Moto GP

[Sheva]

First race of the new season in Qatar is on Sunday evening BBC2 19.00. Looks as if Honda are currently favourites based on pre-season testing and today's practice sessions, with Stoner significantly faster than Pedrosa. Be interesting to see how close Spies is to Lorenzo, and how quickly the Rossi-Ducati marriage starts off, with Vale suggesting the team is still slightly behind, but i guess he's playing it down quite a lot. Should be good fun with hopefully at least the big 4 in the shakeup on a regular basis.

[DavyC]

Possibly going to be the best Motogp season in years. It's been pretty lacklustre for quite a while. Stoner's definitely the man to watch for me as he's flying on that Honda. If he can win races on that dog of a Ducati he'll be laughing on the Honda. He could well spur on Pedrosa to make an effort as well as he's never really showed his potential as HRC's No. 1.

I never really took to Lorenzo but there's no denying he's a fast and clever rider and still one to watch. He knows when to back off and settle for a 2nd or 3rd spot and when to push it. I'd imagine Ducati have been working flat out to do something with their bike but I can't see anything dramatic happening at this stage. You can't rule out Rossi over the season though. Spies has promise as well and I'd imagine he's got a good shot at more than a few podiums this season.

This is the first time in a very long time that I've been fairly excited about the Motogp.

[bigdur]

Looking forward to this tomorrow

[tones]

how quickly the Rossi-Ducati marriage starts off, with Vale suggesting the team is still slightly behind, but i guess he's playing it down quite a lot.

I think that shoulder injury is giving Rossi more problems than he'd like, and I'd be surprised if he takes any wins before that's completely right - which may be mid-season.

[tones]

I think we may have seen the shape of things to come, Stoner v. Lorenzo, with a few minor players occasionally intervening. I'd never count out Rossi, but the combination of that damaged shoulder and a difficult bike is going to make even podium possibilities unlikely for some time.

[stonehengequad]

What struck me about the Ducati was it is no longer the bucking bronco it used to be with Stoner on it. Rossi and his crew have engineered the beast to be a smooth operator and looks predictable and forgiving. They need to get more speed from it but it looks encouraging. The three works Honda's look great and should take the fight to Lorenzo and Spies. Yep, it's going to be a good season........

[sonyboy0444]

It was a shame that Pedrosa hit some problem towards the end. Whilst he tends to always have an excuse when such happens he has always been very open about them. This time he did seem really quite concerned and I wish him well in resolving whatever issue he has.

Unlike tones, I don't consider Pedrosa a 'minor player'. He's an extremely talented rider and with the Honda going as well as it is he must surely be a championship contender and much needed ingredient to keep the racing exciting. I very much hope Honda don't screw up the bike for him
should they attemp to develop the bike soley to satisfy Stoner's riding style.

[sonyboy0444]

BTW, didn't Cal Crutchlow ride well

[Samantha]

It was a shame that Pedrosa hit some problem towards the end. Whilst he tends to always have an excuse when such happens he has always been very open about them. This time he did seem really quite concerned and I wish him well in resolving whatever issue he has.

I thought he raced better and for longer than I expected (though I did tip him to come in 3rd place) ....... he obviously has a huge weight/aero advantage since he is a hobbit, but I often in the past wondered if his stamina is just compromised from being so tiny.

However on this occasion, apparently he sometimes suffers from numbness (since breaking his collar bone last year) and it came on near the end of the race, hence him dropping off.

[tones]

Unlike tones, I don't consider Pedrosa a 'minor player'. He's an extremely talented rider and with the Honda going as well as it is he must surely be a championship contender and much needed ingredient to keep the racing exciting. I very much hope Honda don't screw up the bike for him should they attemp to develop the bike soley to satisfy Stoner's riding style.

I didn't mean that unkindly, he is undoubtedly talented and entertaining. I was thinking more along the lines of folk who occasionally win a race, but who are rarely seriously in the hunt for the championship. Now obviously the current "major" players were once "minor" themselves, so making a distinction is fraught with peril, but overall, I don't think Pedrosa, Dovizioso and Spies are in the same league as Lorenzo, Stoner and a fully-fit Rossi. Will they ever be? Perhaps, but I have my doubts - but I'd be happy to be proved wrong.

[Samantha]

Tones, I agree in that Pedrosa IMO can start great, but always seems to trail off and not manage to sustain it for the full hour. Contrast with Rossi who if he has a race really in battle for a huge amount of the race, he looks rejuvenated and buzzing - clearly loves it! (Recall Lacuna Seca a couple of years back!)

Dovi - when 'on it' is awesome ... but he is very inconsistent.

Spies - like to see him do well, not been in this league long enough yet to really say.

Rossi - not this year I suspect, but would love him to fight for and win the Championship on the Duccati!

[sonyboy0444]

Sam & tones, I was unaware that Pedrosa's numbness problem had been an issue for some time. If this is the case it could well relegate Pedrosa to a minor player at the more demanding circuits; a real pity.

tones, I agree with you about Dovizioso has he has yet to show anything other than being a good 'Second Rider'. Whilst Spies undoubtedly has outstanding talent, the praise that's been given by the press last season seems somewhat over-done to me. He'll do well for sure, but a potential MotoGP championship contender?

[Brown Bottle]

I'm much more of a Superbike fan but this years GP's look quite exciting. I will of course be rooting for Cal. The thing that spoils it for me is the 2 fuckwits who comment on SKY, Jeremy and julian or whatever they are called, they are like 40 year olds who never left the 6th Form, Wankers.

Give me Jack and Jamie (sorry it's James now) anytime.

Cheers BB

[Samantha]

Really surprised you think the 2 Eurosport presenters are not good, I think they are far better than the BBC ones - but if you don't like - just watch the BBC coverage instead of Eurosport.

[paulf-2007]

Most tv sports presenters are complete twats, both the sky presenters and that charlie cox on the BBC should be re-named thrush. As for the racing this year, lets hope Yamaha get more speed otherwise that whingeing cunt Stoner will run away with it, but I suppose all the time he's winning he aint complaining about everything. The Ducati looks like a dog and with Rossi's injury there's nobody to actually pressure Stoner into falling off.

[tones]

(Recall Lacuna Seca a couple of years back!)

THAT I shall never forget - that truly was a edge-of-seat, nail-biting, race-and-a-half. I can't recall ever seeing better. I check out the YouTube clip every now and again to be thrilled all over again.

[Brown Bottle]

Really surprised you think the 2 Eurosport presenters are not good, I think they are far better than the BBC ones - but if you don't like - just watch the BBC coverage instead of Eurosport.

I'll put up with the 2 idiots as I would prefer to support Eurosport over the BBC, Eurosport have been great supporters of both the GP's and British/World Superbikes and provide in depth programming before and after each race.

Cheers BB

[stonehengequad]

I didn't mean that unkindly, he is undoubtedly talented and entertaining. I was thinking more along the lines of folk who occasionally win a race, but who are rarely seriously in the hunt for the championship. Now obviously the current "major" players were once "minor" themselves, so making a distinction is fraught with peril, but overall, I don't think Pedrosa, Dovizioso and Spies are in the same league as Lorenzo, Stoner and a fully-fit Rossi. Will they ever be? Perhaps, but I have my doubts - but I'd be happy to be proved wrong.

Where would you put Hayden? He is also not a top 3 player but won the championship........... I think Pedrosa is brilliant, extremely quick and smooth and can just fook off and leave the rest in his wake. But his size means he is not a fighter, Rossi can bully because of his size and Stoner/Lorenzo are the only ones that fight back. I want to see Rossi fit (it will be soon) and some more speed out of the Duc and I am sure he is desperate to win his 8th championship for the Italian factory then retire.

[tones]

Where would you put Hayden? He is also not a top 3 player but won the championship........... I think Pedrosa is brilliant, extremely quick and smooth and can just fook off and leave the rest in his wake. But his size means he is not a fighter, Rossi can bully because of his size and Stoner/Lorenzo are the only ones that fight back. I want to see Rossi fit (it will be soon) and some more speed out of the Duc and I am sure he is desperate to win his 8th championship for the Italian factory then retire.

Good point! To me, Hayden seems to be one of those cases where he put together a good year on a top bike and won the championship. He seems to have gone considerably off the boil ever since and simply has never managed to climb again to the heights of that championship year.

I confess I've never thought of Rossi's size as a factor - he's a skinny runt. Is it not more that Rossi is prepared to be aggressive to the point of intimidation in his moves? The Laguna Seca dice with Stoner is a case in point - he simply wouldn't give ground. Stoner eventually went off, but by that time they were so far in front of everyone else that he handily retained second. At the end, Stoner was so upset that he wouldn't shake Rossi's hand.

[DavyC]

I always liked Hayden but he never took to the 800s. He's always said he prefers grunt so maybe when they go back to the thous in motogp he'll find his form again. Can't blame him for not winning on the Ducati anyway as it's well known only Stoner could ride the sodding thing. Stoner on a decent bike is going to be hard to beat this year. Like him or not he's a helluva pilot.

It'll also be nice not to have to listen non stop to all the Rossi fans drivelling on about how great he is all the time. Why is it when other racers have a moan they're whining c*nts but it's ok for Rossi to have a good blub when it's not all going his way? I admire Rossi's skill but just listen to him last year when Jorge was beating him. Whinge whinge whinge. To claim that Jorge was only winning because he was copying his data and setup was pathetic. I don't much care for Lorenzo but, like Stoner, you can't deny he's seriously good.