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.

Main Picture: Source