My beloved Rossi

[JonKerr]

"The four other CRT places go to Danilo Petrucci on an Aprilia-powered Ioda, Yonny Hernandez and Ivan Silva on the BQR FTR-Kawasakis, plus Michele Pirro on the Gresini FTR-Honda (engine and electronics to be supplied by Ten Kate)"

I don't count them. They're not in as a manufacturer. CRT teams are the second tier class on the track for now. Just like sports car racing, you have prototype classes and GT classes. We now have the same thing in MotoGP. Until Kawasaki is in as a manufacturer or the CRT teams magically pick up 2-3 seconds a lap, I wouldn't count the teams using their engines being competitive at all.

 

[Parcho]

I was just going to link that video too. It was up on Wimp the other day. I still get tense and hold my breath on that last turn. Its one of those sporting moments you just don't forget and always think to yourself "I saw that when it happened." whenever its shown.

That being said, he's a bit immature, but he's got skills.

 

[Fizzer6R]

put a fork in him, he's done. he's still a legend tho.

now that VW/Audi owns Duc., maybe they'll get the $ to develop a real bike. surely the parent company now will not like it if/when BMW starts winning

MotoGP isn't what is used to be, back in the day of 500cc 2-stokes

 

[CrazyCawi]

put a fork in him, he's done. he's still a legend tho.

now that VW/Audi owns Duc., maybe they'll get the $ to develop a real bike. surely the parent company now will not like it if/when BMW starts winning

MotoGP isn't what is used to be, back in the day of 500cc 2-stokes

if he had a competitive bike he wouldnt be

 

[Fizzer6R]

if he had a competitive bike he wouldnt be

yeah but he might've screwed himself into not getting that chance again. it'll be interesting to see how this year unfolds, and then what he does next year.

Jeremy Burgess (his crew chief) has said give val any bike and he can make it do what he needs it to be. hard to say duc isn't doing everything they can to make that happen, unless they really don't have the resources anymore. years ago they sure did.

not doubting val's talent, but he better place better this year than nicky hayden, or then it has to make you think... poor Italy, they finally get him back home and it's the worse outcome so far

 

[FastFreddy]

I've been watching the Doctor for years. Mostly with Barry Sheen (RIP) commentating as well.

Sounds like Ducati are finally starting to listen to the riders and will ease up the power delivery when the throttle first opens.

I heard a story from a magazine interview from his mechanic that he was at Laguna Seca and a girl was calling out to him, he said to the mechanic "Why she say, 'Rossi, you are a shit' ?" He says, "No, she means, you ARE the shit!, get it ?"

 

[Detrich]

Stoner won in 2007 on a Ducati and in 2011 on a Honda. That's only 2 championships compared to Rossi's 9, but it speaks volumes of how both the bikes and riders have been evolving & improving...

Am still hoping that Rossi can turn things around or even just get into the top 5 this season. But, his numbers in pre-season tests and at Qatar so far are still a ways to go.

 

[Detrich]

Rossi finished 3rd in free practice. Yay

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2012/Valentino+Rossi+third+in+Spanish+free+practice+Nicky+Hayden+sixth

 

[Fizzer6R]

fingers crossed!

 

[Doncan]

Unfortunately is not going to happen. Valentino qualified a distant 13 while Nicki Hayden qualified 3rd for a front row start. :shakehead:

 

[CrazyCawi]

Unfortunately is not going to happen. Valentino qualified a distant 13 while Nicki Hayden qualified 3rd for a front row start. :shakehead:

GOD SPEED TO HAYDEN. And I wish Rossi could pull into the top 5 atleast

 

[CrazyCawi]

Ducati=bad ass's

 

[Fizzer6R]

Ducati=bad ass's

we'll take up a collection for your b-day

 

[CrazyCawi]

omg thats awesome! Id totally love to have that lol

 

[Fizzer6R]

so the rumor is if rossi doesn't improve by mis season, he should start making plans... hopefully by then audi is getting involved even if it's for major changes come next year

some say maybe he is actually spooked by the mishap last year running into super sic, he wasn't just another rider to rossi, they were very good friends.

others say it's the engine config of the duc and the way the weight of it makes the bike handle. however rossi has said, along with his crew chief, that they can make any bike work. now problem is rossi keeps saying he can't ride the bike, crew is waiting on him to tell them what needs to change, so it's a he said he said blame thing and frustrating everyone

eavesdropping in the pits, hayden comes in and says the bike is doing this and that and try to change this etc... while rossi says i can't ride it, it won't do this no matter what. definite different styles of trying to achieve the same result

seems rossi has lost his calm cool head tuning a bike. you can only use the bike excuse so much; carl fogarty made it look easy but he was constantly struggling with his duc and still won many championships

 

[Rookasaki]

so the rumor is if rossi doesn't improve by mis season, he should start making plans... hopefully by then audi is getting involved even if it's for major changes come next year

some say maybe he is actually spooked by the mishap last year running into super sic, he wasn't just another rider to rossi, they were very good friends.

others say it's the engine config of the duc and the way the weight of it makes the bike handle. however rossi has said, along with his crew chief, that they can make any bike work. now problem is rossi keeps saying he can't ride the bike, crew is waiting on him to tell them what needs to change, so it's a he said he said blame thing and frustrating everyone

eavesdropping in the pits, hayden comes in and says the bike is doing this and that and try to change this etc... while rossi says i can't ride it, it won't do this no matter what. definite different styles of trying to achieve the same result

seems rossi has lost his calm cool head tuning a bike. you can only use the bike excuse so much; carl fogarty made it look easy but he was constantly struggling with his duc and still won many championships

Ducati has wasted some much money on Rossi. It's that how he's always been? An arrogant selfish rider?

 

[Rookasaki]

Valentino Rossi (Ducati Team) 9th
“The positive thing from today’s race is that I think it might help us to do a bit better in the coming events, starting next week in Portugal. Today we used a setup that’s new for us, and it gave some positive signs. First we tried some solutions to give me a feeling similar to what I’ve had in the past, but it doesn’t work. Today’s setting was very similar to what Nicky has used for a while, though not exactly the same. I must get used to riding the bike a bit differently than I’m used to, and today that caused me to lose some ground in the early laps because I was basically starting blind. I wasn’t going bad once I found my rhythm, in the sense that I was matching the times of those who were fighting for sixth place, and I was able to push until the end, doing a 1:41.0 on the penultimate lap. This helps me to be a little more optimistic as I look ahead to the next races because if I’m able to ride a bit better, it could be a place for us to start from. In fact, we’ll use this setting when we start on Friday. Naturally, we’ll have to keep working, be more effective in qualifying so that we can start further forward, and improve acceleration and a number of other things, which we’ve already discussed at Ducati as we try, together, to improve the GP12.”

BLAH!!!!

 

[CrazyCawi]

How is he selfish?
And what do you mean make other plans?

The aspect you guys are forgetting is the fact that Rossi is a legend with a following stronger than nearly every other racer in history if not the single most followed racer. He is one of the highest paid people in sports in the entire world.

Ducati and Dainese dont want him just because he rides their bike and races with their suits to get podiums(of course this helps greatly) but they benefit those companies in aspects which generates them MUCH more money....in SELLING their products. If winning the motoGP was what made companies stay in business youd be crazy. He is so loved and well followed just him being on the bike for novelty purposes alone sells ducati's....same with Dainese's gear. So to think Ducati will cut one of the most valuable players in their advertising arsenal....youd be crazy. Have any of you been to ducati island at the motoGP's? Or how about his website for apparel, or his stores around the world?


this is from Hayden himself

" Eighth place is certainly not what our goal is. The bike’s got a lot of potential, but at the moment, the gap to the rest is still too far. Hopefully we can get a dry weekend in Estoril and try to be closer to the front on Sunday.”"

and this is from the team manager

"“Today we wanted to see both Nicky and Vale finish the race closer to the front, but overall, there are several positive things to take from this weekend as we continue our work and our development path for the GP12. We received confirmation that we’re very fast in the wet, and in the dry, we had a good qualifying session with Nicky, who made the first row. Nicky was very competitive in the early laps of the race, and now we must also improve over race distance with him. Vale found qualifying difficult, but in the race, using a setting that he’d never tried, he felt okay and was steadily gaining confidence and going faster. These are signs that show us the direction to follow starting with the next round in a few days in Portugal.”

I dont get where you guys think he is selfish? Hes doing what he can....their bike isnt as competitive as other bikes....but they keep improving.....

Hayden always starts strong and cools off....rossi always seems to push forward....whether supersic dying has something to do with it or not....thats commendable...they were best friends for a long time both on and off the track....again what makes him selfish? Thats human to have a bit of hesitance.

 

[Fizzer6R]

i don't think he is selfish, i just don't think he is acting like a past champion at this point. i don't mean the riding itself, i mean what is being reported, and yeah guess that could be a lot of neg. press

at honda he had a great bike, and was able... then yamaha he had a decent starting point and developed the bike... now, if he was that good why can't he... the bike excuse only goes so far. there has to be more to it. any decent rider can do well on a good bike. it takes a lot more to achieve the same results with a bad bike. it's really kinda early but for right now doesn't appear things will change.

you think duc is gonna keep paying him top $ with these results, maybe 1 more year at most. if the CRT teams start to be so close and hayden ends up placing better then what?

 

[Rookasaki]

i don't think he is selfish, i just don't think he is acting like a past champion at this point. i don't mean the riding itself, i mean what is being reported, and yeah guess that could be a lot of neg. press

at honda he had a great bike, and was able... then yamaha he had a decent starting point and developed the bike... now, if he was that good why can't he... the bike excuse only goes so far. there has to be more to it. any decent rider can do well on a good bike. it takes a lot more to achieve the same results with a bad bike. it's really kinda early but for right now doesn't appear things will change.

you think duc is gonna keep paying him top $ with these results, maybe 1 more year at most. if the CRT teams start to be so close and hayden ends up placing better then what?

I bet money that Ducati will dump Rossi at the end of the year.