MotoGP Rd 4: LeMans (No spoilers here! <wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more!>

[Buckethead]

From motogp.com:

Marquez and Lorenzo went on to laugh about the fact that, by sheer chance, they were allocated seats just two apart on the flight back to Barcelona from the south of Spain.

“We were on the plane and it was a coincidence that we were in the same row,” the 20-year-old continued. “He was sitting on the window, with my mechanic in the middle and me on the aisle seat. Then, when we finished the flight and everything, I tried to shake his hand and he gave me his hand, so we shook hands and that was the most important thing.”

“I was the last one, as always,” Lorenzo added. “I always wait for others to get off the plane and leave last - with any flight. But it was funny because the plane has 200 or 300 seats and we were in the same row, so it was funny. We didn’t speak about the incident, we just spoke about unimportant things, and then finally I accepted Marc’s handshake for the first time since the incident. But, I repeat, I do not have any problem with him personally. I just want to improve the safety of my sport and that must be the first priority.”

[Raux]

BS... if it isn't personal then you shake his hand the first time.

you got your feelings hurt cause you got beat. it was personal, but your PR guy probably said, don't let MM be the hero in this or your done as Spain's favorite son.

[Buckethead]

He got passed/bumped in the last corner of the last lap in front of his home crowd, in a corner that had just been named for him.

Me? I'd be a li'l butt hurt.

But I'd get over it. And yeah, it might take me a couple of weeks.

[zooom]

FP1

Pos. Rider Team Bike Time
1 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team Honda 1:34.645
2 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 1:34.685
3 Valentino Rossi Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 1:34.938
4 Nicky Hayden Ducati Team Ducati 1:34.972
5 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati Team Ducati 1:35.072
6 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1:35.149
7 Marc Marquez Repsol Honda Team Honda 1:35.170
8 Alvaro Bautista Go&Fun Honda Gresini Honda 1:35.285
9 Stefan Bradl LCR Honda Honda 1:35.478
10 Hector Barbera Avintia Blusens FTR 1:35.949
11 Aleix Espargaro Power Electronics Aspar ART 1:36.083
12 Andrea Iannone Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Ducati 1:36.211
13 Michele Pirro Ignite Pramac Racing Ducati 1:36.607
14 Randy De Puniet Power Electronics Aspar ART 1:36.745
15 Bradley Smith Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1:36.790
16 Hiroshi Aoyama Avintia Blusens FTR 1:36.872
17 Claudio Corti NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki 1:37.325
18 Colin Edwards NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki 1:37.431
19 Yonny Hernandez Paul Bird Motorsport ART 1:37.597
20 Danilo Petrucci Came Iodaracing Project Ioda-Suter 1:37.620


FP2

Pos. Rider Team Bike Time
1 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team Honda 1:34.035
2 Marc Marquez Repsol Honda Team Honda 1:34.169
3 Valentino Rossi Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 1:34.173
4 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 1:34.201
5 Stefan Bradl LCR Honda Honda 1:34.299
6 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1:34.512
7 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati Team Ducati 1:34.578
8 Nicky Hayden Ducati Team Ducati 1:34.590
9 Alvaro Bautista Go&Fun Honda Gresini Honda 1:34.739
10 Aleix Espargaro Power Electronics Aspar ART 1:35.045
11 Bradley Smith Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1:35.362
12 Andrea Iannone Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Ducati 1:35.433
13 Randy De Puniet Power Electronics Aspar ART 1:35.447
14 Michele Pirro Ignite Pramac Racing Ducati 1:35.864
15 Hector Barbera Avintia Blusens FTR 1:35.940
16 Colin Edwards NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki 1:36.449
17 Claudio Corti NGM Mobile Forward Racing FTR Kawasaki 1:36.643
18 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing ART 1:36.759
19 Danilo Petrucci Came Iodaracing Project Ioda-Suter 1:36.764
20 Hiroshi Aoyama Avintia Blusens FTR 1:36.821


these 2 sessions dry...forecasts change to rain for the coming days ahead.

[Drunken Monkey]

He got passed/bumped in the last corner of the last lap in front of his home crowd, in a corner that had just been named for him.

Me? I'd be a li'l butt hurt.

But I'd get over it. And yeah, it might take me a couple of weeks.

I think it's amusing that we expect these guys who have trained most of their adult life to do something that's basically batshit crazy, at the pointy end of what's possible for humans to accomplish, to be healthy and happy human beings.

Mind you, I do think the very best among them are the ones who are the happiest of the lot off the track, but that most of them aren't little Napolean Complex douches is actually kind of puzzling.

[Drunken Monkey]

FP2

Pos. Rider Team Bike Time
1 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team Honda 1:34.035
2 Marc Marquez Repsol Honda Team Honda 1:34.169
3 Valentino Rossi Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 1:34.173
4 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing Yamaha 1:34.201
5 Stefan Bradl LCR Honda Honda 1:34.299
6 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1:34.512
7 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati Team Ducati 1:34.578
8 Nicky Hayden Ducati Team Ducati 1:34.590
9 Alvaro Bautista Go&Fun Honda Gresini Honda 1:34.739

Is it just me, or are the bikes getting collectively more competitive? i.e. Less than one second between the top 10 and less than .2 secs for the top 4.

[Spidey]

Some of that is because it's a shorter track than Austin or Qatar.  

little Napolean Complex douches

You rang?

[MadDuck]

Is it just me, or are the bikes getting collectively more competitive? i.e. Less than one second between the top 10 and less than .2 secs for the top 4.

This is a good thing.  We need more WSBK type finishes in MotoGP.  Or we can watch reruns of the 500cc races in the other thread.   

[TitanMonsterS4R]

FP3  - Go Nicky go....

Can't post the times yet but:

Becoming the only rider to beat Pedrosa’s quickest time of Friday, Marquez registered 1’33.600 which was half a second quicker than Yamaha Factory Racing’s Lorenzo, with Pedrosa a further 83 thousandths adrift with the second Repsol Honda Team Bike. Nicky Hayden was fourth quickest for Ducati Team from Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow, who ran with a new aluminium duct in a bid to cool his brakes after suffering from overheating on Friday.

[Jester]

Lorenzo and Dani need to pray that Marquez' wild on the verge of crashing style actually results in a few crashes at some point. 

[Speeddog]

Quali was wild!

Crutchlow misses the front row by .007 sec.
Tough as nails comes up a bit short.

Jorge misses pole by .030 sec.
His logos are hammer and butter, I think MM's should be the whip and Cholula.

[TooClose Racing]

Ducks are IN THE HOUSE at a wet LeMans - past the half way point, Andrea hanging on to a podium and Nicky just forced a Rossi mistake!!!  Fookin' brilliant day for the Marlboro Men. 

[Grampa]

well....it's apparent that Ducati needs to make waverunners.

[Drunken Monkey]

well....it's apparent that Ducati needs to make waverunners.

Or they need to install sprinkler systems at all the tracks. Still, great race.

[Raux]

Or they need to install sprinkler systems at all the tracks. Still, great race.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-1361962/Bernie-Ecclestone-suggests-fake-rain-liven-Formula-One.html