MotoGP Mugello 2008

[ChrisS]

So MotoGP heads to Mugello for round 6 of the championship, Its the first of 4 races in June that will probably help clear the championship scene.

Fiat Yamaha is the team to beat. Rossi won every 4-stroke MotoGP race held at Mugello, Lorenzo riding with broken ankles continues to amaze but back to back races are going to be hard on him.

Honda is debuting its pneumatic valve engine as a wildcard, if the engine is fast and reliable it will help Honda as MotoGP moves to circuits with high speeds.

Ducati is racing at its home GP. Stoner needs a good result to bounce back from Le Mans. Melandri will also want to do well as an Italian rider on an Italian bike at an Italian track.

Yamaha Tech 3 will want to continue with the good results. Edwards seems more motivated than ever while Toseland's performance has dropped a bit since his debut and he will want to return to good results.

Rizla Suzuki's Loris Capirossi is also racing at his home GP. Chris V qualified on the front row in the rain last year.

Kawasaki Racing's John Hopkins and Anthony West want to put the disappointments of Le Mans behind them. West never raced at Mugello on a MotoGP bike.

Alice Ducati will be hopping for a repeat of last year though its highly unlikely.

[ChrisS]

FP1 took place on a drying track

1. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 54.053 secs
2. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 54.520 secs
3. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 55.021 secs
4. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 55.141 secs
5. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 55.528 secs
6. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M) 1min 55.718 secs
7. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 55.774 secs
8. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 55.805 secs
9. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 58.618 secs
10. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 58.672 secs
11. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1min 59.240 secs
12. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 59.436 secs
13. James Toseland GBR Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1min 59.899 secs
14. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 2min 0.004 secs
15. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 2min 0.162 secs
16. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 2min 1.718 secs
17. Tady Okada JPN Repsol Honda Team (M) 2min 2.810 secs
18. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 2min 3.305 secs
19. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 2min 3.774 secs

[ChrisS]

wet track throughout the session. Only Colin Edwards was able to improve on his morning pace

Bridgestone seems to be the better tyre on mixed conditions while tyres seem evenly matched on full wet.

1. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 2min 1.500 secs
2. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 2min 2.010 secs
3. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 2min 2.305 secs
4. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 2min 2.327 secs
5. James Toseland GBR Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 2min 2.412 secs
6. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 2min 2.562 secs
7. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M) 2min 2.569 secs
8. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 2min 3.568 secs
9. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 2min 3.586 secs
10. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 2min 3.699 secs
11. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 2min 3.765 secs
12. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 2min 3.950 secs
13. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 2min 4.049 secs
14. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 2min 5.397 secs
15. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 2min 5.634 secs
16. Tady Okada JPN Repsol Honda Team (M) 2min 6.103 secs
17. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 2min 6.257 secs
18. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 2min 8.980 secs
19. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 2min 14.112 secs

[fatman]

I LOVE Mugello. My first and only time ever seeing the MotoGP circus in person was at Mugello in 2006. Awesome place and awesome racing.

[MrJan]

Yeah seems to have had a few good battles there, lets hope we see something special this year :D

[Daz100]

We always seem to get good quality racing in Mugello, looking forward to it, should be good, i find it hard to think who else will win apart from Rossi, he just seems on top of the world at the moment.

[Corny]

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/2287/223069valentinorossishoft9.jpg

in the only dry session so far Michelin was quit a bit stronger.. That makes Lorenzo the favourite for me, in front of Pedrosa and Rossi :p

[ShiftingGears]

Hahah that'd psyche a few of the riders out :p :

[The Phantom]

Love it! :)

Thanks for the info ChrisS (and for the WSB Utah info too).

[Ranger]

Wheres the live timing button on the motoGP website? It's terribly set out.

[Corny]

Rossi on pole.. But he was not the best looking on racetyres, that was Pedrosa..

BTW, doesn't Colin Edwards bore himself to be only getting himself in the picture during practices?

[ChrisS]

1. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 48.130 secs
2. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 48.297 secs
3. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 48.313 secs
4. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 48.375 secs
5. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1min 48.383 secs
6. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 48.666 secs
7. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1min 48.905 secs
8. James Toseland GBR Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 1min 49.025 secs
9. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 49.095 secs
10. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 49.145 secs
11. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 49.220 secs
12. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1min 49.246 secs
13. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M) 1min 49.565 secs
14. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 49.601 secs
15. Tady Okada JPN Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 49.829 secs
16. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 1min 49.851 secs
17. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 1min 50.275 secs
18. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 50.465 secs
19. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 50.889 secs

[ChrisS]

Rossi on pole.. But he was not the best looking on racetyres, that was Pedrosa..

Not really

http://resources.motogp.com/files/results/xx/2008/MotoGP/ITA/QP/analysis.pdf

Wheres the live timing button on the motoGP website? It's terribly set out.

If you've not found it yet it's right side of the screen just above weather, and along from the big headline showing the current track name.

[maxu05]

The new website is terrible.
Great lap by Rossi. This should be a fantastic race, if Dani and Casey can keep up and dice for the lead.

[Corny]

don't know why, but Dani is my favourite.. When he gets a like Jerez start, he'll blow the field away..
It will be a different story though when his start's not that good.. As we all know Pedrosa is not the best overtaker

[Corny]

woah Simoncelli! that was pretty dangerous!

[NinjaMaster]

Two spectacular races so far. The 125's was as close a race as I've seen for a while, even better than the Assen Supersport race.
The 250's was action packed with soo many crashes.

[ChrisS]

Three races 3 Italian winners

125 race was great, lots of bikes, close racing, overtaking

250 was also entertaining to watch. Bautista crashed from the lead, I think Barbera's brake lever may clipped on Simoncelli, thats why he crashed.

Rossi's win came easier than I expected, I though Stoner would be able to keep up. Great result for de Angelis, Edwards and Toseland also got good results.

[Corny]

It seems that this year is even more boring than last year when it comes to racing..

has Rossi got a contract on winning in Mugello? :p

[AndyRAC]

woah Simoncelli! that was pretty dangerous!

Yeah, I thought that - he did come across Barbera. Probably the only way he could stop Barbera from winning.

[Wim_Impreza]

It seems that this year is even more boring than last year when it comes to racing..


Yes, for me it was again very boring too. Lucky that the 125 and 250cc are always much better.

And off course we have the very nice races in World Superbike this evening / night. :)

[Finni]

Yeah, I thought that - he did come across Barbera. Probably the only way he could stop Barbera from winning.

He did that same thing to Kallio few race ago. Kallio lost position due to that and was very angry for that move.

That guy should be punished.

[osg]

Brilliant Valentino.......... just brilliant.

[MrJan]

Loved Vale's helmet, looked classic when he was tucked in behind the screen. Good run by Rossi and a :up: to Stoner, thought his tyres were onj the way out but apparently not.

:down: of the day to Nicky Hayden. Was it 8 places below his team mate by the end? oh and now behind rookie JT on a customer bike despite apparently being a former world champion.

[Rallyst3ve]

Rossi's helmet was hilarious brlliant win :p

[leopard]

Rossi's helmet was hilarious brlliant win :p
Was this compliment for the helmet or the win?

[fatman]

I didn't think the MotoGP race was boring at all. The first half at least was full of tight riding and for me it IS exciting to see someone completely lay down the hammer and put on a show for everyone. It was also good to watch the second group with good rides from Edwards and De Angelis. I was also able to watch the race in HD which might have added to the excitement. :)

I do have to say that I'm finding Pedrosa more and more boring to watch. The kid is very fast and gets great starts but it seems like he is unable to pass unless the rider in front makes a mistake. Give him some clear track and he could run away but get in front of him and you can forget about him. Sometimes it just seems like he doesn't have very much fight in him.

I'm glad Jorge wasn't hurt in his crash because I found the whole thing very funny and slightly gratifying to see. I think Jorge is an excellent rider but find him to be way too smug and over confident to a fault. His ride in mugello was an example of this. His crash in Mugello and likely his crash(es) in China and Le Mans are all down to his lack of experience and him believing he is better than he really is.

[maxu05]

I do have to say that I'm finding Pedrosa more and more boring to watch. The kid is very fast and gets great starts but it seems like he is unable to pass unless the rider in front makes a mistake. Give him some clear track and he could run away but get in front of him and you can forget about him. Sometimes it just seems like he doesn't have very much fight in him.

I'm glad Jorge wasn't hurt in his crash because I found the whole thing very funny and slightly gratifying to see. I think Jorge is an excellent rider but find him to be way too smug and over confident to a fault. His ride in mugello was an example of this. His crash in Mugello and likely his crash(es) in China and Le Mans are all down to his lack of experience and him believing he is better than he really is.

I tend to agree with the Pedrosa comments. In a neck to neck battle, he always seems to lose out. Stoner seems to dig his heels in, and try to get it back at the very next corner, of course, unless he knows the bike/tyres are not up to it.
I saw Jorge smile at the camera in his pit box after his crash, and I swear he looked like the face on the cover of mad magazine. As Jan Yeo has said before, it looks like a very punchable face :D

[fatman]

I just watched the 125cc race from Mugello. AWESOME RACE.

that is all.

[jim mcglinchey]

[quote="fatman"]
I do have to say that I'm finding Pedrosa more and more boring to watch.


yeah, there seems to be a pattern emerging, as you say, if he gets the hole shot then hes away, but if hes caught in a scrap, then he usually looses more ground