Silly Season 2012

SackWack said:

He did compare his riding style to Stoner's, although I think if Stoner was on that Tech 3 Yam I think we would see a far different outcome to what Cal has achieved so far.

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Hubris Alert!

i thought about it a little bit and i've come to the conclusion that if he isn't offered spies' seat soon it would be best for him to take the ducati offer



why?

1.)only factory seats give you a shot at wins, let alone world titles

2.)by the time his next 2 year contract is up he'll be 30 and the current moto2 guys (most importantly another fast brit in redding) will be on the scene, making a 2015 move to a factory bike even harder

3) ducati pays good. i can think of worse scenarios than being a millionaire and heading back to wsbk for victories



all in all i can't think of a good reason to stay at tech3 other than a couple of more potential podiums

Quote i thought about it a little bit and i've come to the conclusion that if he isn't offered spies' seat soon it would be best for him to take the ducati offer



why?

1.)only factory seats give you a shot at wins, let alone world titles

2.)by the time his next 2 year contract is up he'll be 30 and the current moto2 guys (most importantly another fast brit in redding) will be on the scene, making a 2015 move to a factory bike even harder

3) ducati pays good. i can think of worse scenarios than being a millionaire and heading back to wsbk for victories



all in all i can't think of a good reason to stay at tech3 other than a couple of more potential podium











Very good post

cliché guevara said:

i thought about it a little bit and i've come to the conclusion that if he isn't offered spies' seat soon it would be best for him to take the ducati offer



why?

1.)only factory seats give you a shot at wins, let alone world titles

2.)by the time his next 2 year contract is up he'll be 30 and the current moto2 guys (most importantly another fast brit in redding) will be on the scene, making a 2015 move to a factory bike even harder

3) ducati pays good. i can think of worse scenarios than being a millionaire and heading back to wsbk for victories



all in all i can't think of a good reason to stay at tech3 other than a couple of more potential podiums

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Maybe he is screwing with the media. He had a .... grin when he made a comment about following the ducati in the post race interview. Maybe he has an offer from repsol. It has been coming up again that the honda bosses do not want two spanish riders. Maybe its not Vale but Cal. If I were him (either of them)I would take that seat for nothing.

sure, you won't hear me arguing for a ducati over a honda/yamaha if an offer is on the table.

but if you're beyond 25 and its victory youre after primarily ,i'd always argue for a factory duc seat over a place in a satellite team.

i don't want to make it sound though as if hes old and the clock is ticking

Jumkie said:

I think Duc can be one unintended freakish Bridgestone design away from battling with the leaders, or at least with the 3-5 riders.

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who knows how good the connections of a certain tyre advisor and ducati hero are



for the record : i don't think that there would be blatant favoritism as it would surely come up if its against the majority of riders and also i don't think the duc is only a tyre away from being a good bike - especially now that their bike is just a not so good version of the japanese bikes opposed to when their bike was truly something different

I've read Cal's statements, and they are quite funny. Comparing himself to Stoner-only 1 second slower is rather comical, add another 1.5 seconds to that because of the ducati and you have a long hard season if he goes that way......!



And lets face it, even Stoner would not have a shot at winning on the Duck now



Cal's performances on the tech III have been great, however his teammate is handing him his ..., nearly every week. Which means he is not the number 1 pick in Sat Yam terms-let alone for the Factory Yamaha seat.



Ducati are preparing for the inevitable, with Rossi about to leave, they are hedging their bets on retaining a rider that will keep them in the public eye-at least in the UK anyway. It is clear they do not have a solution to compete in Motogp under these regs and on these tyres, nor are they willing to fundamentally change what is necessary, and offer many differing solutions-like what their adversaries do. A move to Ducati is professional suicide for any rider-Cal will get paid well yes-finish 8-10th each season, then its back to WSBK.



Nicky should move on the WSBK, he belongs there now, and would enjoy success once again

[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Nicky should move on the WSBK, he belongs there now, and would enjoy success once again [/font]







[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Im not convinced he will do well if Checa's report on the new superbike is correct[/font]

Willski said:

Me and Levigarret were talking about Hayden before the first race of the season. I said then that I had a feeling Nicky might get moved onto the factory WSBK Ducati team at the end of the season. With the Panigale's first season in WSBK, and the American marketplace so important for Ducati as a business, Hayden seems the obvious choice. Ducati can then recruit someone new to try and get results on the GP bike, whilst retaining a guy who will have a chance of a title in WSBK

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Hayden should, given a decent bike, show the WSBK crowd the way home IMO.

i wouldnt call his performance getting his ... handed to him by his teammate.

also i don't see how staying at a satellite team any longer will do him any good. unlike in 2010 people know now that the ducati is not the bike to be on so i wouldnt say finishing 6th on the ducati is worse for your career than finishing 4th on a tech3.



that the ducati is not capable of winning is a direct result of them trying to be more conventional.it seems the more rider friendly they make it ,the slower it gets.sure that will make it harder even for a guy like stoner to win on it



have to admit though, if there is a dry podium for rossi or hayden this year i will go on record and say stoner could have won a race with it.

hes the only rider in my mind that at least has the chance to ride that bike in a way that understeer mid corner, getting it turned and getting a smooth response from that brutal engine won't be such big problems

Good post Jum's.

I was thinking if Nicky does go to WSBK, it might be on a Ducati....ugg! Chubby Checa is not interested in riding the new bike (i.e. it's ....!) and a chill went down my back...what if Ducati want Nicky there to develop that bike while suffering thru horrible race results! Damn I sure hope Nicky has better offers to ride competitive machinery in WSBK. If not, he may as well take a year off and pursue the grand slam.

Ok it seems Rossi on a HRC is out.



How about Crutchlow on a Honda? There has been a past history of Stoner "giving the word" for riders he appreciates in the paddock, why not Crutchlow? Stoner gets on well with him.



Thats all if there is another seat besides Marquez.

Jumkie said:

What about Hector. Nobody is talking about him. Will the tide tow him toward another team in all the shuffle?



13784:BTow.png]

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Ironic rumor of the month: Next year Hector will be driving a tow truck.

BarryMachine said:

Ok it seems Rossi on a HRC is out.



How about Crutchlow on a Honda? There has been a past history of Stoner "giving the word" for riders he appreciates in the paddock, why not Crutchlow? Stoner gets on well with him.



Thats all if there is another seat besides Marquez.

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marc n peddler at hrc



strong rumour Duc offered Cal a deal all ready he has until Mugello to decide if his career is down the pan or not

Jumkie said:

What about Hector. Nobody is talking about him. Will the tide tow him toward another team in all the shuffle?



13784:BTow.png]

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We can only hope !



Nicky to Ducati WSBK

Cal to Ducati GP

Rossi defo not to HRC

Jumkie said:

Arrabi, i just had a crazy thought. Imagine if Rossi leaves the GP project and Cal accepts the two year deal. (btw, im hoping Nicky move on to Wsbk, but after seeing their race direction are gutless ......., im reconsidering my thoughts). Anyway, back to my crazy thought, imagine if the 2013 GP Ducati comes good and is back at front with Cal? I think Duc can be one unintended freakish Bridgestone design away from battling with the leaders, or at least with the 3-5 riders.

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I have Valentino alongside Lorenzo next year and Cal has as good as signed so consider this scenario done.



I actually thought the same when Nicky went to Ducati - that both might be mutually complimentary and that Nicky's style would allow him to transcend some the difficulties with the bike or even dare I say it...direct the development. I certainly believe that we tend to underestimate the degree of positive input into the project from that side of the garage. However it seems that the variables are so manifold and the bike so finicky that most discoveries or breakthroughs have been of a serendipitous nature as opposed to a product of solution based methodical improvement.



The difficulty Cal appeared to encounter when graduating to Moto GP - apart from the stiffness of the Bridgestone's in tandem with associated taut rigidity of a Moto GP chassis was corner entry and braking - completely erasing his Superbike style and having faith in the front end of the motorcycle. If you recall he pulled in due to a lack of feel in several races - Mugello was one I think, citing alarming problems with the tyres, which may or may not have been legitimate. This years M1 and formula has been a revelation to him and think that set up has been far easier than the razor sharp 800cc predecessor. The tyres are 'kinder' and Crutchlow has some torque to play with like his superbike days.



I really can't see the possibility of the sleeping giant scenario. The beast will continue to 'rear it's head' (steady Barry) but in the same ugly way for Crutchlow that it does for Rossi and Hayden. There is no way that Cal will be a panacea for Ducati. I am absolutely certain that the Ducati will continue to regress and drag him down with it in the process. The brand have no loyalty to their riders and with Redding destined to be the token future Brit in Moto GP Cal will not be afforded the chance to take stock in Moto 2 to relaunch a Dorna assisted assault on the top class in the way that a Spanish rider such as Elias could. The understeer and vague front end feel will endure and I hope that Cal will have the sense to do the same as Melandri and Rossi and not risk serious injury. Without the bargaining power of Valentino will the same level of resources continue to be poured into the project? The bike is so utterly directionless and so alien to Ducati's signature design concepts an tenets as someone recently suggested they need to take a year or two out of GP and return to the drawing boards at Bologna and have faith in what they know and do best. A racing philosophy which has always served them well in the past.

Talpa said:

I've read Cal's statements, and they are quite funny. Comparing himself to Stoner-only 1 second slower is rather comical, add another 1.5 seconds to that because of the ducati and you have a long hard season if he goes that way......!



And lets face it, even Stoner would not have a shot at winning on the Duck now



Cal's performances on the tech III have been great, however his teammate is handing him his ..., nearly every week. Which means he is not the number 1 pick in Sat Yam terms-let alone for the Factory Yamaha seat.



Ducati are preparing for the inevitable, with Rossi about to leave, they are hedging their bets on retaining a rider that will keep them in the public eye-at least in the UK anyway. It is clear they do not have a solution to compete in Motogp under these regs and on these tyres, nor are they willing to fundamentally change what is necessary, and offer many differing solutions-like what their adversaries do. A move to Ducati is professional suicide for any rider-Cal will get paid well yes-finish 8-10th each season, then its back to WSBK.



Nicky should move on the WSBK, he belongs there now, and would enjoy success once again

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Sorry, but I have to disagree with you there (and not just because of me being a Brit) - just look at the current championship positions . Cal out rode Dovi at the beginning of the season whilst Dovi was getting to grips with the Tech 3 Yamaha, now Dovi's managed that his additional experience with racing on the European tracks at this level is starting to show and he's managing to finish a place or so ahead of Cal - and who knows what would have happened at Assen if Cal had not been pushed back down the field due to 'Banzai' Bautista. Hardly "handing him his ..." (unless this has a different meaning in Talpaland ). FWIW I think Dovi is still a (slightly) better rider than Cal (and that's despite me being a Brit)