Moto GP Round 11: Brno

[Rod Richardson]

Qualifying
125
1 29 Andrea IANNONE (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Andrea+Iannone) ITA Ongetta Team I.S.P.A. Aprilia 2'08.171 218.978
2 18 Nicolas TEROL (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Nicolas+Terol) SPA Jack & Jones Team Aprilia 2'08.484 +0.313
3 11 Sandro CORTESE (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Sandro+Cortese) GER Ajo Interwetten Derbi 2'08.507 +0.336
4 60 Julian SIMON (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Julian+Simon) SPA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia 2'08.542 +0.371
5 38 Bradley SMITH (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Bradley+Smith) GBR Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia 2'08.957 + 0.786
6 17 Stefan BRADL (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Stefan+Bradl) GER Viessmann Kiefer Racing Aprilia 2'09.184 + 1.013
7 33 Sergio GADEA (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Sergio+Gadea) SPA Bancaja Aspar Team 125cc Aprilia 2'09.240 + 1.069
8 44 Pol ESPARGARO (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Pol+Espargaro) SPA Derbi Racing Team Derbi 2'09.418 + 1.247
9 7 Efren VAZQUEZ (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Efren+Vazquez) SPA Derbi Racing Team Derbi 2'09.434 + 1.263
10 14 Johann ZARCO (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Johann+Zarco) FRA WTR San Marino Team Aprilia 2'09.462 + 1.291
11 6 Joan OLIVE (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Joan+Olive) SPA Derbi Racing Team Derbi 2'09.480 + 1.309
12 24 Simone CORSI (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Simone+Corsi) ITA Fontana Racing Aprilia 2'09.741 + 1.570
13 88 Michael RANSEDER (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Michael+Ranseder) AUT CBC Corse Aprilia 2'09.962 + 1.791
14 39 Luis SALOM (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Luis+Salom) SPA Jack & Jones Team Aprilia 2'10.024 + 1.853
15 99 Danny WEBB (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Danny+Webb) GBR Degraaf Grand Prix Aprilia 2'10.081 + 1.910
16 12 Esteve RABAT (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Esteve+Rabat) SPA Blusens Aprilia Aprilia 2'10.239 + 2.068


Moto GP
1 46 Valentino ROSSI (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Valentino+Rossi) ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/Fiat+Yamaha+Team) Yamaha 1'56.145
2 99 Jorge LORENZO (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Jorge+Lorenzo) SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/Fiat+Yamaha+Team) Yamaha 1'56.195 + 0.050
3 3 Dani PEDROSA (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Dani+Pedrosa) SPA Repsol Honda Team (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/Repsol+Honda+Team) Honda 1'56.528 + 0.383
4 24 Toni ELIAS (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Toni+Elias) SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/San+Carlo+Honda+Gresini) Honda 1'56.817 + 0.672
5 5 Colin EDWARDS (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Colin+Edwards) USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/Monster+Yamaha+Tech+3) Yamaha 1'56.954 + 0.809
6 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Andrea+Dovizioso) ITA Repsol Honda Team (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/Repsol+Honda+Team) Honda 1'57.108 + 0.963
7 15 Alex DE ANGELIS (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Alex+de+Angelis) RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/San+Carlo+Honda+Gresini) Honda 1'57.775 + 1.630
8 69 Nicky HAYDEN (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Nicky+Hayden) USA Ducati Marlboro Team (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/Ducati+Marlboro+Team) Ducati 1'57.803 + 1.658
9 65 Loris CAPIROSSI (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Loris+Capirossi) ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/Rizla+Suzuki+MotoGP) Suzuki 1'57.811 + 1.666
10 36 Mika KALLIO (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Mika+Kallio) FIN Ducati Marlboro Team (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/Ducati+Marlboro+Team) Ducati 1'57.994 + 1.849 11
7 Chris VERMEULEN (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Chris+Vermeulen) AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/Rizla+Suzuki+MotoGP) Suzuki 1'58.087 + 1.942 1
2 88 Niccolo CANEPA (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Niccolo+Canepa) ITA Pramac Racing (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/Pramac+Racing) Ducati 1'58.208 + 2.063
13 14 Randy DE PUNIET (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Randy+de+Puniet) FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/LCR+Honda+MotoGP) Honda 1'58.298 + 2.153
14 52 James TOSELAND (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/James+Toseland) GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/Monster+Yamaha+Tech+3) Yamaha 1'58.331 + 2.186
15 33 Marco MELANDRI (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Marco+Melandri) ITA Hayate Racing Team (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/Hayate+Racing+Team) Kawasaki 1'58.477 + 2.332
16 84 Michel FABRIZIO (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Michel+Fabrizio) ITA Pramac Racing (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/Pramac+Racing) Ducati 1'58.680 + 2.535
7 41 Gabor TALMACSI (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Gabor+Talmacsi) HUN Scot Racing Team MotoGP (http://www.motogp.com/en/teams/Scot+Racing+Team+MotoGP) Honda 1'58.749 + 2.604

[Rod Richardson]

250 Qualifying
1 58 Marco SIMONCELLI (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Marco+Simoncelli) ITA Metis Gilera Gilera 2'01.611
2 4 Hiroshi AOYAMA (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Hiroshi+Aoyama) JPN Scot Racing Team 250cc Honda 2'01.961 + 0.350
3 40 Hector BARBERA (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Hector+Barbera) SPA Pepe World Team Aprilia 2'02.064 + 0.453
4 6 Alex DEBON (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Alex+Debon) SPA Aeropuerto-Castello-Blusens Aprilia 2'02.386 + 0.775
5 63 Mike DI MEGLIO (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Mike+Di+Meglio) FRA Mapfre Aspar Team 250cc Aprilia 2'02.426 + 0.815
6 15 Roberto LOCATELLI (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Roberto+Locatelli) ITA Metis Gilera Gilera 2'02.543 + 0.932
7 75 Mattia PASINI (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Mattia+Pasini) ITA Team Toth Aprilia Aprilia 2'02.561 + 0.950
8 19 Alvaro BAUTISTA (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Alvaro+Bautista) SPA Mapfre Aspar Team Aprilia 2'02.748 + 1.137
9 35 Raffaele DE ROSA (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Raffaele+de+Rosa) ITA Scot Racing Team 250cc Honda 2'02.768 + 1.157
10 17 Karel ABRAHAM (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Karel+Abraham) CZE Cardion AB Motoracing Aprilia 2'02.811 + 1.200
11 55 Hector FAUBEL (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Hector+Faubel) SPA Honda SAG Honda 2'02.899 + 1.288
12 14 Ratthapark WILAIROT (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Ratthapark+Wilairot) THA Thai Honda PTT SAG Honda 2'02.921 + 1.310
13 12 Thomas LUTHI (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Thomas+Luthi) SWI Emmi - Caffe Latte Aprilia 2'02.932 + 1.321
14 16 Jules CLUZEL (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Jules+Cluzel) FRA Matteoni Racing Aprilia 2'02.997 + 1.386
15 52 Lukas PESEK (http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Lukas+Pesek) CZE Auto Kelly - CP Aprilia 2'03.596 + 1.985

I hope Mika has a good race. He was doing quite well in quali until he let the Ducati go off and park itself on top of the barrier :)
Valentino appeared to have only slightly hurt his hand in his off, could have been worse.

[Rod Richardson]

RED BULL MotoGP ROOKIES CUP FINAL RACE IN SERIES TODAY

Don't miss the final Red Bull Rookies Cup Race of the season. Excellent racing. A couple of these young men will be stepping up in 2010.

Second and final race at Brno to decide the championship is to be streamed live today at 1530 hrs CET on the official site
http://www.redbullrookiescup.com/videos.php

The two young guns separated by only 3 championship points are Fagerhaug #33 and Kornfeil #84 .

Results for the first race of the weekend.

1 Florian MARINO FRA 29'21.034
2 Danny KENT GBR +0.034
3 Alejandro PARDO ITA +0.304
4 Jake GAGNE USA +0.493
5 Sturla FAGERHAUG NOR +0.952
6 Daijiro HIURA JPN +0.997
7 Nelson MAJOR FRA +1.296
8 Jakub KORNFEIL CZE +1.308
9 Alexander KRISTIANSSON SWE +1.520
10 Mathew SCHOLTZ RSA +2.299
11 Brad BINDERR SA +7.748
12 Harry STAFFORD GBR +10.826
13 Kevin CALIA ITA +15.089
14 Nico THÖNI AUT +16.979
15 Arthur SISSIS AUS +17.063
16 Joshua HOOK AUS +17.669
17 Benny SOLISU SA +17.685
18 Deane BROWN GBR +19.481
19 Juan PERELLO ESP +24.059
20 Alessio CAPPELLA NGR +32.807
21 Xavier FIGUERAS ESP +33.549
22 Hayden GILLIMU SA +33.649
23 Daniel RUIZ ESP +57.334
24 Dylan MAVIN AUS +59.722
25 Fraser ROGERS GBR +1'05.641

[The Phantom]

I see Elias still hasn't signed a contract for 2010 :rolleyes: :D

Edwards is definitely the class of the rest of the field.

[NinjaMaster]

Love to see Mika go well on Casey's bike. I think he and Nicky will have a good battle.
The race win appears to be (as usual) a Jorge-Vale affair with Pedrosa a second off them in morning warmup. Jorge really needs to beat Vale, not just for points but psychologically as Rossi has started to gain the upper hand more and more on Lorenzo as the season goes on.
Talmacsi is doing an excellent job of getting up to speed on the Scot Honda and should have a good battle with Fabrizio.
Vermeulen is going to have to find some speed from somewhere for the rest of the year as it appears Bautista will be Rizla mounted next year and I think Chris is going to have to convincingly beat Loris to have any chance of remaining in MotoGP in 2010.

[CaptainRaiden]

LMFAO on Bautista's wheelie crash after the race. Wait, am I dreaming? What Biaggi set to achieve 11 years ago in Brno, has been finally done perfectly by Bautista.

Well done Terol and Marco. Can't wait for the MotoGP race. Finally the damn break is over. :D

[Allyc85]

Cant believe Jorge dropped it, I was literally shouting at the TV! Was a shame as it made it far to easy for Vale in the end.

[The Phantom]

Yeah that crash was pretty bloody awesome :) I missed the post race interviews (2yo daughter woke up and needed to be settled back to sleep), but his lonely walk back to the podium pretty much said it all.

MotoGP - wow, what a race, after the telecast finished Fox ran a highlight package of Laguna 2008 which was appropriate - another young pretender (who of course has already proven his ability) racing VR at his peak and coming off second best. Is Lorenzo out-gunned? Results would seem to say yes, and the more often this happens the more likely is the possibility that he gives up on the inside... lets hope not, we need Lorenzo, Stoner and Pedrosa to be taking it to Rossi, otherwise we might as well all be watching 2001-2005 re-runs.

Although I've always been a VR fan I've spent the last few years with this idea that Stoner would take over as the new dominant force of the era - I'm still a massive fan of Stoner and I reckon he has a lot more to show, but for me that race has pretty much set in stone my opinion - Rossi is it, the Greatest Of All Time - probably never to be unsurped as such. And Ago's last standing record that means anything is a goner, simple as that.

[ozrevhead]

I dont think we should ride Casey out of it just yet - will of couse depend on how bad this 'mystery illness' really is but even then time is on his side (i hope!)

Back on the race - I was shouting at the TV when Lorenzo binned it - there goes any hope of a close championship!

HUGE Congrats to Tony Elias on his podium - should be given a contract in 2010 IMHO

[Allyc85]

Should Elias get one though?

As far as ive seen over the last few years he only produces results towards the end of the season when chasing a ride and not for the whole year like he should.

[Corny]

Should Elias get one though?

As far as ive seen over the last few years he only produces results towards the end of the season when chasing a ride and not for the whole year like he should.
You're more than right, he reminds me of Carlos Checa: he can ride his race but it's just not that racing talent to be with the front guys.. I'm getting a bit tyred of him (not of his style though) and hope he'll go WSBK or so

Bautista was a BIG BIG joke, haha! Couldn't believe what I saw

Championship seems to be decided more or less. Though I support Rossi much more than Lorenzo, it was a shame Jorge crashed. I was hoping to have another big battle to the end. If Jorge can reduce his mistakes to 1 next year, he's a serious title contender. You don't need to be in front all the time to become World Champion, Jorge, it's about consistency

Uhh and what more? Ah yes: Melandri and Kallio. Why was Kallio so angry, Melandri was already in his line for metres?

Next up is Indianapolis.. Not my favourite motogp track but we'll see if we can have a good GP there, with hopefully a surprising winner

[Wim_Impreza]

Not a very good race. Again the championship in WSBK will be much closer than in MotoGP. Elias does it again: one good race in a whole year and of course he will ride in MotoGP 2010. :( I am very tired of him too.

It seems that next year there will be almost only riders from Spain (Lorenzo, Pedrosa, Bautista, Barberá, probably Elias again after his performance today) and Italy (Rossi, Capirossi, Melandri, Dovizioso, Simoncelli, maybe de Angelis, Canepa, Pasini). Very bad for a World Championship.

[leopard]

Wasn't it Melandri after falling off who get mad at Kallio? I think Kalio tried to give attempts and it left not enough space to avoid the crash.

This race should be a worthwhile lesson for Lorenzo, on Stoner leave he might be the one who can give Rossi counterbalance. The main thing besides speed and mental already in hand, a champ material should be able to excel emotion well controlled throughout the race.

[Triumph]

Excellent race today. Lorenzo has been doing a good job of getting damned close to Rossi with regard to pace, but ultimately he can't sustain it as Rossi is just too good.

I'm glad Kallio got away with that crash, which was potentially very nasty, falling onto Melandri's rear wheel and being caught up with it as it somersaulted.

[NinjaMaster]

Abraham, Lorenzo :mad:

Luthi, Kallio, Melandri ;(

Bautista :rotflmao:

I've come to really admire Lorenzo. He could play it safe and probably finish 2nd in the championship especially with Stoner out and Pedrosa just back to full fitness but he takes it to Rossi and you know he's going to make a pass and the race becomes really exciting. Yes, he falls off sometimes but that attitude is what we liked about riders like Troy Bayliss - giving it all.
Kallio - Wrecking two his (Casey's) bikes and also that of someone else in one round isn't good. I'm sure he'll progress well tho' and most riders have taken someone else out by their mistake.
Hayden - Well done, good ride.

[The Phantom]

Me too, Chac - he's going about the job the right way, and has certainly earned my respect.

Didn't know that was the second factory GP9 that Kallio had damaged...but it happens I guess. He certainly doesn't want to open the door like that if he intends to finish higher up the order at some point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8crw4JbyLgM&feature=related

Kallio's Ducati where it landed after his quali off.

[leopard]

Perhaps Lorenzo is not typical of riders who tend to play the game safe. Live life to the fullest. Playing mind-games should not ruin his skill on riding. No need to take the lead back in rush after someone taking it, wait until the right time comes. To face all the pressures at the track he might only need to involve more demeanor of patience.

[The Phantom]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8crw4JbyLgM&feature=related

Kallio's Ducati where it landed after his quali off.

Ha, what an excellent effort. His body language is saying "you have got to be kidding me!"

[CaptainRaiden]

I'll tell you what's amazing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zje0NDU7A00

Oh, and as for the MotoGP title fight, it's over. Rossi is gonna walk this now. Better to talk about next year's championship. :D

[NinjaMaster]

If Stoner comes back this year, he may have no engines left!

[Corny]

If Stoner comes back this year, he may have no engines left!
So this rule is bike-related, not by the rider? Quit weird: if Stoner is out of his engines for the last GP (and is fighting for the title), Ducati can decide to pull him on a Pramac bike..

[leopard]

Unless the hard bike of Duck theory is correct and Stoner is the only one can handle the power, I still think combination of Stoner and Lorenzo is the best, provided Stoner is fit to come back. They will strengthen one another. Team has to declare that they are spear-points of team and deserve equal treatment.

If prediction that Pramac and Marlboro are basically the same spec of bike, Kalio is not too much promising. However I could be wrong.

[Rod Richardson]

Personally, I reckon that Chris Vermuelen has the riding style and cool but no fear approach to racing that would see him up with the front-runners on a Ducati.

His performances in adverse conditions on the Suzuki which still requires development have been excellent, he could wring the neck of any bike, rarely drops it and would make an ideal stable-mate for Stoner.

He at least warrants a test on the red beast.

[The Phantom]

Here's a link to actual footage of Kallio binning Stoners bike in practice:

http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o92/Resuam/?action=view&current=Crash.flv

You may be onto something there Rod. When the Suzuki is good, Vermuelen can turn the same race laptimes as Rossi right to the end of the race, so his outright speed certainly is not the problem at the moment. Will be interesting to see how he goes now that they seem to have found a bit more in the bike during the Brno test - if he gets a few high order finishes he will have some strength at the negotiating table.

If it's true that he offered to ride a Tech3 for free, they'd have to be mad to say no!

[CaptainRaiden]

Personally, I reckon that Chris Vermuelen has the riding style and cool but no fear approach to racing that would see him up with the front-runners on a Ducati.

His performances in adverse conditions on the Suzuki which still requires development have been excellent, he could wring the neck of any bike, rarely drops it and would make an ideal stable-mate for Stoner.

He at least warrants a test on the red beast.




You may be onto something there Rod. When the Suzuki is good, Vermuelen can turn the same race laptimes as Rossi right to the end of the race, so his outright speed certainly is not the problem at the moment. Will be interesting to see how he goes now that they seem to have found a bit more in the bike during the Brno test - if he gets a few high order finishes he will have some strength at the negotiating table.

If it's true that he offered to ride a Tech3 for free, they'd have to be mad to say no!

I'm sorry guys, but you two must be seeing something which I can't. Apart from getting trounced by Capirossi this season, Vermuelen has showed next to nothing to earn him a ride next season.

Out of all the races this season, he has only finished ahead of Capirossi on two occassions, France and Assen. Even with two DNFs for Loris, he is ahead on points at 77 to Chris' 72. Vermin may have had the upper hand last year, but Capirossi is regularly outperforming him in races in 2009. Which, keeping in mind that Loris is close to 10 years older than Chris, doesn't look good at all on his resume'.

I doubt very much that Ducati are gonna offer him any test. And if that offer to ride for free rumors are true, then I guess Tech 3 ought to get him. He can definitely be much better than Toseland....I guess.

He is another example in a long list of SBK riders that are pretty ordinary in MotoGP. Plus, if he is ONLY a wet weather expert, the team can't keep praying for rain for him to get decent results. I fear that just like Toseland, he's headed for WSBK next year. Good for Superbikes, more talent at their disposal.

[Corny]

What they mean is the Stoner case: Chris probably has the riding style that the Ducati needs..

Also: Stoner was not 'that' impressive on his rookie year on the Honda, and got on the Ducati with pretty much luck, because he was not their first choice at the time. See what has come of it, I think Ducati should at least give it a try: also I think Vermeulen is one to handle the Ducati

[ShiftingGears]

What they mean is the Stoner case: Chris probably has the riding style that the Ducati needs..

Also: Stoner was not 'that' impressive on his rookie year on the Honda, and got on the Ducati with pretty much luck, because he was not their first choice at the time. See what has come of it, I think Ducati should at least give it a try: also I think Vermeulen is one to handle the Ducati

Stoner is great on the Ducati because he has the talent to adapt to bikes that most others do not. Not because the bike "suits his riding style".
You wouldn't say Rossi beat Edwards consistently because the bike "suited his style". Rossi is just better than Edwards.

In 2006 he had great speed - he nearly won in Turkey. He got signed to Ducati because they saw the potential he had.


Vermuelen, on the other hand, is nothing special when the track is dry, and I see no reason why suddenly he's going to adapt to the difficult Ducati when he can't even adapt to the bike he's on now.

People said Hayden would be great this year using the same logic, and it's totally wrong.


If you want a rider who can emulate Stoner's success on that Ducati, you need one of the most talented riders. Vermuelen is not one of them.

[CaptainRaiden]

What they mean is the Stoner case: Chris probably has the riding style that the Ducati needs..

Also: Stoner was not 'that' impressive on his rookie year on the Honda, and got on the Ducati with pretty much luck, because he was not their first choice at the time. See what has come of it, I think Ducati should at least give it a try: also I think Vermeulen is one to handle the Ducati

How can one possibly gauge or know if he would be good on a Ducati or not? He is getting beaten comprehensively by a former Ducati rider. Seeing this, I don't know how possibly Ducati can even consider Vermuelen, based purely on what? People said Melandri would give Stoner loads of competition, but look what became of that.

And I genuinely believe Melandri to be a way better rider than Vermeulen. He is ahead of both Suzuki riders on a privateer Kwak for cryin out loud. Hayden is still trying, and so is Kallio. There is just not enough evidence anywhere that Vermuelen would be better than these guys on a Ducati.

Stoner in his first year on a privateer Honda had better results than Vermeulen, at least when he was on his bike. He ran consistently in top 5 for most of the season, and who can forget that second place in Turkey fighting with Melandri for the win? I don't think it was on luck, but more on merit that he got the Ducati drive.

[Corny]

Stoner is great on the Ducati because he has the talent to adapt to bikes that most others do not. Not because the bike "suits his riding style".
You wouldn't say Rossi beat Edwards consistently because the bike "suited his style". Rossi is just better than Edwards.

In 2006 he had great speed - he nearly won in Turkey. He got signed to Ducati because they saw the potential he had.


Vermuelen, on the other hand, is nothing special when the track is dry, and I see no reason why suddenly he's going to adapt to the difficult Ducati when he can't even adapt to the bike he's on now.

People said Hayden would be great this year using the same logic, and it's totally wrong.


If you want a rider who can emulate Stoner's success on that Ducati, you need one of the most talented riders. Vermuelen is not one of them.
Stoner adapts his style to his bikes? So you think he would do so well on a Yamaha too? Nah, I don't think so.

Indeed Rossi is better than Edwards, but the Yamaha is a far more suitable bike, which I think any rider is able to ride in the field. Like we see as well: Edwards, Toseland, Lorenzo, Rossi

Yes, Casey nearly won Turkey. His only podium finish that year, or do you remember more? And besides that, he was more in the gravel than any other rider that year

RTL GP (the Dutch MotoGP program) held an interview with Nicky about [riding] the Ducati. They asked why he wasn't finding his pace, because everyone said he would: 'Yeah, but that's what everybody says from seeing on TV. The truth is you have ride the Ducati very smoothly. Casey might look a bit agressive on it sometimes, but the truth is that he rides it very smoothly.'

Melandri and Capirossi are agressive styled riders, they are both very late on the brakes and I've seen them sliding round on times as well. And both didn't do well on the Duc.

Yes, you're right I might be wrong about the qualities of Vermeulen. But I think they could at least give him a try, somehow I think his style might be the right one for the Duc. But my name is not Livio Suppo I'm afraid ;)

[NinjaMaster]

Stoner adapts his style to his bikes? So you think he would do so well on a Yamaha too? Nah, I don't think so.

Indeed Rossi is better than Edwards, but the Yamaha is a far more suitable bike, which I think any rider is able to ride in the field. Like we see as well: Edwards, Toseland, Lorenzo, Rossi

Yes, Casey nearly won Turkey. His only podium finish that year, or do you remember more? And besides that, he was more in the gravel than any other rider that year

RTL GP (the Dutch MotoGP program) held an interview with Nicky about [riding] the Ducati. They asked why he wasn't finding his pace, because everyone said he would: 'Yeah, but that's what everybody says from seeing on TV. The truth is you have ride the Ducati very smoothly. Casey might look a bit agressive on it sometimes, but the truth is that he rides it very smoothly.'

Melandri and Capirossi are agressive styled riders, they are both very late on the brakes and I've seen them sliding round on times as well. And both didn't do well on the Duc.

Yes, you're right I might be wrong about the qualities of Vermeulen. But I think they could at least give him a try, somehow I think his style might be the right one for the Duc. But my name is not Livio Suppo I'm afraid ;)

Whilst I agree with you that Vermeulen is a MotoGP also-ran (along with everyone that isn't Rossi, Lorenzo, Stoner and Pedrosa in my opinion), you have Casey Stoner wrong I believe. He has always had blistering speed on whatever he rode. Remember him leading his first ever 250 race ahead of Melandri before crashing. It's only now that he has the maturity to add finishing with the speed that his potential is being realised. Even in his first MotoGP season, yes he crashed a lot but he also had 3 fourth positions finishes 5 other top six placings to go with his second in Turkey. And this was on the least of the Honda privateer bikes.
And in the same way you ask why Vermeulen would go better on the Ducati when he's not going well on the Suzuki (a fair question), why then, would Stoner not be able to replicate his speed on the easier to ride Yamaha? To say he couldn't makes no sense to me.

[ShiftingGears]

Stoner adapts his style to his bikes? So you think he would do so well on a Yamaha too? Nah, I don't think so.

Or he can adapt the bike to how he likes to ride it. Yes I do think he would do as well on a Yamaha.


Indeed Rossi is better than Edwards, but the Yamaha is a far more suitable bike, which I think any rider is able to ride in the field. Like we see as well: Edwards, Toseland, Lorenzo, Rossi

The Ducati is more recalcitrant than the Yamaha and therefore it is only the more talented riders that have the confidence and ability to extract the most out of it. I am sure Lorenzo, Rossi and Pedrosa could also thrash midfield teammates if they were on the Ducati - moreso than they would on the Yamaha.


Yes, Casey nearly won Turkey. His only podium finish that year, or do you remember more? And besides that, he was more in the gravel than any other rider that year

Grabbing several top-five finishes and nearly winning a race in your debut year on a privateer bike is a clear indication that you've got good pace.

Yes he was in the gravel more than anyone else, but I can excuse rookies for crashing out, if they show good pace. He learnt from his mistakes.


RTL GP (the Dutch MotoGP program) held an interview with Nicky about [riding] the Ducati. They asked why he wasn't finding his pace, because everyone said he would: 'Yeah, but that's what everybody says from seeing on TV. The truth is you have ride the Ducati very smoothly. Casey might look a bit agressive on it sometimes, but the truth is that he rides it very smoothly.'

Melandri and Capirossi are agressive styled riders, they are both very late on the brakes and I've seen them sliding round on times as well. And both didn't do well on the Duc.

All great motor racers - two or four wheels - handle their machines very smoothly.

Agostini, Rossi, Doohan, Rohrl, Loeb, Fangio, Clark, Stewart, Prost, Schumacher being excellent examples.

[gco0307]

Ok, I may be totally missing something but first off you say.


Stoner adapts his style to his bikes? So you think he would do so well on a Yamaha too? Nah, I don't think so.

Correct me, but you are saying that Stoner would not do so well on the Yamaha because he cannot adapt his style to different bikes. Is that about right?



You then say


Indeed Rossi is better than Edwards, but the Yamaha is a far more suitable bike, which I think any rider is able to ride in the field. Like we see as well: Edwards, Toseland, Lorenzo, Rossi


If I am not mistaken you now say that any rider could ride the Yamaha.

But earlier you say that Stoner could not do so well which alludes to his not being able to ride the Yamaha. So which is it?



Now, for my opinion Stoner proved that he is ridiculouslyf fast in the first year on a 990cc Honda that was considered second and likely third string/tier in terms of technical advancement, updates and tyre allocation (he was on Michelin). Yet in his rookie year he was on pole at his first race, finished second to Melandri and had a string of top results (for a rookie and on that equipment).

You contend that he crashed a lot which is correct, but to find the limits one must generally first exceed them and as such the fact he crashed indicated that he was pushing to find these limits - a positive sign. For comparison Lorenzo, Rossi and Doohan were all crashers in their first year or so of racing and two of those have 11 top class championships between them so crashing does not mean and lack of skill or ability.


As for CS on a Yamaha I would happily contend that he would be a front runner and generally in the top 4 as that is where his talent places him. The Yamaha is the easiest bike to ride in the field (as of today) and someone of teh skill level of Stoner would be a contender almost immediately (all IMO).





Garry

[Corny]

Ok, I may be totally missing something but first off you say.

What I mean is: I don't think he would do so well on the Yam as he does on the Duc, sure he would be quick and running top 5, but I think the ducati suits him a lot better

BTW, I can see there's a lot of Australians in here, in Dutch forums Stoner's qualities are very much undervalued.. :D As a rider he absolutely gets my full respect, but he doesn't seem to enjoy his racing much when I look at him. That's a pity

[gco0307]

What I mean is: I don't think he would do so well on the Yam as he does on the Duc, sure he would be quick and running top 5, but I think the ducati suits him a lot better

Cool, but I beg to differ as to me the Yamaha being far easier on the rider would suit Stoner just as well as any other bike and I have no doubt that Stoner would match his performances of this year and likely 2008 (not 2007 - a freak year).



BTW, I can see there's a lot of Australians in here, in Dutch forums Stoner's qualities are very much undervalued.. :D As a rider he absolutely gets my full respect, but he doesn't seem to enjoy his racing much when I look at him. That's a pity

I think he enjoys the racing and I do mean that.

But I do not think he enjoys the limelight and the surrounding invasions of his privacy nor the constant media and public scrutiny that he has found himself under. To me, this is the pity of the situation as he comes across (and by all accounts is) a genuine nice guy but a very private person.

Sadly in todays world the media and public want to own the individual which to me means that we have people who give a personality that is not truly theirs or they mould into what they perceive is required, Stoner just is not this way inclined.






Gaz