This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Sepang Test

Jumkie said:
Moto voodoo, I don't think anybody is "worried" about Stoner either, people are going to go about their business. Thing is, these dudes are all very competitive, it's in their nature. That's why Marquez showed up with an army of techs to Rossi's MX ranch. Its why Loris Baz candidly admitted his excitement to occupy the same track with Casey. I think that excitement will have an affect.

If you think Ducati signed Stoner as a publicity stunt, I'd have to question your understanding of the sport and the critical aspect of development.
Click to expand...

Hiring Stoner as a test rider is the most positive publicity Ducati's GP team has received in a while. I seriously question how helpful Stoner will be in that role. Unless Stoner is planning to race next year, Ducati should be careful developing anything around Stoner's input. It's critical to develop a bike that active riders can ride, not retired ones.
 
Last edited:
moto vudu said:
I don't think any other riders are worried about Stoner. Even the Duc riders can't be very concerned because Stoner's settings are just that... Stoner's settings. He is not going to be much help for riders with a different style. Also, it's a test... not qualifying... there's so much to work on besides setting the fastest lap time. Good PR move by Ducati to have Stoner there, but I don't think he's there for anything other than the publicity.
Click to expand...

His feedback is quite accurate, and he can pinpoint a lot of issues based on his ability to feel that most riders simply don't pick up on...or even things the data does not reflect. I also wouldn't say he is not going to be much help for riders with a different style. In fact, that's completely inaccurate, otherwise test riders simply would not exist.

He isn't there for the publicity. He legitimately has something to give. Ducati wouldn't have brought him in if he didn't.
 
JPSLotus said:
His feedback is quite accurate, and he can pinpoint a lot of issues based on his ability to feel that most riders simply don't pick up on...or even things the data does not reflect. I also wouldn't say he is not going to be much help for riders with a different style. In fact, that's completely inaccurate, otherwise test riders simply would not exist.

He isn't there for the publicity. He legitimately has something to give. Ducati wouldn't have brought him in if he didn't.
Click to expand...

He may pick up on things other riders miss because they aren't using the same riding style. Dovi and Iannone might "feel" things Stoner does not. Think of Lorenzo having to race a bike that was developed by Marquez. He'd never get on the podium.
 
Last edited:
moto vudu said:
He may pick up on things other riders miss because they aren't using the same riding style. Dovi and Iannone might "feel" things Stoner does not. Think of Lorenzo having to race a bike that was developed by Marquez. He'd never get on the podium.
Click to expand...

/yawn
 
Time will tell if Stoner is helpful at all, but improvements made by Gigi, Iannone, and Dovi, will be considered Stoner's "amazing input" by people on the outside looking in.
 
moto vudu said:
Time will tell if Stoner is helpful at all, but improvements made by Gigi, Iannone, and Dovi, will be considered Stoner's "amazing input" by people on the outside looking in.
Click to expand...

You are quick to accuse others of prejudice in regard to riders you admire, so why don't you just wait and see what happens before making any calls?

Ducati would seem to have actively sought Stoner out for this role, and they may possibly have more insight than you do into what he has to offer them given he rode for them for 4 years during which he won their only world championship and managed a large percentage of their total race wins in the premier class. Specifically, they may not agree with the old chestnut about him not being able to develop for other riders; in fact those that remain have seen what resulted from that view being prevalent with former Ducati players, as well as one Valentino Rossi and his then crew chief, in 2009, that result being rather a debacle with the "best ever bike developers" in 2011 and 2012.

Imo while the sky is the limit for Iannone, Dovi will remain what he has always been, an admirable journeyman, and Petrucci is probably the future anyway along with Iannone rather than him. However if hiring Stoner as a test rider is nothing more than a punt in the hope of enticing Stoner back to race for them in 2017 it is probably not all that bad a longshot to take, even at age 31 there is some chance he might get back what he once had, while Dovi has never had such ability in the first place.
 
Last edited:
michaelm said:
You are quick to accuse others of prejudice in regard to riders you admire, so why don't you just wait and see what happens before making any calls?

Ducati would seem to have actively sought Stoner out for this role, and they may possibly have more insight than you do into what he has to offer them given he rode for them for 4 years during which he won their only world championship and managed a large percentage of their total race wins in the premier class. Specifically, they may not agree with the old chestnut about him not being able to develop for other riders.

Imo while the sky is the limit for Iannone, Dovi will remain what he has always been, an admirable journeyman, and Petrucci is probably the future anyway along with Iannone rather than himi. However if hiring Stoner as a test rider is nothing more than a punt in the hope of enticing Stoner back to race for them in 2017 it is probably not all that bad a longshot to take, even at age 31 there is some chance he might get back what he once had, while Dovi has never had such ability in the first place.
Click to expand...

There really would not be a whole lot to talk about at Ducati if it were not for Stoner being there. The publicity alone is worth it if it gets people talking and excited about Ducati. How well Stoner's inputs transfer to other riders remains to be seen. HRC didn't appear to utilize him much, now he has a real chance to prove his worth as a test rider.
 
moto vudu said:
There really would not be a whole lot to talk about at Ducati if it were not for Stoner being there. The publicity alone is worth it if it gets people talking and excited about Ducati. How well Stoner's inputs transfer to other riders remains to be seen. HRC didn't appear to utilize him much, now he has a real chance to prove his worth as a test rider.
Click to expand...
Except that the initial version of the Honda 1000 bike developed with Stoner as lead rider was totally dominant in early testing before two rule changes thwarted him/Honda, and MM reputedly won the 2013 championship using Stoner's settings.

You are correct Honda didn't utilise him as a test rider, hence why he is now test riding for Ducati, and if I was to indulge in the type of lurid speculation which was the wont of Rossi and his fans in late season 2015 I could suggest Honda just signed him to keep him away from rivals should he change his mind and consider a comeback.

It will be interesting at least to see his times today, although it is not clear at this stage which equipment he will be using. If I were you ie a Rossi fan I would probably avoid the topic of the value for Ducati of the input of recent riders.
 
Last edited:
michaelm said:
Except that the initial version of the Honda 1000 bike developed with Stoner as lead rider was totally dominant in early testing before two rule changes thwarted him/Honda, and MM reputedly won the 2014 championship using Stoner's settings.

You are correct Honda didn't utilise him as a test rider, hence why he is now test riding for Ducati, and if I was to indulge in the type of lurid speculation which was the wont of Rossi and his fans in late season 2015 I could suggest Honda just signed him to keep him away from rivals should he change his mind and consider a comeback.

It will be interesting at least to see his times today, although it is not clear at this stage which equipment he will be using. If I were you ie a Rossi fan I would probably avoid the topic of the value for Ducati of the input of recent riders.
Click to expand...

:D Input from riders before the arrival of Gigi was taken as seriously as input from members of this forum. Even Stoner fans can relate to that since Ducati didn't listen to him either.
 
moto vudu said:
:D Input from riders before the arrival of Gigi was taken as seriously as input from members of this forum. Even Stoner fans can relate to that since Ducati didn't listen to him either.
Click to expand...

Read the first line of my post then, you have just made an argument for Stoner not being involved in the development of Ducatis previously, although I don't see it as coincidental that the really bad bike, the 2010 bike which Rossi inherited, was developed in his absence and supposedly with the aim of being more generally suited to riders other than him. Ducati's own view seems to have been that it was the control tyre and consequent removal of the tyre co-developed with Bridgestone for their bike which really screwed them in any case.

I do believe Rossi contributed significantly to the improved bike Yamaha obviously had last season btw, although the seamless gearbox may have been the most crucial thing.
 
Last edited:
Long time forum creeper, you guys are great and hopefully I can add my opinion to this colorful group. First post, I just wanna say that Petrucci is flying this morning.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 people
How long does a ....... red flag last. Jesus.

Is Michelin ...... bricks the rubber broke?
 
It looks like the rear tire split wide open from a picture posted on twitter/instagram. I wonder if this is why the red flag is still going, they are checking tires.
 

Similar threads

#22
2024 Testing schedule confirmed
Replies
0
Views
273
#22
#22
#22
2025 Barcelona preseason test thread
Replies
142
Views
3K
michaelm
M
J
Why test in Sepang?
Replies
16
Views
742
Havey
H
J
2025 MotoGP Schedule
Replies
4
Views
637
PRS717
P
Mick D
Journalists Banned from Sepang Tests
Replies
6
Views
424
mylexicon
M

Recent Discussions