured shoulder this weekend as he looks to build on his Malaysian Grand Prix success.

The Italian romped to his first win since suffering both shoulder and leg injuries in separate accidents with a victory at Sepang, Rossi subsequently reviving his hopes of securing third in the MotoGP standings.

With less than a week to prepare for the Australian Grand Prix, Rossi is looking forward to racing at Phillip Island, claiming the fast, sweeping bends – and minimal harsh braking points – will create fewer problems for his pained shoulder.

"I hope I can race at 100 per cent here in Australia," the FIAT Yamaha rider said. "On paper it looks good for my shoulder because although there are many fast changes of direction there isn't so much heavy braking here. We will see."

"The Phillip Island track is great; something different compared to other tracks. It's so fast and it's important to find the right line. Here it is difficult to find the right balance between the fast and slow corners, but it always makes for great racing, especially in MotoGP."

Rossi is currently positoned third in the standings, though Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso are just one and two points behind respectively.

crash.net

[Tifoso]

GO Casey :-)


Casey Stoner unconcerned by Sepang spill
The home favourite has an envious record around his local circuit...
Casey Stoner is refusing to dwell on the first lap accident that ruled him out of the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang as he looks to make it four consecutive wins on home soil at Phillip Island.

Stoner was chasing a third straight victory at Sepang but wouldn't complete the opening revolution, an error that has once again opened up the fight for third in the standings between himself, Valentino Rossi and Andrea Dovizioso.

Nonetheless, having won at Aragon and Motegi before that, Stoner is merely pleased to have found a breakthrough with the Ducati GP10, which coupled to his excellent Australian Grand Prix record, gives him optimism of further success this weekend.

"Three races ago this race wasn't looking good for us because the bike wasn't working in the areas that you need it to work at Phillip Island,” he said. “But, during the last three races we have made improvements, so we come into this weekend looking pretty good.

“It's good sometimes to race in the cooler conditions we get at Phillip Island, but the best thing about this track is definitely the fast corners!"

crash.net

[siberianlady]

Hope Dani does OK this weekend- interesting combination of him and Stoner next year......

[Tifoso]

Hope Dani does OK this weekend- interesting combination of him and Stoner next year......


I hope he come in 4th, after Stoner, Hayden and Rossi (in that order) :-D

[siberianlady]

I hope he come in 4th, after Stoner, Hayden and Rossi (in that order) :-D

What about Lolli?

[Tifoso]

What about Lolli?

Only a Ducati fan (1st) and a Rossi fan. Sorry, amica mia :-s

[siberianlady]

Only a Ducati fan (1st) and a Rossi fan. Sorry, amica mia :-s

Can understand that! Rossi and Ducati 2011 should make you very happy then? Love MotoGP but am pretty neutral there- would just love to see a few more bikes though!

[Rob]

Hayden pleased with wet pace
By Matt Beer Friday, October 15th 2010, 08:28 GMT

Nicky Hayden believes he will be in great shape in Australia if the weather remains wet for the rest of the weekend, having taken third place in today's rain-affected practice session.

Both Ducatis were in the top three at Phillip Island this afternoon, with Hayden third behind team-mate Casey Stoner and Yamaha's pacesetter Jorge Lorenzo.

Hayden said the conditions in the session - which was delayed by nearly two hours due to flooding on parts of the track - were extremely difficult, but was pleased with his bike's performance in the circumstances.

"Those were nasty conditions... I mean nasty," he said. "It wasn't so much the wet but the wind. It was really strong and for me it took a little while to get comfortable with being blown around so much.

"Other than that the bike worked well in the wet. We made a little bit of a change to help the bike turn, keeping some weight on the front, for the second run and I was able to go okay. My pace wasn't too bad.

"Obviously it could be all for nothing if the forecast is right and the conditions are dry from here on but at this track you have to be prepared for anything and take advantage of every situation. We're in the top three and very close in the wet so that's a good sign."

Stoner felt it was too early to say where Ducati really stood, whatever the weather.

"The conditions were difficult today and obviously we had the big delay too, which is not the ideal way to prepare," said the home favourite, who is chasing a fourth consecutive win at Phillip Island.

"Also we would prefer a fully wet session but it started to dry towards the end and that denied us the opportunity to confirm the settings or get a full understanding of the conditions.

"Other than the wind, which made things very difficult, it was quite a successful day. We made a couple of changes and I feel we made a little improvement with the bike but again because of the conditions we weren't able to get much of a direction.

"Hopefully tomorrow we get consistent weather, whatever it may be, so that we can get a proper idea of our set-up in either the wet or the dry."

www.autosport.com

[Rob]

Can understand that! Rossi and Ducati 2011 should make you very happy then? Love MotoGP but am pretty neutral there- would just love to see a few more bikes though!

yeah the grid could do with few more bikes and teams on there, look bit "thin"

[Rob]

Pedrosa makes painful practice return
By Matt Beer Friday, October 15th 2010, 08:35 GMT


Injured Honda rider Dani Pedrosa admitted his short run in Australian Grand Prix practice had left him in pain, and he hopes that adjustments to his race suit will allow him to ride more comfortably in qualifying.

Pedrosa returned to the track today just a fortnight after breaking his collarbone in a Motegi practice crash. He subsequently had surgery to insert a titanium plate on his collarbone to fix the fracture.

The Spaniard completed just seven laps in this afternoon's wet conditions at Phillip Island, but said the short run was just a precaution rather than a sign that he was struggling with his physical condition.

"The plan today was simply to check my condition on the bike - in these conditions I didn't want to take any unnecessary risks," said Pedrosa.

"What I can say is that I had some strength to move on the bike and put pressure on the handlebars which is good. However, I didn't feel very comfortable with the leathers because they were tight and there was pressure - but even with that I could do some laps and tomorrow I will try again - we will go step-by-step.

"Now it's quite painful but we will see how the pain goes through the night and tomorrow we will take another step. We knew it wouldn't be easy but I just hope that the effort is worth it in the end."

While the wet track meant less strength was required to ride the bike, Pedrosa felt the risk of exacerbating his injury was also much greater.

"To ride in wet conditions is more smooth than in the dry, but also more risky," he said. "The asphalt today was very, very cold and here it's a problem because on the right hand turns you don't have any grip at all.

"The hardest point was braking, changing direction and in the right hand corners because I have to stretch my arms a lot - but I hope we can work a little bit on the leathers to make it more comfortable for tomorrow.

"Afterwards I went to the Clinica Mobile and they told me that now I need to relax the muscles. We'll see how it goes tomorrow."

[Rob]

Rossi aiming for more after first session
Friday, 15 October 2010

Seventh place for the Fiat Yamaha rider in tough conditions in the opening practice at the Iveco Australian Grand Prix left him targeting an improved set-up on his M1.

Rossi looking for better setting


Valentino Rossi battled the trying weather conditions at Phillip Island on Friday and placed seventh in the first practice session with a time of 1’42.626, as he adopted a cautious approach to starting off his weekend.

Coming into Round 16 off the back of his second win of the year in Malaysia, the Italian hopes that an improved wet set-up on his M1 in Saturday’s second practice will allow him to challenge for a much higher position in qualifying.

“Conditions are very bad and are at the limit – it’s 10ºC. It’s not just wet but very cold too, so it’s difficult to control the bike and quite dangerous too,” explained Rossi. “I tried to get in a few laps to understand the conditions.”

“We have some problems with the setting which is not so good, and we are only in seventh place after this session. But we’ve taken some important data so we’ll find the problem and try and improve.”

He added: “I didn't want to push too hard in these conditions. I think we can improve it more, but we need to wait and see how the weather is tomorrow. I hope I can set better lap times tomorrow and get closer to the top.”

Rossi will be looking to build on his fantastic record at Phillip Island, which has seen the 31 year-old finish off the podium just once in his 13 previous visits there across all three GP categories

[Rob]

just found this picture here
http://www.rossifiles.com/

http://i56.tinypic.com/21a9zf9.jpg

is this picture real???

[Rob]

here you go Lou, got link for you.

http://www.ducati.com/racing/motogp/index.do

[siberianlady]

Whether or not the picture is real its awesome! The Dr in red!

[Rob]

Whether or not the picture is real its awesome! The Dr in red!

looks great doesnt it, cannt wait to see him in RED next year. fingers crossed they give him the bike :pray

May of missed this, but... is it true Jerry and all of Vales side of the garage are leaving woth him to Ducati??

[siberianlady]

looks great doesnt it, cannt wait to see him in RED next year. fingers crossed they give him the bike :pray

May of missed this, but... is it true Jerry and all of Vales side of the garage are leaving woth him to Ducati??

Rob- yes he is taking his whole team with him- as Spies is taking all his ex superbike team to Yamaha.

[Rob]

Rob- yes he is taking his whole team with him- as Spies is taking all his ex superbike team to Yamaha.

oh ok, thanks for that. Did hear back end of commentry over weekend, but didnt really now if that i heard properly and it was true. WOW that is good news for Ducati, getting ALL Vales engineers, blimey.

Spies engineers from WSBK are all Yamaha guys already, aint they?? Is he a force to be reckoned with next year? or will Jorge put him in his place? dont like Jorge much, dont know what it is about him.

[Tifoso]

Can understand that! Rossi and Ducati 2011 should make you very happy then? Love MotoGP but am pretty neutral there- would just love to see a few more bikes though!

I am thrilled :-)

[Tifoso]

just found this picture here
http://www.rossifiles.com/

http://i56.tinypic.com/21a9zf9.jpg

is this picture real???


Holy cow--that's awesome mate! I doubt it, as he is still technically a Yamaha rider ;-)

[siberianlady]

oh ok, thanks for that. Did hear back end of commentry over weekend, but didnt really now if that i heard properly and it was true. WOW that is good news for Ducati, getting ALL Vales engineers, blimey.

Spies engineers from WSBK are all Yamaha guys already, aint they?? Is he a force to be reckoned with next year? or will Jorge put him in his place? dont like Jorge much, dont know what it is about him.

We'll have to see how good Spies does. Agree with you though- I don't like Lolli either but don't really know why he gets on my nerves. Would be nice to see Spies giving him a run for his money!
Not sure also if Honda got their problem solved- Pedrosa is fixed and they signed Stoner- but Dovizioso also has a contract and says he ain't going..........hmm.
Should be a good year if they all manage to stay in one piece!

[Tifoso]

here you go Lou, got link for you.

http://www.ducati.com/racing/motogp/index.do

Thanks mate! :cheers

[Rob]

Holy cow--that's awesome mate! I doubt it, as he is still technically a Yamaha rider ;-)

yeah i thought that, and they got funny when he asked to leave early to test Duc. :Hmm

@Siberianlady, yeah whats going on there there at Honda? it very strange that whole situation.

[Rob]

Thanks mate! :cheers

thats no problem my friend :-D

[Tifoso]

just found this picture here
http://www.rossifiles.com/

http://i56.tinypic.com/21a9zf9.jpg

is this picture real???

No. :-D

The article it is attached to says Rossi might go to Ducati. ;-)

Awesome pic, though.

[siberianlady]

yeah i thought that, and they got funny when he asked to leave early to test Duc. :Hmm

@Siberianlady, yeah whats going on there there at Honda? it very strange that whole situation.

Well it seems Yamaha are being a bit nasty about Dr testing for Ducati- but they may just bow to pressure at the end of the day. Not had any updates recently on the Honda situation- will update if I hear anything concrete.

[Tifoso]

Yamaha looks particulary nasty, as Casey is being allowed to test (unless I am mistaken).

[siberianlady]

Yamaha looks particulary nasty, as Casey is being allowed to test (unless I am mistaken).

That is right Lou- but why most think Yamaha will relent in the end- the pressure on them to do so is enormous.............

[Tifoso]

That is right Lou- but why most think Yamaha will relent in the end- the pressure on them to do so is enormous.............

Thanks for the collaboration, amica mia. :-)

Yeah, it just looks so "taking advantage"

[Rob]

been so busy today i missed the qualie (forgot it was on ) well Stoner on pole, and happy birthday casey

Birthday pole celebration for Stoner
Saturday, 16 October 2010

The Ducati Team rider marked his 25th birthday by taking the 25th Grand Prix pole position of his career at Phillip Island on Saturday.

Stoner happy with home pole

Casey Stoner celebrated his 25th birthday by taking pole position for the Iveco Australian Grand Prix on Saturday, as the Ducati Team rider put in a strong display in qualifying at Phillip Island to finish over six-tenths of a second clear of closest rival Jorge Lorenzo.

It was the Australian rider’s 25th pole position of his Grand Prix career and continued his impressive form on his home circuit, at which he has won for the past three seasons having started from pole for the previous two years.

“I always seem to celebrate my birthday here at Phillip Island but I guess there are worse places to be!” said Stoner. “We have had virtually every single condition you could imagine thrown at us this weekend so we'll have to wait and see what happens tomorrow before we make any decisions on set-up but so far I think we have done the best possible job in every condition.”

“I'm quite happy with the setting in the wet even though we haven't had a fully wet session, which made it difficult to get a good reading from the bike. We have had two good sessions today, making progress in the last half an hour of this morning and another big step again in the last half hour of the afternoon. With the last two soft tyres I was able to make a substantial improvement to the lap time and we're in the best possible position for tomorrow so I'm pretty happy so far,” concluded Stoner

[Rob]

Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi experienced very different fortunes in qualifying at Phillip Island on Saturday, with the 2010 World Champion taking a front-row start for the race whilst his Fiat Yamaha team-mate Valentino Rossi qualified in eighth position.

"These conditions were really risky because it was so cold and also incredibly windy. It was hard to stay on the bike sometimes!” said Lorenzo after securing his 15th front-row start of the campaign, having led the session briefly before placing second to Casey Stoner.

“I'm happy with my race pace which is unusual for me here because I've never been so strong in MotoGP at this track, but I think we've done a good job. I wanted pole today but the weather and Casey stopped me – he is so quick here. We have the second best time so it is okay and I am feeling very calm after last weekend. We hope the weather is like this or better tomorrow, with no rain, and then we will go for it and see what happens in the race. I am ready for the race; I just want to enjoy it."

For Rossi the session was a more complicated affair however, with the Italian encountering different problems when trying to set a qualifying lap on the softer Bridgestone tyres.

"I was really unlucky today because with each of the softer tyres, when I think I could have improved a bit, I had problems,” said the 31 year-old, who has only finished off the podium once at Phillip Island in 13 previous visits in all three classes. “First it was Espargaró, then Hayden's bike on the track and then it began to rain, so I couldn't use any of the tyres how I wanted in the end.”

“We start from the third row, which will be very hard, especially because our race pace isn't that strong and we don't have the right set-up yet. We need to work hard tonight and tomorrow morning to try to improve. The conditions aren't good and it's a great pity because this is a fantastic track but you can't enjoy it in this cold, because it takes so long for the tyres to get to the right temperature. Tomorrow will be hard, but we will see what we can do,” Rossi concluded

[Tifoso]

Woooooohoooo...attaboy Casey! :wine I see what happened to Hayden; what happened to Rossi? :Hmm


MOTOGP »

http://pix.crash.net/motorsport/360/PA846596.jpg

Home pole and 'best possible job' for Stoner
"I got in hot and let the brake off over the little bumps there and the front closed" - Nicky Hayden.
If Casey Stoner can win Sunday's Australian MotoGP, it will mark his fourth home victory in a row and mean he has been unbeaten at Phillip Island throughout his Ducati career.

Stoner, moving to Honda next season, took the first step towards that achievement by securing pole on Saturday, which was his 25th birthday.

The double 2010 race winner lapped a threatening 0.668sec quicker than Yamaha's new world champion Jorge Lorenzo, and 1.2sec ahead of third fastest Ben Spies, after a session that effectively ended two minutes early due to the arrival of rain.

“I always seem to celebrate my birthday here at Phillip Island but I guess there are worse places to be!" said Stoner.

"We have had virtually every single condition you could imagine thrown at us this weekend so we'll have to wait and see what happens tomorrow before we make any decisions on set-up, but so far I think we have done the best possible job in every condition.

"I'm quite happy with the setting in the wet even though we haven't had a fully wet session, which made it difficult to get a good reading from the bike.

"We have had two good sessions today, making progress in the last half an hour of this morning and another big step again in the last half hour of the afternoon.

"With the last two soft tyres I was able to make a substantial improvement to the lap time and we're in the best possible position for tomorrow so I'm pretty happy so far.”

Team-mate Nicky Hayden missed the final four minutes following a small crash in turn four. However, the rain reduced the potential damage to his grid position and he will line-up in sixth place.


*snip* crash.net


1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 30.107s
2. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Fiat Yamaha Team 1m 30.775s
3. Ben Spies USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 31.386s
4. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 31.402s
5. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 31.415s
6. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 31.530s
7. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 1m 31.554s
8. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 1m 31.627s
9. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 1m 32.018s
10. Marco Melandri ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 32.367s
11. Aleix Espargaro ESP Pramac Racing 1m 32.542s
12. Mika Kallio FIN Pramac Racing 1m 32.816s
13. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Interwetten Honda MotoGP 1m 33.190s
14. Alvaro Bautista ESP Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m 33.224s
15. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 1m 33.384s
16. Hector Barbera ESP Paginas Amarillas Aspar 1m 33.390s
17. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m 34.269s

[Rob]

hope he can stay up on his bike this weekend and win this 1. Like to see rossi come through how he usually do. Should be good race.

[Tifoso]

hope he can stay up on his bike this weekend and win this 1. Like to see rossi come through how he usually do. Should be good race.

I just saw your post (above mine duh) that said what happened to Rossi. Thanks mate :cheers

[siberianlady]

Shame that there are only 16 bikes (Pedrosa will not be racing)- like place your bets on the one guy that will not get any points.......... hope this improves in the future!

[Tifoso]

Holy cow. Fantastic race by Casey. Rossi on fiya! Up 5 positions so far. Great race so far.

[Tifoso]

Brilliant ride by Casey! :clap

Hayden made a move, but Rossi beat him on a (for today, and hopefully all next seasom) slower bike. Wow




Provisional

1. Stoner
2.Lorenzo
3. Rossi
4.Hayden

[Ste]

Great news Lou!

Yamaha approve Rossi Ducati test
Source: Autosport


Valentino Rossi has been given clearance to test the Ducati for the first time in the post-season sessions at Valencia next month.

Yamaha's contract with Rossi does not expire until the end of the season, but he had urged the team to give him dispensation to start work with his new employer immediately after the 2010 racing season ends.

Two months after his deal with Ducati was announced, Rossi said he finally has permission from Yamaha racing boss Masao Furusawa to switch to Ducati for the Valencia tests, which take place in the days after the season finale at the Spanish track on 7 November.

"Last night I spoke with Furusawa," Rossi was quoted as saying by Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, "and he said that I can test the Ducati after the Valencia GP.

"I think that it's the right choice after everything there has been between us and a way to thank me for my work and commitment. I would like to thank them; it's a nice sportsmanlike gesture, also because with the limits on testing it's not as if you decide when you can do the tests."

News that Rossi can test that Ducati next month, plus his improved form in the last two grands prix, also makes it virtually certain that he will complete the season and wait until the winter break before having surgery on the niggling shoulder injury that has affected his form this year.

The Valencia test will also see Casey Stoner having his first run with Honda after leaving Ducati.

[Tifoso]

Fantastic! Thanks mate :cheers

Yamaha is a class act; I would have been very surprised if they didn't do the honorable thing.

[Rob]

good race, that move Rossi pulled on Hayden in last few corners, brilliant. Heart in mouth moment that was.

[Rob]

Great news Lou!

Yamaha approve Rossi Ducati test
Source: Autosport

yeah that is great news, glad they let him do it. Right thing to do, same here would of been VERY surprised if wouldnt of allowed Rossi to test.

[siberianlady]

yeah that is great news, glad they let him do it. Right thing to do, same here would of been VERY surprised if wouldnt of allowed Rossi to test.

Great news- am glad they saw the light!

[Aussie]

Woooooohoooo...attaboy Casey! :wine I see what happened to Hayden; what happened to Rossi? :Hmm




1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 30.107s
2. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Fiat Yamaha Team 1m 30.775s
3. Ben Spies USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 31.386s
4. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 31.402s
5. Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1m 31.415s
6. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 31.530s
7. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 1m 31.554s
8. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 1m 31.627s
9. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 1m 32.018s
10. Marco Melandri ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 1m 32.367s
11. Aleix Espargaro ESP Pramac Racing 1m 32.542s
12. Mika Kallio FIN Pramac Racing 1m 32.816s
13. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Interwetten Honda MotoGP 1m 33.190s
14. Alvaro Bautista ESP Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m 33.224s
15. Dani Pedrosa ESP Repsol Honda Team 1m 33.384s
16. Hector Barbera ESP Paginas Amarillas Aspar 1m 33.390s
17. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m 34.269s

The Flying Kangaroo is back

Casey Stoner is the best

Casey i know he is going to Honda next year shame but i be going for him:-D

[Tifoso]

The Flying Kangaroo is back

Casey Stoner is the best

Casey i know he is going to Honda next year shame but i be going for him:-D

Can't say as I blame you mate. Great rider. :wine

Rossi will clean his clock, though :lou

[Aussie]

Can't say as I blame you mate. Great rider. :wine

Rossi will clean his clock, though :lou


Like in 07 lol.

[Ste]

Like in 07 lol.

Yea, when the Ducati was a lot better and Yamaha had a poor bike and poor Michelin tyres :-)

Stoner is only good when his bike is good. Otherwise he's rubbish and just falls off.

If the 2011 Ducati is rideable, Rossi will destroy everyone else imo.

[Tifoso]

I do think that if Rossi has a top 3 bike (ie, not the best, but 2nd or even 3rd best), he will win the WRC (or whatever it's called :oops), as long as the gap in performance isn't ridiculous.

[Ste]

I do think that if Rossi has a top 3 bike (ie, not the best, but 2nd or even 3rd best), he will win the WRC (or whatever it's called :oops), as long as the gap in performance isn't ridiculous.

Title. :-D

[Tifoso]

Title. :-D

Well, duh :lou

[OldskoolF1]

Yea, when the Ducati was a lot better and Yamaha had a poor bike and poor Michelin tyres :-)

Stoner is only good when his bike is good. Otherwise he's rubbish and just falls off.

If the 2011 Ducati is rideable, Rossi will destroy everyone else imo.

Yeah totally agree with that. They are all bloody good riders but Rossi has that something special. That overtake on Lorenzo at Catalunya into the last corner was pure class. Another rider that will be one to watch in future is Ben Spies. He is absolutely wringing the neck of that Yamaha and he scored nearly double the points of Colin Edwards. I would not be surprised if he beats Lorenzo next year on the same bike

[Tifoso]

Yeah totally agree with that. They are all bloody good riders but Rossi has that something special. That overtake on Lorenzo at Catalunya into the last corner was pure class. Another rider that will be one to watch in future is Ben Spies. He is absolutely wringing the neck of that Yamaha and he scored nearly double the points of Colin Edwards. I would not be surprised if he beats Lorenzo next year on the same bike

I agree with this completely. He seems to be the real deal. By far the best American on the grid. Lorenzo a bit lucky that Rossi was out as long as he was, I'd say.

[Rob]

I agree with this completely. He seems to be the real deal. By far the best American on the grid. Lorenzo a bit lucky that Rossi was out as long as he was, I'd say.

yeah think if Rossi wasnt out for as long as he was or even had the accident, be Rossi champion again. Lets face it, Edwards and Hayden are, dare i say it :-?? passed their best :oops Spies will def give Gorgeous Jorge (what they call him on Eurosport) a hard time.

[Rob]

The MotoGP season that could have been www.autosport.com

The 2010 MotoGP season could have been epic had all the pieces fallen into place, reckons Toby Moody

Oh, for what could have been in 2010. Valentino Rossi gets wheel-to-wheel against his own team-mate - Lorenzo - for the very first time, and to boot, a guy who hadn't even ridden a GP bike when Rossi was already winning on the Honda V5 in MotoGP.

Pedrosa had a bike that flew at most of the tracks, winning six races, while Stoner's Ducati had a front end that stuck like glue, leaving the Aussie to sort out the back end as he always likes it.

It would have been a hell of a season that, but alas not everyone turned up at the same time with their best bike or in their best fitness.


Lorenzo secured his first MotoGP title
At present, MotoGP has Lorenzo on all cylinders, Stoner is making them look silly once he bolts into the middle distance, Rossi is finding form at places he knows and likes, while the works Hondas are rocketships but are missing their fastest rider.

It's not quite going to be a finale like Formula 1 is having over their last three races, with five title runners, but it's still going to be a cracker at Estoril in a fortnight's time, with Stoner's current form against Lorenzo, who headed every single lap there last year and won the year before in his first ever visit to the place during his third ever MotoGP race. Pole, won the race and fastest lap: thank you very much, now where's the night club?

Will Pedrosa return for Estoril in 10 days time? Of course he will on current form. HRC had to stop him flying to Malaysia because even the engineers knew that he wouldn't have been better, while when he did ride at Phillip Island, he said it was too difficult to hold on the bike at 200mph with a collarbone that is broken into four pieces.

Travelling for 36 hours to Australia when he could barely do a press-up, let alone be off the bottom end of the field in qualifying, was hardly a surprise considering the 50kg-Spaniard had to ride a 235bhp, 148kg bike that is a beast at the best of times. Just who is making some of these decisions at Honda? There is now no question that the pocket-sized Pedrosa doesn't really crash very well, the term 'China Doll' being banded around the paddock more and more.

I just hope that for the sake of the lad his collarbone gets sorted and it doesn't end up like Sete Gibernau's, that was never right again after the big turn one pile-up at Barcelona in 2006.

Here and now the power struggle within Honda is quite innocently being won by a guy in another team, isn't it? Casey Stoner is not up for battles anywhere except out on the track, but even he must realise that as he changes from Ducati to Honda in three weeks time he'll be the one on form.

* * *


Will Yamaha miss Rossi next year? ©
Ben Spies wrapped up the Rookie of the Year title in Oz, something that wasn't going to be something too hard for him as the season shook out. But with him going onto the works Yamaha next year, with better bits and Japanese bosses who are fresh off the Rossi-Burgess work ethic, everyone is holding their breath waiting to see if the magic touch that Yamaha have had for the past seven years of Rossi riding there will continue after the confusion they were in before then.

Remember that Yamaha won 18 races in the previous nine seasons before Rossi turned up, the Italian promptly winning them the same number in just two seasons.

Blimey...

So if the Yamaha guys are fired up about Rossi upping sticks and going off in a huff, they're going to dig their heels in further with some immense talents that could still be gun slingers over the last few laps just as Rossi and Lorenzo did at Motegi.

* * *

So Rossi's slightly edgy words about Yamaha not letting him go until the end of his contract abated at Motegi and Malaysia, resulting in Masao Furasawa and Lin Jarvis letting his go on the Monday after the Valencia GP so he can test the Ducati.

Jarvis was seen in the Ducati offices at Aragon, maybe brokering a deal so that if there is a Ducati rider needed to be released to Yamaha in the future, then it might be remembered.

It's a difficult one all this 'leaving teams' but maybe contracts can finish the day after the last race unless the rider has won the title and needs to do the obligatory world tour standing alongside his newly livered number one-plated bike?

Speaking of Jarvis, there are some who have given the guy a bit of a hard time for not retaining Rossi in 2011 and beyond. They also talk of the works Yamaha team having lost sponsors over the years.

Well, there is one thing that Jarvis did do that will ensure his place within the sport's history, and that's signing Valentino Rossi for seven long and fruitful years.

Yamaha then won the championship four times with Rossi and once with Jorge Lorenzo, who Jarvis had as good as signed before the 2007 season even started, a full racing year before he actually rode the 800cc Yamaha M1. Five championship from seven years is about as good as it gets, Furasawa and Jarvis being the management of the era.

If HRC is considered the creator of all things fantastic on two wheels that have the prefix 'RC' to the slightly older generation, then the younger generation who don't know what an RC30, RC45 or an RC 211V is, will prefer a FIAT Yamaha M1 instead. Or even an Air Asia Yamaha M1 from the 2011 season.

Now it's down to Yamaha's outgoing rider Rossi to see if he can win at his bogey track, Valencia, before trying to win on a Ducati in Qatar next year.

[Aussie]

Yea, when the Ducati was a lot better and Yamaha had a poor bike and poor Michelin tyres :-)

Stoner is only good when his bike is good. Otherwise he's rubbish and just falls off.

If the 2011 Ducati is rideable, Rossi will destroy everyone else imo.


If the honda is strong i think it will be My money is on stoner he is a strong rider imo

But last australian to ride Honda was Mick Doohan now he was a gun

[Tifoso]

If the honda is strong i think it will be My money is on stoner he is a strong rider imo

But last australian to ride Honda was Mick Doohan now he was a gun

If the Honda is strong, and the Ducati is even close, Rossi will demolish him :-D

[Aussie]

lets see what happens mate

[Tifoso]

lets see what happens mate

Without question, amico mio. It happens on the track. My post was "just funnin' " ;-)

[Tifoso]

MotoGP 2010: The best they can do…
Maximum MotoGP championship positions
With two rounds and a maximum of 50 points remaining, the best that each rider can do in the final 2010 MotoGP World Championship standings is shown below.

The full time riders are listed in their current ranking and points, with the number in brackets the top position in the final standings that they can still mathematically attain...


1. Jorge Lorenzo 333 points (1st)
2. Dani Pedrosa 228 (2nd)
3. Casey Stoner 205 (2nd)
4. Valentino Rossi 197 (2nd)
5. Andrea Dovizioso 179 (2nd)
6. Ben Spies 163 (3rd)
7. Nicky Hayden 152 (4th)
8. Marco Simoncelli 102 (7th)
9. Randy de Puniet 100 (8th)
10. Marco Melandri 93 (8th)
11. Colin Edwards 90 (8th)
12. Hector Barbera 76 (8th)
13. Alvaro Bautista 73 (8th)
14. Alex Espargaro 60 (8th)
15. Hiroshi Aoyama 47 (10th)
16. Mika Kallio 43 (16th, withdrawn)
17. Loris Capirossi 41 (11th)
crash.net

[Tifoso]

Excellent (although I hope both the Ducati boys beat him :-) )



MOTOGP »

http://pix.crash.net/motorsport/360/PA853370.jpg

Rossi: I'm happy about my performance
"I am close to the top, was fast from the beginning of session and had a good feeling with bike" - Valentino Rossi.
Valentino Rossi is confident of a competitive showing in this weekend's Portuguese Grand Prix, even if conditions remain wet.

MotoGP hasn't had a wet race so far this year, but the rain at Estoril was so bad on Friday that only four riders left the pits for the first or the two practice sessions.

Things improved for the afternoon, when all 17-riders lapped for the full 45-minutes on wet tyres.

Rossi was third fastest after his 20 laps, the best of which was just 0.361sec behind Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, winner at Estoril for the past two seasons.

"This afternoon was a normal wet practice and I'm happy about my performance," said the Italian. "I am close to the top, was fast from the beginning of session and had a good feeling with bike.

"Unfortunately we were losing a little bit in some sections of the track, especially the last one because the bike was moving a little too much.

"We will try for tomorrow to improve the settings, it's important that we made a good start this afternoon as this morning's session was cancelled and it looks like the weather may not be very good over the weekend, so we will not have a lot of time to set up the bike!"

"It was a good session today, we started with a good base and Valentino was fast throughout the practice," confirmed team manager Davide Brivio. "There are still some improvements to make both with the electronics and the balance of the bike. We got some really useful information from the session so if we have any further wet sessions or a wet race on Sunday we can continue with this good base."

Ducati's Nicky Hayden split the Yamahas with the second fastest lap time.

Saturday's two sessions will be one hour long to make up for the washed out Friday morning session.

crash.net

[Ste]

Gorgeous George on pole as Qualifying called off
Source: Autosport


Jorge Lorenzo will start from pole position in the Portuguese Grand Prix after qualifying was cancelled due to heavy rain at Estoril.

Conditions have been poor throughout the weekend and worsened again before qualifying, leaving large patches of standing water on the track.

After checking the state of the circuit with the safety car, the organisers made a final decision to abandon qualifying 30 minutes after the scheduled start time.

The grid has therefore been set on practice times, and with Lorenzo having topped both of the sessions where the weather was reasonable enough for riders to participate properly, the world champion finds himself on pole for Yamaha, despite a heavy crash this morning.

Nicky Hayden's second place on Friday afternoon means he equals the best starting position of his Ducati career in second, ahead of Valentino Rossi on the other Yamaha.

Casey Stoner is fourth with the second Ducati, followed by Tech 3 Yamaha's Ben Spies in fifth on his Estoril debut.

Marco Melandri will be sixth, his highest grid position of his final MotoGP year with Gresini Honda.

The works Hondas of Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa are only seventh and 12th, although Pedrosa showed better form this morning as he continues to recover from his collarbone injury.

Returnee Carlos Checa (Pramac Ducati) will start from the tail of the field for his first MotoGP race since 2007.

Pos Rider Team Time Gap
1. Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha 1m48.853s
2. Nicky Hayden Ducati 1m49.435s + 0.582s
3. Valentino Rossi Yamaha 1m50.007s + 1.154s
4. Casey Stoner Ducati 1m50.081s + 1.228s
5. Ben Spies Tech 3 Yamaha 1m50.313s + 1.460s
6. Marco Melandri Gresini Honda 1m50.500s + 1.647s
7. Andrea Dovizioso Honda 1m50.787s + 1.934s
8. Randy de Puniet LCR Honda 1m50.824s + 1.971s
9. Colin Edwards Tech 3 Yamaha 1m51.250s + 2.397s
10. Marco Simoncelli Gresini Honda 1m51.518s + 2.665s
11. Aleix Espargaro Pramac Ducati 1m51.916s + 3.063s
12. Dani Pedrosa Honda 1m52.734s + 3.881s
13. Loris Capirossi Suzuki 1m53.018s + 4.165s
14. Alvaro Bautista Suzuki 1m53.317s + 4.464s
15. Hector Barbera Aspar Ducati 1m53.537s + 4.684s
16. Hiroshi Aoyama Interwetten Honda 1m53.933s + 5.080s
17. Carlos Checa Pramac Ducati 1m54.073s + 5.220s

[Rob]

Spies negotiating an extension to his Yamaha contract until 2013

Lin Jarvis is working on a contract extension for Ben Spies to stay with Yamaha until 2013. Speaking to SpeedTV, Jarvis says that the main reason is the introduction of the 1000cc engines in 2012. “Ben will do many tests next year to develop the 2012 bike, but a rider needs to be assured of the future in order to be engage in these projects.” The extension would be for 2012 with an option for 2013.

[Tifoso]

The Ducati boys and Rossi are well positioned :-)

[Ste]

The Ducati boys and Rossi are well positioned :-)

Hoping Stoner crashes out :-D

[Tifoso]

Hoping Stoner crashes out :-D

Can't stand him much, but while he's on a rossa....

[OldskoolF1]

have i missed something all season? I just watched the Moto GP on BBC HD :-E Has it been on HD all season or is this the first time? Hopefully we can see F1 in HD soon

[Ste]

First time this race.

I said Stoner would crash.

[Sianellen]

First time this race.

I said Stoner would crash.

:-D And there was much happiness when he did.

[siberianlady]

Not really- but it was on the cards. Watched the start then DTM- now that was more interesting today at least!

[OldskoolF1]

Surely Honda must worry about next season and whether Stoner is going to fall off the bike the whole time. Lorenzo crashed alot when he first came to Moto GP but he seems to have that under control now whereas Casey still flies off regularly :lol

[siberianlady]

Surely Honda must worry about next season and whether Stoner is going to fall off the bike the whole time. Lorenzo crashed alot when he first came to Moto GP but he seems to have that under control now whereas Casey still flies off regularly :lol

Why they have a third bike next year- Dovizioso may save the day........Lol

[Aussie]

Stoner is still my fav

[Tifoso]

Stoner is still my fav

You must be thrilled :-D Now he gets hot :roll :-D


A superb qualifying display from the Ducati rider sealed him pole position for the final race of 2010 ahead of Jorge Lorenzo and Marco Simoncelli, the latter of whom secured his first front-row start. Valentino Rossi will start the race from fourth.

Valencia 2010 - MotoGP - QP - Highlights
Casey Stoner put on a stunning display in his final qualifying session with Ducati to take pole position for the last race of the 2010 season at Valencia, posting the only sub-1’32” lap of the weekend so far in a strong 45-minute run. The Australian’s hot lap of 1’31.799 left him 0.331s clear at the top of the timesheet, and came after he had dealt with an early run-off as he pushed hard for his fourth pole of the campaign.

World Champion Jorge Lorenzo, sporting a special edition helmet for the final-round occasion, followed Stoner onto the front row with a best effort of 1’32.130 on his Fiat Yamaha M1 having led for a large portion of the session.

Carrying his progress from the practice sessions into qualifying was Marco Simoncelli and the Italian rookie’s display was rewarded with his first front-row start in the premier class. The San Carlo Honda Gresini rider was just over a tenth of a second off Lorenzo.

A late surge from Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha) placed the Italian fourth (+0.531s on Stoner) as he battled to find enough pace to challenge near the top end, with American duo Nicky Hayden (Ducati Team) and Ben Spies (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) also taking places on the second row of the grid.

Completing the top ten in the session were Colin Edwards (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) and Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini).

Sunday’s season-ending Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana gets underway at 2pm local time.

1 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Team Ducati 310.3 1'31.799
2 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 305.5 1'32.130 0.331 / 0.331
3 58 Marco SIMONCELLI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 303.7 1'32.244 0.445 / 0.114
4 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 305.4 1'32.330 0.531 / 0.086
5 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Team Ducati 305.7 1'32.422 0.623 / 0.092
6 11 Ben SPIES USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 305.1 1'32.566 0.767 / 0.144
7 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 305.3 1'32.579 0.780 / 0.013
8 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 312.4 1'32.603 0.804 / 0.024
9 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 311.3 1'32.886 1.087 / 0.283
10 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 308.7 1'32.917 1.118 / 0.031
11 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 307.1 1'32.925 1.126 / 0.008
12 41 Aleix ESPARGARO SPA Pramac Racing Team Ducati 303.1 1'33.085 1.286 / 0.160
13 40 Hector BARBERA SPA Paginas Amarillas Aspar Ducati 311.0 1'33.170 1.371 / 0.085
14 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 306.5 1'33.339 1.540 / 0.169
15 7 Hiroshi AOYAMA JPN Interwetten Honda MotoGP Honda 308.3 1'33.343 1.544 / 0.004
16 71 Carlos CHECA SPA Pramac Racing Team Ducati 305.3 1'33.499 1.700 / 0.156
17 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA SPA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 305.9 1'33.515 1.716 / 0.016


motogp.com

[epiclyaddicted]

You must be thrilled :-D Now he gets hot :roll :-D

Stoner's doing a Kimi then Lou? :-D

[Tifoso]

Stoner's doing a Kimi then Lou? :-D


LOL. Exactly! :lol :lol :lol

[Tifoso]

Uh, oh


MOTOGP »

Stoner second on RC212V debut
Casey Stoner second on Honda RC212V debut.
Casey Stoner has never taken long to get up to speed, but even the Australian might have been surprised by his factory Honda debut, in testing at Valencia on Tuesday.

Stoner, a Ducati rider for the past four years, last rode a Honda during his 2006 debut MotoGP season, but that was a satellite specification 990cc RC211V.

The 2007 world champion, a winner of more 800cc race than any other rider (23), took just a few laps to rubbish any suggestions that his success has been purely down to the Desmosedici by finishing his first day on an RC212V second on the timesheets.

New world champion Jorge Lorenzo, who is remaining with Yamaha, was the only rider faster Stoner, who beat not only new team-mates Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso, but also his best lap time on the Ducati in Sunday's race.

According to Repsol Honda, Stoner spent the day "getting comfortable with the 2010 RC212V, adjusting riding position, controls and working up to speed."

Stoner was by far the highest placed of the seven riders making their debut on new types of bike on Tuesday.

The others were ranked 10th (Valentino Rossi, Ducati) :-(, 11th (Randy de Puniet, Ducati), 14th (Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha), 15th (Loris Capirossi, Ducati), 16th (Toni Elias, Honda) and 17th (Karel Abraham, Ducati).

crash.net

[Ste]

Wouldn't worry Lou. First day of testing means nothing.

Rossi was testing two different engines today - big bang and the screamer. Deciding which he preferred. Also a new fairing as well as 3 different front end setups.

Tough day of testing. Stoner for example had nothing to concentrate on with riding the 2010 Honda. It's not being developed. He would have been further down the order if he'd been running on the 2011 Honda.

:-)

[Tifoso]

Wouldn't worry Lou. First day of testing means nothing.

Rossi was testing two different engines today - big bang and the screamer. Deciding which he preferred. Also a new fairing as well as 3 different front end setups.

Tough day of testing. Stoner for example had nothing to concentrate on with riding the 2010 Honda. It's not being developed. He would have been further down the order if he'd been running on the 2011 Honda.

:-)

Ahhh, thanks mate :cheers

(Is there an iPhone app? :-D )

[Ste]

Ahhh, thanks mate :cheers

(Is there an iPhone app? :-D )

There is a MotoGP live timing app yes. But I very much doubt it covers testing.

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2010/MotoGP+Live+Timing+app+launched+for+iPhone

Very similar to the F1 app. :-)

[Rob]

http://i55.tinypic.com/25ouir6.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/n4caxz.jpg

[Tifoso]

http://i55.tinypic.com/25ouir6.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/n4caxz.jpg

I presume that was is black now on his uniform, will be red at the opener?

[Tifoso]

Yup


Ducati 'must improve' for Rossi to be Rossi
"The objective is clearly to allow Valentino to ride like Valentino! We know we have to improve the bike to achieve this, especially the front end" - Filippo Preziosi.
Ducati has pledged to improve its MotoGP machine after superstar signing Valentino Rossi was left just 15th fastest at the end of his Desmosedici debut at the Valencia MotoGP test.

Tenth out of the 17 riders after day one, the seven time MotoGP champion improved by only 0.121sec during his next 70 laps on Wednesday's second and final day.

Rossi's best time was 1.695sec slower than the rider he has replaced at Ducati, Casey Stoner, who was fastest for Honda.

The Italian even came within 0.032sec of being outpaced by MotoGP rookie Karel Abraham, also riding a Ducati.

With Rossi unable to discuss the test due to the terms of his early release from Yamaha, it was left to Ducati Corse general manager Filippo Preziosi to face the press.

The first decision to make is in terms of the 2011 engine - stick with the 'big bang' or switch back to the 'screamer'. Preziosi is leaning towards the more user-friendly 'big bang', which Rossi used throughout day two.

"After these two days of tests we will go back to Ducati for a meeting, where we will decide which path to take between the two engines, the 'big bang' and the 'screamer', although the information we have is pointing towards the former," said Preziosi.

"It will be a decision we will make by analysing the data in depth as well as planning the way forward around all the other things we learnt at the test."

Preziosi then admitted he'd have liked Rossi to have gone faster, and that work needs to be done on the front end of the bike.

Stoner and Nicky Hayden crashed out of eight races this season. All those falls are believed to have been triggered by front end problems.

"The objective is clearly to allow Valentino to ride like Valentino!" said Preziosi.

"We know we have to improve the bike in order to achieve this, especially the front end. He has given us some very precise information and now it is down to us to use it. [snip]

crash.net

[Ste]

Rossi Undergoes Shoulder Operation
Source: Autosport (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88324)


Valentino Rossi had surgery on Sunday to resolve the shoulder issue that hampered much of his 2010 season.

The former world champion sustained the injury in a Motocross crash in April, and the after-effects lingered through the rest of the championship - ultimately hampering his form more than the recovery from the broken leg he suffered at Mugello.

Rossi had the two-hour operation on his supraspinatus tendon and glenoid ligament at the Cervesi di Cattolica hospital.

The official MotoGP website quoted surgeons Dr Alex Castagna and Dr Giuseppe Porcellini as saying: "The condition of the shoulder was really critical: Valentino really had to be tough to keep racing with that kind of injury.

"The intervention went well, without any complications.

"For rehabilitation, you'd usually need 90 days for that kind of injury but we'll do our best in order to meet the requirements of the rider."

Rossi had considered missing the final rounds of the 2010 season to have the surgery, before ultimately deciding to race on and then complete his first test with Ducati prior to the operation.

[Ste]

Rossi: Shoulder Worse Than Expected
Source: Autosport (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88357)


Valentino Rossi has revealed that his injured shoulder was in much worse condition than expected before surgery was carried out last weekend, but says it is now 'as good as new'.

The former champion struggled for much of the 2010 season due to pain from damage sustained in a Motocross crash in April, but he held off until after the championship and his first Ducati test were complete before undergoing the required operation.

Rossi is now recovering from the surgery, and said that he was in a lot of discomfort at present.

"I feel quite in pain, it hurts a lot, but it's normal in the days that follow surgery," he said in an interview with Italian TV programme Striscia la Notizia.

"I struggle to sleep, but the operation went well, everything is okay. Now my arm is tied to my neck, but the shoulder should get back to 100 per cent, so it's just a matter of time."

He explained that the severity of the injury had not become fully clear until he was in hospital.

"Unfortunately the shoulder was in a lot worse condition than we had expected, so the operation lasted twice as long as it should have," said Rossi, whose season was also disrupted by a broken leg.

"All the tendons and everything else that was believed to perhaps be slightly damaged, were in fact completely broken, so I have a new shoulder now.

"They've given me a new shoulder, I can't wait to test it!"

[Ste]

Burgess: no Panic Over Rossi Test Pace
Source: Autosport (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88341)


Valentino Rossi's chief engineer Jeremy Burgess says the Italian's slow times in his maiden test for Ducati are no cause for panic.

The seven-time MotoGP champion was only eighth and 15th on his first two days of running with his new team at Valencia last week.

But Burgess, who was followed Rossi to Ducati after achieving great success with him at Honda and Yamaha, said the Valencia sessions were largely for acclimatisation and there was no need to top the times.

"There's no reason to panic, despite Valentino's unusual test results," Burgess told Motosprint.

"Everything was new for Valentino as it was for myself and my team."

He admitted that there was a great deal of change to adjust to at Ducati.

"We've all found ourselves in contact with a bike very different from the Japanese ones, and therefore with a different work method," Burgess said.

"The Ducati reacts differently, so this is a time to be handled with calmness by us too, just to understand things.

"After years of Japanese bikes, and seven seasons at Yamaha, for Valentino to get on the Ducati was a sort of culture shock.

"This bike is a lot more physical, the way to make it turn with the required precision is certainly the thing we must focus on at the moment."

Burgess added: "Everyone likes to be at the top of the timesheets, after every test session, but I knew Valentino would get on the track to do a different job: he wanted to ride to understand the bike, not to do record laps.

"He kept himself within wide margins, he certainly didn't ride as if it was a race weekend. For sure we've understood that to make the Ducati turn, you need a bigger effort than what Valentino was used to, physically too, and we didn't expect that."

Burgess also believes that Rossi was suffering particularly badly with his shoulder injury - which has since undergone surgery - at the test.

"No one has focused on one aspect: his shoulder," said Burgess.

"Valentino has held on in order to finish the season, and two extra days have put strain on his already suffering shoulder.

"On the second day Valentino could barely do three or four laps in a row, and without ever pushing. This has influenced his test."

[Tifoso]

Great news, all around. Thanks for posting mate :-)


Brilliant sig, sir. :clap

[Ste]

Brilliant sig, sir. :clap

Thanks mate, I like it too. :-D

[Tifoso]

Good news :-)


Rossi updates on condition, still eyeing Sepang
The 2009 world champion is determined to be in good shape ahead of the crucial test with Ducati in Malaysia.
Valentino Rossi says he has made a good start to his rehabilitation process having eased himself back into training following his shoulder operation.

'The Doctor' went under the knife to correct the damage in his shoulder earlier this month [November], but with the stitches having now been removed, he is now able to begin some training on the rest of his body.

While surgeons initially raised concern that Rossi wouldn't quite be fully fit to participate in the next MotoGP test at Sepang in February – a crucial outing for the Italian as he looks to adapt to his new Ducati steed -, the seven-time world champion is more optimistic about the outcome.

“I'm undergoing rehabilition on my shoulder and the situation is improving,” he said on his personal website. “It's been two weeks since the operation and Doctor Porcellini has removed the stitches: I can now go back to the gym to workout - at least on the rest of my body - and continue to work on the shoulder, even if it's just passive rehab, to make sure we don't lose any mobility.

“In two weeks' time, I'll start actively working out, in the pool and in the gym, to be ready for the three day test at the start of February. We will have to move as fast as we can, but I hope to be in pretty good shape for the first test of 2011 with the Ducati at Sepang.”

crash.net

[Tifoso]

Fans voted the best riders for 2010. Interesting choice for #1 :lou Because it's correct :-D

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/165619/2/your_verdict_motogp_rider_of_the_year_part_2.html

[Rob]

Ducati: Rossi's fitness biggest concern
By Michele Lostia and Matt Beer http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88751

Ducati's sporting boss Filippo Preziosi has admitted that he is concerned Valentino Rossi's testing programme could be hampered by his recovery from shoulder surgery.

The MotoGP legend is joining Ducati from Yamaha next season, but was off the pace in his first test on the Italian bike in November, and then had surgery on the shoulder injury he had sustained in a Motocross incident earlier in the season.

In an interview with Motosprint, Preziosi confirmed that Rossi's fitness was a worry, as he fears the former champion will still be below par physically when testing resumes in Malaysia in February.

"At the moment, the thing that worries me the most isn't a technical issue," Preziosi said.

"I can't figure when he will have the physical condition to really push on the track. Valentino will come to Sepang fully recovered from a medical point of view, but physically he will have a big gap to make up. After all, he'll come from a winter not dedicated to resting, but to working out to recover.

"Valentino will not have the chance to rest, while for riders at that level it's important to pull the plug a bit. Luckily he his super strong mentally, so he will come to the races in a strong psychological state of mind."

Preziosi admitted that Rossi might have to limit his testing mileage for fitness reasons - yet will want to accumulate as many laps as possible as he adjusts to the very-different characteristics of the Ducati.

"We'll have to be very able in asking him not to run too much," said Preziosi. "Temperatures are very high in Sepang and conditions are extreme.

"The priority is for him to recover 100 per cent during the winter, so for February and March it's fine to sacrifice some extra information from running on the track.

"We must be able to do without all the testing we'd like to do, otherwise we'd force Valentino into a hyper-activity on track that may slow down his recovery.

"We'll have to make him run just as little as needed to develop the bike. I don't want to risk having Valentino under 100 per cent in the races because he got too tired in testing. We must save him energy during the winter.

"It's clear, however, that we will have to hold him back because he will want to understand and develop the bike as much as possible. To do that, he'll want to run plenty."

The team boss added that Ducati would have to stay calm about its testing form, as it might not be representative.

"I don't think we'll lead the lap times, but we must avoid being influenced by it," said Preziosi. "We must think about the races."

[Tifoso]

Closing this one. We'll use the 2011 one. :-)