He`ll work around it as he did when he went to Yamaha in 04,only thing against him is the lack of availible testing time.That said,I`m not expecting Vale to win the 2011 title but its going to be one of the closest battles in the history of the sport.
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He`ll work around it as he did when he went to Yamaha in 04,only thing against him is the lack of availible testing time.That said,I`m not expecting Vale to win the 2011 title but its going to be one of the closest battles in the history of the sport.
He`ll work around it as he did when he went to Yamaha in 04,only thing against him is the lack of availible testing time.That said,I`m not expecting Vale to win the 2011 title but its going to be one of the closest battles in the history of the sport.
I think 2011 is not entirely within valentino's control, but 2012 should be more so. 2011 depends somewhat on whether the carbon fibre/integrated engine or whatever chassis thing can progress or is a dead-end; preziosi is rather smart so it may not be the dead-end it appears at present. The 2004 yamaha was at least the same variety of chassis as the 2003 honda, although I believe valentino's advent led to a radical change in the engine as well as tweaking of the chassis. it probably also depends on what bridgestone do; perhaps not much if they are soon to leave the sport.
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I think you are right about Suppo and the Stoners, but not about the timing. I think Stoner was courted long before he went fishing. Indeed if he was staying he would not have "gone fishing".
hrc did directly say on the public record early in the 2009 season that they would like to get rossi or stoner. I think stoner was genuinely crook though, whether the aetiology of his illness was apparently trivial or not. He may as you imply have had doubts about whether ducati had the capacity for consistent multi-year success, and in view of the lack of recognition for his championship may have seen success on another bike as vindicating him. Whether this proves to be the case is another question. but I for one am hopeful of seeing some indication as soon as the post-valencia testing.
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Not sure Honda would ever have Rossi back, he quit them whilst they were giving him everything, they weren't happy about that.
Stoner, on the other hand, wanted the Honda ride way back n 06, however Honda rejected him. ( I think all he really wanted was good parts access ). The next year since he wins the title and shows even more speed, so Honda are kicking themselves ........ it became a matter of an oportunity missed with Stoner.
In reality I think Honda have been courting Stoner seriously since late 07 ( well making it obvious they want him when he is free), it is still a matter of "honour" for them to beat Rossi repeatedly and convincingly. When Stoner signed again with Duc. you have to remember he was still the one that Honda rejected, and whilst he could "rub salt into Hondas wound" ( kicking themselves for not working with him in 07 ) 09 and 10 with the Ducati becoming more the bike "anyone can ride" ( though they have to find that "anyone" yet
Remember a few years back when there was a picture of two of the Honda bosses looking "thoughtful", outside Stoners garage at Qatar ...... I'd think things were happening very soon after that
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Good to see ya Bunny.
Well the Honda is undoubtedly a bike capable of winning especially if we keep this stupid engine rule. Casey and pedro are capable of winning the championship as are Rossi and Lorenzo. That's why there called Aliens. Still not convinced Jb going back to HRC is anything more than just an Aussie wet dream... GAME ON
Well the Honda is undoubtedly a bike capable of winning especially if we keep this stupid engine rule. Casey and pedro are capable of winning the championship as are Rossi and Lorenzo. That's why there called Aliens. Still not convinced Jb going back to HRC is anything more than just an Aussie wet dream... GAME ON
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Don't know how much it has to do with "balls". Rossi pretty much painted himself into a corner with all his tantrums and demands for
#1 standing and a 2011 team without Lorenzo. It's more a question of Rossi not wanting to eat crow by staying at Yamaha at a lower
salary with a teammate too brash be intimidated. Rossi made his bed and now it's time to lie down in it. If he can do for the Duc - what
he did for the M1 - it will be a great thing for other Ducati riders - and for racing in general - tho how much they'll be able to change the
bike in one season is questionable. And how much of those changes will be applicable to the 2012 bike is questionable.
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I think your right about Rossi painting himself into a corner, question is who will be left with egg on there faces, yam or rossi ?
As for the 2011-2012 ducati's. I read somewhere that the 2011 bike is already built but ducati were looking forward to working with rossi in designing the 2012 bike. That was a big reason for them wanting him.
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Even if Rossi doesn't win the championship next year - but "merely" makes the Duc over into something that all the Duc riders
can be relatively competitive on - he will have done what Stoner and Hayden together were not able to accomplish - and that will
be a major accomplishment - for which Ducati will have really got their money's worth. If he can do it without JB at his side it will be that much more impressive.
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I agree. I bet Hayden is looking forward to having Rossi as a team mate again. Could be his ticket back to the sharp end. One things for sure, next season is going to be very exciting and interesting. I think the changes will start to show halfway through the season providing this stupid engine rule is scrapped. If not my bet is on stoner, he's fast and HRC have the engine managment it seems.
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Motorsport's history is littered with rise and falls of brands/manufacturers/teams. History is also full of riders/drivers always changing, for the unlucky, into declining teams and for the lucky, into teams that are on the rise. In 2007, Stoner lucked out by landing in a team that just happened to have the perfect bike and tyre package for him. A team that had methodically set about working their way to the top in the new era of 4 strokes. In my somewhat worthless opinion, that team was at first caught out by the success but then went on to a) listen to all the commentators in regards to why can't the second bike win, and b ) get greedy wanting the second bike to win with someone of the correct nationality. Since this time, once again in my opinion, they have spiralled down from their peak.
From this position that my opinion forms I think that 2 things are happening:
1. Rossi has potentially made the first "unlucky" decision of his career and gone to a team that is on a declining trend, and
2. Stoner has made the second "lucky" decision of his career and switched to the team that is climbing out of their down period into a period of dominance.
Of course trends can be broken by extraordinary circumstances and Rossi's career has at least shown that he is 'extraordinary'. However each year his career moves into a different faze or perhaps even 'trend' as can be highlighted by the unfortunate or unlucky events that are certainly different to the narrative of his career before the 3rd race weekend of 2010.
As with all stories that achieve critical acclaim, the observer gets drawn into the climax as it approaches. Let us hope that we as observers are satisfied with how the climax treats each of the characters for many a good story has been unkind to a character not of our choosing.
From this position that my opinion forms I think that 2 things are happening:
1. Rossi has potentially made the first "unlucky" decision of his career and gone to a team that is on a declining trend, and
2. Stoner has made the second "lucky" decision of his career and switched to the team that is climbing out of their down period into a period of dominance.
Of course trends can be broken by extraordinary circumstances and Rossi's career has at least shown that he is 'extraordinary'. However each year his career moves into a different faze or perhaps even 'trend' as can be highlighted by the unfortunate or unlucky events that are certainly different to the narrative of his career before the 3rd race weekend of 2010.
As with all stories that achieve critical acclaim, the observer gets drawn into the climax as it approaches. Let us hope that we as observers are satisfied with how the climax treats each of the characters for many a good story has been unkind to a character not of our choosing.
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Great post Mental, i think Rossi if anybody has the potential to snap Ducati back into winning ways. I agree, they should hav stuck to their wining formula with Stoner at helm, but its not entirely Ducs fault as u must remember Caseys illness make people seriously sober about a future without him. So part of the reasonable reaction was to adjust and improve for that "second bike". This unfortunately has resulted in a bike that is a podium finisher but not yet a winner. Add to this that it is the front end that has become a bit of mystery keeping the performance of both riders from pushing in reaction to the first few disasterious crashes.
Ive said it 1000 times, GP is about the mouse trap, yet we've all made a lifetime of crediting the rider as the be all, yet time and time again we see its been more like a perfect storm of machine & rider. This is why ive never been in fever pitch awe of any rider as i know neither of them could hav done it without a package of machine and tires that served them advantage here and there.
Ive said it 1000 times, GP is about the mouse trap, yet we've all made a lifetime of crediting the rider as the be all, yet time and time again we see its been more like a perfect storm of machine & rider. This is why ive never been in fever pitch awe of any rider as i know neither of them could hav done it without a package of machine and tires that served them advantage here and there.
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It's been debated and discussed to death on here, but I think we can say Hayden won the 2006 WC in spite of Honda's effort to make him a test mule for the 2007 Pedrocycle that was a miserable failure.
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This must be the real rason behind the astrisk many put next to Hayden's championship...... = World Champion plus Pedrosa's season long test mule!!!
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you should have discovered powerslide in 06 mate
Good times!
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Sounds pretty reasonable.
Things started goining downhill when Melandri came. It becasme too obvious "its not the bike", and in fact Melandri made the bike look baaad. Instead of concentrating on getting their Stoner ride right Ducati began "putting out fires", the big bang engine is a classic case, that took away the one thing that they did have, so instead of the occasional win they now get none.
It will be interesting to see how Hayden goes at Indy this year. Hayden to me is sporadically "motivated" Indy being his home race motivated him to a podium last year. Lets see if the "anyone can ride" Ducati is good enough for him to do that this year.
I thought I,d never see the day that Rog would say this!
Is this a new Roger I haven,t seen before. I like what I am seeing
