Brno

[Motu]

FP1

1 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 1'59.387 20 23 298.4
2 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Camel Yamaha Team YAMAHA 1'59.434 18 21 0.047 0.047 295.9
3 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Fortuna Honda HONDA 1'59.529 20 21 0.142 0.095 295.8
4 10 Kenny ROBERTS JR USA Team Roberts KR211V 1'59.600 21 21 0.213 0.071 294.3
5 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 1'59.675 20 24 0.288 0.075 300.6
6 27 Casey STONER AUS Honda LCR HONDA 1'59.731 19 22 0.344 0.056 301.0
7 56 Shinya NAKANO JPN Kawasaki Racing Team KAWASAKI 1'59.871 21 22 0.484 0.140 292.0
8 24 Toni ELIAS SPA Fortuna Honda HONDA 1'59.893 18 20 0.506 0.022 298.6
9 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Camel Yamaha Team YAMAHA 2'00.107 15 23 0.720 0.214 294.1
10 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 2'00.110 21 22 0.723 0.003 296.5
11 21 John HOPKINS USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 2'00.226 20 20 0.839 0.116 294.5
12 17 Randy DE PUNIET FRA Kawasaki Racing Team KAWASAKI 2'00.266 24 25 0.879 0.040 291.4
13 7 Carlos CHECA SPA Tech 3 Yamaha YAMAHA 2'00.515 23 23 1.128 0.249 292.8
14 6 Makoto TAMADA JPN Konica Minolta Honda HONDA 2'00.529 21 22 1.142 0.014 299.4
15 66 Alex HOFMANN GER Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 2'00.687 22 23 1.300 0.158 294.5
16 71 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 2'01.074 17 21 1.687 0.387 294.8
17 77 James ELLISON GBR Tech 3 Yamaha YAMAHA 2'03.114 15 21 3.727 2.040 290.2
18 30 Jose Luis CARDOSO SPA Pramac d'Antín MotoGP DUCATI 2'03.408 17 17 4.021 0.294 281.9
19 22 Ivan SILVA SPA Pramac d'Antín MotoGP DUCATI 2'05.588 12 19 6.201 2.180 283.2

[Lou Girardin]

I've heard that Rossi will be doing practice laps on the 800 after the MotoGP.

[sAsLEX]

. .

[Motu]

from a column on SuperbikePlanet.com by Julian Ryder:

"Valentino Rossi's championship chances may be slim but that doesn't mean he's given up. He stuck a qualifying tyre on halfway through the session this afternoon and promptly gapped the field by 1.25 secs. This is not The Doctor's usual modus operandi but he says he must put pressure on the men leading the championship - 'and if I am in tenth, twelfth there is no pressure.' The qualifier went in early to enable the team to start work on a set-up for Saturday afternoon's qualifying session because he reckons he must be on the first or second row to apply said pressure. 'In the race it is difficult to play tactics. My tactic is be competitive from Friday.' He's doing that okay but you do get the impression that finishing today fastest was important to him, and that in itself is a change."



Looks like we are going to see Rossi really try for once - what can the guy do when he's under pressure? This could be a good one....

[Korea]

Looks like we are going to see Rossi really try for once - what can the guy do when he's under pressure? This could be a good one....

True, true. There are 6 races left and Rossi is going to have to fight hard and also count on Hayden and Pedrosa to stop snatching too many podiums as well.
What's the point gap again? Over 50 last I heard (someone tell me).

What do you reckon? Will Rossi keep the crown?

Edit: Although he's collected a couple of wins, I'd be pretty pissed to see Hayden just win on points from 2nds and 3rds...
...seems like winning by default.

[Motu]

I don't - I see it as consistancy,no highs and lows,no crashing and bike faults,pushing the bike and himself to always make the podium.I'd rather see a guy who was always there no matter what get the title than someone who puts in a few wins amid the crashes,bike failures and bad hair days.I'd still be happy to see Rossi get it,but Hayden really deserves the reward this year.

[k14]

I don't - I see it as consistancy,no highs and lows,no crashing and bike faults,pushing the bike and himself to always make the podium.I'd rather see a guy who was always there no matter what get the title than someone who puts in a few wins amid the crashes,bike failures and bad hair days.I'd still be happy to see Rossi get it,but Hayden really deserves the reward this year.

Nah don't agree there aye. The champion should be the best rider not the most consistent and its quite clear who out of rossi and hayden is the best.

Also look at rossi's luck this season, its been totally shit. He has only had one crash that was his fault (at assen in practice) and all the rest have either been bad luck or other peoples fault. Without them he'd be 50 points ahead not 50 behind.

Regardless, I still think rossi is going to do it. Still got 6 races to go so all it needs is hayden to have 2 or 3 finishes out of the top 4 with rossi in the top 2 and he'll be right back even with him.

Pick for brno is rossi to take the win by 20 seconds or so. Hopefully pedrosa takes hayden out in the first lap and then hayden beats the little munchkin up

[Motu]

FP 2

1 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Camel Yamaha Team YAMAHA 1'57.871 12 22 293.1
2 17 Randy DE PUNIET FRA Kawasaki Racing Team KAWASAKI 1'58.028 24 24 0.157 0.157 290.3
3 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 1'58.470 20 21 0.599 0.442 294.0
4 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Camel Yamaha Team YAMAHA 1'58.851 19 19 0.980 0.381 291.9
5 10 Kenny ROBERTS JR USA Team Roberts KR211V 1'59.119 9 21 1.248 0.268 306.6
6 56 Shinya NAKANO JPN Kawasaki Racing Team KAWASAKI 1'59.240 4 24 1.369 0.121 294.0
7 7 Carlos CHECA SPA Tech 3 Yamaha YAMAHA 1'59.254 22 22 1.383 0.014 290.8
8 26 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 1'59.258 8 23 1.387 0.004 297.7
9 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Fortuna Honda HONDA 1'59.313 18 23 1.442 0.055 292.7
10 21 John HOPKINS USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 1'59.406 22 22 1.535 0.093 292.0
11 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Repsol Honda Team HONDA 1'59.515 23 23 1.644 0.109 295.2
12 27 Casey STONER AUS Honda LCR HONDA 1'59.607 15 17 1.736 0.092 297.9
13 6 Makoto TAMADA JPN Konica Minolta Honda HONDA 1'59.919 20 21 2.048 0.312 294.9
14 24 Toni ELIAS SPA Fortuna Honda HONDA 1'59.995 21 21 2.124 0.076 296.4
15 66 Alex HOFMANN GER Ducati Marlboro Team DUCATI 2'00.507 8 23 2.636 0.512 291.7
16 71 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP SUZUKI 2'01.375 20 21 3.504 0.868 288.7
17 77 James ELLISON GBR Tech 3 Yamaha YAMAHA 2'02.426 18 21 4.555 1.051 288.2
18 30 Jose Luis CARDOSO SPA Pramac d'Antín MotoGP DUCATI 2'02.730 17 20 4.859 0.304 281.6
19 22 Ivan SILVA SPA Pramac d'Antín MotoGP DUCATI 2'04.244 19 21 6.373 1.514 286.2

Dani Pedrosa in 8th - the top placed Honda....hmmm,maybe this is not a Honda track?

[Ghost Lemur]

I'd be happy if the results tomorrow looked like that.

[quattrocchi]

I'd be happy if the results tomorrow looked like that.

Yes, me too. Hayden annoys me when he's talking before a race, saying (paraphrasing like wild here) yeah well we've got the right setup and y'no we're just goina go for it and other platitudes and he rides like he's on medication, meanwhile Rossi seems more real and honest and rides like a genius in all conditions ('ceptin' 50deg laguna) . I can still see him at Donington last yr crossing the line well ahead and playing a violin. Prime late Sunday night is it?

[James Deuce]

Hayden's got a much tougher job than anyone out there. He's riding the only 2006 model RCV211 and having to develop it as well as having to try and justify his #1 spot at Honda by consistently placing well and winning as often as is possible. Only two other riders have ever beaten that Honda ethos - Doohan and Rossi. Pedrosa gets to look good by riding a bike that Nicky developed last year.

Hayden is doing a better job than his results suggest and for those complaining about his public persona his profile is nothing like Rossi's or even Gibernau's and he has more money riding on his shoulders than those two combined.

We all wanted professional motorcycle racing and Hayden is the type of public image product than you can expect to see from now on. Much like F1, a public personality will become a liability.

He doesn't complain about the bike or his team because he can;t afford to. He has everything to lose and nothing to gain by doing so.

[diesel pig]

Nah don't agree there aye. The champion should be the best rider not the most consistent and its quite clear who out of rossi and hayden is the best.

Also look at rossi's luck this season, its been totally shit. He has only had one crash that was his fault (at assen in practice) and all the rest have either been bad luck or other peoples fault. Without them he'd be 50 points ahead not 50 behind.

Thats Bullshit K14. The best rider is the one who consistently finishing at the front and there for getting the most points thats how championships are won. Rossi's luck is his problem, if you apply that thinking to all the other riders well, Melandri should be winning because you know he got knocked off and then had to ride with a broken collarbone and thats not fair is it?

[NhuanH]

man, the scrutineer's are still missing KJ's illegal turbo!

[Ghost Lemur]

That qualifier was well worth watching. If the race is half as exciting as that was we're in for a treat.

Rossi timed it to perfection. Caparossi set the pace real early then sat out most of the qualifier, before going out for one last lap.

Caparossi is definitely fighting fit again, expect to see him get the holeshot as he so often does. Rossi will also go hard from the line, which isn't his usual style.

One of the British 125 riders is out after breaking his arm during the qualifying session.

[k14]

Thats Bullshit K14. The best rider is the one who consistently finishing at the front and there for getting the most points thats how championships are won. Rossi's luck is his problem, if you apply that thinking to all the other riders well, Melandri should be winning because you know he got knocked off and then had to ride with a broken collarbone and thats not fair is it?

Yeah maybe i worded my post slightly incorrectly.

I'd have to admit being a bit biased cause im such a huge rossi fan and probably from a spectators point of view you don't want to see the guy that gets 3rd every race of the year win the championship (not referring solely to motogp, just racing in general) its much more exciting to see the guy that wins the majority of races take the crown.

Yeah jim2 has a very good point. Hayden is on a hiding to nothing. If he does win the championship everyone is going to say its only cause rossi had some bad luck. If he doesn't win the championship everyone will be on his back saying he doesn't have what it takes to win. He has so much weight on his shoulders it will be a very testing 6 races for him.