Musical chairs

[denill]

Fiat Yamaha Team finalises 2008 line-up

Following the conclusion of the 2007 season, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd and Yamaha Motor Racing Srl are pleased to be able to confirm the final line-up of their 2008 Factory Team.

Seven-time World Champion Valentino Rossi and two time 250cc World Champion Jorge Lorenzo will contest the 2008 MotoGP World Championship as team-mates in the Fiat Yamaha Team.

Yamaha can also confirm its plan to run Valentino Rossi on Bridgestone tyres in 2008, while Jorge Lorenzo will be racing with Michelin tyres.

In order to facilitate the use of both Michelin tyres and Bridgestone tyres within the Yamaha Factory Team and to ensure confidentiality of data for each tyre company, Yamaha will organize separate rider pit boxes, but the Fiat Yamaha Team will continue to operate and race as one team.

As a consequence, the organization of the Team for 2008 will be as altered.

[Cajun]

interest so rossi got his way in the end.

[denill]

interest so rossi got his way in the end.

Yeah. But he could have egg and lots of it on his face if Stoner beats him up again in 08.

Already he must be wondering after Pedro ran away at Valencia. On Michelins

Talk this year about a 'Tyre War' is crap. It's always been a tyre war - except B/Stone normally lost it.

[roogazza]

Talk this year about a 'Tyre War' is crap. It's always been a tyre war - except B/Stone normally lost it.

Rossi has a one year contract doesn't he Bill ? Going to Bridgestones may be a gamble just for 08 and a bit of a mind game for Jorge too ? I don't doubt he's tried his heart out this year, but I'm betting he's done his homework.. Gaz.

[denill]

Rossi has a one year contract doesn't he Bill ?

Yeah - Rossi's contract with Yamaha runs out after the 2008 season and he said: "Yamaha have to show me something now, make a good bike for 2008. If nothing changes, I can look for another opportunity."

[slowpoke]

Talk this year about a 'Tyre War' is crap. It's always been a tyre war - except B/Stone normally lost it.

The big thing in the past has been only also rans went with Bridgestones, while all the main combatants were on Michelins so effectively the battle for the title was evenly tyre matched.
Ducati were on Bridgestones in 2006 and were very competitive but the results were skewed by that nasty mid-season pile up that took out several riders and lost Capirossi a swag of points as he struggled to recover. But for that incident he would have been right in the mix for the title and 2007 wouldn't have come as such a suprise.
Then the rules were changed with the tyre allocation and this suited Bridgestones' manufacturing system better than it did Michelin. Until that point the "war" was actually pretty even but Michelin have struggled to adjust and been non the back foot all season.
The pendulum seems to have swung back to a more neutral point for 2008 so it's game on...we've just got to hope that Yamaha can lift their game. Edwards is probably a fairer reflection of where the bike is at the moment so Rossi is taking a knife to a gunfight.

[denill]

Dunno how many it was - but the tyre allocation will go up to 40 next year; 18 front and 22 rear.

Dunno what or how much difference it will make?

[BarryG]

It's gone from 31 to 40.
I think it will mean tyre compounds suited for smaller temperature variations, which could obviate Bridgestones main advantage last year, they apparently weren't as sensitive as the Michelins, and would work better for longer. The Michelins tended to go off a lot faster as more heat was put into them.
You know, for all the twittering about it, Pedrosa and Rossi, on Michelins, were still 2 and 3 in the championship, and won races, so Michelin must have got it close to right a fair bit of the time.
Cheers
Barry

[denill]

You know, for all the twittering about it, Pedrosa and Rossi, on Michelins, were still 2 and 3 in the championship, and won races, so Michelin must have got it close to right a fair bit of the time.
Cheers
Barry

Yeah. Good point Barry.
It's just that the Stoner/Ducati/Bridgestone package was SOOOO much better.

So is the 'Tyre War' thing is about not wanting to admit the package was much better than they (all the others) could come up with - until the Pedrosa/Honda/Michelin combo did the biz in the last round??

[roogazza]

That tiny little fella did the biz didn't he ! But I still can't see him winning a straight fight with Rossi, I mean a real scrap on good equipment.
I will reserve any judgement on Stoner in that scenario when they meet on equal terms maybe next year. We've seen Rossi overcoming odds to outride Stoner several times this year only to fade because of equipment.

ps. Guess who I'm a fan of ?????? gaz.

[k14]

That tiny little fella did the biz didn't he ! But I still can't see him winning a straight fight with Rossi, I mean a real scrap on good equipment.
I will reserve any judgement on Stoner in that scenario when they meet on equal terms maybe next year. We've seen Rossi overcoming odds to outride Stoner several times this year only to fade because of equipment.

ps. Guess who I'm a fan of ?????? gaz.

Hello!!! Did you watch the cataluyna race? Line astern, stoner, rossi and pedrosa. Stoner beat him fair and square that day, nothing better about either riders bikes, purely on skill.

[denill]

That tiny little fella did the biz didn't he ! But I still can't see him winning a straight fight with Rossi, I mean a real scrap on good equipment.
I will reserve any judgement on Stoner in that scenario when they meet on equal terms maybe next year. We've seen Rossi overcoming odds to outride Stoner several times this year only to fade because of equipment.

ps. Guess who I'm a fan of ?????? gaz.

Yeah Gaz, call me fickle but I'm with K14 on this.

That said - bring on 2008

[roogazza]

Hello!!! Did you watch the cataluyna race? Line astern, stoner, rossi and pedrosa. Stoner beat him fair and square that day, nothing better about either riders bikes, purely on skill.

You could well be right on that one K14, but I choose a faulty memory on that one (one eyed Vale supporter)... I'll still be wearing my Rossi underpants and hat all summer waiting for 2008 to start !
ps. I will admit that they're all bloody great riders and look even faster in the flesh. gaz.

[denill]

Sepang Test - November 15
Day One - Unofficial Times

1. Randy de Puniet (Honda) 2’03.033
2. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) 2’03.357
3. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 2’03.406
4. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) 2’03.607
5. Loris Capirossi (Suzuki) 2’03.748
6. Anthony West (Kawasaki) 2’04.068
7. Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2’04.164
8. John Hopkins (Kawasaki) 2’04.316
9. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2’04.433
10. James Toseland (Yamaha) 2’05.438

[roogazza]

Sepang Test - November 15
Day One - Unofficial Times

1. Randy de Puniet (Honda) 2’03.033
2. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki) 2’03.357
3. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 2’03.406
4. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) 2’03.607
5. Loris Capirossi (Suzuki) 2’03.748
6. Anthony West (Kawasaki) 2’04.068
7. Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2’04.164
8. John Hopkins (Kawasaki) 2’04.316
9. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 2’04.433
10. James Toseland (Yamaha) 2’05.438

Early days Bill, but Randy de Puniet will be out to prove something by the looks and I reckon Dovizioso could just surprise a few now, with horsepower to match the opposition ? Gaz.