Gresini trades Fortuna and Michelin for Movistar and Bridgestone

What about Sito Pons? Is he going to make a comeback this year with another Honda satellite team? And if so, I wonder who his sponsor will be because Yami took his Camel Sponsor.

There was a rumour about a comeback in 250, but apart from that I got no idea.

Teo told me the rumor in Spain that Pons may be coming back to 250s with Hector Barbera and Movistar.

Nowhere has it said that Telefonica is coming back to MotoGP.
THe rumor of Pons coming back (as much as I would love it to be true) has not materialized yet.

Tire limits will have a huge impact on Michelin in European tracks and Bridgeston in Asian tracks.
They were used to making tires overnight and sending them to the track the next day.
Now they have to have all their tires done before the weekend and can't ship them overnight to the riders.

Whats the difference between Telefonica and Movistar? I'm confused

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (richo @ Nov 1 2006, 04:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Whats the difference between Telefonica and Movistar? I'm confused


Two different sponsors... they were combined for the 02-04 season but went to Moviestar for the 05 season.

ok, well the article says Movistar, so I guess it's just them. Did they both have a hissy fit when HRC signed Repsol again, or was that just Telefonica?

What article did you read where it says they are getting them as a sponsor? I can't find that anywhere.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (onyurtail @ Nov 1 2006, 09:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Two different sponsors... they were combined for the 02-04 season but went to Moviestar for the 05 season.
are u sure about this? i do believe it's 1 company. teo will know this for sure.

tire rule is gonna affect michelin the most. it'll def have an impact on em. especially at a new or resurfaced track.

Seeing the Fortuna bikes go is a bummer for me, they were my favorite looking bikes in the field.

As far as a seeing a company go that makes tobacco products cuz their bad. Well its not really an issue for me, but I don’t like them being vilified; if you don’t smoke or chew, then don’t buy their product. I’m glad they supported my sport, and I don’t smoke.

BTW: Alcohol has destroyed way more lives than tobacco, but very few vilified them. I guess its just fashionable to bag on tobacco.

Bridge vs Mich: Well this is not much of an issue either for me; they’re both good enough to win. (I suspect people will use this as a rationalization for when their boy wins or loses.)

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Racejumkie @ Nov 2 2006, 05:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>As far as a seeing a company go that makes tobacco products cuz their bad. Well its not really an issue for me, but I don’t like them being vilified; if you don’t smoke or chew, then don’t buy their product. I’m glad they supported my sport, and I don’t smoke.

BTW: Alcohol has destroyed way more lives than tobacco, but very few vilified them. I guess its just fashionable to bag on tobacco.

cos alcohol is a socially acceptable drug

what happens when tobacco sponsors have their advertising banned at certain tracks?? do they pay less to the team?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Racejumkie @ Nov 2 2006, 01:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Seeing the Fortuna bikes go is a bummer for me, they were my favorite looking bikes in the field.

As far as a seeing a company go that makes tobacco products cuz their bad. Well its not really an issue for me, but I don’t like them being vilified; if you don’t smoke or chew, then don’t buy their product. I’m glad they supported my sport, and I don’t smoke.
here here!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Best Man @ Nov 2 2006, 09:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>what happens when tobacco sponsors have their advertising banned at certain tracks?? do they pay less to the team?

Sorry, I don't get it? Explain the point please.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Racejumkie @ Nov 2 2006, 01:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Sorry, I don't get it? Explain the point please.
i think matt's just askin the question. i'd be curious to know the answer to that myself.

Telefónica is the largest corporation in Spain. It owns Telefónica de España which is the largest fixed phone and ADSL operator in Spain, Telefónica Moviles the largest mobile phone operator in Spain (under the movistar brand), Terra Networks, S.A. an internet subsidiary and Telefónica Publicidad e Información publisher of the Spanish Yellow Pages.

For the 02-04 season, Telefonica was the lead sponsor for the Gresini team, Movistar took the lead sponsor for the for the 05 season.

I hope that has some clarity....

I think switching to Bstones is a smart move by Gresini. Bridgestone has improved a lot in the last 2 years. If that trend continues they will have the best tyres next season.
The more bikes they have, the more info they get and the better tyres they should be able to make.

The only unknown thing is the effect of Michelin pulling out of Formula 1. Now Michelin has a huge number of very good engineers with nothing to do, will they fire them? put them to work in MotoGP project and other racing categories?

About Telefónica and Movistar, Movistar is just the mobile phone department of Telefónica, which is a huge multi national corporation, therefore Telefónica rules Movistar completely and wether the logo says Telefonica or Movistar is irrelevant, it's the same company.

Telefónica left MotoGP last season because they wanted to sponsor Pedrosa, they felt Pedrosa owed them because they had sponsored him since always. Pedrosa went to HRC and asked Repsol to make a deal with Telefónica to share the sponsorship (like they had done other times (Fonsi Nieto 250cc)) but Repsol said no (the relationship is not very good between Repsol and Telefónica), Telefónica felt betrayed and they took their to money to F1 and said they were not coming back.

Now that Alonso is going to McLaren (sponsored by Vodafone) Telefónica is screwed because they can't follow Alonso. And Renault with Fisichella (Italian) and Kovalainen (Finnish) is not good for their bussiness.

Also the TV rights in Spain for MotoGP have been bought by a new channel willing to spend a lot and make it more popular.

So Telefónica will most probably eat their words and sponsor a team in MotoGP.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (onyurtail @ Nov 2 2006, 02:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Telefónica is the largest corporation in Spain. It owns Telefónica de España which is the largest fixed phone and ADSL operator in Spain, Telefónica Moviles the largest mobile phone operator in Spain (under the movistar brand), Terra Networks, S.A. an internet subsidiary and Telefónica Publicidad e Información publisher of the Spanish Yellow Pages.

For the 02-04 season, Telefonica was the lead sponsor for the Gresini team, Movistar took the lead sponsor for the for the 05 season.

I hope that has some clarity....
so it's the same co. just different divisions then? sorta like sprint/nextel?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (teomolca @ Nov 2 2006, 02:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>About Telefónica and Movistar, Movistar is just the mobile phone department of Telefónica, which is a huge multi national corporation, therefore Telefónica rules Movistar completely and wether the logo says Telefonica or Movistar is irrelevant, it's the same company.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (richo @ Oct 31 2006, 11:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I think the new tyre limits will have more of an effect than that. They have to supply the tyres at the start of the weekend, which means they can't use data gathered during a practice run to make a tyre at a Michelin factory and ship it to a race somewhere in Europe overnight, which previously gave Michelin a big advantage in Europe, where most of the GPs are held.

And as for the sponsor thing, I just assumed Telefonica and Movistar were the same thing


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CaptainSnow @ Nov 1 2006, 08:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Nowhere has it said that Telefonica is coming back to MotoGP.
THe rumor of Pons coming back (as much as I would love it to be true) has not materialized yet.

Tire limits will have a huge impact on Michelin in European tracks and Bridgeston in Asian tracks.
They were used to making tires overnight and sending them to the track the next day.
Now they have to have all their tires done before the weekend and can't ship them overnight to the riders.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (onyurtail @ Nov 1 2006, 07:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Two different sponsors... they were combined for the 02-04 season but went to Moviestar for the 05 season.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (teomolca @ Nov 2 2006, 12:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I think switching to Bstones is a smart move by Gresini. Bridgestone has improved a lot in the last 2 years. If that trend continues they will have the best tyres next season.
The more bikes they have, the more info they get and the better tyres they should be able to make.

The only unknown thing is the effect of Michelin pulling out of Formula 1. Now Michelin has a huge number of very good engineers with nothing to do, will they fire them? put them to work in MotoGP project and other racing categories?

About Telefónica and Movistar, Movistar is just the mobile phone department of Telefónica, which is a huge multi national corporation, therefore Telefónica rules Movistar completely and wether the logo says Telefonica or Movistar is irrelevant, it's the same company.

Telefónica left MotoGP last season because they wanted to sponsor Pedrosa, they felt Pedrosa owed them because they had sponsored him since always. Pedrosa went to HRC and asked Repsol to make a deal with Telefónica to share the sponsorship (like they had done other times (Fonsi Nieto 250cc)) but Repsol said no (the relationship is not very good between Repsol and Telefónica), Telefónica felt betrayed and they took their to money to F1 and said they were not coming back.

Now that Alonso is going to McLaren (sponsored by Vodafone) Telefónica is screwed because they can't follow Alonso. And Renault with Fisichella (Italian) and Kovalainen (Finnish) is not good for their bussiness.

Also the TV rights in Spain for MotoGP have been bought by a new channel willing to spend a lot and make it more popular.

So Telefónica will most probably eat their words and sponsor a team in MotoGP.
As clarified, Telefonica Movistar is and was the full sponsorship name. Going back to GP is another story.
Sito Pons is going back to 250 again.

As for tire limits, from what I understand, they are labelled on Thursday... but what they have is just the tire without is surface composition, which means they all have a small factory in the paddock to mold the surface compounds onto the base compounds... therefore having tire limits will not affect them because they can still mold the tires on Friday night from Friday's data for qualifying... why do you think Rossi decided to test Q tires on Friday? To get the M boys the data for a better Q tire on Saturday... this is gathered from what I read, and being a chemist, I can see it being a possibility.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Racejumkie @ Nov 2 2006, 05:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Sorry, I don't get it? Explain the point please.

well at certain tracks tobacco sponsorship is banned so those who are sponsored by tobacco companies in bikes and cars arent allowed to show their name on them.so do the sposors pay less to the teams at these races?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (frosty58 @ Nov 2 2006, 06:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>i think matt's just askin the question. i'd be curious to know the answer to that myself.

pretty much frost!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Best Man @ Nov 2 2006, 11:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>well at certain tracks tobacco sponsorship is banned so those who are sponsored by tobacco companies in bikes and cars arent allowed to show their name on them.so do the sposors pay less to the teams at these races?

Interesting question. I would like to know the answer too. Anybody know?