Joined Jun 2007
10K Posts | 1K+
Norah Head
Spies must have some issues either with the bike or himself, he is a fast rider we all know that. Just also keeps quiet so none of us know what's up!
Great ride by cal. Who knows what he could do on a factory bike?
Stoner winning Jerez on a soft tyre? Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Makes it look like he was telling the truth as is his wont about it being arm pump rather than tyres at qatar as well.
I don't think Stoner really gets arm pump. If he had it today, he would have dropped off the pace. Maybe his arms were starting to hurt but everyone gets that. You can't really 'ride through' arm pump...when you got it you got it. Unless he was feeling it come on...which means he didnt actually have it.
There is something that is not suiting him about this year's bike or tyres, just as the ducati is antithetical to rossi's riding style.
I thought until today that stoner might not be able to ride this year's tyre, particularly given that to my knowledge all or nearly all his dry wins have been on a hard tyre.
Joined Jun 2007
10K Posts | 1K+
Norah Head
Joined Feb 2008
2K Posts | 0+
home
Joined Jul 2011
1K Posts | 872+
Dont Know
Haha well said. Cant believe Stoner managed his tires and had something left at the end.
Sure, it may not have been the precise medical condition of arm pump, but obviously now it was a physical endurance issue of some sort perhaps related to fighting chatter all week-end, given that if he can make a soft tyre last race distance at jerez it would seem unlikely that he ran out of tyres at qatar.
It was interesting to see mick doohan on the australian TV coverage; he was fairly diplomatic actually.
To me it honestly never looked like Lorenzo was going to make a pass that would stick. He was quicker in one section of the track, but that Honda just got too quickly out of the corners.
Joined Jun 2007
10K Posts | 1K+
Norah Head
And told it how it is. As he said of Rossi, you can't develop a bike if you are not riding on the limit, so we might see development emphasis going toward Nicky.
Joined Feb 2008
2K Posts | 0+
home
What I thought was happening during the race while watching it, was that Stoner burnt his tires first while Lorenzo preserved them longer, hence Lorenzo catching up. Then Lorenzo's tires went off too, and Stoner was able to ride with the worn tires better.
Or course, the post-race interviews don't reflect that.
Or course, the post-race interviews don't reflect that.
Joined Jul 2011
1K Posts | 872+
Dont Know
I thought it was a good point he made, that Rossi might not be motivated to push for a mere 6th place, but if he doesn't try they will struggle to get the data needed to improve the bike, so he's in a real catch 22. Doohan also said development will naturally switch to Hayden if he gets better results.
The tv coverage here was crap, picture break up.
At least Rossi still had a smile on his face in the pits. Gutted Crutchlow couldn't make the top 3. Great performance by him, is it just me or does he stretch his legs much more then anybody else?
Near the end I was thinking Lorenzo was maybe going to take it until he slowed.
Near the end I was thinking Lorenzo was maybe going to take it until he slowed.
It was a good race to watch. Although no positions changed dramatically during the last few laps, it looked like they were going to which kept me on the edge of my seat. Although i'm not a Stoner fan nor am I against him, watching him hang off the side of the Honda through the corners is beautiful to watch. Lorenzo is more than keeping Stoner honest this year and Pedrosa was there too...don't know why he dropped back after the first few laps as quickly as he did but he maintained his speed after that and given a few more laps, he and Crutchlow may have been involved in the fight for the win too. Really impressed by Crutchlow again...he's got talent that's for sure. As we have seen from Dovizisio last year, he isn't slow...and Crutchlow just passed him where he needed to and left him for dead today. Two 4ths...great start to the season. Podium is surely going to be coming his way sooner rather than later and who knows whether he will get a win or two under his belt by the time the seasons out. Going to be threatening Ben Spies' position on the factory Yamaha for sure though. As others have said I tend to agree with what they have said (think you are referring to Mick Doohan who said it in commentary) that Rossi is not pushing to his limits on the bike to make it go quicker, whereas perhaps Nicky is.
Sure, perhaps qatar was a case of stoner not being able to ride the worn tyres because of whatever ailed him.
Crutchlow has improved massively. That's actually 3 4th places in a row now.
I don't know about development being shifted to Hayden at Ducati... Rossi was just 6 seconds behind him in the end. Hayden's pace dropped dramatically compared to the leaders. Rossi was probably catching him in the second half?
I don't know about development being shifted to Hayden at Ducati... Rossi was just 6 seconds behind him in the end. Hayden's pace dropped dramatically compared to the leaders. Rossi was probably catching him in the second half?
Joined Jun 2007
10K Posts | 1K+
Norah Head
Joined Jun 2007
10K Posts | 1K+
Norah Head
Doohan said 5 seconds is a lot.
And anyway WhyTF would you, HOW could you!, develop a bike for a guy who isn't even getting near the limit.
Today Nicky rode the bike near its limit, in the early stages, but perhaps thats what made him fade near the end. At least Nicky could go back to the garage and say " at that speed the bike was doing this ........... ".
Are you suggesting that Rossi would go back and say "at the speed Nicky was doing the bike is probably/maybe/could be doing this .............. jus wait. I'll consult my crystal ball"
Mind you I think after today, Nicky might decide his fitness could be worked on. The guy was dicing at the front for a while on the supposed poor Ducati.
Nobody fell off a factory GP12 today ........ thats a real good sign.
