Ducati Monster Forum

this should be interesting...

Davide_Brivio: Today we finished the preparation here at Sepang and we had a press conference with Vale and Lorenzo togheter... You'll read in the media.

...entertaining if not explosive presser at Sepang, JL refused to talk about Motegi "What happened? Ah yes, I signed a 2 year deal with Yamaha"

also, rossi is "99%" to race at philip island.  no surgery after sepang.

and no pedro.

all these times are PST:

(http://7mzdt.com/images/Sepang2010.jpg)

In which position does Jorge have to finish in to have the championship?

I read on motogp.com he needs 6 points.

ninth.

Assuming Pedro doesn't pull a fast one and show up to race at Sepang.... and that he comes back to win the last 3 races...

Jorge needs 6 points to tie Pedro's best herculean effort.

Dunno how MotoGP handles points ties, but I imagine JLo's 7 wins would be sufficient.

9th place is 7 points, 10th is 6.

I hope Jorge does a safe race to get the necessary points, then takes the gloves off for the last 3 races.  [beer]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/87237 (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/87237)

Jorge Lorenzo says he has not yet decided whether to take a cautious approach to this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix...

iirc, it's wins, then (if it's still tied) 2nds, 3rds, etc...

If I recall correctly....

that's funny. ;D

rossi on top in fp1

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/87256 (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/87256)

Anyone see how close Spies got to one of the Gresinis?  :o

WTF was up with that?

Pole results.

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=42305 (http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=42305)

Yeah, because it's always fun to watch racers just drive around the track.  >:(

Congrats to Lorenzo on the championship.   [thumbsup]   That being said, Rossi had one of the better rides of his career this morning.  He rode the wheels off that Yam to take the win today.  Incredible.  Stoner just crashes too much.  

What's funny is Lorenzo's Spanish flag got chewed up by his rear wheel and eventually slipped his chain on the cooldown.  They had to rip the flag out of his sprocket and then remount the chain to get him back to the pits.  Also of some humour.... they had trouble getting his bike started before the race.

If only they had played the Italian anthem for him again during the podium presentation!! [laugh] That would have been perfect!! Rossi probably wouldn't have been able to stop rolling on the floor laughing his ass off!! [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] He's lucky the flag didn't rip him off the seat and onto the tarmac... :P

Stoner is very quickly becoming the new Captain Crash!

The Doctor was definitely IN!

I noticed Spies was the first to stop and congratulate Lorenzo, but Jorge didn't acknowledge him, even after one of the costume guys pointed him out. 

What happened to the last guy that snubbed Spies, I forget?  ;D

Did you see Ben riding away shaking his head? [laugh]

Great ride by Rossi!  [bow_down]

Congrats to Lorenzo, but he did kinda seem like a douche when everyone were trying to congratulate him.

Great ride by Rossi.  [bow_down]

Let your true colors shine Lorenzo.  [thumbsdown]

Sorry Lorenzo, you won because Rossi was injured and no other reason. I know it must be killing you, haha.  [laugh]

yeah, no other reason like jorge beating an uninjured rossi 2 out of 3 times at the beginning of the season.  [roll]

You have to give credit where credit is due.  Even had Rossi been healthy, Jorge has had a near flawless season.  No crashes to speak of ( none in races ), superb qualifying, and a steady diet of wins + podiums.  Rossi might have given him a run for it, but what Jorge achieved can't be dismissed.  Anyone riding as well as he did this year will win the championship 95% of the time.

make the beast with two backs Yorgey.  :D

ben shaking his head, pretty funny.  and nice/funny that a second later valentino basically forced jorge to acknowledge his congratulations.

just like i said after motegi, that race was rossi sending a message about 2011.  can't wait for PI!

i'm happy for george etc.. but i still just don't care.  that said, it's gonna be a hell of a season next year.

Let's hope that Rossi will have time to put his spin on the Duc before the season starts.

Jorge pretty much was unstoppable for the most part of the year. He was either first or second in most the races. He more than earned this championship.

oh he totally earned it, i'm not suggesting otherwise.  he kicked ass.  he just also gives me narcolepsy for some reason.

You are correct. I do give credit where credit is due. Jorge won the championship and for that I congratulate him.

However, just as in the case of Casey Stoner, it's much easier to "not crash" when your not threatened. Just like football teams who are ahead most of the time make less mistakes than teams trying to catch up.

Honda has finally sorted out their issues, a little too late I might add and the story changes.

I don't dismiss Jorge winning the championship any more than I do Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden. They took the opportunity when it was available and deserve to be called champions for those years. What I find funny though is how quickly people flip flop.

I remember way back at the DML when people were counting Rossi out. I find that laughable.

I'm completely confident that by the next year or two that the Yamaha will be back where it started when Rossi took over. In the middle of the pack and I wouldn't be surprised if Lorenzo eventually leaves Yamaha. I am seriously much more worried about Ben Spies right now than Lorenzo. Lorenzo is a hot head and has shown signs of mental weakness. Rossi can and will break him. Ben Spies however has ice in his veins and is a pretty cold dude.

So yeah, congrats Yorgy. Enjoy it while it lasts, just as Casey Stoner.

I'm going to call it right now so we can pull this up in the future. Lorenzo will eventually leave Yamaha.

Rossi will eventually leave Ducati, too.  ;D

Lorenzo is indeed too smooth.
He turned the knob down from 11 too far.
But the 800's seem to thrive on that setting.

I fully expect that now that the title is sealed, Lorenzo will turn the throttle a bit harder.
There's 3 more race wins on the table yet this year.

Hasn't Rossi's shoulder been injured all season?  ???

The next 3 races are going to be pride battles between rossi and yorgey, it's going to be awesome

Credit to Jorge for winning the championship.

But more credit to Vale for coming back from 11th just to remind Jorge he's faster

gorge is the real deal, maybe a bit of egomaniac in a way but still he rode well this year.

my question is if rossi will be able to be good on the ducati or not, that will be a big question mark next year.  if he is getting 4 and 5 places next year i think we will see rossi complaining about hte bike this or that, etc. and whining, hope not but let's see.

i'm curiousas to how spies will do next year on teh factory team if he will be able to move up the ranks or not. but it seems like honda is doing well right now but with the engine change next year, in a way i think they are all back to square 1.

Yep, me too. I also find myself getting a little sleepy thinking about Lorenzo or watching him race. In fact I'm yawning as I type this. ;D Yeah, sure, good rider that had a great season but he just seems like a turd. Are he and Pedrobot secretly Spanish brothers? As good as they both are on the bike they strike me as dull and unlikable. I guess what I mean is I don't find it very exciting to watch them race. Sort of like my comments about Kenan Sofuoglu. Great 600 Supersport rider with another championship but I enjoy watching Laverty race and beat him. Same thing.

I much more enjoyed Rossi's trip through the pack and into the lead than if Lorenzo had been doing it. Plus I think Lorenzo's post victory stunts this year were make the beast with two backsing arrogant and stupid. The spacesuit bullshit at Laguna Seca and the sitting in the chair eating popcorn watching himself on the Jumbotron screen (whichever race that was) were just dickhead moves. Rossi can pull that shit off and be funny. Jorge doing it just looks weak and stupid. He really should stop it.

I also think the tables may turn when the 1000cc engines come back. What is doing well now may not be so dominant with the new engine rules. It will be a fresh start for all the manufacturers. It will be interesting to see what happens and to whom. [thumbsup]

They all have pretty big egos. Some just manage their images better than others.
The exception is Nicky, he'd be a great son-in-law.

Rossi will (IMO) ride hard and fast and help with Ducati's MotoGP development but I don't see him griping about it or whining.  He's too much of a professional for that (again, IMO).

Nicki has matured and will do well under Rossi's tutelage.  I don't think 2011 will be Ducati's year as too much rider development and bike development will be taking place.  They'll start out good, but only get better and better as the season goes on.

Stoner will do well with Honda and Pedrosa (providing he heals up well from the crash) will be a force to be reckoned with for certain.  Of the potentially 3 Honda riders for next year, I really enjoy Devisioso's riding of late.  He's matured and although he's not made of an iron will, there's a lot to be said for the fight in that dog.  A lot.

Ah...what to say about Lorenzo...  Well, he's proven that he's got an ego.  He's proven he can ride a bike.  But can he remain a champion next season mentally?!?  Me thinks not (IMO).  He's too young mentally to keep that #1 plate for anything more than the one season (IMO).  He reminds me of a younger Mr. Hayden in 2006.  Too cocky.  Hell of a rider for certain, just his lack of mental discipline will be his downfall.

Didn't Rossi say 'FU' to Yamaha for the remainder of the season to get his shoulder operated on?

that really shouldn't be a surprised to anybody that watched him race (and win... and celebrate...) in 250s.


i think he's a lot stronger than people give him credit for. it can't be easy having rossi for a teammate, especially when you can beat him (at full strength).


hayden was cocky in 2006?

I think Hayden saw his chance and he took it. It was hard for me to root for him as I felt that it was the failure of the M1 on multiple occasions rather than Hayden dominating like Stoner did that earned him a championship. But at the end of the year it was Rossi who had the championship in hand and crashed and at that point I figured that Hayden earned his championship especially since coming back after Pedrosa almost blew Hayden's chances of becoming champ.

I also think Hayden in and has pretty much always been a stand up guy. I got a ton of respect for him and I think he can help Rossi make the transition to the Duc.

On a side note, I agree that Yorgy's celebrations remind me of European club music. Rossi although a Euro reminds me of Rock-n-Roll.

That race was a demonstration of why you *never* want to get into a braking contest with Rossi.  I want to see him and Spies go at it in a late-braking contest.  Spies' braking has really impressed me, and I want to see how he squares up with the King.  

Stoner has had a rough season.  It's like he's back on the Honda when he first started out.  He was either fast as hell or in the gravel.  

Someone mentioned Lorenzo not shaking Spies's hand after the race.  That didn't look intentional at all.  The dude just won the championship and was surrounded by people and wasn't paying attention to the fact that riders might be stopping to congratulate him.  Even Rossi had to grab his arm and pull on it a couple of times to get his attention to shake his hand.  

Congrats to Elias.   [clap]  He has been unbelievably consistent, particularly in Moto2, where its so easy to get caught out in a freak crash. 

i don't think nicky has ever been cocky.  he did earn the championship with 9 podiums, yes, but rossi still gave it to him at the end of the day.  ...he absolutely did put himself in position to take it with a lot of hard work.  he was also handed it.  but that's racing.  shit happens.

and while the M1 had a couple problems in 2007, it was michelin that really screwed the pooch that year.  somehow that seems to be forgotten frequently.

yeah, i can't wait to see that  [evil] :D.  i can't think of anyone else on the grid besides those two that could take back a 1.5 bike-length pass on the brakes. 


i don't think george did that intentionally either.  he was getting mobbed at the time. 

Quit ruining the drama with your reasonableness.

On the topic of late-braking: does anybody else think Pedrosa is most-improved in that category?  Seemed like he used to suck, and now he's actually pretty good.  I couldn't help but be impressed.

Hayden is the least winningist champion in all of motorsportsdom, when faced with he fact that coming in 5th all the time is kind of lackluster, his supporters will respond with,' Yea, but he's a great guy!' While this is true, I've met him and hung out with him for a while, wanting to have a beer with someone does not make them faster.

/rant

As for wondering if rossi can ride the duc, armed with a schwinn he'd still manage to at least beat the kawaks

not true... ben bostrom won the 1998 ama superbike championship without winning a single race (http://www.cornerspeedphoto.com/ama-superbike-archives/1998/13-lasvegas-superbike-standings) (on a honda... then promptly took his #1 plate to ducati for the 1999 season).

But ben's a nice guy  ;D

didn't you just say that nicky is too?

Hayden didn't win many races in his championship season (2 I think?)...but he was on the podium for just about every one. Consistency counts as earning the championship.

Stoner has won a couple races this year...but he's crashed out of almost all the rest...and he isn't winning the championship, even if he won the next 3 races.

Why are we always talking about Hayden's 2006 season?!?  He won.  That's it.  He won't go down in history as the GOAT or even as a legend.  And neither will Stoner, or Roberts Jr. or any of the other one-season winners.  But he won.

You don't win championships by being the fastest.  You win them by being fast enough and by being consistent (unless you're Spies in WSBK -- that's the exception to the rule).  For example, Pedrosa is often the fastest, but then he tosses it into the gravel.   The problem is that we've just gotten used to Rossi, and Stoner and Lorenzo, all three of whom won championships by being BOTH the fastest and by being consistent.  The result was that they crushed everyone else and then wrapped up the championship early.  But fastest + consistent is not a necessary combination for winning, particularly when it comes down to the last round. 

Yup.  http://motomatters.com/opinion/2010/10/12/the_imaginary_snub_or_what_really_happen.html (http://motomatters.com/opinion/2010/10/12/the_imaginary_snub_or_what_really_happen.html)

The article says that Lorenzo tweeted that he just didn't see The Ben.

I suppose that, at the least, we should give Lorenzo the benefit of the doubt.  I'm not a huge Rossi fan but I like him and I'm not a Jorge hater, however when I watched the incident I saw it as a snub, plain & simple. The Motomatters piece was well written but I think there is a bit of anti-Rossi bias in it too. I guess we'll see how things go next season between Ben & Jorge.

i honestly don't know how.  there were several sets of hands on him from several directions, the crowd was going bonkers, he was beside himself with emotion, he JUST stopped the bike, he has no peripheral vision... to me it just looked like he hadn't had a moment to compute yet.  and i really don't like the guy.  =)

It was interesting, but definitely an opinion piece rather than news.

It wasn't like Ben just stopped for a second.  He pulled up next to Jorge with his engine running (so there is some noise there) and tugged on Jorge's sleeve at least a couple of times that I can recall. What's Ben have to say about it?

(http://blogs.westword.com/showandtell/010haters.jpg)

That is all
 ;D ;D ;D ;D

Just an opinion. No hate.  ;D