MotoGP Qatar 2008

[Roby44]

Season 2008 - Fogarty: Toseland can win on debut

Eurosport - Sun, 06 Jan 10:26:00 2008



James Toseland can stun the Moto GP world by winning on his debut in Qatar, according to World Superbike legend Carl Fogarty.
http://d.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com//ng/sp/eurosport/20080106/10/2470579468.jpg






Toseland, 27, will ride for the Tech-3 Yamaha team this season after winning his second World Superbike title in 2007 with Ten Kate Honda.
And fellow Briton Fogarty, who is the most successful rider in World Superbike history with four world crowns and 59 wins, sees no reason why he cannot shake up the Grand Prix paddock right from the word go at the Losail circuit in Doha.
"I think he'll be really fired up and I'd love to see him win a race - I really would," Fogarty told Motorcycle News.
"There is no reason why he can't. All he's doing is riding a bike that's a little bit faster and a little bit lighter - that's all. At the circuits he knows like Qatar - where he's already won in Superbikes - he can go out and win the race.
Fogarty knows what he is talking about. He finished sixth as a wildcard in only his second Moto GP race - the 1990 Swedish Grand Prix - at a time when his only international competition had been in endurance events and road races.
He is convinced that Toseland, with two WSBK titles and 16 wins to his name, is in a much better position to take a race victory against the likes of Valentino Rossi (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/mo/profile/101.html) and world champion Casey Stoner (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/mo/profile/21221.html).

But he insists that the key to success is getting enough testing mileage under his belt before the season starts.
"He needs to get plenty of testing and not get fazed by the big names," Fogarty added. "I'd love to see him win at Donington especially, although that would make me well jealous."
No Briton has won a Moto GP race since the late Barry Sheen triumphed at the Swedish Grand Prix 27 years ago.

[tha_jackal]

Fogarty = Freaking Knob Head... Nuff said..

[The Phantom]

I've never heard him back another British rider like that, though...

I do think JT has what it takes to run at the front in MotoGP. As for taking a title, well that's a whole different kettle of chips...

[maxu05]

I agree with all the above posts. Fogarty is a tool, but, he does have a point. I think that Toseland is the best prospect for Brits to be up at the pointy end for once. I don't think he will be a threat for the title this year, but I can see him on the podium at least once this year.

[MrJan]

Fogarty = Freaking Knob Head... Nuff said..

:up: :up: :up:

The forum censor would break if people wrote the real words they thought about Foggy.

As for Toseland being a front runner I'm not so sure. Both Bayliss and Edwards took a while to settle in and I consider them to be better SBK riders.

I would hope that Toseland will do well this season but there is some tough competition and I don't expect to see him standing on the top step.

[The Phantom]

Bayliss and Edwards are hardcore WSB competitors, certainly. But look at the figures:

Number of WSB titles

Bayliss - 2
Edwards - 2
Toseland - 2

Only Corser can match that. Toseland is up there in serious company.

Toseland is younger, fitter (well, Bayliss is no slouch) and I daresay hungrier than Bayliss and Edwards when it comes to MotoGP. He also has a level head and the good old Brit 'never say die' attitude. I think it will be interesting to see how he goes in the next 2 or 3 years.

[NinjaMaster]

Bayliss could ride the Tour de France so he's not fitter than Troy but with time on his side, JT should be able to learn to adapt well and he will show he deserves to be in MotoGP. Winning first time out is a dream though.
Bayliss was a victim of a poor bike on a contract year not because he couldn't cut it.

[MrJan]

Bayliss and Edwards are hardcore WSB competitors, certainly. But look at the figures:

Number of WSB titles

Bayliss - 2
Edwards - 2
Toseland - 2

Only Corser can match that. Toseland is up there in serious company.

Toseland is younger, fitter (well, Bayliss is no slouch) and I daresay hungrier than Bayliss and Edwards when it comes to MotoGP. He also has a level head and the good old Brit 'never say die' attitude. I think it will be interesting to see how he goes in the next 2 or 3 years.


Let's be honest though Edwards and Bayliss won when there was some serious competition (mostly from each other). I stopped watching SBK a while back so not sure what it's like but I seem to remember Toseland and his team mate just walking away from the rest.

That sai he is a superb rider no doubt but I just don't think he'll do that well this season. As for hungrier I don't think that any one rider has more desire to win than another.

[Corny]

'' All he's doing is riding a bike that's a little bit faster and a little bit lighter - that's all ''

I like Foggy, but this is a complete joke :D

[JETFX...]

Foggy= A legend in his own hand!, and full of more BS excuse's than a politician as to why he couldnt hack it in the 500's. I still clearly remember Foggy rubbishing Doohan because he reckoned Mick was not good enough/scared to come ride SBK against him back in the day....

That said I hope JT does do well, he seems way more talented and much less of a pin head than the 'great one' ;)

[NinjaMaster]

Foggy was plenty talented but also a boofhead who was happier to be a big fish in a smaller pond. WSB legend.

[Pantah Jack]

Fogarty = Freaking Knob Head... Nuff said..

Hey Jackal fair call ......... BUT........... I wouldn't mind his racing record. The Boy could certainly ride a motorcycle.

As for not being able to cut it in 500 cc... we all know how many variables come into that caper. Many other class acts never did much good long term due to the inevitable politics.

Fonsi was a tad emotional after his win. Poor bugger hasn't been on the top step since Donnington 2003

[maxu05]

Great race by the Fonz. I guess for him it is Happy Days. I wonder if he pulls the women like the Fonz :up:

[Roby44]

Great race by the Fonz. I guess for him it is Happy Days. I wonder if he pulls the women like the Fonz :up:

I seriously doubt it!! :)

[jim mcglinchey]

Just about anyone could win this first race because its so different to what everyones used to. Midnight ...under floodlighting!?

Having said that, Stoner'll probably win.

[Roby44]

http://images.motogp.com/multimedia2/1020/1020835_40345.jpg

http://images.motogp.com/multimedia2/1020/1020845_97428.jpg

http://images.motogp.com/multimedia2/1020/1020861_59413.jpg

http://images.motogp.com/multimedia2/1020/1020853_62457.jpg

http://images.motogp.com/multimedia2/1020/1020833_43118.jpg

[NinjaMaster]

That's a lotta lights! :o Think of the electricity bill! I can just see the rest of the countries lights dimming as the power grid is sucked dry for MotoGP. :laugh:

[MrJan]

What a waste, just like racing during daytime.

[maxu05]

They could always save power by making the lights solar powered :laugh:

[leopard]

Hence, not much country which are ready to host night race. :)

[mx311]

Three things I'd like to add.

1) Foggy is a tool, everyone knows this so I have no idea why people continue to talk to him and ask him questions. Btw, I think Toseland will do alright at the beginning of the year, and then fade later as he waits for the new parts to arrive (he'll be last in line at Yamaha).

2) Night racing, we'll have to wait until the first round has been run to see if it's worth it but so long as we don't have 16 night races a year I'm OK with it. At least in the dark you won't be able to tell that there is no-one there. ;)

3) The Qatar race might not answer all our pre-season questions (what with it being run in the dark and all), but if they can't beat Casey Stoner it will hurt the others mentally that's for sure. Honda and Yamaha are close (but perhaps not close enough), Suzuki and the other Dukes aren't there yet (and probably won't get there either) and Kawasaki are Kawasaki (last of the factory boys). I'm actually looking forward more to the 125 and 250 classes to be honest, try picking a winner there. :)

[The Phantom]

Good stuff Matt, and thanks Roby for the excellent pics.

I imagine it would've been a trippy place to be when the pics were taken - no people, absolute silence.

Only a few days to go now!

[Roby44]

Good stuff Matt, and thanks Roby for the excellent pics.

I imagine it would've been a trippy place to be when the pics were taken - no people, absolute silence.

Only a few days to go now!

And there will still be probably not too many people there..

Can't wait for the race..May have to throw a sickie that day!! :(

[Roby44]

West wary of Qatar conditions


07.03.2008


Australian Anthony West has reservations about getting on the bike in the opening round of the MotoGP season in Qatar this weekend.
West, 26, said his Kawasaki machine was feeling good but admitted performances in the lead-up to the maiden event of 2008 haven't filled him with confidence.
He also joined the chorus of riders expressing concerns about the icy conditions at the desert track's historic night race.
"I'm not feeling as good as I'd like as my lap times in testing weren't what I was hoping for," West said.
"I'm quite concerned about the temperatures at night in Qatar as it was so cold and that affected the tyres more than I was comfortable with."
"But we still made loads of big improvements to the bike. I'm really pleased with the feeling I'm getting from the new chassis and the set up generally has really come together over the testing season."
Like all riders, though, West wants to get on track and pit himself against his rivals.
"I'm keen to get back to racing now. Physically, I'm feeling fit and a lot stronger so I'm ready to get on with it," he said.
Kawasaki's competition manager Michael Bartholemy said there had been hiccups in the off-season.
"We didn't have the easiest time at the tests last week," Bartholemy said.
"Anthony in particular suffered a lack of confidence in the grip available, as it was so cold that he struggled to get the tyres up to temperature."
"We weren't the only team to struggle with this but, on the positive side, it seems the night temperatures are now rising a bit so hopefully we will see an improvement in available grip for the race."

[osg]

West wary of Qatar conditions


07.03.2008


Australian Anthony West has reservations about getting on the bike in the opening round of the MotoGP season in Qatar this weekend.
West, 26, said his Kawasaki machine was feeling good but admitted performances in the lead-up to the maiden event of 2008 haven't filled him with confidence.
He also joined the chorus of riders expressing concerns about the icy conditions at the desert track's historic night race.
"I'm not feeling as good as I'd like as my lap times in testing weren't what I was hoping for," West said.
"I'm quite concerned about the temperatures at night in Qatar as it was so cold and that affected the tyres more than I was comfortable with."
"But we still made loads of big improvements to the bike. I'm really pleased with the feeling I'm getting from the new chassis and the set up generally has really come together over the testing season."
Like all riders, though, West wants to get on track and pit himself against his rivals.
"I'm keen to get back to racing now. Physically, I'm feeling fit and a lot stronger so I'm ready to get on with it," he said.
Kawasaki's competition manager Michael Bartholemy said there had been hiccups in the off-season.
"We didn't have the easiest time at the tests last week," Bartholemy said.
"Anthony in particular suffered a lack of confidence in the grip available, as it was so cold that he struggled to get the tyres up to temperature."
"We weren't the only team to struggle with this but, on the positive side, it seems the night temperatures are now rising a bit so hopefully we will see an improvement in available grip for the race."

Fantastic mindset to have going into our first full season on a factory bike :rolleyes:

At this rate he'll be released before season's end with that thinking.......

[The Phantom]

Fantastic mindset to have going into our first full season on a factory bike :rolleyes:

At this rate he'll be released before season's end with that thinking.......

It's been one of West's bugbears - too eager to speak his mind. On one level it's admirable, but on another - the one team managers inhabit - it's not going to do him any favours.

Remarkable - move the race to evening to escape the heat, and now the track is too cold. Didn't they do any research on desert weather patterns before they committed? Anyone who lives in the Outback can tell you that 40 degree days quite easily turn into 12 degree nights...

BTW if you haven't been over to MotoGP Matters of late, have a look - great article on the lighting at Qatar.

[Corny]

FP1 has started, and this is a report for the first 10 minutes: Casey is away like a rocket!

[tha_jackal]

FP2 is done, all ill say is kawasaki = up sh*t creek :p stoner = bridgestone's savior..

[jim mcglinchey]

JT must be riding like a demon. Hes about 16 klicks down on top speed from the Marlboro Dooks and significantly slower than Looneys Yam, but hes hanging in there.

[maxu05]

It's great to see the rookies adapting so quick, but, it's only first night of practice, so some of them are still tweaking and fiddling about. I think Saturday night will really be a better gauge of how they stack up. It is going to be a real battle IMO. Bring it on :up:

[Wim_Impreza]

I am afraid we have a very dominating Stoner in the race. For the second place, it could be interesting... I except again 'a Stoner year'.

The Kawasaki's are slow until now, as WSBK and WSS showed too...

Only 18 riders, that is not good. :(

[Roby44]

07 Mar 2008
STATING THE OBVIOUS!
One of the problems encountered during the recent IRTA test in Qatar was identifying the bikes as they exited the final turn onto the main straight.
While it was possible to identify the distinctive exhaust note of Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR as it accelerated through the gears, the mechanics stood on the pit wall waiting to show the pit board weren't able to identify exactly which Kawasaki rider was approaching until they were less than 100 metres away.
The solution was to position a large fluorescent sticker on the front of the fairing - orange for John Hopkins and yellow for Anthony West - to aid identification. This temporary measure worked well during the test, so it was adapted slightly for this weekend's floodlit racing.
Instead of a plain identifying rectangle on the front of the fairing, the Kawasaki mechanics have prepared Japanese characters in the appropriate fluorescent colours, which can be seen as soon as the bikes exit the final turn.
But what do these strange Japanese characters say? Speculation as to the meaning has been rife in the paddock since the stickers were applied to the bikes on Thursday afternoon.
Most people seem to think it means 'Ninja', or even 'Lime Green'. Some are convinced it means something deep and meaningful in Japanese, while others are sure that it relates to the riders in some way.
One man who knows exactly what he characters represent is Kawasaki's communications manager, Ian Wheeler.
"They have a deep philosophical meaning," declared Wheeler. "Okay, I admit it, that's not exactly true. We did think about using something abstract, but we were in a bit of a rush to get the stickers produced in the short time available, so in the end we settled on something simple."
So what does it mean?
"It means 'front' in Japanese," explains Wheeler. "Like I said, not exactly deep and meaningful, but it's definitely relevant and, more importantly, it works."

[Roby44]

08 Mar 2008
SLIPPERY START FOR KAWASAKI IN QATAR
The first weekend of the 2008 MotoGP World Championship kicked off this evening, under lights. The Qatar round is taking place at night and the premier class field took to the track at 19:00 hours and then again at 22:55 hours, local time, for the first two practice sessions.
As during the IRTA test here last week, the track temperature plummeted as soon as the sun went down ahead of the first free practice session, despite the 5.4 million watts of lighting used to illuminate the track. By the time this evening's second free practice session started the track temperature had dropped to just 14˚C, and many riders were commenting that rear grip had become difficult to predict.
This was certainly true for Kawasaki's John Hopkins, as he worked his way through a number of rear tyre options in a bid to identify a tyre that could cope with the cold conditions should they remain for Sunday's 22-lap race. The 24-year-old Anglo-American rejected a number of rear slick options, before finding a combination of tyre and suspension settings that appeared to improve both the level and the consistency of the grip.
Although disappointed not to finish higher up the timesheet on the opening day of the first round of 2008, Hopkins remains confident that tomorrow will see him move closer to tonight's leader, reigning world champion, Casey Stoner.
Anthony West, meanwhile, managed to improve his times over the course of the evening's practices and put in his best time on his final lap of the second session. It was possible for the 26-year-old Australian to have finished higher up the leaderboard but for a crash on what would have been his fastest lap of the day.
Heading into the left hand turn two, West touched the throttle to help turn the bike into the corner, at which point the rear came round on him and he went over the high side. He banged his head in the crash but is otherwise uninjured.
Both Kawasaki riders, like many of their rivals, are hoping for higher night time temperatures for tomorrow's qualifying practice and, ultimately, Sunday's race.



John Hopkins: #21: 14th – 34 laps – 1'57.085
"Tonight we went out on track with the aim of finding the best tyre solution and unfortunately we ran into some minor technical issues in the later session. This meant we weren't able to put together a solid run to improve our lap time. I'm disappointed with tonight's overall result, as I know that we are capable of so much more. We have to find a tyre combination with good grip to suit these chilly conditions and although we've got our work cut out, I'm confident that we'll be much higher in the standings tomorrow."

Anthony West: #13: 17th – 33 laps – 1'57.934
"The track is quite dusty tonight and we've found it quite difficult to make the tyres work in the cold conditions. In the first session the feeling from the machine wasn't great but we made some big improvements in the second practice and I started to feel quite confident. Rear grip is the main issue, particularly on the left side of the tyre as the track is predominantly right-handed. I was trying to make one of the tyres work harder and although I had a few warnings about loss of traction, I still got caught out and managed to suffer my first high side aboard the Kawasaki. I was chasing a better lap time and crashed at turn two, which was really frustrating. I'm ok though and I am sure we can resolve some of the issues we've had during tomorrow's sessions."

Naoya Kaneko: Kawasaki Technical Manager
"We lost a lot of time during the second session as we had a mechanical problem with John's machine. This meant we didn't get as much time out on track as we would've liked. We have had a few obstacles to overcome whilst trying to find a suitable rear tyre and our main goal has been to bring everything together to find a good package to race with. Anthony was making big improvements on his pace throughout the second session but unfortunately he crashed. The main issue is to provide the riders with better grip, which is a combination of the machine and the tyres, along with solving the shifter problem that John encountered. We will now analyse the data from tonight and make the necessary changes so we can be further up the field tomorrow."

Practice Times:
1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 1'55.442; 2. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha +0.011; 3. James Toseland (GBR) Yamaha Tech 3 +0.370; 4. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha Tech 3 +0.500; 5. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) JIR Team Scott +0.521; 6. Alex De Angelis (RSM) Honda Gresini +0.678; 7. Randy De Puniet (FRA) Honda LCR +0.792; 8. Valentino Rossi (46) Fiat Yamaha +0.827; 9. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +0.837; 10. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +1.036; 14. John Hopkins (USA) Kawasaki Racing Team +1.643; 17. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing Team +2.492

[Roby44]

http://www.kawasaki-motogp.com/images/public/press/regular/K08AHOPP008.jpg

[maxu05]

Thanks for the update Roby :up: Looks like the Kwaka's will struggle this time out. Perhaps they will get it together in warmer weather.

[fatman]

Excellent qualifying. All Yamaha front row and no Rossi in site. Should make for an interesting start to the year. Really impressive to see Tosland hold the lead for so long. I think we'll see Stoner blast through from the second row.

Stoner must be pissed at whoever it was on the Alice bike for trashing his fast lap attempt. I think it was Elias. Retarded because you see him look behind him and Stoner is clearly coming up fast yet he does nothing to get out of the way and looks surprised when Stoner gives him a dirty look.

[osg]

Astonishing stuff from Lorenzo in particular and very smart strategy by Toseland to set an early time on quali rubber whilst the track still had temp in it........... not real happy with Vale back there, but lets wait until the race.

Times:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v433/oosrg/Motorsport/MotoGPQatarQuali.jpg

[Ranger]

Great effort by Jorge and James... who'da though Tech 3 would have had both bikes on the front row at this point last year? Stunning. Looks like Valentino made a very bad decision with the Bridgestones. He'll have to reassess what he really wants in MotoGP after seeing the consequences of that choice! sheesh...

Oh, and Marco and Ant better be thinking about their next contracts at this rate! Appalling effort.

Bring on the race! :D

[tha_jackal]

Uh, i don't have any excuses to offer for Westy :S
It's very dissapointing that Ant hasn't progressed after showing a fair amount of promise in his half a season last year.. Im sure you don't have to tell him that either..

If Westy's results don't improve drastically (at least to a comparable level to Hopkins) during/after Qatar, then I have to say that him getting the boot by before mid-year is likely, as much as that sucks..

P.S Goo JT and Bradley Smith, The Brits are coming on strong ey..

Can't wait for the race!!

Peace!

[patnicholls]

Well, that was the best set of quali sessions from a Brit point of view in...many years. Certainly since I've been watching (year 2000).

In fact, Bradley's pole is the first 125 Brit pole in 36 years. Danny Webb in fifth - excellent. Scott Redding - on his debut - in fourth, the youngest ever rider to get on the front row of a race. Absolutely brilliant. Especially when he's on my fantasy league team!

And JT in second (although I've not picked him this time). Can't believe I ever doubted he'd do well!

Wow!

What's the problem with the Repsol Hondas?

[maxu05]

I wouldn't write off anyone at this stage, after all it's only the first race, and, in totally different circumstances than anyone is used to. This is the first ever night race remember, so it is possible that some have adapted, and some have not. Regarding tyres, last year Bridgestones were known to last the whole race, and the Michelins started strong but faded over race distance. Qualifying is one thing, but the race aint over yet.

[fatman]

Great effort by Jorge and James... who'da though Tech 3 would have had both bikes on the front row at this point last year? Stunning. Looks like Valentino made a very bad decision with the Bridgestones. He'll have to reassess what he really wants in MotoGP after seeing the consequences of that choice! sheesh...

Oh, and Marco and Ant better be thinking about their next contracts at this rate! Appalling effort.

Bring on the race! :D

It's probably a little early in the season to make any sort of claim that Rossi made a bad choice or Marco and Ant need to worry about contracts. Give people a chance !

Also Qatar being a night race makes it a terrible barometer to measure the rest of the season.

It is exciting tho. And After seeing Jorge's celebrations after claiming pole I think it's safe to predict that he and rossi will be trying to out do each other all year long. Good times.

[ChrisS]

An all Yamaha front row and Rossi not in it, what were the chances of that

[maxu05]

Qualifying tyres would be the answer. I think the Bridgestones will be better as the laps add up during the race.

[osg]

I think the track temperature will be the deciding factor in this race........... it's a completely foreign set of variables, that won't be seen again this year.

Whatever happens in this race won't be as fatman said, the barometer of the season.

[Ranger]

It's probably a little early in the season to make any sort of claim that Rossi made a bad choice or Marco and Ant need to worry about contracts. Give people a chance !

Also Qatar being a night race makes it a terrible barometer to measure the rest of the season.
True, true. But still, Ducati ain't exactly the team that will trip over themselves to keep someone if they aren't performing! (see: Gibernau, Capirossi, Bayliss, Checa)

Those predictions were a bit excited though. Must be coz I can't wait until the 1st race starts! :D

[fatman]

True, true. But still, Ducati ain't exactly the team that will trip over themselves to keep someone if they aren't performing! (see: Gibernau, Capirossi, Bayliss, Checa)

Those predictions were a bit excited though. Must be coz I can't wait until the 1st race starts! :D

You and me both. And I agree if Melandri's season stays the same as his performance in tests than he won't be at Ducati next year. I just keep having to remind myself that at this point last year no one thought Casey would walk away with the championship. There is so much more to come that we don't even know about yet.

If Marco is lucky he'll break a leg in tomorrow's warm up. That's his best chance on making the podium.

[mx311]

It's still Casey's race imo. His race times have been the best during practice and the Yamaha's (especially the Tech3 ones) seem to have to push very hard, I can't see them keeping that up for an entire GP. I also think Honda will be a bit stronger in the race but I can't see anyone really challenging Casey (except if Jorge pulls the pin and reverts to Loopy Lorenzo).

How about those Brit's in the 125 class? Whoa, it's been forever since the old UK have had anyone to cheer on in GP racing now all of a sudden JT's on the front row in MotoGP and three Brits in the top 5 of the 125 class, good stuff.

And finally night racing, good or bad? Too early to say but this picture is amazingly cool and for that alone, it's been worth it. :)

http://www.motorsport.com/photos/motogp/2008/qat/motogp-2008-qat-tm-0092.jpg

[NinjaMaster]

I'm gonna be bleary eyed on Monday but it's gonna be worth it. :up: I reckon Casey will run away with the race with a big battle for second place, likely between Rossi and Lorenzo. If Jorge manage's to beat Vale this year it's gonna make Rossi's excuses look pretty lame. Honda, Suzuki and particularly Kawasaki have all been made to look pretty ordinary in this first weekend.
Casey has been supreme so far this weekend with Jorge the only guy who can possibly run with him. I expect Casey to break the field by midway through the race with the likes of Lorenzo, Rossi, DePuniet, Pedrosa, Dovizioso and Edwards looking to fight for the other podium positions. The Zooks of Vermeulen and Capirossi look decidedly mid-pack along with the injured John Hopkins on his Kwak. Ant West has been an enormous disappointment so far in conditions he hasn't been able to get his head around with only Marco Melandri more disappointing in third last when his teammate is 4th and favourite to win.

The 250's will be interesting. Bautista should be the class of the field and has started strongly this weekend. Hector Barbera is capable of going well on his day but has a tendency to crash when he is at the pointy end of the field. Tomas Luthi was very fast til qualifying and is one who could really challenge Alvaro along with 'old man' Debon who grabbed pole. Marco Simoncelli is fast but erratic on his Gilera badged Aprilia and the KTM's have been disappointing. Mika Kallio scored a positive 4th grid spot but I'm unconvinced of his race pace.

In the 125's, reigning champ Gabor Talmacsi will have his work cut out for him amongst the fleet of fast teenagers coming through. The 3 Brits in the top 5 certainly raised my eyebrows and bodes well for the future (You have something to look forward to now Brits!) Spanish wunderkid, Pol Espargaro is an unusual 18th position but Yank Steve Bonsey is an encouraging 14th. The racing should be extremely tight with the top 14 covered by only 1 second and there should be plenty of slipstreaming on Losail's long straight.

[Wim_Impreza]

I must say now that I am looking more forward to the races. I thought Stoner could easily be on pole, but a front row for Yamaha with the two Tech 3 drivers is great. Lorenzo was very impressive and his times on race tires are not bad.

I think Stoner and Lorenzo, if he stays on his bike, go fight for the victory. Nice to see that the British guys are so good in qualifying. As I said earlier, Toseland will be the surprise from the weekend.

I predict Lorenzo has more points at the end of the season than Rossi and than Rossi will retire.

[maxu05]

I agree that it's great to see some Poms in the mix ;) I just hope they can go all the way and pull off a win, it would be great for the sport. I think it is too difficult to predict an outcome for the Motogp class though, there is so much new talent at the front of the pack, and it's such a unique event.

[Roby44]

I'm gonna be bleary eyed on Monday but it's gonna be worth it. :up: Ant West has been an enormous disappointment so far in conditions he hasn't been able to get his head around .


250c race..How does Marco Somoncelli get all that hair into his helmet!! :eek:


I think there may be quiet a few blurry eyed employess at various work sites Monday!! I know I'll be one of them!!

[MrJan]

Can't wait for the race. I'v been away all weekend so missed all the build up but it looks great. Fantastic that JT is doing well, nice to have Brits doing well in motorsport at the minute with Toseland, Hamilton and Prilaux. Now all we need is a rally driver and we'll be back at the top like we should be ;) :p :

[NinjaMaster]

I think there may be quiet a few blurry eyed employess at various work sites Monday!! I know I'll be one of them!!
Labour day in Vic so I can go back to bed! :D Otherwise I'd have to leave half way thru to go to work which I wouldn't appreciate.

[NinjaMaster]

Probably the only time you'll see how good the Kwaks look under lights.

http://www.kawasaki-motogp.com/images/public/press/regular/K08AHOPP027.jpg

Oh I hope one of 'em can find a better setup in the warmup and can do something constructive during the race.

[ShiftingGears]

Great race! The current bunch of rookies are looking extremely good...

I hope the other manufacturers are closer to Ducati this year. Because theres no way that Melandri's gonna bother Stoner...

[jens]

Watched the race too. Yeah, it can be said that night racing is a waste of electricity, but on the other hand it looked great and created an awesome athmosphere - something new and special. A night race for once a year - why not? :)

As expected, the main title favourite took a clear victory. B'stones were expected to be more competitive in race conditions than in qualifying, but besides Stoner there wasn't that much of an improvement by other B-shod bikes in the race. I guess Suzuki's better races are still to come (only first race for Loris with Suzu and Chris had unluck with front tyre). Don't know about Kawa...

Really sad, what's going on with Melandri. Once he looked like a huge talent. He took podiums already when he was 15 years old (!) in the 125cc class and has proved to be a very good rider in the Moto GP class too. He surely is capable of more than he's showing at the moment. Disappointed by Elias' performance too. At times he can be really quick and fight hard, but over a season he seems too inconsistent.

[maxu05]

I think Melandri is just having trouble getting used to the Duke. The old saying that One mans pleasure is another mans poison, seems to be ringing true. If you look back at 2006, Nakano was flying, and showing great promise, then came his change of bikes and tyres and he became a tailend Charlie, not through lack of talent, but just uncomfortable with the bike/tyre combo. I think it can happen to any of the riders.

[CGormally]

It was a great race. The atmosphere at night is something special and I hope it happens more often. Casey ran away with it in the end, (he did have one of the fastest bikes) after all he had been consistently quick all weekend. I think Toseland had a pretty good weekend too, considering it was his debut. 2nd in qualifying and 6th in the race (just behind Rossi) was a very respectable first weekend for him.

[zmitya]

hi guys

I'm just wondering if the team radio is allowed in motogp or not ...

I saw a picture where Docizioso has a mic glued to his face...

Is it possible ?

[Roby44]

THis picture??

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a20/MareeBrooks/414087.jpg

[patnicholls]

Team Roberts (sadly departed) tried them out a few years ago, Nobu Aoki had a go for a few races. First I've heard of the idea for a few years though with Dovi.

Personally, I imagine it'd be a struggle with all the engines around him!

[tassiedevilAB]

Congrats Casey & ducati, it is a race he will never forget, he has won the first night race in moto gp & no one can say that. It is a great achievement for him, he has struggled hard over his development years but to do what he did last year was something that all media did not think he had it in him.

It is called the aussie battler makes good on his potential.
it was fantastic of channel 10 here in australia to show it live & with no add breaks at all.

Malandri got his up & comings big time by Cassey , be we all know the Malandri is a good rider & he will overcome this new bike & it will be better for the duc team if it does, Rossi had his ray of moonlight yesterday , but his bike was not a match on stoners controlled race craft?

It is the first race of many so it looks like a changing of the guard has begun with the young new riders doing good?

[Roby44]

it was fantastic of channel 10 here in australia to show it live & with no add breaks at all.


Really!! No ads!! Thats pretty good isn't it. I watch it on Foxtel but I might check out Chanel 10 next race. Who does the commentating??

God its probably Daryl Beattie and Andy Raymond isn't it?? :rolleyes:

Well then perhaps I'll stay with Fox! That way I get to see Mr Magee!! ;)

[Roby44]

Team Roberts (sadly departed) tried them out a few years ago, Nobu Aoki had a go for a few races. First I've heard of the idea for a few years though with Dovi.

Personally, I imagine it'd be a struggle with all the engines around him!


I think that picture is from practice.

But would they really use them in a race?? As you say how on earth would they hear what was being said to them?? :confused:

Although it amazes me that they can read their pit boards as they whizz past!! I have trouble reading the speed signs on the highway!! ;)

[maxu05]

I don't have that problem when driving, I can spot a short skirt from 400 metres :D

[Roby44]

I don't have that problem when driving, I can spot a short skirt from 400 metres :D


Men!! :rolleyes:

I think you can all do that!! :D
Born with it perhaps!!

[maxu05]

:D Says the girl with all the Roby and Randy pictures ;)

[Roby44]

:D Says the girl with all the Roby and Randy pictures ;)


Don't forget Dovi and Valentino!!! :D
In some they even have thier leathers on!! :rolleyes:

[maxu05]

See, girls are just as naughty as boys :p :

[Wim_Impreza]

See, girls are just as naughty as boys :p :

And the following question that you ask is the following: do you have a boyfriend Roby44? If not, I am your man. :D

[Roby44]

And the following question that you ask is the following: do you have a boyfriend Roby44? If not, I am your man. :D

No, no boy friend!! :(

Does a husband count!!! :p :

[Wim_Impreza]

Oh, what a pity for maxu05.

[maxu05]

Oh, what a pity for maxu05.

:confused: Um, Maxu05 is happily married if you didn't know.

[MrJan]

With regards to team radio, didn't WSBK have it a while back? Seem to remember them running a radio system like in F1, obviously only really important things and the rider would only talk on straights.

Anyway, I just watched the race on the BBC iPLayer (was testing my racing car, awesome, on Sunday and for some reason my recording didn't have sound :mark: )Good stuff all in all. Rossi seemed a shadow of his former self again but as someone said above it's only one race. Young guns were superb, Lorenzo especially who was running with Stoner for half the race.

My boy Toseland had a great race, wasn't expecting him to be quick but if it wasn't for the loss along the straight he could have got 4th (I reckon ;) )

Nice to see some good racing, Dovi was good in jamming it up the inside of Rossi and Toseland's collison was a bit scary.

All in all a promising start. Can't wait for a proper racing circuit like Mugello, the excitement should be at fever pitch :bounce:

[Roby44]

Oh, what a pity for maxu05.

How so???? I'm confused!!!

[maxu05]

That makes 2 of us. Don't worry too much Roby, someone is just reading too much into friendly posts. By the way Wim_Impreza, what are you smoking dude ?

[Wim_Impreza]

That makes 2 of us. Don't worry too much Roby, someone is just reading too much into friendly posts. By the way Wim_Impreza, what are you smoking dude ?

I don't smoke and I don't drink alcohol, it was only a joke. Sorry, I didn't know that you are married.

[fatman]

Well I have finally been able to watch all three races. It sucks that by the time i get to see the races everything there is to say about the races has already been said and I've got nothing left to post. Oh well, I'll say it anyway.

125cc : Gosh I really hope that Bradley Smith doesn't have the same type of season that Pasinni suffered last year.

250cc : Looks like we are in for a great season. Lots of potential champions in this field.

MotoGP: As much as Lorenzo annoyes me with his smircky mug and stupid lollipop they guy ran a tremendous first race. Same with Dovi. YEah for the rookies. Personally I would love to see stoner run away with the season and see Dovi and Lorenzo fight for second. But that's just me.

[Roby44]

I don't smoke and I don't drink alcohol, it was only a joke. Sorry, I didn't know that you are married.


Thats ok. Its all good fun!!

Its hard to tell if something is a joke or not when you are typing isn't it?

[leopard]

Do you think all here are buffoons :crazy: :)

[neninja]

125cc : Gosh I really hope that Bradley Smith doesn't have the same type of season that Pasinni suffered last year.


Fortunately it wasn't an engine problem like the ones that plagued Passini last year. His steering damper came off - hence the massive wobble he had before dropping through the field. Pretty basic error though by whoever preps his bike.

[Roby44]

Do you think all here are buffoons :crazy: :)


Buffoons?? :eek: I have a thing about them!! ;) :p :

[Wim_Impreza]

Thats ok. Its all good fun!!

Its hard to tell if something is a joke or not when you are typing isn't it?

Yes, it is. ;)