MotoGP 2013

**Mental Trousers** · 5th April 2013, 17:10

If Crutchlow is going to make a statement it has to be in the first third of the season. After that the factory bikes will have advanced whereas his won't and he'll end up watching them ride off into the distance. So he really needs to throw it all out there in these first few races. Should make for fun watching.

**Damantis** · 6th April 2013, 09:08

but this guy is posting up coverage via facebook. It's in spanish or itallian or something tho

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Inreg...57033834433283

**cmoore** · 6th April 2013, 09:48

The new qualifying format is good....my guess is in a perfect world there are 6 factory bikes. So that is the top six places...then there are...3 or 6?? satellite bikes so that is the top 9/12....so those not in that group would hope for a top 10 but not expect to be there...

Lorenzo, Rossi, Pedrosa, Marquess, Hayden, Dovi - 1 - 6

Crutchlow, Smith, Bradle, Bautista, Iaonnone, Spies - 7 - 12

the rest

**puddytat** · 6th April 2013, 10:08

There's a couple of streaming sites ...www.bahistv./tk & http://www.streamhunter.eu/motor-spo...ing-video.html.
You'll have to use the search on Bahis....

**yod** · 6th April 2013, 11:14

Dovi - one thousandth behind Rossi on his old bike

the new qualifying could turn up an interesting grid...Duc on the front row, anyone??

93 Marc MARQUEZ SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 344.2 1'56.084
2 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 341.0 1'56.085 0.001 / 0.001
3 35 Cal CRUTCHLOW GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 337.5 1'56.326 0.242 / 0.241
4 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 340.2 1'56.416 0.332 / 0.090
5 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Ducati Team Ducati 343.0 1'56.417 0.333 / 0.001

**merv** · 6th April 2013, 12:57

Yep, so far Dovi is going well on the maligned machine.

**Crasherfromwayback** · 6th April 2013, 13:07

Originally Posted by yod

Dovi - one thousandth behind Rossi on his old bike

Yeah funny.

**tail_end_charlie** · 6th April 2013, 14:00

9/10 separating the top ten..............................not bad. Should make things interesting.

**cmoore** · 6th April 2013, 17:19

they are still 2 seconds of the best lap time..the track is sandy and hasn't got much rubber...lets see what the difference is between rossi and dovi when the race gets going..rossi was only 1-2 seconds off...per lap..... last year........

**pritch** · 6th April 2013, 21:28

The new qualifying system is going to change the way things are done.

The favoured tyre choice for practice at Qatar so far seems to be hard front, soft rear. The teams apparently have insufficient allocation of soft tyres to last the weekend though. Bikes were reported to be leaving the pits on used tyres, others were apparently circulating on two hards during FP3 to save softs for qualifying.

The new rules certainly make practice exciting but turn the whole thing into a chess game. A 344kph chess game.

Both Rossi and Lorenzo have stated tyre choice will be critical. I thought they meant the race. I didn't realise they meant the whole bloody weekend.

**Reckless** · 7th April 2013, 08:07

Originally Posted by pritch

The new rules certainly make practice exciting but turn the whole thing into a chess game. A 344kph chess game.

Both Rossi and Lorenzo have stated tyre choice will be critical. I thought they meant the race. I didn't realise they meant the whole bloody weekend.

It will certainly mix things up when they get things wrong and have to catch up over the next meeting. I like it, brings a bit of team strategy into things.

I'm wondering if Rossi is doing a little better because of the slippery conditions, his Expereiance etc?

With that in mind I'm not even grudgingly giving Marquez my respect anymore. However he has been in the past to get on (even the best bike in the field) and run where he is running first season out is nothing short of brilliance. Man does he hang off that bike

Big turn around for me but the boy can ride!

Last season i plainly batted for pedro?
Mmmmm this season maybe back to Rossi always liked the sense of humor he brings.
Love to see Pedro win one championship for his efforts?
But if the boy can stay on his bike he might steal the show?

I think I'll be up at 4am

**McWild** · 7th April 2013, 08:14

Dovisioso... I've always thought him the eternal 4th man. His number has always seemed like an eerie curse. When he was on a Honda, always 4th. When he was on the Monster, always battling out 4th.

And now all I can say is holy fucking shit, he got the Ducati to 4th, in his first qualifying on it. What a madman. I hope he races it as well as he's been riding it these last couple of days.

Good to see Lorenzo up at the top, I was starting to wonder about him when Marquez was taking out the free practices. Speaking of which, good on that man for those performances, but it is interesting to see that he didn't make it stick for QP. Nerves? I bet he's gutted anyway.

And Pedrosa, for a guy who's been walking around the sand traps all week it's good to see him on the front row, if only to keep his confidence up and inspire some tension between them all.

Star of the show for me though has to be Crutchlow. He's been banging on a bit about how he deserves this and that, but he's at least managed to back it all up by clinching 2nd in QP. I hope he continues to be a fly in the ointment of the factory boys for the rest of the season. The Tech 3 has always been the best (most successful) of the satellites, and we know it can see regular podiums - but I want to see him win.

Also, and probably most importantly, how awesome is it that for the first time in fuck only knows how long, each of the top 5 qualifiers is riding for a different team. Now that HAS to be a good omen for the season.

**ecko_nzed** · 7th April 2013, 08:24

Originally Posted by McWild

Also, and probably most importantly, how awesome is it that for the first time in fuck only knows how long, each of the top 5 qualifiers is riding for a different team. Now that HAS to be a good omen for the season.

Amen to that!

**ecko_nzed** · 7th April 2013, 08:27

Also...... Valentino who!

Dunno maybe he was saving tyres,but it didn't look like he was really pushing?

**denill** · 7th April 2013, 08:46

Originally Posted by McWild

Also, and probably most importantly, how awesome is it that for the first time in fuck only knows how long, each of the top 5 qualifiers is riding for a different team. Now that HAS to be a good omen for the season.

Yes! Those two sentences sum it up perfectly.

And the reason why it is starting out as the best season for a number of years now.