Rossi warns....watch Dani!
 

We all know that Valentino is a master of mind games. He tried it before the start of last season by ignoring the threat of Hayden and stating that he felt in 2006 his fiercest challenger would be Marco Melandri and not the American. But rather tthan seeing Nicky crumble due to being ignored, perhaps it provided that extra jolt of determination?

Rossi now reckons Dani Pedrosa will be the strongest. Is he just stating the obvious or again trying to shed further doubt against the new champion? Is he hoping that such a statement will place a degree of pressure due to expectation on Dani's small shoulders that will see him falter?

What do the ORG's racing fans think? :wink:

Valentino who? Didn't he win a championship a few years ago?

Dani Pedrosa is the future MotoGP champ, just a matter of when. If the Honda 800cc is working then he will certainly be a top contender.

Well said... I think that next year may still be a little too early for him, but I'm sure that it will all come down to the last race or two, and be even better than last season.

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Hmm interesting. I think you might find Dani a little more prepared to get in to close quarter combat with Valentino than Nicky has shown himself to be. The new changes really will sort out who the best riders are as there will now be more value placed on that aspect, as the technological aids will not be as prevalent with the 800cc bikes.

A season long showdown between the wounded yet so amazingly talented former champion, and the studious and determined young Spaniard? Mouth watering thought isn't it? Dani now has ridden the tracks on the powerful 990,(his overtakes in the corkscrew at Laguna were awesome!) his talent along with the reg changes seemingly playing in to his hands do make his challenge somewhat more realistic next season. :wink:

I see him winning the championship only after the reduction in engine size to 50cc. His power to weight ratio would make him an instant favourite. I hope Stoner and little Loris will be somewhere near the top

Last season Rossi said that Pedrosa was too fast and out of control into the corners. Fair point on some occasions.

But you do need to question that if Rossi is so in command of his race, how does he feel having an unpredictable element like the"out of control" Pedrosa?A little uncomfortable?

Or is he simply trying to goad him in to riding faster and more out of control?

On the other hand almost all the riders are saying the 800's are like going back to 250/500's. In terms of rider style and ability it should make for a good 07 season.

Cheers

Rossi I think already knows that Pedrosa is impervious to his particular brand of mind games. Yeah Dani over shot a few corners last year by pushing hard, not by being out of control. However those kind of errors next season will see you drop way down the field in the blink of an eye.

Rossi loses his battle to regain the championship in 2007 with the young Spaniard clinching the title at Valencia. This sees Valentino throw his hand in with Yamaha and signs for Ducati to round of his career on 2 wheels with two championships on the Bologna bikes.

This places Rossi among the true immortals of the sport and takes with him in to retirement the undying love of the Ducatisti. he retires also with the excited words of Supervox echoing in his head...."Well done Ducati, well done Valentino!"

Remember where you read it first folks. 8)

And to think I'd decided to give my Ducati / Peter Henry 'bashing' a break in the spirit of seasonal goodwill & all that !! :P

I have to say that I will honestly be very torn if Vale ever goes to Ducati (as he may well do in 2008).

I have supported him from his days as a gawky long haired kid in 125's - but, my geniune dislike for everything that Ducati Racing stands for (ie win at all costs / get the rules changed to help us if need be / cheat) will prob win out in the end.

I personally hope that when he regains the title he will announce that he's retiring at the end of the season. I mean, other than a massive payday (which he really needs doesn't he ?) & the whole Italian rider / Italian bike thing what would he have left to prove ?

He'll have won everything there is to win within the MotoGP setup including world championships in 3 classes of top flight bikes (500cc 2 stroke / 990cc 4 stroke / 800cc 4 stroke).

Mind you could imagine the hype if he decided to go to WSB to just round the whole thing off ?? 8)

Didn't Pedrosa start last season pretty well and then choke?
I don't think the kid can take the pressure, he's a bit tightly wound.

We all know it's going to be Hopper and Vermin in a Suzuki 1-2, a big poke in the eye for the mighty HRC!

:lol: :lol:

That'll be ace, especially if he did it on a something Italian other than a Duc. Lots of rumours about MV abd Aprilia both looking to run is WSB in 2008.... You never know :lol:

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Do you think if we all got together & asked him really nicely he might oblige ? :lol:

According to Rossi's autobiography, before going to Yamaha he also considered going to Ducati. However, when he met Ducati's "officials" he got an impression of corporate point of view very close to that of Honda: The bike is first, the rider second. Since his first and foremost reason for abandoning Honda was exactly this kind of thinking he naturally went with Yamaha which (according to Rossi always) seemed troubled and willing to follow every one of his whims. History proved they were right...

As far as Pedrosa is concerned, he is very fast and he certainly has the "killer instinct" (literally or not :)) that his team-mate lacks. I believe he will dominate MotoGP after Rossi's departure (not to the extent that Rossi achieved however) but boy, how dull will it be made, he hardly seems happy even when he wins a race... I'm on with Capirex myself, always exerting positive energy and fights like a tiger given half a chance...

Razor...Your comments amaze me! :) A close look at Pedrosa's first season in Moto GP displays something rather more than a "choker". Of course he started off well as he raced at Jerez, but his wins came later.

Tightly wound is not an expression I have heard used to describe Dani. Focused, determined,calculating are much nearer the mark. However if you want to see a Spaniard who can get wound up wait for Jorge Lorenzo to step up and renew his rivalry with Pedrosa in the blue riband class! :wink:

Super and Jelster, I am myself waiting eagerly to see what kind of job Aprilia do with their proposed V-4, I am sure it is going to be an ace bike, but will it be a winner on the track?

Forget Valentino and WSB, strong rumours suggest he will have 1 season in the BSB series on a Triumph triple! :lol:

Would you bet against him winning it if he did ?? :lol:

Super...I might be crazy....but not THAT crazy! :D

Interesting piece on Dani in BIKE magazine...also got a ride-off between the SV and the Hyosang but that is another story...

With all of Honda's power behind Dani and with his drive and talent then there can be only one winner.

He may never be the class clown but has the will to win.

Rossi may go to rallying and if he loses this year then I can see him leaving.

Can't imagine Ducati with both Rossi and Capirossi...that wouldn't work.

I can't imagine Ducati & Rossi full stop. Rossi is far to much of a personality for Ducati to take him on, they wouldn't want to take on somebody who could be bigger than the bike, if you know what I mean....

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Well Capirex certainly is improving with age.....read...consistancy...and so he could go on even more. But I can see him stepping down and Rossi getting the ride for mega bucks as after all big sponsors will follow him.

Valentino is bigger than any "bike" in today's motorcycling world and I dont really see that being an issue for Ducati. In fact it could thrust them even more in to the spotlight which would not do them any harm at all.

Ducati have not been doing very well financially these last couple of years as the 999 didn't hit the spot in the marketplace like it's better looking forerunner.They probably need a star like Rossi to redress that,but can they afford him?

BB....Even if Ducati can't afford him I am sure that Philip Morris....Marlboro....can!

Interestingly, Ducati are to revamp their product range and cull certain categories completely in order to regenerate their sales performance around the world. I hope it works out for them.

I can see the SS range be gone...

Trouble with culling certain ranges for Ducati is that most of their bikes use very similar parts,or parts from older models.Therefore it should not cost them much to make small numbers of bikes for niche markets,or lower spec versions of major models.That lot all adds up to a reasonable total volume of production.In order to shift this volume they need their expensive flagship models to catch the biking world's imagination and do well.That's not been happening recently.I can't see a strategy of scaling down the operation in their lower spec markets as being anything other than a road to oblivion,unless that slack is taken up by big increases in sales of exotic superbikes.Unlikely in the real world.

BB maybe you need to have a word with their marketing boys then! :wink: They are going to be turning themselves back in to something more of an "exclusive" brand I believe. Not wishing their name to be bracketed in amongst the nipponese rif raf! :D Strange idea really when they gunned for the "normal" punter with the 916 etc and created a whole new following that they previously never enjoyed. I just dunno really. :?

surely this is way off topic now...

Sorry about that :oops:
Derailed a Moto GP thread into a Ducati marketing one.

Rossi warns....watch Dani!

yea he might take you out :lol:

Ducati's racing is paid for by sponsors so that is safe.

Seem that the 1098 is trying to be the new 916...even looks like one!

Capirossi is not going to play second fiddle to Rossi and they are risking the future on Stoner.

No Rossi in this story.

I think the Pedrosa crash with Hayden is old news now. Pedrosa has learnt and moved on. After all, it was a racing incident and even the best make mistakes...I remember Rossi knocking off Melandri and so on....

He only does that to 'team mates' you could see by the way he made the move it was a case of red mist, he lost the plot when Hayden went past him, He was never going to make it past.

Being honest If Sete Giveupnow hadn't taken out Capirossi and half the field in Spain last season we would have been talking about Ducati being world champions, such a shame Loris deserved in my books.

I do hope that this season its between Rossi, Capirossi and Pedrosa (I need someone to Hate in Moto GP and Dani is almost there - never been the same since Biaggi left)