Would you have flipped that coin?

In joining the Team Green, that in my broken English I often refer to as the green tea-m, has Hopper tossed a coin in the air or not? From the money perspective I am sure that it was a no brain, but on the track, do you think that Hopkins is going to have a brighter future with Kawasaki versus what he could have achieved with Suzuki? If we looked at the time sheet at the end of the second day of testing in Sepang, he was damn right: 2’02”200, very close to Pedrosa’s pole position of 2’01”877 and ahead of his ex-teammate Vermeulen with the best lap time of 2’02”344. Now my question is: has he left Suzuki because he thought that the bike had reached the full potential? Was he afraid of missing the possibility to fight for the World Title with the baby blue Rizla Suzuki? But if he was concerned with the Suzuki potential, at the time he signed up the contract did he know that next season Kawasaki would use the 2007 model? The bike has certainly improved in the last two years but the marginal improvements of an “old” project are going to guarantee the level of performance needed to win? I am confused and at the same time intrigued to discover what has guided the MotoGp riders during the “Silly Season” as our friend Jimmy calls it in his Armchairbikefan blog

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MotoGp Poll: A-Style Grand Prix of Japan

Second place to? After Estoril and the resurgence of Rossi, Pedrosa and Hayden along with their much improved bikes, I don't really know! Today Rossi has openly admitted that the recent victory has improved the his team morale and he is planning to fight until the end of the championship: there are 100 points left with Stoner leading with a 76 points difference over Valentino. Last year Rossi was able to keep the cold mathematic at bay until the last race. The M1 got faster and Michelin tires are equal if not better than Bridgestone, as long as it doesn't rain. The goddess Fortune is always represented with a wheel to remind everybody that luck comes and go and it is about time for the Italian champ to enjoy a bit of luck after going up-hill for almost two years.
Now the statistics are totally against the Fiat Yamaha team with Bridgestone winning the race in the last three seasons. Also we shouldn't forget that last year Capirossi and his Ducati won the Motegi race with a 5 seconds gap on Rossi while the new phenomenon Stoner had crashed out. I am looking at last year classification with Melandri in third and I get even more confused .....
Ok, I made my mind and I pick Pedrosa again behind Rossi but do not ask me the third rider because in my heart I would like the show to go on until the last event

Grande Premio de Portugal: Welcome back MotoGp

Welcome back MotoGp! This is the type of show for which we are paying seasonal subscription with MotoGp.com or Tivo. Often we have to get up early in the morning or in the middle of the night to watch our heroes racing. Over the years, even during the Robert, Rainey, Doohan and Rossi kingdoms we have always had good battles for the podiums, something that unfortunately have lacked this year. But last Sunday in Portugal it was show time with four different riders (if we count Hayden who had the pole) leading the race at some point. Once Pedrosa got the fugitive Stoner, the typical “time trial race” of the last few months became a real MotoGp race with everybody fighting on the brakes, holding stubbornly the outside lines when they were stuffed on the inside. Great show offered by Rossi and Pedrosa in the front but even in the back thank to Hayden, Melandri and Elias who did whatever they could to hold their positions against the faster guys. Sunday the commentators didn’t talk for one hour about Bridgestone and Michelin because too focused with the actual race. So many new things happen in Portugal! The Italian red missile has lost power over the summer …or better Honda has opened itself to some doping issues, but who cares because MotoGp is not Tour de France. The M1 too seemed improved but unfortunately my impression is supported only by Rossi and not by his teammate Edwards.
Pedrosa is still very petit but he has improved dramatically his …. determination on the brakes! He was able to fend several Rossi’s attacks without closing the door. He did it so many times that when Rossi overtook him going into that left turn with a couple of laps to go Danny had to pick up twice his left foot on the peg while going to the apex of the corner. At this point Rossi was able to create a little gap that he carried to the end, but still the little Spaniard did a hell of a race.
Stoner race was a bit strange: after the first third of the race everybody thought that his Bridgestone had started to deteriorate. As matter of the fact, after the race Rossi admitted that Sunday Michelin had an edge over the competitors. In reality later one the Australian explained that he had suffered a problem with a slipper clutch eliminating any engine brake. I believe Stoner, but somehow I do not understand it because Rossi and Pedrosa were not much faster than him on the brakes. What was clear it is that he didn’t have the usual extra speed on the straights and at the exit of turns: on the gas, out of the corners, his rear was very nervous, almost too quick in unloading the compression … but again he is Stoner and I am only a motorbike lover. Talking about bike set ups, even Hayden’s Honda seemed too nervous on the quick changes of direction and when he got really aggressive on the brakes it became difficult for him to keep a tight line in the corners.
What happened to the Suzuki? I have not been able to do my reading in the last few days but at this point my mind is already focused on nest Sunday, let’s just hope for another great show!

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US Red Bull GP: another victory for the Aussie Red Missile

Another victory for Casey Stoner, another step to lock the 2007 MotoGp World Championship before the end of the season.
It’s Thursday and I have just finished watching the race. Over the weekend I was away and so I have learned the results by phone. Normally I would watch the race as soon as I come home, staying up late at night or by getting up early in the morning and sipping a couple of cups of Italian espresso in front of the pc. Well this time it didn’t happen. With Hayden, Hopkins and Capirossi out of the race and Rossi and Pedrosa getting 30 to 35 sec by Stoner, I knew that I had not missed such a great show. Casey “stormed’ again the race by conquering the lead and cruising his way to the checker flag. Behind him Vermeulen proved that he is able to finish in the top three positions even in dry conditions, as Jimmy had already speculated in our MotoGp Poll. Melandri got a third position, an impressive result in consideration that he rode with an ankle dislocated in a scary high-speed crash caused by Guintoli during the QP.
A podium with three different bikes on the same Bridgestone tires … Yes, even Sunday, the outcome of the race was determined by the tires. With the exception of Rossi, who finished 4th at almost 31’ from Stoner, every other Michelin rider finished the race in a worse position versus what he had done in qualification. Pedrosa started in second position with a gap of .209 but in the race finished the race with 35’ from the winner! Edwards started in 8th position, conquered a 5th position that he maintained until he fell backwards in 11th position. Edwards had high expectations for this race and he knows the track like his pockets but there was nothing he could do to solve the problem: he and his team had changed everything they could to offset the lack of grip going into the race but, evidently, with no success.
By bringing up the tire topic I am not aiming to diminish Stoner’s dominance: there are other 3 Ducati riders and no one of them is even close to his performance. The red Italian bike has been shining only for the Aussie rider’s skills: his ability to open the throttle while still edging the tires, his consistence from race to race and the self-confidence have made the difference. At this point only bad luck or …the Bridgestone/Michelin saga could subvert his leadership.
Two days ago during an interview with the Italian media, Rossi bluntly claimed the now the most important variable in a MotoGp race is …tires . In Laguna he took 30 second from Stoner while in Germany it was Casey battling for the 5th position well behind the winner. Also, he said that fans want to see riders or teams winning and not tire brands.
His comments have been highly criticized because he didn’t bring up the issue when he was winning championships with Michelin tires supposedly built and delivered two hours before the race while Ducati was struggling with Bridgestone. That’s true but at the same time I cannot forget the breathtaking battles with Biaggi, Gibernau, Capirossi, Barros and others. Today the combination of electronics and tires creates a situation where races are finished with the group of participants all stretched out over the field. No more adrenaline in the last few laps with tires smoking on brakes and throttle. Today MotoGp top riders lean vertiginously their bikes and whack-open the accelerator while edging their … tires: if these are not in the money they will be lucky if able to finish the race in the first 10 places.
Our friend and PMP member Almos took a coast to coast trip to California to watch the race: he has sent me some pictures that I am posting but I am sure that I will add more material once he is back in Brooklyn.

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Grand Prix Deutschland: a strange race

Only on Saturday I pointed out that Honda had been suffering one of the worst years of the last decade and on Sunday Pedrosa and Hayden took the first and third steps of the podium in the Sachsenring circuit. Indeed at the same track last year Pedrosa had the fastest time and Hayden took another third position. So the surprise was not much about the riders but the bikes and the …. tires. Once again in this championship tires were the critical factor. The Bridgestone squad, Stoner, Melandri, Capirossi, Hopkins and De Puniet chased Pedrosa for more than half of the race until the deterioration of their tires forced them to slow down the pace. Very strange weekend: if in the qualifying practice on Saturday we had 16 riders wrapped in .81 of a second, at the end of the race we had several seconds of gap from one rider to the other one with the exception of Stoner, Melandri and Hopkins that fought for the fifth position up to the end. I had expected a tight race with a lot of dicing and we got just the opposite. In reality the race was quite boring with just a few moments of thrill or, if you want, disappointment. On the fifth lap Rossi crashed after passing West on a long double right. He lost the front end and even thought he held courageously the clutch to keep the engine on until the bike stopped sliding into the gravel trap, a bent clip-on didn’t allow the Italian champion to jump back on the bike. After the race he apologized for his mistake with his team and his fans, all of them frustrated by the accident. After all, in 2006 he won the Gp starting from the 11th position, in the same way he did in Assen two weeks ago, and his record in the Sachsenring was certain one of the reasons we were expecting from him a better weekend. Personally my disappointment was mitigated once I learned that Valentino was suffering the effects of a bronchitis with fever at 38C (100.4 F): not too much but enough to dull the skills of our hero since it was a hot day, 33C (92F).
Rossi has spontaneously admitted his mistake, but was his crash really caused by an objective oversight? He had been trying to pass West unsuccessfully with his Yamaha overheating behind the opponent’s bike, when the Kawasaki rider went a bit wide into the turn and opened the door to him. Rossi, in grabbing the opportunity, was forced to connect the two apexes of the double right in a very tight arch that eventually overpowered the front tire grip. His desire to reach the race leaders had induced him to force the pace and gamble a race that, after the Bridgestone’s debacle, I say that he could have won.
Strange race for a strange podium … Pedrosa wins in his manner, riding the RC212V like a 250cc, and leading the whole race without being seriously challenged by anybody. I am sure that his miniature body must be an advantage in a track characterized by turns where the riders use the edge of their tires for a long time. Same comment goes to Capirossi who, for the first time in 2007, was able to precede his teammate Stoner. Sometime ago I read that Capirex carries more speed into the corner up to the apex than the Aussie but then he cannot match Casey on the throttle at the exit. Well this time Stoner’s aggressiveness didn’t pay because he worn too much his rear tire and trashed a potential second place.
For Nicky Hayden another third place before the Laguna Seca race was like shots of testosterone for his ego: he will be the man to set the standards in California.

Honda or ... not Honda?

With Hopper emigrating to Kawasaki along with Capirossi, Melandri to Ducati, and Pedrosa getting most of the pressure and the blame for the lack of results of the new bike, I have yet to read something explaining how Honda intends to solve its 2007 flop. Last year, the Honda- Repsol Team was able to win the championship with Hayden’s podiums, Rossi’s misfortunes and with a competitive bike that was evolved earlier by Valentino and his boys. Indeed so far the RC212V has not won a race and even if someone will be able to do it before the end of the season, the bike remains a lemon. For years, if not forever the HRC Team has been considered the ultimate Team, the team that has been behind most of the world champion stories of the modern era, but today the same team doesn’t seem to be as appealing as we think and the lack of rumors in the pre-market season seems to confirm it. Probably the Japanese will end up importing new talents from the 250 or from WSBK but with what promises? In fact they too could turn to be other Pedrosas ….

Grand Prix of Qatar: Australian "canguru" wins on Italian red missile

In the first race of the season we could have had a final classification with riders stretched in longer time span if it wasn't for Rossi slowing down, somehow, the Australian rider on his new Italian missile. The Ducati was much faster than any other bike: in practice Stoner reached 324.7 km/h, much faster than Rossi’s 309.9 km/h and Pedrosa 317.9km/h. The red bike from Borgo Panicale has always been fast over the years, but the extra speed was seldom matched by appropriate stability and grip. Last year, after winning his first race with a bike sliding sideway in every turn of the circuit,Capirossi was compared to a red crab by his fans.
Last Saturday, instead, Casey Stoner looked outstanding on a bike that seemed solid, precise, reasonably quick in changing direction and … fast, very fast. On every lap he stormed Rossi on the front straight: it didn’t matter how many bikes of distance the Tavullia champion had on him at the exit of the last turn, because regardless, Stoner was able to pass his opponent in half straight and gain, maybe, another 70-90 ft by the end of the fornt stretch. Only because of Rossi’s immense talent and his desire to re-conquest the lost World Champion title, we were able to actually see some dicing in the infield. Indeed Rossi, strong of an impeccable Fiat-Yamaha was able to carry much more speed at the entrance of turn 1 so that at the exit of the same turn he was already back on the tail of the young Ducati rider. From there, during the race Rossi has launched his assalts passing the Australian youngster several times: on the brakes or on the outside of a turn leading to an opposite twist. Well, anytime Rossi has been able to pull in front the Ducati, his lead was then wiped out on the front long straight as if Stoner was still riding last year bike.

On the other end Pedrosa’s extra speed was not enough to challenge either Stoner or Rossi, but good enough to put him on the third step of the podium. In a few occasion it seemed that he had passed Rossi toward the end of the front straight but once on the brakes he could not match Valentino's higher entrance speed. As we have already noticed last year, it seems that Pedrosa is still not used to “Rossi’s confidence” when it comes to tight passing. Someone has claimed that Danny is still paying his easy years in 125cc and 250cc when he often won after passing his opponents and taking off to lead the race until the end. Conversely last Saturday he ended up suffering even Hopkin's pressure who, fighting the pain of the recent injuries and a poor performance in his last winter test, pulled out an incredible race for which he almost won a final third place.
There is not much to say about the rest of the riders, including the World Champion Nicky Hayden for his meager 8th place that looks even worse if we consider that two riders have crashed in front of him: Ceca and … Capirossi. Last year, Bayliss stole a secure victory from Capirossi and last Saturday his new teammate was doing it again. Maybe this situation was really bothering him, anyhow after a bad start due to a contact with another rider, Capirossi had unleashed the extra power of his bike to try to catch the front riders but unfortunately he low-sided when in 5th position. Was he pushing too much? Did he trail brake to much? Or was he exploring faster lines? In any case he wasted a secure podium and 16 points that could have been useful for the Championship especially now that the even the young Aussie is in the list of potential winners. As matter of the fact, Stoner has already displayed a cocky attitude: after being asked "... how does it feel to have a 7 time World Champion attached on your tail for the whole race?"... he said something very similar to “ …It was like to have anybody else behind”.


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