Melandri IS done at Ducati.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pinky @ Jun 23 2008, 12:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>i reckon sete for end of this year, then in 09 bustista or simocelli.

they need a young guy who wont come with baggage and a range of excuses.

I reckon they should reduce to a one man team... since stoner has made the bike his own so much no one else can ride it.

Do you think the mechanics really listen to what Melandri is saying?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (l13eaw @ Jun 23 2008, 12:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Rossi's ability to make the crowd love him yes is great in a way but lets face it all the merchanidised yellow .... he churns out every year only serves to line his own pockets and unless he has set up his own race academy in a philanthopist type of way i don't see how a sea of yellow is of any benefit to the sport. The genius of it is that people wear this yellow crap and are quite happy walking around looking like yellow bananas, how else would you get grown men to wear yellow on mass. Not only that but the piece de resistance will be when he announces the fact that he is gay and the last laugh will be on the homophobic fans who bought the merchandise. (I am joking before someone stabs me...........or am I?)
I love the yellow crap, in fact some of it's black and blue, and I'm as straight as an arrow and couldn't care if Rossi's batty or not; I'm interested in his bike racing skills, not his @$$!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (an4rew @ Jun 24 2008, 05:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I reckon they should reduce to a one man team... since stoner has made the bike his own so much no one else can ride it.

Do you think the mechanics really listen to what Melandri is saying?

Don't think Stoner has made the bike his own so much, just that he is the only one (at the moment) who can ride it, I think I was in a bad mood when I said Melandri had no business being on that bike any more I am going to back track and say, he is a good talented rider, just not on that bike, he needs to find a better combo otherwise his career is Fked.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mjpartyboy @ Jun 24 2008, 08:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I love the yellow crap, in fact some of it's black and blue, and I'm as straight as an arrow and couldn't care if Rossi's batty or not; I'm interested in his bike racing skills, not his @$$!

I salute you.

XX Liz

Melandri is not a quitter, nor is he a whiner like Biaggi.

It seems when there is a split (most likely for this weekends race at Assen) it will be mutual. Nobody wants to see a factory bike at the back of teh pack, and Melandri we all know does not belong there. He simply is not able to ride it like Stoner with his dirt track experience and other qualities that fit with riding teh Duke like he does. Nicky Hayden is more similar in Stoner and for 2009 is the man for the job...not Gibernau.

The two will split amicably...they have a lot of respect for eachother and have never had harsh words.
Who will ride the bike for the remainder of the season? Either Sete Gibernau, Vittoriano Guareschi or Niccolo' Canepa.

Melandri...a vacation until next year...unless he gets picked up by Suzuki or someone else for '09.

Just my 2 cents...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (michaelm @ Jun 23 2008, 02:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>At the moment as many have said I doubt any current motogp rider who is anywhere near top-line would accept a ducati ride for next year at gunpoint.
I can think of at least 3 who would jump at the chance to get on board that factory Ducati.

Any rider who has any belief in their own talents would go for it. You'd have to question your own ability/adaptability if you were offered the ride on a bike that won last time out and dominated last years championship and turn around and say "thanks but no thanks"!.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (krusty @ Jun 24 2008, 12:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I can think of at least 3 who would jump at the chance to get on board that factory Ducati.

Any rider who has any belief in their own talents would go for it. You'd have to question your own ability/adaptability if you were offered the ride on a bike that won last time out and dominated last years championship and turn around and say "thanks but no thanks"!.

But they are NOT the same bike, Stoner is riding the one that dominated last years championship!
Tell me you don't think that they have the same package...Never in a million years!

Something tells me you haven't followed the GP for long otherwise you would know what a great rider Marco really is!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bonnielass @ Jun 24 2008, 07:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>But they are NOT the same bike, Stoner is riding the one that dominated last years championship!
Tell me you don't think that they have the same package...Never in a million years!

Something tells me you haven't followed the GP for long otherwise you would know what a great rider Marco really is!!

I had posted an interview last year...Barros ran the season without a suspension engineer....

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (an4rew @ Jun 24 2008, 05:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Do you think the mechanics really listen to what Melandri is saying?

It could be that Melandri can't develop or set up a bike....and if you look at this history in MotoGP at Yamaha and Honda then you might draw a similar conclusion....when Marco was about to leave Honda, Rossi said the RC211v would suit Marco....The Yamaha at the time only really worked for Rossi and that was due to him and Burgess, and the Honda was Everyman's bike, easy to set up and race/win straight out of the box....so perhaps the Ducati is too much for Marco to know how to set up well, and not that his mechanics are not listening...they are listening and hearing gibberish from Marco.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bonnielass @ Jun 24 2008, 12:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>But they are NOT the same bike, Stoner is riding the one that dominated last years championship!
Tell me you don't think that they have the same package...Never in a million years!

Something tells me you haven't followed the GP for long otherwise you would know what a great rider Marco really is!!

Well maybe I shouldn't tell you but I am prepared to state that the bike that Marco cannot get along with would have started the season the same as Casey's in every way. The differences now would be due to individual settings preferences with the possibility that CS has upgraded parts not yet supplied to MM (as occurs in many teams), and who knows maybe MM even has parts that CS does not.

Please (and this is not intended to show you any disrespect) but MM is not yet a great rider (and may never be). A good rider definitely, a great rider, not yet.

And FWIW I expected MM to get on with the Duke as I felt that it would be the machine he needed to elevate himself to the next step, instead it has been the reverse.



<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (xx CURVE xx @ Jun 24 2008, 12:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I had posted an interview last year...Barros ran the season without a suspension engineer....

Which is the fault of the Alice team or the suspension supplier, not Ducati. Although it could be argued that Ducati did have an interest in ensuring the availability of the technician.




Garry

All things being equal Marco could wipe the floor with Stoner!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Gaz @ Jun 24 2008, 01:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Well maybe I shouldn't tell you but I am prepared to state that the bike that Marco cannot get along with would have started the season the same as Casey's in every way. The differences now would be due to individual settings preferences with the possibility that CS has upgraded parts not yet supplied to MM (as occurs in many teams), and who knows maybe MM even has parts that CS does not.

Please (and this is not intended to show you any disrespect) but MM is not yet a great rider (and may never be). A good rider definitely, a great rider, not yet.

And FWIW I expected MM to get on with the Duke as I felt that it would be the machine he needed to elevate himself to the next step, instead it has been the reverse.
Garry

Yes I agree, there is no way that the bikes are that different to warrant the difference in places at races. All the bikes are bloody different but a poor workman blames his tools and all that, Marco must be deficient in either his ability to ride it or his ability to set it up. Or his arse has caved in. I hope he finds some form again. It is a shame.

Liz

Marco...this ones for you...

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bonnielass @ Jun 24 2008, 10:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>But they are NOT the same bike, Stoner is riding the one that dominated last years championship!
Tell me you don't think that they have the same package...Never in a million years!

Something tells me you haven't followed the GP for long otherwise you would know what a great rider Marco really is!!
Look at the results this year. He can't adapt his riding style. Many qualities make a great rider ... one that is glaringly obvious and proving to be Marco's downfall this year is that he can't seem to adapt to suit the bike.

It is illogical to try and even reason that they he didn't start out the season on the bike that won last year's championship. It simple - he just can't ride it! I would find it hard to mount an argument in his defence to say he is a "great" rider. He is a very good rider, but he isn't "great"!

"Something tells me you haven't followed the GP for long otherwise you would know what a great rider Marco really is!!"

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bonnielass @ Jun 24 2008, 10:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>All things being equal Marco could wipe the floor with Stoner!

Is there something in the water in Southampton that makes you people get on this forum and post inane comments ?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bonnielass @ Jun 24 2008, 12:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>All things being equal Marco could wipe the floor with Stoner!


How much more equal can you get than be in the same factory and be supplied with the same bike with teh same brand of tyres (believe they even rode on the same compounds at Donnington)?

There can be no doubting MM's ability, but to suggest that he would wipe the floor is a big comment/opinion





Garry

Lorenzo was operating at speeds similar to Melandri on Friday at Donnington park. He said his problems were all in his head and that he had no confidence. As the weekend went on jorge was able to find his confidence again and run an impressive race. I think most would agree that Marco has become mentaly fragile and that something big needs to change for him to get back to where he used to be confidence wise. It happened to Tamada to a greater extent, and its happening to Hayden to a lesser extent. Also consider that 1st place may not be the natural habbitat of his equipment. Stoner is an incredible rider and is doing more with that bike than should be expected.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Gaz @ Jun 24 2008, 01:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Well maybe I shouldn't tell you but I am prepared to state that the bike that Marco cannot get along with would have started the season the same as Casey's in every way. The differences now would be due to individual settings preferences with the possibility that CS has upgraded parts not yet supplied to MM (as occurs in many teams), and who knows maybe MM even has parts that CS does not.

Please (and this is not intended to show you any disrespect) but MM is not yet a great rider (and may never be). A good rider definitely, a great rider, not yet.

And FWIW I expected MM to get on with the Duke as I felt that it would be the machine he needed to elevate himself to the next step, instead it has been the reverse.





Which is the fault of the Alice team or the suspension supplier, not Ducati. Although it could be argued that Ducati did have an interest in ensuring the availability of the technician.




Garry
no im pretty sure barros said it was down to ducati not letting them have a suspension technician, remember it was the ducati boss he kicked off when barros won a race, just another form of team orders, i think they even frowned at capi winning over stoner because by then he wasn't in the championship race.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Gaz @ Jun 24 2008, 01:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>How much more equal can you get than be in the same factory and be supplied with the same bike with teh same brand of tyres (believe they even rode on the same compounds at Donnington)?

There can be no doubting MM's ability, but to suggest that he would wipe the floor is a big comment/opinion





Garry
sorry gaz mate, but none of us know this to be a fact. it is quite possible they started the season on 2 different bikes for development purpose's. this is the type of stuff none of us can ever be sure of.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bonnielass @ Jun 24 2008, 01:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>All things being equal Marco could wipe the floor with Stoner!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (roger-m @ Jun 24 2008, 12:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>sorry gaz mate, but none of us know this to be a fact. it is quite possible they started the season on 2 different bikes for development purpose's. this is the type of stuff none of us can ever be sure of.
Who knows? If rumours are to be believed a lot of the factory teams have a and b riders and a and b bikes, except perhaps yamaha this year. I consider it unlikely that stoner would have started with a better bike than capirossi last year though.