Valencia Tests.

gui22a said:

Man, relax.







Preziosi asked Rossi not to run too fast. I'm not joking, it was like an order.

Click to expand...

Link Puhleeeze!!!

Keshav said:

Link Puhleeeze!!!

Click to expand...

“We have to decide the kind of engine we will use next year. To do that it’s necessary to compare the two types,” said Preziosi. “Unfortunately that means we can’t just work on one bike to get the best set-up in order to achieve the best lap time. This is a problem for the rider because it matters to them when they are competing with the other riders, they always want to get the best time! We will ask Valentino to help us with that.”

Preziosi continued: “I am ready to get feedback from Valentino on which one he prefers. I will prefer which one is doing the best lap time.” LINK

Click to expand...

The implication being, lap times are of no consequence.





However he also said this:

Rossi’s best lap of 1’33.761 left him 15th on the timesheet by the close of the day on Wednesday, and when asked what it was like to work with the 31 year-old Preziosi said: “Unbelievable. For me to be calm when you are at the top of the timesheet is easy, but to be calm when you are not at the top means you really are a great rider.” LINK

Click to expand...

The second quote implies something different to me, but I'd give Prezi the benefit of the doubt.

Sounds likes Preziosi is just a star struck, excuse making, reality denying bopper, lets start calling him names every time someone links a quote or interview from him.

Agile said:

Sounds likes Preziosi is just a star struck, excuse making, reality denying bopper, lets start calling him names every time someone links a quote or interview from him.

Click to expand...

Are you high?

Jumkie said:

Where is your faith? I have no doubt they will stop at nothing to sort the Ducati. Can you imagine the statement it would make if the "greatest" rider ever could not win on a Ducati? Unacceptable.

Click to expand...

I didn't say that Rossi cannot win on the Ducati, Jum -- don't twist whatever I say

I said, Ducati "as is" and Rossi did not gel, it is obvious after these tests, to anybody who understand this sport a bit. So? So, it will take more time.



I added, they maybe will be competitive by mid-season in 2011. It's a personal judgement.

Faith, I need none. From Valentino Rossi, the greatest rider alive, I only expect facts.



The same kind of facts that Stoner, the fastest rider alive, delivered in Valencia.

J4rn0 said:

I didn't say that Rossi cannot win on the Ducati, Jum -- don't twist whatever I say

I said, Ducati "as is" and Rossi did not gel, it is obvious after these tests, to anybody who understand this sport a bit. So? So, it will take more time.



I added, they maybe will be competitive by mid-season in 2011. It's a personal judgement.

Faith, I need none. From Valentino Rossi, the greatest rider alive, I only expect facts.

The same kind of facts that Stoner, the fastest rider alive, delivered in Valencia.

Click to expand...

Check out these pics from inside Rossi's garage. LINK

Jumkie said:

Check out these pics from inside Rossi's garage. LINK

Click to expand...

Yup. I know this photographer. Beautiful, really beautiful pics

J4rn0 said:

Yup. I know this photographer. Beautiful, really beautiful pics

Click to expand...

Hey, check out Rossi's new rig (the gray cyborg looking thing on the right). I don't see any tires on it, so does this mean he plans living at the track (considering his initial outing on the Duc).



11023:VR RV.png]

LINK

Thanks Jumkie.



also, take a look here:

Problem: keeping Rossi calm. “All this - Preziosi said, picking up where he left off - means working without worrying too much about lap times. But I think Rossi might not agree. I'll have to find a way to convince him."

Click to expand...

Link

gui22a said:

Thanks Jumkie.



also, take a look here:







Link

Click to expand...

Yes, that's the quote I was looking for. Its from a video interview that they put to transcript.

Jumkie said:

The implication being, lap times are of no consequence.





However he also said this:







The second quote implies something different to me, but I'd give Prezi the benefit of the doubt.

Click to expand...

There's nothing there saying Rossi was expressly forbidden to do a few fast laps.

Stands to reason Rossi would want to be pushing the bike within say 90% of it's

capabilities to be able to know what needs changing as it has been stated time

and again that to get the most of out of it - it has to be ridden to the ragged edge.

I can appreciate the concept of methodical testing - but not even one or two hot

laps? I know of no precedent for such a demand.

Keshav said:

There's nothing there saying Rossi was expressly forbidden to do a few fast laps.

Stands to reason Rossi would want to be pushing the bike within say 90% of it's

capabilities to be able to know what needs changing as it has been stated time

and again that to get the most of out of it - it has to be ridden to the ragged edge.

I can appreciate the concept of methodical testing - but not even one or two hot

laps?

Click to expand...

Spot on.

The only reason why Rossi did not clock at least the same lap times as Hayden (or De Puniet) is that he did not push.

When a rider does not push hard, it is not because his manager told him to take it easy!



Every rider will push when he feels confident. Rossi did not feel confident enough. That's all.

When you do not push, the Bridgestones do not reach the optimal temperature. They remain lukewarm and the lap times stay low.

End of the story.

Beginning of some hard work ahead for Preziosi-Rossi-Burgess and crew.

I may add, something tells me they are going to work on ways to load the front end better...

Keshav said:

There's nothing there saying Rossi was expressly forbidden to do a few fast laps.

Stands to reason Rossi would want to be pushing the bike within say 90% of it's

capabilities to be able to know what needs changing as it has been stated time

and again that to get the most of out of it - it has to be ridden to the ragged edge.

I can appreciate the concept of methodical testing - but not even one or two hot

laps?

Click to expand...

Yep, not in the interview, but inside garage Rossi could be obedient, what is the problem?



I also wonder in which way he can take a decision being 1.6 secs slower than others, but maybe it's not necessary to race like a mad to achieve that. That time of 1:33.xxx seems a lot slower, but actually it isn't, it's a time where you have to push the bike to achieve. 1:33 is high but I'm sure he wasn't perambulating through the track to reach that lap time.



Relax, that's Rossi's way of sorting the things up.

J4rn0 said:

Every rider will push when he feels confident. Rossi did not feel confident enough. That's all.

Click to expand...

hmmm, how did you manage to talk to him?

gui22a said:

hmmm, how did you manage to talk to him?

Click to expand...

No need. Use simple logic.

"Every rider will push if he feels confident enough"

"Rossi didn't" = "Rossi didn't feel confident enough"



It's like saying:

"Every fire will produce some smoke"

"There was no smoke" = "There was no fire".

So what does this all say about Stoner and his development skills? Yes, he's the outright fastest rider on the grid, but was either content riding a piece of .... this whole time or unable to improve the package over the years at Ducati.

Maybe Ducati's main excitement to have someone like Rossi and Burgess on the team is the proposition of finally turning the bike into a formidable, user friendly race machine.



Maybe Ducati's frustration with Casey was that he couldn't help Ducati build a good race bike..?



Btw, not bashing Stoner here, just some thoughts I had..

It is interesting watching the dynamics of this thread and thinking about the different course it would have taken had Rossi been 1st at the end of the test and Stoner been 15th.



Leading up to the test JB clearly indicated that they would have the bike set up very quickly and had they not had access to the bike this test it would have been no problem. He was also quoted as saying that unlike the switch to Yamaha back in 2004 the switch to Ducati would be far easier as the Ducati is so much better than the Yamaha was. Now I hold JB in very high regard but it would appear that many if not all of his assertions have fallen far from reality.



Not sure how many laps Rossi did but no doubt it is up near 100. Now you can not tell me that somewhere in this many laps over 2 days it was not possible for a couple of fast laps to be turned. The last 20min of the test it would make sense to put together all you have learned and see what can be done. The fact this was not done says to me that 15th was probably the fastest that Rossi could go on this bike. Ducati and its sponsors have paid big money for Rossi and they want a dividend for that outlay and speculation about 15th for the next 2mths will not deliver it.



15th also calls into question JB's observations of the bike before they got their hands on it. Despite Ducati filling the back of the grid for 4 years now observers which include JB have refused to admit the bike is crap. Why? Because Stoner has succeeded on it. I have read and heard for the last 4 years people say 'take out Stoner and the Ducati is on par with the Suzuki' and this has been disregarded by just about everyone.



Now it is easy to claim that this test means nothing and if there were 10 more to come then I could probably agree. What is for certain is this test means something.



What I read from the test is:



- Rossi and JB are having the same trouble as every other rider to through a leg over the Ducati.

- Ducati has issues with the engineering and design philosophy of their bike. They have had this problem for 4 years.

- Stoner can ride anything he throws a leg over very fast almost immediately. People said that it was just the Ducati he gelled with. Well the Honda is not a Ducati and he seemed to go well on it pretty much straight away.

- Stoner is the quickest Honda rider against 3 very fast Honda riders who have been on the same bike for 4, 2 and 1 years.



Other things from the test:



- Sic is the real deal and has every chance of finishing second Honda rider come the end of 2011.

- Spies is the real deal and has every chance of finishing ahead of his WC team mate come the end of 2011.

- Capirossi should have retired 3 years ago and is taking a ride from someone else who deserves it more.

- Crutchlow has every chance of being more successful than the last Brit to grace the scene.

- Lorenzo is going to need to have a perfect season as he did in 2010 if he is going to finish in the top 3 in 2011.



This test means something, maybe you think it means something different to me but suggesting it means nothing is just naive.

Double

J4rn0 said:

Hmmm.

I think it means a lot. Nobody was expecting Rossi to be top 3, but this is too low. That can mean only one thing: Vale and the Ducati do not gel. They'll have to turn the bike upside down now, and certainly they have the potential to sort it out eventually, but it'll take time. They will not be competitive before the half of next season, so the title race in 2011 will be between Lorenzo and Stoner.

I had predicted Stoner fastest, btw, and I'll surely root for him next year

Click to expand...

I'm wondering if its going to be Melandri all over again with Rossi/Duc. There was nothing really even remotely to suggest he would be able to ride the Duc.at speed, and indeed history has shown that Rossi requires a very gentle well handling bike.

Its very early stages I know but this first showing has just been confirmation that the Duc. is not a very refined bike.

The saving grace is that they have JB and they will totally redesign the beast in time.

Sadly though with this first ride its become obvious their task is going to be a lot more difficult than was first hoped. I can't see the having it Rossi readyby qatar, and the next rounds.



I just hope its not going to turn into an experience that finishes Rossi ( ALA Melandri ) and the Ducati brand in racing. All this talk of "Fatal Attractions" is not good

Is not only ducatis reputation but rossis too thats on the line, there'll be few more people up the sharp end to deal with next season, suppose we will have to see what happens in the final test before the season starts!



Still I think it will be between stoner and lorenzo next year!