Biggest Surprise in 2012

[MS Re~Cycle]

I was reading David's excellent Crystal ball column and all of his predictions seem very reasonable, but in most cases the predictions are logical that I almost felt David played it a little too "safe." If you were to make a prediction for this season that would be a surprise what would it be?

For Example:
Dani Pedrosa finishes the season second in points.
Casey Stoner misses 2 or more races.
A Ducati wins a race.
Randy DePuniet does not crash out of any race.
Edwards finishes a race in the Top 5.
A CRT bike on the second row at 2 or more races.
Dovi signs with Ducati for 2013 season.
There are no major rule changes made for 2013. (Scratch that, there has to be some chance of it happening.)
etc...

[MS Re~Cycle]

Just realized my examples are all premier class, but this doesn't have to be limited there. You can also predict Vinales doesn't win Moto3 title, or Toni Elias on podium for 3 or more races, etc.

[Cam D]

Cal Crutchlow to get a podium.... he's a bit of an unknown quantity this year.

[Sloth27]

Spies will not win a race this year.

Pedrosa will beat Lorenzo to 2nd in the championship.

Rossi will not finish on the podium.

Brave enough?

[Zaphod]

Lorenzo wins championship, Stoner second, Spies third.

Ducati gets four podiums or better.

Iannone signs for Ducati 2013........Bayliss does more testing for Ducati

Bradl to HRC for 2013, Pedrosa relegated to Gresini.

Edwards makes his own TC/electronics pakage out of an old commodore 64 computer, no one is surprised when the bike suddenly work a whole lot better.

RDP wins a race, MotoGP ratings and crowd attendance numbers go through the roof for the rest of the season after his girlfriend goes topless on the pre-race grid to distract the oposition........Edwards quoted as saying "Hell yeah !!, You tha' man Randy !!"

Pedrosa and Puig go the whole season without comlaining about someone or something/Pedrosa stays upright for the season.

[tom]

Spies will not win a race this year.

Pedrosa will beat Lorenzo to 2nd in the championship.

Rossi will not finish on the podium.

Brave enough?

I would bet on all those not brave enough by half

[motor]

Qatar race comes down to the last corner of the last lap, where Rossi bumps Stoner off the track and takes his first Ducati win

[Oscar]

MotoGp WC won by more than 30 points.

Livio Suppo quits smoking, says 'kids, don't start!'

Nakamoto displays emotion (ANY damn emotion).

Spies does the Chicken Dance on the podium.

Ezpeleta announces that Dorna will allow clips of less than 30 secs. duration to be freely put on YouTube.

Nick Harris discovers Brno isn't pronounced Bruno.

Nobody plunges down a hill, any track, all year.

Schwantz says 'Stoner is a good rider' without some snide qualification.

Ianone adopts tidy, conservative, considerate style, with the safety of others paramount in his strategy.

T.V. coverage stays on the critical duel of ANY race without cutting to the pits / shots of the brake/clutch hand of a rider / third or later replay of the start just as podium positions are about to change.

Dorna gets Live Timing to work faultlessly.

P.I. is held in brilliant, warm, calm conditions. Stoner is so confused he forgets which way the track goes, heads into Turn 3 and turns right.

[Zaphod]

Nobody plunges down a hill, any track, all year.

T.V. coverage stays on the critical duel of ANY race without cutting to the pits / shots of the brake/clutch hand of a rider / third or later replay of the start just as podium positions are about to change.

Hahahahahaha...... good luck with that !

I wait with baited breath each year to hear of somebody "plunging down a hill" at Assen.

[motor]

And no rider is ever desperate in 2012!

[Tourn46]

Steve Parrish and Charlie Cox don't act like a pair of twats.

[Nucci]

Nakamoto displays emotion (ANY damn emotion).

You've already lost that bet! The man can get quite animated when he is angry, though mostly from the neck up!

[Kropotkin]

I was reading David's excellent Crystal ball column and all of his predictions seem very reasonable, but in most cases the predictions are logical that I almost felt David played it a little too "safe."

Honestly, I didn't see anything (barring injury) to shake up the obvious. Otherwise I would have !

[Wil55N]

Mid way through a mildly successful season RDP will announce he is quitting CRT... To join the Aprilia Factory Racing Team in 2013.

[JcM]

Steve Parrish and Charlie Cox don't act like a pair of twats.

Now that would be a surprise!

[WayneG]

Actually Stoner missing rounds is a real possibility. I read today that his back condition is congenital and he is stuck with it for life and it appears to be getting worse.

[Tourn46]

Actually Stoner missing rounds is a real possibility. I read today that his back condition is congenital and he is stuck with it for life and it appears to be getting worse.

Maybe it will fuel the move to V8 Supercars or whatever you Australian folk get up to... the things with big engines. Must be easier on the back than throwing a MotoGP bike about.

[CLX]

Not playing it safe? Hum...
- both Rossi and Hayden leave MotoGP for WSBK after no podiums at all. Rossi to Ducati and Hayden to Honda;
- or Rossi sorts the Ducati and wins some 4 races in the second half of the season and builds on to win his 10th and final title in 2013 and then go to WSBK with Ducati.
- Pedrosa finds the bikes too physically demanding and doesn't win a single race, Spies wins 2 or 3 and finishes 3rd in the sandings. Marquez wins some 11 races or more in Moto2 and in 2013 HRC becomes a diguised 3 bike team again. Then Stoner retires after 4 titles, 45+wins and lots of back problems and HRC in 2014 becomes Marquez and Bradl.

[Squidpuppet]

T.V. coverage stays on the critical duel of ANY race without cutting to the pits / shots of the brake/clutch hand of a rider / third or later replay of the start just as podium positions are about to change.

Let it be so, damnit!!!!

[Squidpuppet]

Actually Stoner missing rounds is a real possibility. I read today that his back condition is congenital and he is stuck with it for life and it appears to be getting worse.

Disc issues?

[Squidpuppet]

and HRC in 2014 becomes Marquez and Bradl.

Oh my. Oh my goodness.

[corinthian]

Actually Stoner missing rounds is a real possibility. I read today that his back condition is congenital and he is stuck with it for life and it appears to be getting worse.

If you are going by the same article I read it's not congenital, ie he wasn't born with it, it's the result of an accident (from memory it was in 2004). But it is permanent, and getting progressively worse.

Here's one: to avoid traffic riders will go after their fast lap earlier during QP, and at least once this season we will see the pole decided with a time set before the last 15 minutes at a track where normally it would be in the last 5 minutes. By that I mean where track conditions are stable or improving, not worsening.

I don't see this as being particularly likely, but you've asked for riskier bets and sleep deprivation prevents me from coming up with anything better!

Wait, what about this: hot weather at Silverstone catches Bridgestone completely off gaurd and all tyres turn into Hubba Bubba by lap 12. Hijinks ensue.

[Faster1]

~ my biggest surprise Would be Dani finishing his first season in,,, forever without getting hurt,, thus stealing a few wins and keep the championship close until the last round and finish a solid 2nd. This is the do-or-die for him to keep Marquez off of his bike. I'm in his corner this year. If Stoner has more than a hic-up this year, it's Dani's to steal.

[RatsMC]

Steve Parrish and Charlie Cox don't act like a pair of twats.

No one would take that bet.

[WayneG]

If you are going by the same article I read it's not congenital, ie he wasn't born with it, it's the result of an accident (from memory it was in 2004). But it is permanent, and getting progressively worse.

My bad! Wrong choice of words. I shouldn't post at 4 in the morning.