Joined Apr 2015
6K Posts | 5K+
NJ
Really puts into perspective what VR's talent level is compared to Stoner's, doesn't it?
Really puts into perspective what VR's talent level is compared to Stoner's, doesn't it?
Joined Oct 2006
25K Posts | 4K+
Your Mom's House
Sepang: 5.5km 3.44 mi
Valencia: 4.0km 2.49mi
Generally speaking, a smaller track should offer a smaller gap. So...a large gap in a small track means the difference was even more contrasting. I guess...
Meh. Look, I've always been a Stoner guy. And I'm becoming a Rossi hater but Rossi's record is what it is and it's impressive.
All that what it is, for a guy who we were led to believe was deeply disliked Stoner is getting a fantastic welcome. I cannot fathom him not returning. HRC had MM waiting to take the reins. Ducati doesn't have the next Champion to be waiting to throw a leg over their bike. If Stoner has good times in the official test, I think we see a wildcard for sure. If that goes well, I think Stoner replaced Dovi in 2017.
Joined Apr 2015
6K Posts | 5K+
NJ
I think Rossi's record is suspect tbh...in particular those last 2 titles.
If anyone else been given preferred winner status and received as much assistance as Rossi did over the years, they could have done a lot of it as well. Now I know very few agree with that position, which is fine. Yeah he still had to ride the bike, but when special tires are manufactured for you alone, it's kind of like being given a gun when your opponents all have knives.
He's talented yes, but I feel much of the perceived talent he had being said to be that "alien" level was more a case of being given such a massive unfair advantage with equipment.
So it leads back to for me a more important question: How can you reasonably call it impressive?
It can be as suspect as you want it to be, but at the end of the day Rossi has 9 titles across all classes and there can be no taking away from that component short of him being found to have had illegal advantages.
Joined Apr 2015
1K Posts | 731+
neptune
Yes, they are worth the same, else we would see sponsors leaving him in droves when even today he still attracts new personal and team sponsors.
We would see his fanbase falling and yet it continues to grow.
In years ahead they will talk of Rossi and will not care how he got the titles, just that he has 9 individual world championship which places him third in the overall standings.
It is however true that some people will try to diminish his results for their own reasons, often that he had equipment that others may not have had ........... and yet often these same people reference Agostini as a point with his 15 titles whilst over look the very fact that he had far greater machinery benefits that most of his fellow competitors.
I do not like Rossi one bit as a personality, but the guy can ride a bike and has done so for many many years and for each 'but he had a superior X in yea Y', the same could be argued of other championship winners as well.
F*ck, I am really defending Rossi .............. what have I become
Joined Oct 2015
985 Posts | 634+
Siebenbürgen süße Heimat!
I can sympathize if you compared stoner in 08 to schumi 97. Be careful tho. You're right on the verge of becoming a long winded apostel
Joined Apr 2015
6K Posts | 5K+
NJ
Joined Apr 2015
6K Posts | 5K+
NJ
Yes, they are worth the same, else we would see sponsors leaving him in droves when even today he still attracts new personal and team sponsors.
We would see his fanbase falling and yet it continues to grow.
In years ahead they will talk of Rossi and will not care how he got the titles, just that he has 9 individual world championship which places him third in the overall standings.
It is however true that some people will try to diminish his results for their own reasons, often that he had equipment that others may not have had ........... and yet often these same people reference Agostini as a point with his 15 titles whilst over look the very fact that he had far greater machinery benefits that most of his fellow competitors.
I do not like Rossi one bit as a personality, but the guy can ride a bike and has done so for many many years and for each 'but he had a superior X in yea Y', the same could be argued of other championship winners as well.
F*ck, I am really defending Rossi .............. what have I become
........ Gaz.
You know exactly what I am talking about.
Answer me this: has any premier class world champion threatened to quit the sport if they weren't given certain equipment and then had those running the sport capitulate to his demands?
And also, you can weight championships, it's done all the time.
Joined May 2009
6K Posts | 4K+
Shovel's Club
Well I know one that actually did quit because of the media circus but I'm not naming names here.
Joined Nov 2015
242 Posts | 144+
Australia
On a side note, I'm surprised the rules haven't been recently modified to prevent Casey from testing at the same time as the 2016 competitors because there is technically a possibility that he could influence the championship when he's not in the running. :giggle:
Factory test riders not infrequently participate in testing, it just doesn't cause much remark given they have not usually been previous 2 time premier class world champions, and there would seem much more chance of him influencing the championship by wild card rides, a limited number of which are specifically allowed by the rules.
Joined Apr 2015
1K Posts | 731+
neptune
Now you are talking something different ........ a threat to quit the sport does NOT acquaint to benefits that were NOT available to others as you must remember that other factories used the Bridgestones at the time .......... an unfair benefit would have been that he, and only he had access to the tyres which is BS as you well know.
Sure he uses the power that he has been allowed to accrue, but it is no different to HRC utilising their power, or MV years ago and so on ............ every athlete pushes the boundaries of their power to assist themselves as they are all selfish pricks, sure not all have Rossi power but they still try.
As for has any WC threatened to quit, well when he threatened he was a former WC and I am pretty sure there had been cases (Biaggi for example in WSBK from memory threatened as he wanted to keep one of the advantages and so on).
So, you want to weigh championship ...... did Stoner not have equipment in 2007 that was NOT available to others aside from Kawasaki and Suzuki ........ namely Bridgestone tyres developed by and for the Ducati?
Does that advantage (as it was an advantage in 2007, even if nobody would have predicted it in 2006) render his title lesser?
Of course not as he used his tools and advantages to the best of his and their ability.
Rossi has power and influence within the sport and uses it, this reflects on DORNA, Ezpeleta and co but Rossi is doing no different to athletes past and present, or any employee who has an ability that other employees do not.
F*ck it again .............. I have to stop with this Rossi defense else I need to see a doctor (pun totally intended)
Very true sparrow and I suspect that near all, if not all of these people are whiney little piss ants, but only some are of interest to the media with what they have to say or how they say it .............. others are (sadly in many regards) just not considered 'newsworthy' enough.
Joined Apr 2015
6K Posts | 5K+
NJ
