<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(J4rn0 @ Nov 22 2007, 02:42 AM) [snapback]101853[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
Let's try to recap recent Honda developments:
- In 2006, HRC give Hayden a 'laboratory bike' to race during the championship. This is considered the 'preview' of the new 800cc - it has a smaller frame. Hayden manages to win the WC on it.
- Honda introduces a completely new bike in 2007, built applying the concept of 'mass centralization', significantly smaller than the 2006 990cc predecessor. It is also different from Hayden's 2006 laboratory bike... Many think it has been designed with Dani Pedrosa in mind.
- Hayden is suprised - he tested a bike in 2006, he even won on it, and now they give him something totally different! He is not happy. Pedrosa gives more positive feedback (of course). But the results do not come - all Honda riders struggle. In the second half of the season, things improve: at the end, Honda seems to be able to fight back and Pedrosa wins the last GP.
- During post-race tests at Valencia, HRC bring the 2008 prototype for testing. This bike looks a lot like Nicky's 2006 laboratory bike - it is still small, but the layout and weight distribution seem more similar to the 2006 laboratory bike. Hayden says he likes it, Pedrosa is not happy and asks for many changes.
- Pedrosa declines joining the tests at Sepang, since the changes he asked for cannot be implemented so quickly and he considers useless to test without them. Hayden goes to Sepang with both the 2008 and the 2007 bikes, tests both, crashes with the 2008 model and then using a quali tyre does a record lap on the 2007 bike.
- In an interview to El Mundo Deportivo, Pedrosa blames Hayden for being useless or incompetent as a test rider and practically declares he hopes HRC will listen to him only for future bike development.
Is this information correct? Which conclusions could one draw from the above?
Hmmm...........this is good, but it still needs a few things added.
1. Honda gave Hayden a laboratory bike
Hayden proceeded to pilot the 211V Evo into a comfortable lead until the 2007 mass-centralization updates arrived (clutch). The parts were removed after 2 rounds. Rossi was too strong, Hayden got hit by his more or less statistically eliminated teammate at Estoril. Honda and Hayden lose all glory when Rossi bins it from midpack at Valencia. Yellow smoke bursts from the pyrotechnic display at Nicky's championship celebration!
2. Hayden does a record lap on the old 2007 bike with qualis
which is completely normal for a bike with a frame that stiff. It has no feel so it needs qualifiers to give the rider enough confidence to push.
3. Pedrosa shoots his mouth off about Hayden being a bad teammate, developer, whatever.
Par for the course when talking about Pedrosa. The great thing about Nicky is, he doesn't expect his success to come by throwing all viable competition under the bus. Pedrosa is clearly blinded by Puig who is behind this whole thing pulling the strings. Puig needs someone to blame because the contract he landed for Dani is appearing to be less than it was advertised to be (it was advertised as easy championships).
I don't care that Pedrosa is pissed. He probably has good reason to be--look who he is riding for. When he started complaining mid-season, I was his advocate b/c he was hammering Honda for building a lemon. Now, he's lampooning Hayden. How worthless can you be? You criticize your teammate? This is typical 250 child behavior. They want a championship winning bike handed to them. If he wants to get mad, he should get mad at Honda for not letting him test, not at Hayden for failing to deliver to him the perfect bike.
Pedrosa is the definition of the word arrogant. He actually thinks it is Hayden's job to deliver a bike that he can use to win a championship for himself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is the problem.
