Mild temperatures, a Saturday race and a week off. Are you happy with Assen?
Happyish. It’s disgusting what they’ve done to the track. It’s best bit used to be where they’ve now put up a large shed which i believe is a museum. They’ve changed some curves, added references. It’s not the worst, it’s still nice, but nothing compared to what it was like in the past and now there’s better tracks around. The atmosphere is fantastic, that yes.
Will Simoncelli be nervous? The Spanish press has attacked him calling him a dirty rider.
One can’t say of Simoncelli that he’s an absolutely incorrect rider. He did something really stupid, but it was damaging mostly to himself. It’s just that there always seems to be a Spaniard involved. He’s got to be careful, but Donington was the first time he failed to control his aggression.
Well at Mugello however...
At Mugello what? He just did what we’ve all been doing for a lifetime. One could say, and we’ve all said it, that it’s not right to change the line, but we’ve all done it. But then, the Spanish talk?
Well yes, because what’s up with the Spanish?
Come on, they were the ones who invented sneaky moves on track. Nieto was great even because of that. He would lie flat on the bike during hard braking, or he’d pull himself upright as though to brake and meanwhile he’d have the throttle open. Those behind him really were risking a lot, but meanwhile he won and he was a hero.
Everyone draws water towards his own mill. The Spanish press...
The Spanish press is much worse than ours. They are born sensationalists. If they hear a rumour they immediately turn it into news. You guys at least use a conditional if you’re not sure. They’re just boom, they throw it in. Now, if Simoncelli is a dirty rider, Barbera belongs in jail. Things should be more moderate true, but there are no criminals here.
What will Melandri do here?
It’s hard to get out of such a complicated situation. Your head just goes off. The Ducati is not unrideable, but you’ve got to adapt to it. The limit is finding out you only have one riding style.
Which is?
Melandri is beautiful on the bike, that is to say, he used to be beautiful. A rider who does not brutalise his bike. It’s understood that the Ducati just doesn’t take itself into a bend, you have to send it in. And in order to get out of a curve you have to use the throttle, the weight of your body and the deformation of the tyres and the frame. You have to move on it, you have to live it. Maybe he’s not doing that enough. But he can get a second closer to stoner. The rest doesn’t matter.
He’s asking for changes to the bike which he’s not getting. What does it mean?
If he modifications he wants are the shortening of a lever by one centimetre, as I’ve been told, they are not modifications that will change the situation. Maybe he wants other things but since he doesn’t get them he ends up stuck on little things.
Elias however is not as tidy as Melandri. How do you explain it?
Yes, but his shortcomings are even worse. He’s never on the bike. He’s always out, always hanging on. Never in the saddle. He doesn’t load the front, he doesn’t load the rear, he doesn’t move lengthwise.
So?
So he doesn’t control the traction. He cannot guarantee it. Traction comes from that too. Then you’d have to actually be on it to be sure. The only one who’s doing his duty in every way he can is Guintoli. Only he’s got limits which are very far worse than a Melandri, or an Elias on good form.
Who do you see on it? Who knows how to adapt?
Apart from Stoner and Rossi? Capirossi has already done it. Lorenzo maybe. Better still Dovizioso, but...”
But?
But now very few would be willing to take the risk of finding out they’re not adequate. Hayden will go, however he’s no Stoner and never will be.
Canepa and Gibernau?
Well, anything can happen. With Canepa you’ve got to go slow. At Mugello he’s put in millions of kilometres, Barcellona is similar but in Brno he suffered and races are something else. When you take off in a large group you might as well have won the Superstock world championship but the realisty is another thing. Maybe I’m wrong. It seems to me he’s a good boy, and intelligent too.
And Gibe?
I know Gibe has taken some very short ridres, because his physique isn’t really up to it. He needs to prepare himself and try again. I’m not surprised he lapped in 51.7. Even Schumacher was the fastest on the Ferrari after a year out. Try doing 20 laps in 50.5 and you’ll see it’s altogether another story. You’re judging too much based on single laps, which don’t mean anything.
However Canepa has the advantage of being young, easily another one of the young guys of the electronics generations who aren’t having regrets...
It’s a common half misconception. If we want to talk about boring races, I agree. The tyres last, the electronics work, and if you’re not perfect with everything it takes you a lifetime. But if we want to say that the rider doesn’t count, that’s just .........
Stoner and Ducati are back to what they were last year?
And how should I know? At Donington it seemed like it. But it was a bit late. And then you’d have to see in the long term, on other tracks. It seems to me Rossi isn’t about to be caught up with. He just needs to control Pedrosa a little better.
Pedrosa who is a good rider!
He’s good yes, but he doesn’t have Valentino’s hard braking. Not even anywhere close.
Happyish. It’s disgusting what they’ve done to the track. It’s best bit used to be where they’ve now put up a large shed which i believe is a museum. They’ve changed some curves, added references. It’s not the worst, it’s still nice, but nothing compared to what it was like in the past and now there’s better tracks around. The atmosphere is fantastic, that yes.
Will Simoncelli be nervous? The Spanish press has attacked him calling him a dirty rider.
One can’t say of Simoncelli that he’s an absolutely incorrect rider. He did something really stupid, but it was damaging mostly to himself. It’s just that there always seems to be a Spaniard involved. He’s got to be careful, but Donington was the first time he failed to control his aggression.
Well at Mugello however...
At Mugello what? He just did what we’ve all been doing for a lifetime. One could say, and we’ve all said it, that it’s not right to change the line, but we’ve all done it. But then, the Spanish talk?
Well yes, because what’s up with the Spanish?
Come on, they were the ones who invented sneaky moves on track. Nieto was great even because of that. He would lie flat on the bike during hard braking, or he’d pull himself upright as though to brake and meanwhile he’d have the throttle open. Those behind him really were risking a lot, but meanwhile he won and he was a hero.
Everyone draws water towards his own mill. The Spanish press...
The Spanish press is much worse than ours. They are born sensationalists. If they hear a rumour they immediately turn it into news. You guys at least use a conditional if you’re not sure. They’re just boom, they throw it in. Now, if Simoncelli is a dirty rider, Barbera belongs in jail. Things should be more moderate true, but there are no criminals here.
What will Melandri do here?
It’s hard to get out of such a complicated situation. Your head just goes off. The Ducati is not unrideable, but you’ve got to adapt to it. The limit is finding out you only have one riding style.
Which is?
Melandri is beautiful on the bike, that is to say, he used to be beautiful. A rider who does not brutalise his bike. It’s understood that the Ducati just doesn’t take itself into a bend, you have to send it in. And in order to get out of a curve you have to use the throttle, the weight of your body and the deformation of the tyres and the frame. You have to move on it, you have to live it. Maybe he’s not doing that enough. But he can get a second closer to stoner. The rest doesn’t matter.
He’s asking for changes to the bike which he’s not getting. What does it mean?
If he modifications he wants are the shortening of a lever by one centimetre, as I’ve been told, they are not modifications that will change the situation. Maybe he wants other things but since he doesn’t get them he ends up stuck on little things.
Elias however is not as tidy as Melandri. How do you explain it?
Yes, but his shortcomings are even worse. He’s never on the bike. He’s always out, always hanging on. Never in the saddle. He doesn’t load the front, he doesn’t load the rear, he doesn’t move lengthwise.
So?
So he doesn’t control the traction. He cannot guarantee it. Traction comes from that too. Then you’d have to actually be on it to be sure. The only one who’s doing his duty in every way he can is Guintoli. Only he’s got limits which are very far worse than a Melandri, or an Elias on good form.
Who do you see on it? Who knows how to adapt?
Apart from Stoner and Rossi? Capirossi has already done it. Lorenzo maybe. Better still Dovizioso, but...”
But?
But now very few would be willing to take the risk of finding out they’re not adequate. Hayden will go, however he’s no Stoner and never will be.
Canepa and Gibernau?
Well, anything can happen. With Canepa you’ve got to go slow. At Mugello he’s put in millions of kilometres, Barcellona is similar but in Brno he suffered and races are something else. When you take off in a large group you might as well have won the Superstock world championship but the realisty is another thing. Maybe I’m wrong. It seems to me he’s a good boy, and intelligent too.
And Gibe?
I know Gibe has taken some very short ridres, because his physique isn’t really up to it. He needs to prepare himself and try again. I’m not surprised he lapped in 51.7. Even Schumacher was the fastest on the Ferrari after a year out. Try doing 20 laps in 50.5 and you’ll see it’s altogether another story. You’re judging too much based on single laps, which don’t mean anything.
However Canepa has the advantage of being young, easily another one of the young guys of the electronics generations who aren’t having regrets...
It’s a common half misconception. If we want to talk about boring races, I agree. The tyres last, the electronics work, and if you’re not perfect with everything it takes you a lifetime. But if we want to say that the rider doesn’t count, that’s just .........
Stoner and Ducati are back to what they were last year?
And how should I know? At Donington it seemed like it. But it was a bit late. And then you’d have to see in the long term, on other tracks. It seems to me Rossi isn’t about to be caught up with. He just needs to control Pedrosa a little better.
Pedrosa who is a good rider!
He’s good yes, but he doesn’t have Valentino’s hard braking. Not even anywhere close.
