British, World, Super Moto GP

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

Can you repeat the question?!

I think he means Melandri...

In Melandri's case he went for a gap that wasn't there (not a deliberate punt, an error in judgement) If I remember correctly with Gibbers, Gibbers left the door open for a pass and tried to come back too late... I would have gone for that definitely.

My predictions for the year:
MotoGP - Rossi, Melandri, Hayden, Cappirossi all mixing it up at the front with bit parts for Pedrosa & Edwards
WSBk - The two Troys and Haga at teh front with JT chasing
BSB - Shakey, Lavilla & Kiyo. Perhaps Rutter & Haslam jnr

I haven't seen Pedrosa race at all so can't give comment on him but I think it will be the usual suspects in MotoGP. Rossi should take it if he doesn't start falling off. Racers start falling off cos they are under a lot of pressure and are trying too hard- with the others coming on, he is going to be under a lot more pressure than before.

Predictions of the exMotoGP boys causing mayhem in WSBK may be premature cos I don't seem to remember anyone moving to WSB and being more succesful than they were in MotoGP. I would tip Bayliss to take it if he stays in the seat. It was noticeable that Corser only performed well when he got away at the front, he's not so good when he has to battle through.

For BSB I couldn't call it as there are a number of top class guys and it could be any of them. It will be exciting though aspecially as ITV have commited to show every race this year (for those of us who don't have Sky)

Might as well try to keep all the info together so here goes:

First day testing in Sepang. Your thoughts chaps?


1. Valentino Rossi - Camel Yamaha 2'02.14
2. Marco Melandri - Fortuna Honda 2'02.21
3. Nicky Hayden - Repsol Honda 2'02.23
4. Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Honda 2'02.46
5. Loris Capirossi - Ducati Marlboro 2'02.54
6. Colin Edwards - Camel Yamaha 2'02.60
7. Sete Gibernau - Ducati Marlboro 2'02.86
8. John Hopkins - Suzuki MotoGP 2'03.30
9. Casey Stoner - LCR Honda 2'03.57
10. Shinya Nakano - Kawasaki Racing 2'03.77
11. Toni ElÃ*as - Fortuna Honda 2'03.80
12. Kenny Roberts - KR Honda 2'03.80
13. Randy de Puniet - Kawasaki Racing 2'03.90
14. Alex Hofmann - D'Antin Ducati 2'04.63
15. James Ellison - Yamaha 2'06.40
16. Chris Vermeulen - Suzuki MotoGP 2'06.50
17. Jose Luis Cardoso - D'Antin MotoGP 2'07.70
Sepang Lap Record: Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2005 – 2'02.993
Sepang Best Lap: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005 – 2'01.731

I think that testing doesnt always show the whole picture, but if in this case it does I think that...

Rossi will win another championship this year.
Marko will threaten him until the end of the season.
Pedrosa will be up there.
Gibs might not be.
Vermulen should have stayed in WSB!

Jordan you know I have a crazy feeling that this year it will be a genuine 3 way battle for a good part of the season.


Valentino will of course be in amongst it, Marco will get stronger and stronger and, once Dani realises that he does not have to stick with the theory that it is merely a learning year he could have a big mid to second half of the season.

I am more than prepared though to see all of that disintegrate as I think Ducati have both the strongest riding team, and bike package than they have had to date in Moto GP! (Yeah course I'm biased!)

Originally Posted by Peter Henry

I am more than prepared though to see all of that disintegrate as I think Ducati have both the strongest riding team, and bike package than they have had to date in Moto GP! (Yeah course I'm biased!)

Let's hope they hired some good psychologists too, then...

Originally Posted by Filipe M.

Let's hope they hired some good psychologists too, then...

I think they need Derren Brown...

*runs and hides from PH*

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

Can you repeat the question?!

My apologies for not making my question clear.

Some people have said that Rossi's manoeuvre on Gibernau was unfair and others have said it was a racers move and the same has been said about Lorenzo's manoeuvre. I was just wondering how many people here if placed in Rossi's or Lorenzo's position would have tried to pass.

H62..Ok this is all pure dreaming of course but if I had the skill I would have done Lorenzo's move no question,he was just unlucky.

The Valentino/Sete one I think I would have just got close enough, maybe my front wheel just behind the back of Sete's on the inside and hit the gas that bit earlier whilst pushing Sete more to the right all of the time as I headed up out of the bend. I think with the M1 Yamaha Rossi had a real chance of doing that as the RCV's have been eating tyres all season.

I definitely feel in that incident that Sete presented a window of opportunity that should never ever have been there and although I think he did enough to deserve the race,he showed bad race craft in that last corner.

Sepang Day 2 Winter Test!

1.Sete Gibernau, Ducati Marlboro - 2'01.66 / 49 laps
2. Loris Capirossi, Ducati Marlboro - 2'01.83 / 45 laps
3. Colin Edwards, Camel Yamaha - 2'02.00 / 58 laps
4. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda - 2'02.02 / 68 laps
5. Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda - 2'02.26 / 47 laps :P
6. John Hopkins, Suzuki MotoGP - 2'02.40 / 40 laps
7. Randy de Puniet, Kawasaki Racing - 2'02.55 / 50 laps
8. Casey Stoner, LCR Honda - 2'02.57 / 51 laps
9. Valentino Rossi, Camel Yamaha - 2'02.62 / 41 laps
10. Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki Racing - 2'02.65 / 50 laps

If stuff in Rossi's biog is anything to go by, I'd say he's held back deliberately on the 2nd day so as to make other teams feel that they're doing enough and so they won't try harder to beat him. He says they/he did it in recent years...

I felt the move on Sete in Race 1 was fine. If anyone was at fault it was Sete, for trying to take a line that wasn't available to him because another rider had just overtaken him and was in the way. Rossi was part way past Sete before Sete turned. You leave the door open for someone, they go through, you have to let them go, not ride into the side of them.

With Melandri, Rossi chanced it and hoped Melandri had gone wide and tried to get round the inside. Rossi's fault for trying to take a line that wasn't available to him. Mind you, a split second later and it would have been Melandri's fault for taking out Rossi. I can't think of any other racer who would have braked as late as Melandri there - he's the only person who often outbrakes Rossi into bends and Rossi should have known better.