Joined Apr 2015
6K Posts | 5K+
NJ
Was hoping for a better battle behind Dovi to unfold, but that never really seemed to happen.
Dovi rode a hello of a race, and that was a huge win for Ducati. Incredible recovery from that tank slapper heading down into turn 1 early on. Finally he gets that elusive dry race win.
Kudos to Petrucci for a great ride as well.
Lorenzo is going to have a lot to think about since he dropped back after the first bunch of laps and he clearly had a race-winning capable machine underneath him.
Dovi rode a hello of a race, and that was a huge win for Ducati. Incredible recovery from that tank slapper heading down into turn 1 early on. Finally he gets that elusive dry race win.
Kudos to Petrucci for a great ride as well.
Lorenzo is going to have a lot to think about since he dropped back after the first bunch of laps and he clearly had a race-winning capable machine underneath him.
Joined Nov 2015
872 Posts | 420+
Stratosphere
Joined Apr 2015
6K Posts | 5K+
NJ
Not to detract at all from Dovi's win, but you really have to wonder about Lorenzo. This was a race at one of his best circuits on a clearly well-prepared bike, and he went backwards when he needed to stay at the front.
Maybe I am being unfair as it is only his first season, but it is early June. You have to have come to grips with this bike by now. I know it's not easy to change riding styles, but a lot of adjustments have been made to try and help Lorenzo out from the seating position to the thumb brake. You have to start delivering now.
I keep waffling back and forth on whether he comes back for 2018 or not because it's obvious that contract has morphed into an albatross of a deal that is increasingly looking as if it will never pay off for Ducati. I don't think getting rid of Iannone was a bad move for Ducati, but Lorenzo doesn't look like the right choice now.
Maybe I am being unfair as it is only his first season, but it is early June. You have to have come to grips with this bike by now. I know it's not easy to change riding styles, but a lot of adjustments have been made to try and help Lorenzo out from the seating position to the thumb brake. You have to start delivering now.
I keep waffling back and forth on whether he comes back for 2018 or not because it's obvious that contract has morphed into an albatross of a deal that is increasingly looking as if it will never pay off for Ducati. I don't think getting rid of Iannone was a bad move for Ducati, but Lorenzo doesn't look like the right choice now.
Joined May 2009
6K Posts | 4K+
Shovel's Club
Joined Oct 2011
248 Posts | 112+
Adelaide
Joined Jun 2016
642 Posts | 244+
Santa Cruz, Cal
I just can't understand any Italian being disappointed with the results. Two Italians and two Italian bikes? Awesome. The usual yellow thing seems SO inappropriate.
I think Lorenzo got spooked by his headshake at 200. He looked like the JLo of old for awhile. Being sick probably helped Dovi ignore his headshake. ;-)
I think Lorenzo got spooked by his headshake at 200. He looked like the JLo of old for awhile. Being sick probably helped Dovi ignore his headshake. ;-)
I don't know why he did it, perhaps Gigi talked him into it. Surely he has enough money, and he had Rossi's example before him and a more pronounced corner speed style than Rossi ever had, and could have been fairly sure he wouldn't get tyres which suited him even on other bikes let alone a Ducati. Are they on the "new" hard tyre now btw?. He may be screwed on any bike with that tyre.
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Awesome race and pace from Dovi, good on him, especially after that huge moment coming over the rise. Vinales using his head under pressure, great to see. Wonder what happened to Lorenzo.....
Nick Harris was particularly unendurable today.
I am not unwilling to believe Rossi was sore at the end though.
Joined Jun 2007
10K Posts | 1K+
Norah Head
Joined Apr 2015
6K Posts | 5K+
NJ
The new hard tire was here this weekend, so from here forward that 070 front is the norm.
Well it sounds like the atmosphere at Yamaha was enough to make it easier for him to look elsewhere when a large amount of money was put in front of him. I do understand not liking the atmosphere at Yamaha, but it's not like he was being offered a ride on a similar bike. Given how sensitive he is to tires and a balanced bike, the Ducati move makes zero sense no matter what the Yamaha situation was.
Today was just such a bad look for him. If he was beating his teammate I wouldn't be as concerned. But he can't even beat his teammate now. He's going to need to seriously consider his future and where he goes next. Given his inability to adapt to the tires, there is no way Yamaha touches him again since I don't see the tire situation improving for him in the next couple of seasons...and ignoring that, Zarco will be replacing Rossi if Rossi goes out at the end of next season. Suzuki or KTM is where he goes next before finding himself out of the sport altogether.
Joined May 2009
6K Posts | 4K+
Shovel's Club
