MOTO GP

amacachi

Can't decide if I like the new look of Silverstone, parts of it resemble a Tilke-dome a bit too much for my liking.

Grim.

i know lorenzo ran away with it, but what a race for third awesome

grats to Ben on 1st podium delighted for him

bring on the 125cc race cant wait

Grim.

Grim. wrote: »

bring on the 125cc race cant wait

i wasn't disappointed epic race

wasnt sure about silverstone as a bike circuit but three brilliant races proved that it is

metzengerstein

great race the fight for 2nd was pretty good ,very impressed with de puniet
pity he got mugged at the end

most dissapointing ride has to be pedrossa again

frostie500

metzengerstein wrote: »

great race the fight for 2nd was pretty good ,very impressed with de puniet
pity he got mugged at the end

most dissapointing ride has to be pedrossa again

DePuniet had a great weekend but he should have finished higher than sixth. He had the bike to achieve more, a podium, from this weekend and will have to feel disappointed with how it ended up. He has always qualified well at Assen but has never stood on the podium but with how things are going right now he could set that straight this weekend.

It's easy to criticise Pedrosa's race but I think that his injuries from his quali crash were quite a handcap for him, and his warmup crash didnt help matters at all either

metzengerstein

yes i was hoping for de puniet to take that 2nd place ,did he wear his tyres maybe,his pace just dropped off ,


pedrosa does that too many times even when not injured he s a bit of pick n mix one race he ll run away with it ,then another hes boot off at the start then end up nowhere

Malari

metzengerstein wrote: »

yes i was hoping for de puniet to take that 2nd place ,did he wear his tyres maybe,his pace just dropped off ,


pedrosa does that too many times even when not injured he s a bit of pick n mix one race he ll run away with it ,then another hes boot off at the start then end up nowhere

Apparently the race was a bit longer than normal and the Eurosport commentators were guessing that the Hondas would use the fuel quicker so start to lose a bit of pace towards the very end of the race.

Would like to see de Puniet and Hayden on the podium soon, but great for Ben Spies and young Bradley this weekend

Grim.

just seen the BBC will be relegating the assen race to the red button on Saturday:mad:

with any look eurosport will get to show it live because of this

frostie500

Grim. wrote: »

just seen the BBC will be relegating the assen race to the red button on Saturday:mad:

with any look eurosport will get to show it live because of this

It won't make a difference. The same things has happened in a few races last year

Grim.

aoyama out for 2-3 months now with cracked vertebra

http://www.motomatters.com/news/2010/06/22/aoyama_out_for_2_3_months_test_rider_to_.html

frostie500

Grim. wrote: »

aoyama out for 2-3 months now with cracked vertebra

http://www.motomatters.com/news/2010/06/22/aoyama_out_for_2_3_months_test_rider_to_.html

Their falling like flies! Dorna need to do something about reserve riders and the current rule allowing teams to take three races to replace a rider, there will only be 14 bikes on the grid at Assen now

Grim.

frostie500 wrote: »

It won't make a difference. The same things has happened in a few races last year

woot confirmed

“@MotoGPJules: British Eurosport will be live for Assen MotoGP. No delay!” woohoo!!

frostie500

After a late start to the year MotoGP is now in full swing for 2010 with Saturday’s Dutch TT following on from last weekend’s British GP and the Catalan GP next weekend.

This three race period will be crucial in determining the championship and with Jorge Lorenzo fresh from his dominant performance at Silverstone the Spaniard will start as a red hot favourite this weekend. Lorenzo is a three time winner Dutch TT winner in the smaller classes and will look to win in the premier class for the first time.

As usual the most likely pursuers of Lorenzo will be Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner. The 2002 125cc race marked Pedrosa’s first ever GP victory as he dominated the race from pole position in beating then reigning world champion Manuel Poggiali. He has since added another four podiums at the circuit as well as numerous front row starts.

Stoner has had four podiums at Assen including a victory in 2007 when he led home Valentino Rossi for the win. The Ducati rider has been on each step of the podium the last years at Assen and will be looking to put to bed his poor start to the year on this circuit where a rider can overcome the shortfalls of his bike.

The Circuit

“The Cathedral” has long been viewed as the home of traditional Grand Prix motorcycle racing. It has been a venue for MotoGP since the inception of the championship in 1949 and still maintains the character of a road venue even though it is now closed course.

Assen is the greatest challenge that a rider faces all year in MotoGP. With numerous off camber corner, high speed straights and the challenging fast sweeping bends that end the lap riders love this circuit. Assen is unlike any other on the calendar and every rider wants to be able to put on their CV as Dutch TT winner.

Historic moments that are long etched into the memory of fans have occurred at numerous places throughout the circuit but one of the most recent was during last season’s 250cc race when Alvaro Bautista and Hiroshi Aoyama clashed at the final turn. Aoyama managed to crawl across the line for the victory ahead of Hector Barbara.

Other notable moments from the past included Barry Sheene taking his first GP victory in the 1975 500cc race. In 1977 Giacomo Agostini gave MV Augusta its final victory in the 350cc class. The 1985 edition also saw the last time that a machine with less than four cylinders won a premier class race, Randy Mamola won the 500cc race on a Honda triple.

1992 will long be remembered for Australian Mick Doohan’s crash that almost left the future five times world champion as an amputee. Future world champion Alex Criville gave Spain its first ever premier class victory in that year’s race.

Marco Malandri became the youngest ever GP winner in 1998 when he beat Kazuto Sakato by just 0.028 seconds in the 125cc race. The Italian held the record until current Moto2 rider Scott Redding won the British GP in 2008. Last year’s race saw Valentino Rossi win his 100th Grand Prix and the ever charismatic Italian displayed a banner with each an image of his victories displayed.

Who will be the contenders in MotoGP?

Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo will start as a clear favourite but Stoner and Pedrosa are sure to challenge. Andrea Dovizioso is second in the title race but the Italian has struggled at Assen in the past with only a solitary podium and a brace of front row starts to his name.

Randy de Puniet was undoubtedly one of the surprises of Silverstone and the LCR Honda rider will be looking to add to that this weekend. The Frenchman has qualified well here in the past but his race performances are average.

Former world champion Nicky Hayden won at Assen during his championship year of 2006. Hayden’s victory will be remembered as the 200th premier class victory for Honda and the dramatic fall of Colin Edwards at the last corner. Hayden has been impressive this season matching Casey Stoner’s pace in practice and racing well with four fourth positions to his name thus far. This could be the weekend where Hayden springs a surprise and manages to finish on the podium.

Who will be the challengers in the smaller classes?

The Moto2 class boasts four previous winners of Dutch TT’s with past 125cc winners Toni Elias in 2001, Mattia Pasini in 2007 and double winner Gabor Talmaschi in 2005 and 2008. The 2008 race was stopped after it started raining and Talmaschi won the five lap restarted race by .0128 seconds. The only 250cc winner still racing outside of MotoGP is Anthony West, winner of a rain sodden 2003 race.

It’s unlikely that West, Talmaschi or Pasini will be present at the front of the field this weekend but the beauty of Moto2 is that on any day any rider can compete at the front of the field. Elias struggled at Silverstone but still holds a commanding 15 point lead in the title chase and the Spaniard is sure to be invigorated by returning to the scene of his first GP victory. The Gresini rider knows that he will have to be on form this weekend though otherwise by next weekend’s Catalan GP he could be under pressure in both the title chase and also from the home fans.

Aspar rider Julian Simon followed home Sergio Gadea in last year’s 125cc race and the two riders are well placed in the Moto2 championship to close the gap on Elias this weekend with strong showings. Simon, the reigning 125cc title holder is in fourth and Gadea in sixth as they enter this weekend’s race.

British GP winner Jules Cluzel has never scored at point at Assen but the Frenchman will be very dangerous this weekend as he looks to build on his Silverstone success. Cluzel has showed a lot of promise in the last year and his first ever GP success is sure to give him confidence with which he will look to build a tilt on the title around.

Simone Corsi will look to put his crash at Silverstone behind him and build on a run of form at Assen that has seen him qualify well in recent years and finish on the podium in 2008. Javier Simeon will race again this weekend and the youngster has been very impressive for the Holiday Gym team.

Switzerland’s Thomas Luthi has raced well this year and finds himself in third in the championship, the former 125cc world champion has shown good form at Assen and his second place in 2008 was his best GP result in the 250cc class but the change to Moto2 has clearly helped him and after finishing as runner up at Silverstone the Swiss rider will look to go one better this weekend.

In the 125cc class Marc Marques became the youngest ever back to back winner in GP history as the 17 year old Spaniard closed in on compatriots Pol Espargaro and Nico Terol at the head of the championship. Marquez knows that the straight-line speed advantage that his Derbi has will be crucial this weekend.

The 125cc class has been home to some of the best racing seen in years with the battles for victory exceptionally close at each race, including Silverstone where Espargaro and Marquez clashed three times on the final lap. Assen always produces close racing and the expectation will be for just that in this year’s 125 race. Last year’s vice champion was Bradley Smith and in Italy and Britain he showed that he can still compete at the front of the field. This weekend will be crucial if he is to have any chance of catching the Spaniards in the title chase.

Taken from: http://stevieenglishblog.blogspot.com/

h3000

I don't know an awful lot about this guy but at least there will be two works Yamahas back on the grid.

motogp.com wrote:

Yamaha Motor Racing have confirmed that their experienced test rider Wataru Yoshikawa will join the Fiat Yamaha team for the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya on July 4th, riding in place of injured World Champion Valentino Rossi until the Italian is back to full fitness following his broken leg.

Yoshikawa, a two-time Japanese superbike champion, will ride Rossi’s YZR-M1 for the Italian’s side of the Fiat Yamaha garage and is expected to be with the team for at least three races, after which more is expected to be known about Rossi’s expected return date.

Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing Srl, Lin Jarvis, said: “We have considered many different scenarios and candidate riders to fill the temporary vacant seat in the Fiat Yamaha Team. We had always planned to use a rider from within the Yamaha Motor & Tech 3 family but for each rider we considered who is in active competition, their move to the Fiat Yamaha Team would have created another problem for their own racing programme or for the teams in which they are engaged.”

“Finally, after a great deal of consideration, we have selected Wataru Yoshikawa, our Japanese YZR-M1 test rider, to join us as our substitute rider. We provisionally plan for three races (Catalunya, Sachsenring and Laguna Seca) but we will adjust the plan accordingly when we know more about Valentino's expected date of return.”

Yoshikawa, who has ridden as a wildcard once before in MotoGP when he finished 12th at Motegi in 2002, stated: "I'm happy to have this chance to stand in for Valentino while he is recovering and to compete in MotoGP again. Looking at the Fiat Yamaha Team results with the 2010 YZR-M1, I can see that the winter developments were correct and now I am looking forward to having the chance to gather some ‘real racing' data, which will be very helpful for the future development of the M1."

Jarvis further welcomed the experience and knowledge of 41 year-old Yoshikawa, adding: “The benefit of Wataru's presence in our team will be threefold. Firstly he brings with him a wealth of experience riding the YZR-M1. Secondly his presence allows us to fulfil our contractual obligations and to join the team's quest to accumulate points for the Team Championship. Thirdly he will gain valuable first hand MotoGP race experience in three challenging circuits which will surely be very useful to assist him and Yamaha with the future development of the YMR-M1. We look forward to welcoming Wataru into our team while we wait for Valentino's return to full fitness."

Linky

frostie500

h3000 wrote: »

I don't know an awful lot about this guy but at least there will be two works Yamahas back on the grid.

He used to ride in World Superbikes (95 or 96 I think) and was a solid, though unspectacular, rider. You'd have to respect him as a two time Japanese Champion but they were both in the early ninties and since leaving WSBK he has been a factory tester with that sole MotoGP outing in 02 at Motegi. I'm going to try and have a look for a tape of that race and see what he was like but I've got to say I'm disappointed with Yamaha hiring a fourty something year old that adds no value to the championship or their own attempts to win races.

It's very tough to decide on who to replace a legend with, look at Honda replacing Katoh with Kionari in 03, but at least Ryo was a young rider that had a future with the company(raced in British and World Superbikes) Yoshikawa has no future other than as a limited test rider

Grim.

ffs melandri out with shoulder injury now

Grim.

great effort again by depuiet and spies

lorenzos race to lose

frostie500

Grim. wrote: »

ffs melandri out with shoulder injury now

Dorna need to do something in relation to grid sizes. Whether it is assiting in financing additional bikes(LCR, Aspar and Daniel Epps team are all single rider teams) or bringing in the 1000cc rules for next season we are past the point where the grid sixes are acceptable. This is the premier class of Grand Prix motorcycling and to have a situation where all you need to do to score points is finish is unacceptable.

frostie500

This weekend Barcelona plays host to the Catalan Grand Prix with championship leader Jorge Lorenzo keen to extend his winning streak.
Lorenzo has won the last two Grand Prix and has taken the flag in four of the six races so far this season. Last season in Barcelona he finished second to Valentino Rossi after the Italian’s audacious overtaking manoeuvre on the final corner of the race. This season though Lorenzo will be looking to go one better and add the MotoGP race win to his 2007 250cc victory at this circuit.

Lorenzo may be leading the championship charge but the home crowd will be cheering loudest for Barcelona born Dani Pedrosa. Since 2002 Pedrosa has finished on the podium here in all but two races, including winning three times. Pedrosa’s style of riding suits the fast and flowing Catalan circuit with the diminutive Spaniard capable of maintaining incredible corner speed through the incredibly fast turn 9 and the final two corners on the lap.

Former world champion Casey Stoner comes to Spain on the back of finally breaking his 2010 podium duck by finishing third in Assen behind Lorenzo and Pedrosa. Stoner has finished third here the last two years and was victorious in 2007 en route to his sole world title. The Australian has struggled this season after a spate of accidents but his form has improved in recent weeks with the podium in Assen the culmination of the work done by the team to make the current Ducati more suited to Stoners aggressive style of riding.

As usual beyond the big three it is difficult to forecast any rider challenging for the podium unless trouble besets the favourites. Pedrosa’s teammate Andrea Dovizioso has ridden well this season and currently lies in third in the title chase. The Italian has been consistent this season but knows that if he is to realistically challenge for the title he has to add to his sole premier class win in last season’s rain sodden British Grand Prix at Donnington. The 2004 125cc world champion has been fourth in Barcelona in both of his MotoGP starts at the circuit and has one win, in 2006, and three other podiums to back up his current consistency.

Randy de Puniet has been in great form recently and returns to the scene of his first ever Grand Prix victory looking to step onto the podium for the first time since the middle of last year. The Frenchman has qualified his satellite Honda on the front two rows of the grid at each race this season and after finishing in sixth place from second on the grid the last two weekends he will know that it is time for him to start converting his undoubted pace into stronger race performances. The LCR rider is well placed to do that in Barcelona and add another podium to his brace of 250cc victories at the circuit.

The MotoGP class may be the premier class of motorcycle racing but the Moto2 and 125cc classes are incredibly competitive and allow younger riders the chance to hone their craft before moving to the larger capacity bikes.
The Moto2 class features the most competitive racing in the world. The recent Italian Grand Prix was an example of just how intense this class is with the top 12 riders home all having won at least one Grand Prix.

The class is led by the Catalan Toni Elias who has failed to finish in Barcelona since finishing third in 2003. The Gresini rider has won twice this season and comes to Barcelona on the back of a runner up finish at the Dutch TT. Elias though will know that one of his main rivals will be the winner in Holland, Andrea Iannone. The Italian has won twice this season and each time he has shown that he is the only man right now capable of opening a large lead if he is left unchecked during a race. The 20 year old has won two races this season in the ultra competitive Moto2 class at a canter and his rivals know that if they are to deny Iannone the chance to add to his victory in Catalonia last season that he will need to be kept in check throughout the race.

Swiss rider Thomas Luthi came to prominence in the 2003 125cc race with his first Grand Prix podium and the former world champion has had a solid season thus far with three podiums to lie third in the title chase. This weekend though could be a struggle for Luthi after it was revealed that he needed surgery on a fractured collarbone that he had raced with for both podiums at Silverstone and Assen.

Shoya Tomizawa won the opening race of the season and followed it up with a podium at the Spanish Grand Prix but the young Japanese rider has been solid in recent races rather than spectacular as he was initially. Last season this race marked his best qualifying performance and this weekend could be a great opportunity for the Suter chassis shod rider to regain some of his early season momentum.

Julian Simon is the reigning 125cc world champion and has shown that even with the change to the larger capacity the Spaniard has lost none of his flair or speed. He has not stood on the rostrum in Barcelona before but with the increased confidence that he has shown since changing chassis manufacturer to the Suter it would not be surprising to see him add to his brace of podiums so far this year.

The 125cc class may be home to the smallest bikes in the paddock but it is also home to some of the talented and committed riders in the world. The home crowd are almost certain to see the Spanish flag above the winners step on the podium but their loyalties will be toward Pol Espargaro. Espargaro is as local as it is possible to be to the circuit having grown up just a stone throw away from the front gates and the Derbi rider will be keen to erase the memory of a disappointing race in Holland and retake the championship lead from compatriot Nico Terol.

Both riders though will be chasing another Spaniard, Marc Marquez. The young Derbi rider had not won a race until the start of June and has since emerged victorious at the Italian, British and Dutch races. Momentum is king in 125cc racing and the diminutive Marquez will know that with momentum on his side he needs to continue to close the gap on his countrymen at the top of the championship table.

Monkeybonkers

Pretty easy for Lorenzo yesterday once Pedroza and Dovizioso buckled under the pressure. Thought Stoner was stalking Dani just waiting to pass him but he held him off well.
Can't see anyone touching Lorenzo now.
Wonder what happened Nicky. He was well down the field yesterday, just as I thought he was coming back in to a bit of form.

frostie500

Jorge Lorenzo may have a commanding lead at the top of the MotoGP championship but teammate Valentino Rossi will steal the headlines this weekend when the Italian makes his return to racing just six weeks after breaking his leg.

Rossi was expected to be absent until the Czech Grand Prix in August but after testing a World Superbike last week in Misano rumours started to fly that the nine times world champion was considering making a comeback. After testing at Brno on Monday it seemed all but certain that the Sachsenring would see his racing return with only this weekend’s local medical officer in a position to halt his return.

Rossi is clearly impatient to return to racing with the Italian saying, “I'm really excited that my doctors think I can ride this weekend. I will see the medical officer and then we will have the final decision. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone and being back in the paddock; I was tired of being at home!”

With Rossi’s departure to Ducati set to be officially announced in the coming weeks the question that Lorenzo and Yamaha must be asking themselves has to be, will Rossi be willing to assist his teammate to win the title?

Lorenzo has been imperious this season with five wins from seven races and is riding a wave of confidence after winning the last three races. The Spaniard has been exceptional this season and has shown a maturity that was missing since moving into the MotoGP class and the confidence that he consistently showcased en route to two 250cc world titles is now on full display in the premier class. Last season he was beaten by Rossi in this race by just 0.099 seconds after a race long battle at the front of the field. Lorenzo though will start the race as favourite this year and even though he is yet to win in Germany anything less than a victory would surely disappoint the 23 year old.

Lorenzo’s compatriot Dani Pedrosa is best placed to stop the championship leaders run of form. Pedrosa, riding for Honda, has an enviable record in Germany having won three times in the past and has always been impressive on the contrasting slow and high speed sections that make up this track and the triple world champion will know that if he is to challenge for a first premier class title he needs to start clawing back to Lorenzo.

2007 world champion Casey Stoner had his first ever rostrum in the 2003 German 125cc Grand Prix and the former world champion is a former pole sitter and race winner in the MotoGP class. His form is improving once more after a trying start to the year that included crashes in Qatar and France and the Australian comes to the Sachsenring on the back of podiums at Assen and Barcelona. Another podium is probably the best that Stoner can expect this weekend.

Frenchman Randy de Puniet has been the surprise package of the season thus far with impressive pace in qualifying, including front row starts for the last three races. This weekend sees his satellite LCR Honda fitted with factory parts as he tries to translate his undoubted speed into a first podium of the season.

This weekend is sure to see sparks flying on track and the return of Rossi is sure to galvanise the paddock but once more the onus will be on Stoner and Pedrosa to stop Lorenzo’s dominance.

Monkeybonkers

It would be nice to see Rossi back again although I think his injury would stop him challenging for a podium. Still, he's done some unbelievable things in the past so we'll see what happens. I still think Lorenzo had the championship wrapped up the minute Rossi broke his leg. Let's hope for an exciting race anyway.

frostie500

Monkeybonkers wrote: »

It would be nice to see Rossi back again although I think his injury would stop him challenging for a podium. Still, he's done some unbelievable things in the past so we'll see what happens. I still think Lorenzo had the championship wrapped up the minute Rossi broke his leg. Let's hope for an exciting race anyway.

Yeah anything Rossi achieves this weekend is a bonus but I'd say the Czech race is the best bet for seeing him challenging for the podium. If he can finish in the say the top ten this weekend its a good race. I'm interested in what he does when he is fully fit and he has Lorenzo behind him, will he let Jorge through or will he race it as he normally does? With a Ducati contract in his pocket he would be under very little obligation to listen to the team saying "let Jorge through."

This weekend is crucial for the championship in my view though with Pedrosa 52 points back he needs to start putting pressure on Lorenzo and he has a great record at the Sachsenring, he needs a great weekend otherwise his slim title hopes will be finished in all liklihood

Monkeybonkers

I can't see him ever letting another rider through. I wouldn't expect any rider to let another through like that. I don't think Moto GP is as bad as Formula 1 for the team orders type of thing. Remember the Catalan Grand last year when there was a battle right to the line between the two. Team orders don't seem to come in to play so much, thank God.

As regards the championship, Lorenzo needs one DNF to open the door a bit for Pedroza. He has such a sizable lead that it will be hard to reel him in if he keeps finishing in the points. Still this is racing and anything can happen. Roll on Sunday!

EvilMonkey

Cant believe how quick Rossi is back.
Hope he doesn't fall on the leg or shoulder again :eek:

Grim.

ffs de puniet out now with a broken leg even worse break that rossi's worst season for a long time regarding injuries

grats pedrossa and what a great race between rossi and stoner really enjoyed that

frostie500

Grim. wrote: »

ffs de puniet out now with a broken leg even worse break that rossi's worst season for a long time regarding injuries

Hayden's brother Roger Lee will replace de Puniet for next weekends race at Laguna Seca. He actually raced as a teammate to Randy in 07 at Kawasaki as a wild card at Laguna

pdbhp

frostie500 wrote: »

Hayden's brother Roger Lee will replace de Puniet for next weekends race at Laguna Seca. He actually raced as a teammate to Randy in 07 at Kawasaki as a wild card at Laguna

Isn't he riding in world superbike for kawasaki and doing badly, think I seen him bringing up the rear in Brno

frostie500

pdbhp wrote: »

Isn't he riding in world superbike for kawasaki and doing badly, think I seen him bringing up the rear in Brno

Yeah he has struggled on the WSBK but this deal is all to do with nationality. Roger Lee was a very good supersport rider but he couldnt finance a Moto2 ride so was left stuck in superbikes knowing that he'd struggle to be competitive. He has won a few races at Laguna but its impossible for him to do anything representative this weekend. His main focus is still on Indy and a Moto2 ride with Kevin Schwantz' team

pdbhp

Well its Laguna Seca this weekend and as usual there will be no 125cc or Moto 2 races due to the fact there is just no room in the paddock for everyone. This is a crying shame as I personally would love to see 38 riders plunging down the corkscrew on lap one in the Moto 2 race though it probably would be a disaster as they're all lunatics