2012 MotoGP Round 1 - Qatar

[Zaphod]

Well....I will admit to falling asleep on the couch 10 min before they really "switched on" in the last 15 min.........damn 3am telecasts and getting old !!!!!

.........as usual, something that I saw and will now read too much into.........

just after the first run, Rossi and JB sitting and talking in the box. JB seemed to be emitting father like "you can do it/you're doing great" type enthusiasm, while Rossi seemed to be exuding......"whatever, I'll try it but I don't think this is any good", fore-gone conclusion negativity.

Just one quick shot from the TV, but that's what it looked like to me.

Lorenzo is a machine.

Alot of bikes seemed a bit loose in the front..........dust/dirty track ?........or ........ ???

Gotta love Edwards.........and the un-flapabilty of Hayden.


Cruthlow handling things well at this stage of the season.


Can Dani feel Dovis crosshairs on his back ?


I'm staying with Lorenzo for the win.......Stoner maybe second, but at least two Yamahas on the podium, and three out of the top five positions.

[Tourn46]

Was a little bit surprised about Stoner's comments regarding his team on the BBC after QP... apparently they are not listening to his issues because they believe he can cope with it anyway - he says he can't.

Bit of a weird interview... I don't like how he comes across in interviews, but I found this on particularly bizarre and for me it was out of character. It's very much normally "we" and there was no "we" this time... it was "them".

[ieism]

Bradl - a 180 degree turnaround for the team from Elias. Must be nice for them

I think it's safe to say that was 99% on Elias. Randy de Puniet did very well on the LCR in 2010 too.

[Rossifumi]

Can Dani feel Dovis crosshairs on his back ?

was mentioned on BBC coverage that they'd heard Dani has flu. Not seen this anywhere else but he's definitely out of sorts this weekend.

[Rossifumi]

Was a little bit surprised about Stoner's comments regarding his team on the BBC after QP... apparently they are not listening to his issues because they believe he can cope with it anyway - he says he can't.

Bit of a weird interview... I don't like how he comes across in interviews, but I found this on particularly bizarre and for me it was out of character. It's very much normally "we" and there was no "we" this time... it was "them".

I heard the interview too - was not very diplomatic to put it mildly.

[Tourn46]

was mentioned on BBC coverage that they'd heard Dani has flu. Not seen this anywhere else but he's definitely out of sorts this weekend.

Yeah, Steve Parish said it... I'm not sure if I believe anything he says.

[Zaphod]

Was a little bit surprised about Stoner's comments regarding his team on the BBC after QP... apparently they are not listening to his issues because they believe he can cope with it anyway - he says he can't.

Bit of a weird interview... I don't like how he comes across in interviews, but I found this on particularly bizarre and for me it was out of character. It's very much normally "we" and there was no "we" this time... it was "them".

Much use of the word "we" in the MotoGP.com interview, but the feeling of what you described still seems to remain..........


Casey Stoner:
“I'm not really happy with how qualifying went for us, it should have been a lot better especially on the soft tyre which we hadn't used all weekend. Last night we were happy with what we had improved and with the set-up in general. Then tonight we tried to improve that set-up and we just made it worse and worse. In the end we did a full circle and came back to what we had on Thursday night and we have huge chattering problems again. Now we have a lot of work to do to understand what's gone wrong and where the problem is before tomorrow. If we can make a big step forward in warm up then we can challenge for a podium and maybe fight for the win, but if the bike remains as it is at the moment, then we were going to be in for a long hard race.”



Pedrosa even more so........especially in regards to the non-starting bike, in particular, the pause before the use of the word "...Twice"


Dani Pedrosa:
“We solved a little the issues we had yesterday with the electronics, but we had other problems today. I stopped in the garage to change the bike and it didn't start, twice. I lost a lot of time there and I had to take the other bike which I didn't feel comfortable with either. It's a shame. The team couldn't do any better and nor me; from this point I lost the concentration a little and we couldn't get a better position. Seventh on the grid is not a good place to start the race, but I hope that we don't have any issues tomorrow and I can have a good race.”

[Tourn46]

Much use of the word "we" in the MotoGP.com interview, but the feeling of what you described still seems to remain..........

Casey Stoner:
“I'm not really happy with how qualifying went for us, it should have been a lot better especially on the soft tyre which we hadn't used all weekend. Last night we were happy with what we had improved and with the set-up in general. Then tonight we tried to improve that set-up and we just made it worse and worse. In the end we did a full circle and came back to what we had on Thursday night and we have huge chattering problems again. Now we have a lot of work to do to understand what's gone wrong and where the problem is before tomorrow. If we can make a big step forward in warm up then we can challenge for a podium and maybe fight for the win, but if the bike remains as it is at the moment, then we were going to be in for a long hard race.” ...snip

Yeah, that's not what he said on the BBC.

He said the team wasn't listening to him or placing any importance on his issues... and that they expected him to ride around them, which he can't.

[Rossifumi]

Much use of the word "we" in the MotoGP.com interview, but the feeling of what you described still seems to remain..........

Casey Stoner:
“I'm not really happy with how qualifying went for us, it should have been a lot better especially on the soft tyre which we hadn't used all weekend. Last night we were happy with what we had improved and with the set-up in general. Then tonight we tried to improve that set-up and we just made it worse and worse. In the end we did a full circle and came back to what we had on Thursday night and we have huge chattering problems again. Now we have a lot of work to do to understand what's gone wrong and where the problem is before tomorrow. If we can make a big step forward in warm up then we can challenge for a podium and maybe fight for the win, but if the bike remains as it is at the moment, then we were going to be in for a long hard race.” ...snip

Yeah, that's not what he said on the BBC.

He said the team wasn't listening to him or placing any importance on his issues... and that they expected him to ride around them, which he can't.

BBC caught him in parc ferme right after he got off the bike - I guess he had a bit more time to think about how he was saying things for the motogp.com interview.

[Zaphod]

Ok, I haven't instigated heated rhetoric for a while........so here goes.

Stoner, like all competitive sportspeople doesn't like to loose, especially when he feels he could definately beat who-ever has just beaten him.

Normal.

The comments (which I personaly, didn't see/hear) after he got off in parc make me draw comparisons to previous Aussie riders........

He seems to have that "heart on the sleeve" (which I don't mean as being a cry baby, just that when he gets caught in the heat of the moment, lets fly without thinking ) that Gardner had in truckloads.

He also seems to have a fair bit of Doohan "attitude" as well.

It's not outside the realms of possibility to think that he may , in hindsight, chosen not to have punched RdP, mouthed off at K.A, or carried on after the first Laguna.

The Jerez/Rossi thing "ambition outweighed talet" comment was faily well thought out and calm, and in that instance, he played and beat Rossi at his own media game.

None of this is meant as critisism, just an observation.........People are people

Lorenzo is (now, not in 250 days !) the complete opposite........"Screw what everyone else thinks/says, I'm just here to ride the bike"

Once he stopped , to quote a self confessed fault of Schwantz, "trying to win everything/dominate straight out of the box", and subsequently crashing, he has been nothing short of a machine.

Was not a fan of his in 250's, or his first two years in Moto........now, he just reminds me of Lawson/Rainey.

Even when Rossi shoved it under him in that last corner that time, when asked, he didn't display any anger or resentment, merely said that he was as impressed as anyone watching it, and that he used it to learn from.

This season looks like a cracker !!!

[Tourn46]

Ok, I haven't instigated heated rhetoric for a while........so here goes.

Stoner, like all competitive sportspeople doesn't like to loose, especially when he feels he could definately beat who-ever has just beaten him.

Indeed, which is why I said it was a very bizarre interview.

[Zaphod]

I know what you mean.........

After the "ambition outweighed talent" comment, he has had it all over Rossi psychologicaly.

By saying what you all heard ( not me ), he has handed the Psych advantage to Lorenzo big time. Not just insofar as making Lorenzo feel confident, but by starting to demoralize himself.

Doubt it would continue, or affect him for too long at all ,if he feels the Honda pick their act up and improve the bike.


........if it stays the same, it's not impossible to think that you start heading back down Ducati Avenue.

Which may ( i said may !) hasten a switch to V8's.

Who knows, all of my observations are unfounded speculation with which to waste time and delay me having to get back to plastering and painting the laundry walls.

[Kropotkin]

Was a little bit surprised about Stoner's comments regarding his team on the BBC after QP... apparently they are not listening to his issues because they believe he can cope with it anyway - he says he can't.

Bit of a weird interview... I don't like how he comes across in interviews, but I found this on particularly bizarre and for me it was out of character. It's very much normally "we" and there was no "we" this time... it was "them".

Sometimes the team lead him down a path he does not want to go, and he complains about it if it doesn't work out. But he complained about this - in veiled terms - throughout his time at Ducati. He asked for major changes, and got a new set of modified top yokes. So maybe he is a little allergic when it happens at Honda as well.

Later on, he was more diplomatic, but still as angry. The bike is hard work to ride with that much chatter. Pedrosa said exactly the same thing.

Stoner's problem is that he can truly ride anything, no matter how bad. It just takes him a lot more effort. So using Stoner's results as a guideline to how good or bad a bike is is of little use. Just ask Marco Melandri.

[Oscar]

By saying what you all heard ( not me ), he has handed the Psych advantage to Lorenzo big time. Not just insofar as making Lorenzo feel confident, but by starting to demoralize himself.

Not even the most rabid Stoner fan would deny that when he isn't achieving what he set himself as the goal, he gets wound up so tightly he hums in even a slight breeze - but he's also extremely short-cycle with that, it's well and truly over and done the next time he throws the leg over the bike so I don't see the 'demoralising himself' aspect being a factor in the race. If Lorenzo beats him, then Lorenzo has done the better job. However, I have to seriously wonder if there isn't an aspect in the HRC camp at the moment of frustration with the apparent lack of progress on the chatter front, when Pedrosa is so far off Stoner's time and having bike reliability issues - Pedrosa isn't that slow, and he is usually able to produce at the very least a couple of QP laps within a very close shave of the top times. The Yamaha machine seems to be doing an HRC '11 at the moment - which is excellent for the racing.

As an almost facetious aside - i didn't see Adriana in the parc ferme crowd, and has Stoner ever won a premier-class race when she wasn't present? Some riders are quite superstitious, even perhaps unconsciously.

[eddahenry]

yep stoner isnt a happy chappy at the moment
but ill bet when the bullshit stops and the flag drops he will grit his teeth and give it a red hot go , this boy doesn't know how to ride around slow
if he can stay with Jlo until the end i think he could drop the hammer in the final lap and go for the win.
But he seems up there on race tyres (no one has gone quicker on hards) and if the chatter gets worse with more grip you would think it would get better (IE less) when the tyres lose there grip
i guess we shall see tomorrow

[Desmo44]

yep stoner isnt a happy chappy at the moment

Maybe not, but you couldn't tell from the MotoGP feed. He was all smiles in parc ferme congratulating JL and yuking it up with Crutchlow...
I didn't see the BBC interview.

[Faster1]

~
well,,,,,,, I don't wave the Stoner banner in my house,, but these people race motorcycles,, they are not politicians, and aside from a few charismatic personalities in the padlock, they don't always respond well to strangers asking confidential, mostly ridiculous questions that distant fans evaluate as personality defining. I laugh at everything they say, if I'm in their shoes, I'd be spewing out the BS if I thought any of it could benefit my competition. "Well faster1, hows your bike?" me "well the nuclear thrusters will give me a top speed of 400 , but I still have chatter. ,,, IMO Casey would seek out a better set-up and question the work of everyone even on the team, even if he circulated 5 seconds per lap faster than the rest of the grid. I'm kind of getting used to it. So what. He'll probably win.

of note:
1. Who is in Crutchlows leathers ?? - I'l stick to my "Dovi next in line for a factory bike??? eff you I'll show you".. Hey, whatever motivates you.
2, Who is in Rossi's leathers?? l Let's put the recent history and wacky speculations behind. His name alone is works half a second over Nicky on the same bike. And the way Nicky rode THAT bike.. well ,,, that bike isn't THAT bad.
3. Great news.. Nicky Hayden is still better than most think,,, and (I'll eat crow here) Yamaha doesn't suck as bad as before
4. I used to defend Barbera for is alleged tail-gating but now, enough is enough. If I was Lorenzo, Id stand on the binder and make him crap his leathers... Very uncool Hector, you are off my "respect" list.

still
1. Stoner
2. Lorenzo
3. Crutchlow

and last
I'll stick to my "the CRT's have no business being on the same track as real gp machines" They are great bikes for there own series. I feel for James Elison, It isn't his fault, but he should sort that crap out, on a WSBK grid. Put Checa and his Duc on the grid aus-jus and it would best JE.
Respect to DePunet,, He's not a crasher,, he's a pusher, and he want's more.


Anyone want to chime in on Elias? I was rough on him last year but,,, go on,, blame the tires again , I dare you

[L34]

Strange off by Ben. Looked like the bike just slipped off on both wheels and then immediately gripped again. Was Ben holding to it or was his hand stuck to something there?

I watched it in slow mo and it looked like his hand was caught up in the new "safety" brake lever guard. You don't hold onto a bike when you are being dragged along beside it. It could have been very nasty.

If that is the case they should (mandated) have to hinge them so that the riders hand can push out but not be pushed in.

When i saw Ben crash i got a sick feeling in my stomach... It was scary seeing him being dragged along.
.

[Cam D]

There was lots of talk about who would benefit from the extra power of the 1000cc motors. Looks like Nicky is the one that it has helped the most. He had the bike drifting quite a bit last night and seemed to be really enjoying the extra grunt. It was great to watch and he looked really comfortable. Hope he has a good year as too often he is discounted as not having the skills needed.

[DJH]

There was lots of talk about who would benefit from the extra power of the 1000cc motors. Looks like Nicky is the one that it has helped the most. He had the bike drifting quite a bit last night and seemed to be really enjoying the extra grunt. It was great to watch and he looked really comfortable. Hope he has a good year as too often he is discounted as not having the skills needed.

Vale was quick to mention that they would be evaluating his data for answers to their problem.

Maybe Hayden should build a Rossi wall similar to his final days at Yamaha.

Funny how many times the coin flips before it lands. Will it be face down? or Tails up?

[Cam D]

There was lots of talk about who would benefit from the extra power of the 1000cc motors. Looks like Nicky is the one that it has helped the most. He had the bike drifting quite a bit last night and seemed to be really enjoying the extra grunt. It was great to watch and he looked really comfortable. Hope he has a good year as too often he is discounted as not having the skills needed.

Vale was quick to mention that they would be evaluating his data for answers to their problem.

Maybe Hayden should build a Rossi wall similar to his final days at Yamaha.

Funny how many times the coin flips before it lands. Will it be face down? or Tails up?

It actually reminds me of the year he won the title. The other rider was the team's main focus and Nick was just an extra. He did his stuff in the back ground and rode well. Surprisingly similar situation.

[Zaphod]

Can't think of anyone other than Spencer who has fallen from such lofty heights so quickly.

2 seconds and 12th...........through set up ??!!

I'd like to think he hasn't lost it.........but he clearly is not occupying the same head space he used to.


Hope it gets better.

The time at Honda seems to have served Hayden well , no sense in complaining to much, just ride what you've got as well as you can.

[Gustav O]

Talking about Ellison. Yes, it is partly his fault. He's just aint good enough for MotoGP.

[Kropotkin]

Talking about Ellison. Yes, it is partly his fault. He's just aint good enough for MotoGP.

It's partly his own fault. He signed to ride with Paul Bird ...

[Gustav O]

Talking about Ellison. Yes, it is partly his fault. He's just aint good enough for MotoGP.

It's partly his own fault. He signed to ride with Paul Bird ...

Very good point.

@inthegravel: ...Paul Bird said 'If there's anyone looking for a GP ride send applications to me in writing'