*SPOILERS*Motogp Jerez FreePractice and Quali discussion *SPOILERS*

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Son of Doohan @ Mar 28 2008, 03:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>It's really interesting - do all the bridgestone shod bikes, (besides Stoner and Rossi) suck, or do they suck because of bridgestone, or is it a combination of both? Or, do all those riders suck?
Stoner/ducati/bridgestone is some combination that comes together, very rarely, in such a short space of time. We know Rossi has such a talent that he can get to grips with a new tyre so quickly - but where does it leave the rest?
Where is the development of the kawasaki's and suzuki's heading? And can ducati afford the situation where 1 rider is their only hope - and is that a ducati problem, that only 1 person can ride it, or a rider problem?

I am wondering if Bridgestone has went the Michelin route and gives only certain teams the goods. I know that they wil never officially say this but Michelin never said this was the case yet we all know that the LCR/Team KR/ etc Michelins were not the same as the Repsol boys.
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As far has Ducati and Casey getting hurt. Remember this guy made it through the LCR Honda years without a scratch. I don't think that is a great fear for Factory Ducati. Hoewever, I know that they are really concerned that Melandri is not able to get along well with the bike at all. Hell Call back Gibernau. He could derive the more out of the bike than Capirex and Melandri
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As far as the satellite teams, especially after the Barros comments that someone posted, Ducati doesn't want or hasn't equipped them to succeed. They have a good base bike but no improvements.

Why is everyone dogging Nicky. Last season he was terrible during all testing sessions, good on qualis, then terrible during the race.

He was terrible all last weekend, and he's been really solid all this weekend.

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Prediction time:

1. Hayden
2. Edwards
3. Stoner

Pedrosa jumps out to a huge early lead because Honda's launch control is unreal. I also think part of Michelin's strategy to accumulate more race wins was to develop a tire with a super soft compound to help Pedrosa clear off in the first couple of laps. Lorenzo will reel him in, then make a bone headed passing move. Nicky and Edwards try not to revisit Assen 2006.

Did anyone notice the top 14 riders were within 1 second during FP3?

Dovi? Dovi, where are you? Doooooooooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvviiiiiiiiiiiiii?! Hmmmmm I can't find him anywhere.

is WUP only for 15mins???

why is stoner only going around in 1:49 sec???

The only thing I could work out from warmup was that Jorge was again superfast - to me this is his race to lose, and Vale was pretty quick.
I couldn't get live timing so I'm not really sure what was happening time wise. Stoner was 7th fastest but there wasn't much video of him.
The suzukis were pretty consistent as well.

wow..... i did not know they show the morning warmup! that was a pleasant surprise for gettin up at 4am.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pinky @ Mar 30 2008, 07:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>why is stoner only going around in 1:49 sec???


because the other manufacturers have almost caught up with ducati this year, stoner no longer has the massive speed advantage he had begining of last season.....also michelin seem better, and you have to take into account that stones dont work well on this track.

i think if rossi or stoner push to hard today the will end up in the gravel unless one of them manages to get the setup spot on.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pinky @ Mar 30 2008, 08:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>why is stoner only going around in 1:49 sec???
because the stress is starting to show, yet again we see him kicking out at another rider (capi). then pulls into his pit for a good cry..spoiled prick.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (roger-m @ Mar 30 2008, 12:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>because the stress is starting to show, yet again we see him kicking out at another rider (capi). then pulls into his pit for a good cry..spoiled prick.

fully agree roger my friend, as i have said before his attitude stinks and when he is doing good he smiles like a chesar cat but when he isnt number 1 on the sheets he looks like he just dropped a nugget in his pants....

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Duc999 @ Mar 30 2008, 12:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I know that they are really concerned that Melandri is not able to get along well with the bike at all. Hell Call back Gibernau. He could derive the more out of the bike than Capirex and Melandri
Hmmm, that's just bollox.

I think you'll find that Capirex was instrumental in turning the 990 from a complete monster into something which could regularly be podiumed. Gibbers turned up for the last year of the 990 when all the work was done. Even before the infamous Catalunya brake lever incident that year, Capi had 4 podiums - 1 win, 2 2nds and 1 3rd. Gibbers' best was 4th in Qatar.

Capi went on to two more wins and two more 2nds, finishing 3rd in the championship only 23 points adrift from Hayden. Without the Cataluyna incident Capi may well have been a real contender for the WC.

Gibernau failed to podium all year.

I hate to say I told you so, but <u>I TOLD YOU SO !!!</u>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (yamaka46 @ Mar 30 2008, 02:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Hmmm, that's just bollox.

I think you'll find that Capirex was instrumental in turning the 990 from a complete monster into something which could regularly be podiumed. Gibbers turned up for the last year of the 990 when all the work was done. Even before the infamous Catalunya brake lever incident that year, Capi had 4 podiums - 1 win, 2 2nds and 1 3rd. Gibbers' best was 4th in Qatar.

Capi went on to two more wins and two more 2nds, finishing 3rd in the championship only 23 points adrift from Hayden. Without the Cataluyna incident Capi may well have been a real contender for the WC.

Gibernau failed to podium all year.
Yeah but you fail to mention that Gibbers had the most bad luck on the Ducati despite being the fastest Ducati and often times fastest qualifier period.

The bridgestones were not up to pace that year and he often lead or was at the sharp end of the field until the tyres expired, ground a little toe to dust etc.

Yeah Capirex gets a lot of credit for developing the bike but he only showes up for a few races(plus I don't think all of the credit should go his way). That year Gibbers showed that the bike was capable is a lot of areas to go toe to toe with the Honda and the Yamaha. Plus throw in the fact that bayliss comes in after being off of the bike for two years and pummels the field with your boy Capirex finishing where?

Gibernau is/was a much better rider than Capirossi during the 990 era. Gibernau had only one year on the Ducati and I believe he show what the bike could do in capable hands. Casey has some pretty capable hands.

Don't get me wrong. I am a Ducati Guy. Until Capirex left Ducati, he was my avatar pict. I really like the guy but towards the end of things, he was riding for the $$$.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Duc999 @ Mar 30 2008, 03:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>1. Yeah but you fail to mention that Gibbers had the most bad luck on the Ducati despite being the fastest Ducati and often times fastest qualifier period. The bridgestones were not up to pace that year and he often lead or was at the sharp end of the field until the tyres expired, ground a little toe to dust etc.

2. Yeah Capirex gets a lot of credit for developing the bike but he only showes up for a few races(plus I don't think all of the credit should go his way). That year Gibbers showed that the bike was capable is a lot of areas to go toe to toe with the Honda and the Yamaha. Plus throw in the fact that bayliss comes in after being off of the bike for two years and pummels the field with your boy Capirex finishing where?

3. Gibernau is/was a much better rider than Capirossi during the 990 era. Gibernau had only one year on the Ducati and I believe he show what the bike could do in capable hands. Casey has some pretty capable hands.

4. Don't get me wrong. I am a Ducati Guy. Until Capirex left Ducati, he was my avatar pict. I really like the guy but towards the end of things, he was riding for the $$$.
1. You're right in that Gibernau had a lot of bad luck - retiring from the first race due to electronics failure, losing his toe tektor, the Catalyuna crash and the long recovery required and being taken out by Stoner in Portugal. He sometimes qualified better than Capi, but at the end of the day Capi's results were better in every race apart from Philip Island where Gibernau came 4th to Capi's 7th.

2. If you don't think that Capi should get all the credit, which other rider do you feel had significant input to the development of the 990 Duke? What do you mean by "only shows up for a few races"?
As to Valencia, Bayliss won, Capi came second 1.3 seconds behind him.

3. I don't think that the results support your viewpoint, especially 2006 when they were on equal equipment, however we are all entitled to have our preferred riders.

4. Again, I have to disagree. The last year of the 990s Capi was riding very hard for the championship and may have made it if not for the Catalunya incident and his subsequent recovery time (although he competed in the next two rounds he only managed 15th and 9th). 2007 was a completely different kettle of fish. I think that Capi was trying his best to ride something he (and now Melandri) found unrideable.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (yamaka46 @ Mar 31 2008, 01:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>1. You're right in that Gibernau had a lot of bad luck - retiring from the first race due to electronics failure, losing his toe tektor, the Catalyuna crash and the long recovery required and being taken out by Stoner in Portugal. He sometimes qualified better than Capi, but at the end of the day Capi's results were better in every race apart from Philip Island where Gibernau came 4th to Capi's 7th.

2. If you don't think that Capi should get all the credit, which other rider do you feel had significant input to the development of the 990 Duke? What do you mean by "only shows up for a few races"?
As to Valencia, Bayliss won, Capi came second 1.3 seconds behind him.

3. I don't think that the results support your viewpoint, especially 2006 when they were on equal equipment, however we are all entitled to have our preferred riders.

4. Again, I have to disagree. The last year of the 990s Capi was riding very hard for the championship and may have made it if not for the Catalunya incident and his subsequent recovery time (although he competed in the next two rounds he only managed 15th and 9th). 2007 was a completely different kettle of fish. I think that Capi was trying his best to ride something he (and now Melandri) found unrideable.
I think that Capirex, Bayliss, Gibernau and Checa all contributed to the developement of the Ducati. You would think that if the bike was so totally centered around Capirex's input... he would be the one who would extract all that and then some out of the Duke.

He did not.

Thus Ducati and their development were not solely centered around Capirex. Thus that is why Rossi did not jump to Ducati. That is my original point. Capirex was there the longest but the bike wasn't totally tailored made for him.

Gibernau's results were not the greater of the two true indeed but he was able to show potential with the bike that Capirex did not.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Duc999 @ Mar 30 2008, 02:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I am wondering if Bridgestone has went the Michelin route and gives only certain teams the goods. I know that they wil never officially say this but Michelin never said this was the case yet we all know that the LCR/Team KR/ etc Michelins were not the same as the Repsol boys.

AFAIK the most testing and development are done through Ducati. It's been like that for years, but according to the rumor mill Rossi have requests/input that are expected to end up in a "Rossi" tire.
So I think that everyone have access to the same tires but they are all developed with the help of Ducati.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Babelfish @ Mar 29 2008, 06:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>What rumors?

I was sworn to secrecy.
There was talk about the way he behaved at last year's Day of Champions at Donnington - some of it made it into the press - the worst of it didn't. Just extrapolate the stuff that did.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (howard @ Mar 31 2008, 09:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>There was talk about the way he behaved at last year's Day of Champions at Donnington - some of it made it into the press - the worst of it didn't. Just extrapolate the stuff that did.

I heard Stoner was pissed off at the day of champions because the horrible people that turned up booed him for beating Rossi.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tom @ Mar 31 2008, 10:02 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I heard Stoner was pissed off at the day of champions because the horrible people that turned up booed him for beating Rossi.

The other story was he got booed because he'd been acting like a .... in the paddock - zooming around on his scooter with a face longer than Celine Dion's almost running into people and making it quite clear he'd rather be doing something else.

What he is alleged to have said privately on the day is dynamite.
And before you ask: No. I won't.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (howard @ Mar 31 2008, 10:07 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>The other story was he got booed because he'd been acting like a .... in the paddock - zooming around on his scooter with a face longer than Celine Dion's almost running into people and making it quite clear he'd rather be doing something else.

The truth is probably a combination of these two things.