Interested in MotoGP?

[gav]

Ahh, more rumors...

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/raci...-offer-ducati/

Wow, there a few rumours that Stoner wont be back in MotoGP, , but who better to replace him than Jorge Lorenzo!
If Lorenzo can get the Spanish Telefonica money that is supposedly around, he would be best to see if he could run his own Yamaha team with the funds on offer.

[discotex]

And what was with Kallio wanting a fight with Melandri.................watching the slow mo Kallio ploughed into the side of Melandri who was slightly in front

Looked to me like Melandri was stuffing it in where he couldn't safely make a pass. There's no way Mika would have been expecting a bike to appear at that spot in the chicane.

I can see why Mika was pissed as it was about as clever as Fabrizio's pass on Ben Spies at Brno in WSBK.

[gav]

How can you compare the two? Melandri had cleared Kallio and was well passed him, and Kallio turned way back into Melandri. How could he not see him? Fabrizio crashed and then took out Spies, crashing behind him. Completely different situation.

[k14]

How can you compare the two? Melandri had cleared Kallio and was well passed him, and Kallio turned way back into Melandri. How could he not see him? Fabrizio crashed and then took out Spies, crashing behind him. Completely different situation.

Yeah fully kallio's fault. Melandri did a good but hard pass and kallio didn't conceed. He still opened the throttle where he would have if the pass wasn't made but not to be

[discotex]

How can you compare the two? Melandri had cleared Kallio and was well passed him.

Ummm if Melandri has cleared Kallio and was way past him Kallio wouldn't have hit him.......

and Kallio turned way back into Melandri. How could he not see him? Fabrizio crashed and then took out Spies, crashing behind him. Completely different situation.

Different situation agreed but it was the same level of appropriateness trying to make a pass stick where it was never going to.

Yeah fully kallio's fault. Melandri did a good but hard pass and kallio didn't conceed. He still opened the throttle where he would have if the pass wasn't made but not to be

No way did Kallio just not conceed. No GP rider would deliberately take himself out just to make a point. Had Kallio made the pass stick and been in front Kallio would have at worst clipped the back wheel. Not slammed into the front of Melandri's bike.

From the angle I saw it was clearly a botched attempt at a block pass and Melandri failed to make it stick. Would be very interested to see a shot from the air to see their lines better.

[k14]

No way did Kallio just not conceed. No GP rider would deliberately take himself out just to make a point. Had Kallio made the pass stick and been in front Kallio would have at worst clipped the back wheel. Not slammed into the front of Melandri's bike.

From the angle I saw it was clearly a botched attempt at a block pass and Melandri failed to make it stick. Would be very interested to see a shot from the air to see their lines better.

Kallio hit him from the side but melandri was at least half a bike ahead. He was probably trying to close the door but it just went bad. Comparing it to fabrizio taking out spies is just flawed logic (as gav says above). Fabrizio's crash was very similar to lorenzo's actually. Cept he didn't take anyone but himself out!

Edit: Just watched it again on youtube, melandri was nearly completly ahead of kallio actually

[gav]

Ummm if Melandri has cleared Kallio and was way past him Kallio wouldn't have hit him.......
Kallio only hit him when he accelerated into Melandri !


Different situation agreed but it was the same level of appropriateness trying to make a pass stick where it was never going to.



No way did Kallio just not conceed. No GP rider would deliberately take himself out just to make a point. Had Kallio made the pass stick and been in front Kallio would have at worst clipped the back wheel. Not slammed into the front of Melandri's bike.

From the angle I saw it was clearly a botched attempt at a block pass and Melandri failed to make it stick. Would be very interested to see a shot from the air to see their lines better.

A botched block pass would've been if Melandri had hit Kallio side on or had taken out Mikas front wheel, but Kallio definately hit Melandri from behind. Kallio never got in front of Melandri, the closest he got was riding side saddle on on the Hayate as it skated up the road!
Wonder if Kallio mentioned the fact that he could put the Duc in the top 10 and Melandri couldnt?

[discotex]

A botched block pass would've been if Melandri had hit Kallio side on or had taken out Mikas front wheel, but Kallio definately hit Melandri from behind. Kallio never got in front of Melandri, the closest he got was riding side saddle on on the Hayate as it skated up the road!
Wonder if Kallio mentioned the fact that he could put the Duc in the top 10 and Melandri couldnt?

Prolly something like that eh.

If that wasn't the second half of a 90 degree left/right chicane I'd totally agree with you both.

That replay doesn't show both parts of the corner but from memory it's not that Kallio accelerates or tries to close the door, it's just that's the normal line and Melandri's the one slowing down because he has gone for an ultra early apex on the second apex (or he'd run mega wide).

Just looking at that vid I'm fairly sure Kallio isn't even on the gas yet - the apex he's going for is through the other side of Melandri.

I've got the race on the PC so will cut it out and take another look with the whole corner.

Interesting seeing their two takes... from dodgy old MCN

Kallio (which is how it looked to me)

"I was on the normal line and that’s why I was carrying so much more corner speed than him.

"He’d come underneath fast but he had to slow down in the middle of the corner to make it through. The next thing we touched and I was down.”

and Melandri (which is how it looked to you guys - although I think that's the camera angle that makes it look that way)

“I was passed him and then suddenly I got hit from behind.

"I’m not sure how he can blame me when I was in front of him. Maybe when he watches the video he will change his mind.”

[cooper_man]

Does anybody have a definitive list of the confirmed contracts for next year? I know there is a lot of talk but elias def gone? melandri now confirmed as a factory driver? hayden? edwards and toseland going back to WSBK?

So so many rumours but I reckon it will be a much bigger re shift compared to previous years!

[gav]

Does anybody have a definitive list of the confirmed contracts for next year? I know there is a lot of talk but elias def gone? melandri now confirmed as a factory driver? hayden? edwards and toseland going back to WSBK?

So so many rumours but I reckon it will be a much bigger re shift compared to previous years!

Melandri and Simoncelli are confirrmed for Gresini Honda. Suzuki have confirmed
Capirossi and Bautista, so Vermeullan is looking for a new job, maybe WSBK but Im sure he'd prefer to stay in MotoGP. Rossi is staying at Yamaha, and it appears Dovi and Pedrosa will stay at Repsol Honda. Hayate (Kawasaki) are definate non starters next year.
Couple of key things are, will Stoner return? Ducati are said to be keen on signing Lorenzo, maybe as a replacement for Stoner? If Lorenzo leaves Yamaha, Edwards could well return as Rossi's team mate. Toseland needs some big results soon to keep his job. Ben Spies is a strong possibility for the Tech 3 team, but I also wouldnt be too surprised if he stayed in WSBK.
Think Hayden has a two year deal, but may have an option for the second year of the contract. I think he's done enough to keep his ride

[Matt Bleck]

Just when it was looking like the G.O.A.T had it in the bag he goes and chucks it for the fans!

gowd bless America!

[Matt Bleck]

Ben Spies: WSBK in 2010, MotoGP in 2011

[Matt Bleck]

Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'37.185 322.737
2 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'37.544 325.035 0.359
3 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'37.606 318.770 0.421
4 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'37.966 319.484 0.781
5 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'38.103 323.469 0.918
6 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'38.244 320.651 1.059
7 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'38.385 316.384 1.200
8 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'38.591 322.920 1.406
9 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'38.629 309.436 1.444
10 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 1'38.661 321.827 1.476
11 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'38.850 321.736 1.665
12 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'38.978 325.035 1.793
13 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 1'39.033 327.648 1.848
14 41 Gabor TALMACSI HUN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1'39.393 318.770 2.208
15 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'39.567 326.710 2.382
16 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'39.686 322.737 2.501
17 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 1'39.757 318.681 2.572

[Crasherfromwayback]

Been off the bike how long...and he's how fast already??

Nice to see he's back.

[NZsarge]

Been off the bike how long...and he's how fast already??

Nice to see he's back.

Pfft! did'nt even notice he was'nt there..
Seriously though, it'll be nice to see something other than the Rossi/Lorenzo show although that can be outstandingly entertaining all the same.











Just as long as Rossi wins!