MotoGP 2011

frostie500

The new season is just around the corner and I've got to say that I am very excited, I think that this could be the best season in a very long time and that with Rossi and Stoner there is an element of change in the paddock that hasnt seen in years. It will be very interesting to see how the season develops with everyone taking on new roles from in the past.

The smaller classes look pretty interesting as well with Marquez, Espargaro and Smith all stepping upto Moto2 to race with the likes of Ianonne, Simon and WSS champion Kenan Sofuagolu. The Moto2 class was definitely home of the most exciting racing in the world last year and this season looks to be even better because there is noone withe kind of experience that Toni Elias took to the table last year.

The 125cc class will draw to a close at the end of the year and Nico Terol looks to be in a great position to win a first world title. I can't really see anyone competing with him on a week to week basis but the action should still be good in the little class.

Roll on Thursday and opening practice!

frostie500

In recent years there has been drudgery from certain quarters associated with the start of a new MotoGP season. The successes of Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa led to many taking the approach that races would be dominated by the quartet and that no one else would have a chance of challenging even for the podium.

The normal service of recent years could be easily forgotten once the season starts with the MotoGP class now dominated by change rather than the uniformity of recent years. These changes have seen Rossi and Stoner, the two most successful riders of the 80cc era, change teams and a genuine belief that riders such as Ben Spies and Marco Simoncelli can ruffle some feathers at the front of the field.

The summer of last year was dominated by the exciting news that Rossi was to leave Yamaha and join Ducati in a marriage of Italian motorcycling royalty. Winter testing though has shown that the honeymoon is already over and that a challenging year is set to ensue for Valentino. After dominating the premier class for the best part of a decade Rossi has left the familiar confines of Yamaha, his home from 2004, and jumped into the pressure cooker that is life with Ducati.

Since coming into the 500cc class, in 2000, Valentino has been working with Jeremy Burgees and their relationship is one of the most successful in racing history. The transformation that ensued when Rossi joined Yamaha, from also ran to world champions in just one season, has led many to believe that a similar story of success can occur at Ducati. With the severe testing restrictions in place, not to mention that Rossi is still far from 100% fitness, it is likely that while he will win races the title will be a step too far in his quest for a tenth world title.

Last season was dominated by Rossi’s former teammate, Jorge Lorenzo. The Spaniard added the premier class title to his brace of 250cc crowns but this year will be a much greater struggle for the maturing Majorcan. In his first two seasons in MotoGP Lorenzo was rightly viewed as an exceptionally rapid rider but his inability to consistently grind out results was also apparent.

Crashes were part and parcel of the Lorenzo experience. His huge high sides as a rookie were some of the most incredible images in the history of the sport but last season he turned a corner and was metonymically consistent. He took nine wins and stood on the rostrum in all but two races. The tendency to crash was almost completely eradicated from his season with just three crashes throughout 2010.

The development of Lorenzo as a racer was almost complete but the next chapter of his career will give a much greater insight into whether he can continue to win titles in such style. For the first three years of his MotoGP career Lorenzo has been able to count on Rossi and Burgees to develop the M1 but that responsibility will now fall firmly on his shoulders. Can he handle that pressure? For fans of Lorenzo that is the biggest question in their minds.

There is no doubt that he has the speed and ability to understand what his bike is doing but to drive the development of a factory team is a laborious task and while Lorenzo is an intelligent and thoughtful person only time will tell if he has the ability to develop a bike. Until he can prove this ability the shadow of Rossi at Yamaha will loom large for Lorenzo.

Ben Spies will also be looking to loom large in the mind of Lorenzo. The Texan had a superb rookie season in 2010; able to tick numerous boxes, pole position, podium finishes etc, in his development as a Grand Prix racer. The reward for his successful adaption to prototype machinery was a factory Yamaha contract in place of Rossi.

Spies still has a lot of room for improvement but his rookie season was one of the most impressive in recent years. Just like Stoner, Pedrosa and Lorenzo Spies showed that he had the speed to race at the front of the class but unlike Stoner and Lorenzo he also displayed terrific consistency with top five finishes in all but one race during the second half of the season. He still needs to improve his pace at the start of races but there is little reason to believe that the former World Superbike champion cannot make that adjustment in the coming year.

Race wins seem all but inevitable for the number 11 Yamaha who has long been viewed as a potential front runner in the premier class but it is how he compares to Lorenzo that will give the best indication as to whether Spies can join the elite crowd at the front of the field.

That elite crowd looks set to be headed by a pair of Repsol Hondas. Stoner has been exceptionally fast throughout winter testing and the newly developed RCV212 looks to be the pacesetter heading into the new season. Stoner’s reputation has taken a battering in recent years. His bout of illness in 2009 led many within the sport to question his toughness while last season was punctuated with a series of high speed crashes that robbed him of a chance to compete for the title.

I have long believed that Stoner is the fastest rider in the MotoGP paddock and that it was grossly unfair that his health problems were viewed negatively by so many respected in the sport. His trials of last season will not be quickly forgotten but it is worth remembering that Casey dominated at times last season aboard the difficult Ducati.

Armed with a lightening quick Honda the 2007 world champion will be very tough to beat. He is ready to add to his only title and the speed and consistency of 2007 could easily be repeated this season. Stoner, for me at least, starts the season as the title favourite and the man to beat. He looks as confident as ever and is riding beautifully. Last season he reached a point where he clearly started to think that “I’m racing to win, podiums do not matter to me unless I am on the top step.” He showed breathtaking speed at some of the closing races, Philip Island in particular, and that is the Casey Stoner that will be racing this year. Fast, committed and hard to beat.

Pedrosa will face the biggest challenge of his career. In the past he was clearly viewed as HRC’s chosen son and was given every opportunity to succeed for the Japanese firm. Consistently he was found wanting in terms of winning the title but last year the diminutive Spaniard clearly turned a corner and looked to be a much more complete racer.

The manner in which Pedrosa overcame the early season handling problems that afflicted him in 2010 to mount a serious title challenge is very encouraging for the year ahead. Throughout last summer Pedrosa was able to stalk Lorenzo and consistently draw closer to his compatriot at the head of the standings. His crash at Laguna Seca gave Lorenzo breathing room and the crash at Motegi, after a mechanical failure, effectively sealed the title for Yamaha rider.

This season will give Pedrosa the chance to go toe to toe with Stoner once more and whereas in the past it would have seemed inevitable that Pedrosa would not be able to mount a season long challenge, now it is far from unthinkable. Pedrosa has always had the ability to win on any bike but now he has the mindset to challenge consistently. He could challenge for a first premier class title this year but, as things stand right now, Stoner has the edge in the Repsol squad.

It is easy to forget that Andrea Dovizioso is also racing alongside Stoner and Pedrosa for Honda. The Italian will start his fourth season in the class under a terrific strain. His form in 2010 was solid but it was also clear that he was unwanted by Honda’s top brass for this year with only his performance clauses allowing him to stay in Repsol colours instead of moving to the Gresini squad as HRC had wished.

Dovizioso is a talented racer but the speed of his development in the top class has been found wanting. The upcoming year will make or break his career. If he can prove that he spent the first three years honing his craft he could still have a future with Honda. If however he continues to prove that he is only capable of finishing in the top five he will have no future with a factory team and will be moving down the grid next season.

The Italian’s form in MotoGP is very different to what was expected of him. He dominated 125cc racing and took the 2004 world title before moving to the 250cc class and competing with Lorenzo for the title even though the Honda was utterly outclassed by the Aprilia. When he came to MotoGP much was expected of him, to have won only once is a shocking performance from a rider with genuine talent and ability.

While Dovizioso’s star is on the wane with Honda Marco Simoncelli’s is most certainly on the rise. The former 250cc champion started last season looking as wild as ever but by the mid summer break he looked much more confident and finished the year in fine style with a string of strong performances.

Winter testing has seen his good form continue, including topping the Sepang test times, and the Gresini rider looks set to have a competitive year aboard a full factory Honda. Simoncelli has the potential to make riding a MotoGP bike look effortless but whereas at times in the past he has looked restless on the bike as he harries and hustles it around a track, now he is riding with precision. The change has seen him become a dark horse to contend for race wins and challenge Spies as the next rider to join the “fab four” at the front of the field.

Simoncelli will be joined at Gresini by his former 250cc sparring partner, Hiroshi Aoyama. The Japanese rider had a fraught rookie season in MotoGP with injuries forcing him to miss numerous races. This season will give a much greater indication as to whether the likeable Japanese rider can compete in MotoGP. If he can stay injury free there is no doubt that he will have some strong races but it is likely that he will be outclassed by his teammate throughout the season.

Inaugural Moto2 champion, Toni Elias, will return to MotoGP with the LCR Honda team. Elias went to Moto2 with a reputation as a fast but unreliable rider. He returns to the premier class with a new found respect within the paddock after dominating the new intermediate class. In the past Elias had shown flashes of his talent, most notably his 2006 Portuguese GP victory, but last year consistency was the hallmark of his title success.

The Spaniard will replace Randy de Puniet at LCR and he will have some substantial boots to fill. Last year De Puniet was one of the year’s surprise packages with a series of incredible qualifying performances and strong races. An unfortunate crash at the Sachsenring saw Randy suffer a broken leg and ended any hopes of continuing his season in such strong form. The Frenchman will move to the Pramac team this year and ride a Ducati. In many ways it can be viewed as a backwards step but when you factor in that the Ducati will be developed by Rossi and Burgees it is clear that Randy has potentially made a superb decision to defect from LCR to Pramac. His talent went unrewarded for years but now he is getting the recognition that he deserves and this season could offer the 30 year a great opportunity to cement his position as one of the fastest riders in the world.

There are just two rookies in the class this season with the majority of attention focused on former World Supersport champion, Cal Crutchlow. The Englishman will replace Spies at Tech 3 and much will be expected of him. His adaptation to a World Superbike last year was impressive and included taking a string of pole positions but the move to GP racing is a huge step.

Crutchlow will be under pressure to follow in the footsteps of Spies, and not fall into the traps that claimed James Toseland. It will be exceptionally difficult for Cal to make the move into MotoGP but throughout testing he has looked assured on the bike and displayed the raw speed that has always been evident. It would be asking far too much for him to have a rookie year like Spies, the Texan had the benefit of a lot more Superbike experience, but if Crutchlow can show his true potential in some qualifying sessions and races he will have done enough to show that he belongs on the MotoGP grid.

When Karel Abraham announced that he was moving to MotoGP there was a wide held belief that it was another illustration of how much money talks in the GP paddock at present. The Czech rider had done absolutely nothing to show himself as anything more than a wealthy racer but at the last five races of the year he showed a huge amount of progress and took a stunning first victory at the final race of the season at Valencia. He will face a huge uphill task to be competitive in MotoGP but at least he showed that he has enough talent to win a Grand Prix.

The new season will kick off this weekend under the lights of Qatar with an expectation for a return to form for the premier class. There is no reason why this should not be one of the best seasons in recent years with numerous interesting storylines set to play out.

frostie500

Last season when the Moto2 season opened it was seen as a racing experiment, it quickly became a social experiment. Whereas in the past racing at the Grand Prix level saw the rich get richer with talented riders careers bankrolled by the likes of Aprilia and a steady path of progression through the smaller classes with factory machinery, and its inherit advantages, seeing young talented riders always race at the front.

Moto2 changed all that in 2010 with equality of tyres, engines and electronics making talent much more visible throughout the field. Whereas the 250cc class had become a battle of “haves” and “have nots” Moto2 became a class where equality reigned supreme and where even the smallest of errors would be heavily punished.

The challenge to find consistency was almost impossible with champion Toni Elias coming closest but still having weekend where he would struggle, qualifying 18th at Silverstone a prime example. Elias will return to MotoGP in 2011 and he will leave a huge void on the Moto2 grid. Who will fill his boots? There are a lot of contenders but each will have to find a way to iron out the chances of a poor grid slot which will ruin any hope of competing at the sharp end on Sunday afternoons.

Qualifying is crucial in Moto2 because with equality comes close grids and hectic racing. If you qualify on the fourth row of the grid, 13th or lower, you will be deep in the pack as the field heads into turn one and at the mercy of everyone else. There were numerous opening lap crashes in races last year and that trend will continue this season with a large field of 38 permanent riders.

Even if you avoid the inevitable opening lap carnage riders are then left with battling for real estate with rivals who have the same machinery. As a result you are forced to take a defensive, and slower, approach to racing and when things eventually settle down the leaders have long since disappeared and you are left with a fight for nothing more than scraps from the top table.

Qualifying at the front, and getting clear of the field, was the Holy Grail last season and it was Andrea Iannone who became the master of this. The Italian took three runaway victories and should have added a fourth at Catalunya. The Italian will race for Speed Master in the coming season and will start the year as a sure fire championship contender.

This class though is filled with numerous riders who should offer strong competition to Iannone with Julian Simon the most likely candidate. While the former 125cc champion failed to win a race last year he did rack up an impressive eight podiums and when the season drew to a close he was one of the form men taking six front row starts in the final eight races. Simon is an aggressive and intelligent racer and once the Aspar squad changed to the Suter chassis his season came alive. This season however Simon will be ready from the off and looks set to offer a stern test to any of the title contenders.

Scott Redding, the youngest GP winner in history, looks set to be a title contender this season after a strong series of preseason tests. The Englishman will once more race for the Marc VDS team and has looked very confident throughout the winter. Redding has a gloriously aggressive style on a bike and looks primed to have a career defining season. He will be joined at Marc DVS by MotoGP refugee Mika Kallio. The Finn struggled in the premier class but has two years of four-stroke experience and if he can rediscover the confidence that he showed as a 125 and 250cc rider he could be a dark horse title contender.

Alex di Angelis had a tumultuous season in 2010. The San Maranese rider started the year with an underfunded Moto2 entry before racing in the MotoGP class as a replacement rider. When he returned o Moto2 with the JIR squad he looked much more impressive and finished the season as a leading contender with three podiums in the final stretch of races. One of those podiums was a victory at Philip Island after a superb performance.

The battle for the title should also be joined by an exceptional crop of rookie riders with reigning 125cc champion, Marc Marquez, leading the way. While Marquez had to wait until the final race of the season to be crowned champion his form throughout the year was second to none. He took ten wins and started from pole on 12 occasions. Marquez showed that he had the maturity and talent to win at the highest level and he will be a marked man in Moto2.

Much will be expected of the recently turned 18 year old who will ride a Suter in the coming season. His race craft was impressive last year and as a result he has been installed as the bookies favourite to take the title in his first season. That seems to be quite a leap of faith by the bookmakers and a season that consists of front row starts, podiums and one or two wins would be a much more realistic proposition. Marquez will be strong in the coming season and the battle for rookie of the year should be very exciting.

Marquez will have to compete with fellow 125cc graduates Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith for that honour. Espargaro challenged Marquez for the title last year and will move into Moto2 on the crest of a wave. His eye-catching performances last year marked him as an exceptionally fast and aggressive racer but his win at Aragon was also one of the most tactical of the year. Staying behind Nico Terol for as long as possible, Espargaro made his move into the final corner and took a superb victory. He will win races in the ultra competitive Moto2 class and it will be entertaining to see him do battle once more with former 125cc rival Iannone.

Smith came into 2010 anticipating a title challenge but the Englishman was just too big for the small bikes. He grew throughout the year and his height and weight cost him dearly. It was worth the risk to stay in the class but he looks much more at home on the larger Moto2 bike. In the past Smith was seen as the best qualifier in 125cc racing, he could ride on his own as well as anyone and was capable of setting some blistering times in qualifying. That should stand him in good stead this season but the Tech3 machine still has a lot of questions hanging over it.

Last year the team struggled with just one win to show for their efforts. Rafaele de Rosa never quite got his head around the four-stroke and Yuki Takahashi struggled with the exception of winning at Barcelona. The team flattered to deceive in 2010 but there is heightened expectation for the coming season with Smith and Mike di Meglio racing for the team.

Former World Supersport champion, Kenan Sofuoglu, raced on two occasions last year and impressed greatly. It seems strange to call him a rookie but the Turkish star will be classified as one. He will have little interest in the rookies’ title though; his eyes are set firmly on title glory. It will be very interesting to see how he does over the course of a full season but consistency has always been a hallmark of his so a strong season could see him compete for the title.
The great thing about the Moto2 class is that literally anything could happen over the course of the year. Grids were split by seconds last year and it was common to see riders qualify or race at the front one week but struggle for pace the next weekend. The challenge is huge for riders and teams but the excitement for fans if exceptional. When the racing starts in Moto2 rationality goes out the window. The class brings a bar room brawl mentality to racing with forceful overtaking moves and harsh defences from riders.

The new season should continue in that vein and give terrific entertainment. When the class was originally discussed many traditionalists, including myself, felt it was an affront to have production engines and “dumbed” down class in Grand Prix racing...it took me the opening lap of Qatar to change my opinion. The racing in Moto2 was some of the best I have ever seen but now that fans are armed with the knowledge of what happened last season the excitement level heading into the opening race of the year has risen considerably!

frostie500

Angel Nieto, Carlo Ubbiali, Jorge Martinez, Loris Capirossi, Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa and a host of motorcycle racing’s biggest names all were crowned champions in the 125cc class. This year the venerable class will get its own chequered flag before morphing into the new four-stroke Moto3 class in 2012.
The new season will see 26 permanent riders take to the grid when the season opens in Qatar with last season’s vice champion, Nico Terol, staying in the class for one last shot at winning the world title. Terol is an exceptionally gifted rider and possibly the most intelligent racer of the smallest class in recent years.

Consistency has long been a trademark of the Spaniard with 14 podium finishes in the 16 races that he contested in 2010 a testament to his ability to grind out results. Last year much was expected of the former Spanish champion and if not for a crash in the Catalan Grand Prix he would have been well placed to pip Marc Marquez for the crown.

That crash in Barcelona was the only retirement of his season and in the only other race that he failed to finish on the podium, the British Grand Prix, Terol finished fourth. If he can carry that speed and consistency into the coming season there is no one in the class with the experience to match Terol.

Riding once more for the Aspar team Terol will be armed with the best bike on the grid. His economical style is not as flamboyant as some on the grid but the character of Terol’s racing is in the detail. His constant ability to get the very maximum out his machine has always been apparent and while many felt it was inevitable that he would move to Moto2 the draw of winning the final 125cc title proved too much.

The weight of expectation has weighed heavily on riders who stay on 125’s for too long but it would be a huge upset if anyone can stop a third consecutive Spanish 125cc title winner.

Sergio Gadea has won three times in the 125cc class and the Spaniard will step down from Moto2 for the chance to challenge Terol for the title. Gadea is a talented rider who has finished fifth in the championship standings twice. His experience will be hugely beneficial and he should be able to consistently race at the front for the Paris Hilton backed Blusens-SMX team.

Sandro Cortese looks ready to make the next step in his career but the German will need to iron out his consistency issues if he is to stand a chance in challenging the likes of Terol for the title. Speed is not an issue for Cortese but he has consistently found a way to come up short during races. That will need to change this year for him to have even a chance of competing. He has the potential to challenge for the title but it is more likely that he will take a few race wins but fail to maintain a title assault.

Frenchman Johann Zarco ended 2010 with three non-finishes but the 20 year old showed flashes that he could be a title contender in 2010. Even though he has still to stand on a GP podium he will replace Marquez aboard the Ajo Derbi and as a result is not a contender to be taken lightly. The squad has also taken Mike di Meglio to the title in recent years and clearly know how to get the maximum from a 125cc machine.

Zarco, and teammate Efren Vazquez, showed a lot of improvement last year and the pair look primed to have a very good season. If they can get their season off to a strong start in the opening four rounds they will be a consistent challenger to Terol.

The Ajo team will also race Danny Kent and Jonas Folger in the class. The pair are two of the most exciting youngsters in the GP paddock and Kent looks like he could be a terrific asset to the team. Last year, racing the woefully uncompetitive Lambretta, Kent caught the eye with a series of strong performances in the last five races of the season. In 2009 Folger looked unbelievable but the young German struggled to adapt to life in his second year on the Grand Prix trail. He will come to Ajo armed with more experience and ready to race at the front. He will be a contender for race wins but he does not have the consistency to match the likes of Terol over the course of a full season.

The 125cc class has always been great for unearthing talent. Whether it was the likes of Pol Espargaro or Marc Marquez in recent years the class allows young riders to shine. Terol will, rightly, start the year as title favourite but in the pack of riders unknowns will emerge and become stars. The issue for the youngsters will be to do it on a consistent basis and with that in mind it is all but impossible to look past Terol when one thinks of who will end the year as the final world champion that this terrific class will produce.

pdbhp

Looks like it could be an exciting year in MotoGP,
Rossi on a new bike, still struggling with the shoulder but don't count the 7 time world champion out.
Lorenzo staying put on Yamaha definitly front runner and title contender.
Ben Spies, really looking forward to seeing what the American can do on a full factory bike.
Pedrosa, gonna be fast as usual but his inconsistancy throughout the yeard will tell again this season.
Stoner, well the lightning fast Auatralian has shown in pre season testing that he's serious about regaining the championship.
Dovisoso, sorry to see him demoted from the full factory Honda team but his pace in ore season shows real promise and he could do well this season.
Simoncelli, one of my favourite riders in the paddock really love to see him succeed and at least score a few podiums.

frostie500

pdbhp wrote: »

Pedrosa, gonna be fast as usual but his inconsistancy throughout the yeard will tell again this season.

I think last year Pedrosa showed a lot of people, including myself, that he can have a complete season and challenge for the title. In the past he always had a tendency for having an off weekend but last year he was pretty impressive.

If you look at where he was in Qatar-the bike was clearly struggling-he turned it around very quickly and by the summer he was the form man in the championship. He made a few mistakes, Laguna Seca being the obvious one, but apart from that I cant recall any other significant mistakes. Last year Lorenzo was incredibly conisistent but in any other year Dani's performances would have seen him run the champion very close

pdbhp wrote: »

Dovisoso, sorry to see him demoted from the full factory Honda team but his pace in ore season shows real promise and he could do well this season

Dovi is still a factory Honda rider, Repsol has expanded to three bikes for this season.

pdbhp

frostie500 wrote: »

I think last year Pedrosa showed a lot of people, including myself, that he can have a complete season and challenge for the title. In the past he always had a tendency for having an off weekend but last year he was pretty impressive.

If you look at where he was in Qatar-the bike was clearly struggling-he turned it around very quickly and by the summer he was the form man in the championship. He made a few mistakes, Laguna Seca being the obvious one, but apart from that I cant recall any other significant mistakes. Last year Lorenzo was incredibly conisistent but in any other year Dani's performances would have seen him run the champion very close

Last year he was more consistant and true enough the start of the season was not good to him, its just that I feel he has underperformed for far too long, his attitude and sour face don't help him either.
I was at Donington Park in 2006 when he won the race, he didn't seem over extactic about it and there was a fair few Pedrosa fans there.

frostie500 wrote: »

Dovi is still a factory Honda rider, Repsol has expanded to three bikes for this season.

Yes but he's been demoted to third rider with the other two riders probably getting first dibs on new parts (even thought that doesn't always equate to success).

Regardless of previous results / opinions it's looking like it could be a great year, anyone of the front 6 or more could challenge for the championship.

frostie500

pdbhp wrote: »

Last year he was more consistant and true enough the start of the season was not good to him, its just that I feel he has underperformed for far too long, his attitude and sour face don't help him either.
I was at Donington Park in 2006 when he won the race, he didn't seem over extactic about it and there was a fair few Pedrosa fans there.

He definitely has underperformed in MotoGP, i remember him in 250s especially and he is probably the best 250 rider I have ever seen, but I think this year he could be a real contender. Its his last chance to win it with Honda, they will clearly support Casey going forward, so motivation shouldnt be an issue this year for him!

I'd definitely agree about his attitude, I think that Alberto Puig puts too tight a leash on Dani and I'd love to see more of his personality shine through.

pdbhp wrote: »

Yes but he's been demoted to third rider with the other two riders probably getting first dibs on new parts (even thought that doesn't always equate to success).

Regardless of previous results / opinions it's looking like it could be a great year, anyone of the front 6 or more could challenge for the championship.

Dovi, and probably Simoncelli, will be a step behind Dani and Casey but neither has showed that they deserve to get first dibs on anything. Dovi has shown flashes but in his first three years in the class he has always looked good but not exceptional. Simoncelli showed a lot of promise at the end of last year and he is clearly much higher on Honda's list of priorities. Its unfortunate for Dovi because in 125 and 250s he looked like he could be a real contender in MotoGP but you have to get the results to get to the head of a factory queue.

Gotta agree with you about the coming season it's going to be fantastic!

pdbhp

frostie500 wrote: »

He definitely has underperformed in MotoGP, i remember him in 250s especially and he is probably the best 250 rider I have ever seen, but I think this year he could be a real contender. Its his last chance to win it with Honda, they will clearly support Casey going forward, so motivation shouldnt be an issue this year for him!

I'd definitely agree about his attitude, I think that Alberto Puig puts too tight a leash on Dani and I'd love to see more of his personality shine through.

I would also say that Pedrosa has been the best 250 rider at least since Biaggi. Puig is like a cancer in MotoGP, I really don't like him at all and I feel that some of Pedrosa's problems especially with attitude are down to him.

Stoner could make a show of Pedrosa this year though Stoners morale is a problem and if he gets down in the dumps about his weekend then he struggles to perform.

frostie500 wrote: »

Dovi, and probably Simoncelli, will be a step behind Dani and Casey but neither has showed that they deserve to get first dibs on anything. Dovi has shown flashes but in his first three years in the class he has always looked good but not exceptional. Simoncelli showed a lot of promise at the end of last year and he is clearly much higher on Honda's list of priorities. Its unfortunate for Dovi because in 125 and 250s he looked like he could be a real contender in MotoGP but you have to get the results to get to the head of a factory queue.

Gotta agree with you about the coming season it's going to be fantastic!

I really like Dovi, he has a great attitude towards riding but maybe he's a bit too nice and that comes through in his ability to be compeditive.
As for Simoncelli he is definitly one to watchout for in the future, I think with the right bike and team behind him he could challenge for a title

frostie500

It's just been confirmed that the Japanese round has been postponed due to the earthquake and tsunami. It should be rearranged for October though

pdbhp

frostie500 wrote: »

It's just been confirmed that the Japanese round has been postponed due to the earthquake and tsunami. It should be rearranged for October though

Wasn't that round postponed last year aswell, due to weather.

Edit: Stupid Icelandic volcano

frostie500

This is my race preview for this weekend's Qatar Grand Prix, in relation to the predictions part anyone that knew the week I had at Cheltenham would be advised to take these tips with a silo full of salt!!

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The winter wait is almost over and on Sunday the Losail International Circuit will play host to round one of the MotoGP season.

The Losail International Circuit

Qatar held its first MotoGP in 2004 and since then it has become a permanent fixture on the calendar. While the circuit has failed to win the hearts of local fans, attendance was a paltry 7302 in 2010; the organisers have been able to win over Dorna with large cheques and the unique spectacle of night racing.

The circuit measures 5.38km but in all that length there are very few true tests for riders. The majority of the lap is spent short shifting from second to third gear as riders drive out of one bland corner into another. The challenge therefore is find a setup that allows the rider to get on the power smoothly and keep tyre wear to a minimum.

The main overtaking points are at the end of kilometre long front straight into the second gear first corner. There are also genuine opportunities to pass into the double apex right hander at turn four and five. The other opportune overtaking area is into the slowest corner of the track, turn six.

MotoGP contenders

When you think of Qatar and MotoGP one man stands out above all others: Casey Stoner. The 2007 world champion absolutely loves the Losail circuit and a cursory glance at his results shows why. The Australian is a four time winner at the circuit, with three coming in the MotoGP class. He also took his first premier class pole position at the track in his rookie season of 2006. Stoner has never qualified off the front row in Qatar and judging by his dominant testing form he stands a great chance of opening his victory account with Repsol Honda this weekend.

While Casey has been the dominant rider at the track he will still have to banish the demons from last season’s crash while leading the race and looking set for a comfortable win. That race set the tone for his season. From that point on he suffered arguably his worst season. Crashes became a regular occurrence in the opening races and while he sprinkled his year with some dominant victories there can be no doubt that his failure to win the season opener had a dramatic effect on his confidence and his title challenge.

Stoner will face some stiff competition in the form of his teammate, Dani Pedrosa. The diminutive Spaniard looked sharp at the final preseason test, held earlier this week in Qatar. Last year showed that Dani is ready to add consistency to his undoubted speed but it is crucial that he can assert some authority over Stoner during the early races or else the focus of the Repsol team could easily shift towards the Australian.

In the past there were questions asked about Pedrosa’s mental strength but last year’s successes will have removed much of the doubt in relation to his perceived weakness. The only thing that Dani will have to prove this year is how he handles himself against a teammate who is just as fast as him. Throughout his career in the junior ranks, with the exception of his rookie 125cc season, Dani was the sole focus of his teams.

In his Telefonica backed 125 and 250cc days Pedrosa never faced a challenge from his teammates and was able to drive the team forward in the direction that he desired. Even when he came to MotoGP it was a similar story for Pedrosa. Honda had designated him as their lead rider and Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso played second fiddle to Dani. With Stoner coming into the team this year it is arguable that this is the last chance for Pedrosa to win the title for HRC. If he fails this year the team’s balance of power could easily shift to Stoner for the next few years.

It is strange to say but reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo will start the year behind Stoner in the pecking order. Last year Lorenzo penned one of the most consistent seasons in memory and was a thoroughly deserving champion. The Spaniard married his incredible speed with new found maturity and the huge crashes that blighted his first two MotoGP seasons became a thing of the past.

His past performances at Qatar have been second to none; he has always stood on the podium and like Stoner he has never started off the front row of the grid. Taking three wins at the circuit and starting from pole position on his MotoGP debut shows his speed at Losail but last year’s race showed his courage. Racing with a badly injured right hand, following a minibike crash, Lorenzo battled from third on the grid to finish second, just one second behind Valentino Rossi, and get his title winning season off to a great start. Before the race Lorenzo was barely able to shake hands with people but once on the bike he produced, arguably, the bravest ride of his career.

There will be no needs for such bravery this year but the Spaniard will face a gargantuan struggle to compete with the Hondas. The Yamaha, as ever, is lacking top speed and Stoner and Pedrosa look primed and ready to battle for the win. The one thing that Lorenzo has on his side is that his race craft always sees him get faster at the end of races. He maintains tyre life better than anyone on the grid and depending on the conditions during the race that could be the ace up his sleeve.

Valentino Rossi has looked all at sea in testing. The Italian has struggled to set competitive lap times aboard his new Ducati but it is worth noting that he has had to ride at less than 100% throughout testing. This weekend will be the first time that we see Valentino riding at his maximum and it will be very interesting to see how he fares. It has always been foolish to write Rossi and Jeremy Burgees off and if they can get their bike at anywhere approaching a competitive position then you still have to believe that Valentino can make the difference.

Ben Spies, on the other hand, should have a perfect bike throughout the weekend. The American has moved to the factory Yamaha squad as teammate to Lorenzo. He should be very quick this weekend and while a win would be asking too much of him challenging for the podium looks to be a realistic target for Spies.

Behind the leading lights this should be an illuminating race for the likes Andrea Dovizioso and Marco Simoncelli. Both are factory Honda riders but if testing is anything to go by their careers are heading on different paths. Simoncelli flew in testing and has garnered a lot of support from the Japanese manufacturer while Dovizioso had to fight tooth and nail for his contract to be honoured by Honda for the coming season.

Dovizioso finished third last year and a repeat performance by the Italian would be quite surprising. This is a pivotal season for the former 125cc champion and it is crucial to get it off on the right note. His compatriot on the other hand can bed himself into his factory role with a solid top six finish and look to improve throughout the season. Simoncelli will be blisteringly quick at some races this season but it would be surprising if he took the fight to Stoner and Pedrosa this weekend; the Repsol duo just look too dominant right now.

Moto2 challengers

The Moto2 class is incredibly competitive and this race should be the best of the weekend. There is much to be intrigued by the intermediate class and this weekend we will get our initial answers as to who will be competitive and who has their work cut out for them in 2011.

Much of the attention will be centred on Marc Marquez. The 18 year old Spaniard won the 125cc championship last season and moves up to the class with a huge expectation from his homeland. Can he follow in the footsteps of Dani Pedrosa and win first time out on his “middle class” debut? It would be asking a lot of Marquez and a top five finish would be a great start to his season. Marquez has looked very fast in testing and as a result it would be surprising if he does not qualify at the sharp end of the grid.

The racing in Moto2 is exceptionally close and for Marquez and the other rookies it will be an eye opening experience. Pol Espargaro though should be right at home in the class. The young Spaniard is one of the most aggressive riders in the paddock and throughout the weekend it would be wise to keep one eye on him.

Andrea Iannone though should start the race as the favourite to take the chequered flag, even though he struggled in the desert last year finished over 30 seconds adrift of the race winner. The Italian though developed through the year into a genuine contender and was the main competition Toni Elias faced on a race-by-race basis. Iannone will race for a new team in 2011 but he should be able to maintain his startling form from last year. He was the only man to break away from the pack and win races last season and a similar disappearing act should not be discounted for this weekend.

Julian Simon will look to keep Iannone in check and the Spaniard, racing for Aspar, will be a championship contender. After starting 2010 hampered by a poor RSV chassis Simon grew in confidence throughout the year to such an extent that the former 125cc champion will be very confident of adding another world title to his trophy cabinet. He has struggled at Qatar in the past but it would be surprising to see him open the season with anything less than a podium finish.

Scott Redding will also be expected to maintain his form from testing and the second half of 2010. The Englishman has looked in great form over the course of the winter and he should be a contender this weekend. Redding, the youngest ever GP winner, is yet to add to his solitary 125cc win but it seems like only a matter of time until he corrects that stat and wins in Moto2. He made his GP debut in Qatar in 2008, and started from the front row of the grid. A similar starting position on Sunday would leave the lanky 18 year old in prime position to challenge for the win.

Apart from Ionone, Simon and Redding the other riders likely to contend for the honours on Sunday are Kenan Sofuoglu, Thomas Luthi and maybe a surprise contender like Jules Cluzel.

Terol starts as favourite in 125s

The racing on Sunday will be opened by the 125cc class and in this there is little doubt that Nico Terol will start the race as the firm favourite. The Spaniard, vice champion in 2010, starts the season as overwhelming title favourite and it would be quite a shock if he does not open the season with a repeat of his opening race success of last year.

The smallest capacity class is in a period of transition in almost every conceivable way. From a machinery standpoint the 125’s will be replaced by 250cc four-strokes next year and on track most of the leading riders, except Terol, have made the move to Moto2. This means that the path has been cleared for riders like Efren Vazquez and Sandro Cortese to challenge for race wins and the championship.

Both riders are fast but prone to inconsistencies. Vazquez finished on the podium last year and a repeat performance would be deemed a very successful start to his campaign. He will however face stiff competition from former Moto2 racer Hector Faubel. The 27 year old Spaniard has won seven races in the 125cc class since making his debut 11 years ago and he should offer a stern test to all riders in the class. It will be interesting to see how he adapts in his return to the 125cc class after three years in 250cc and Moto2.

Jonas Folger is a rider to keep an eye on this weekend. In his rookie season, 2009, the young German stared throughout the season and could easily have won a race but last year saw him hampered by an uncompetitive bike. This year he will be racing for Ajo motorsport so there can be no doubt about the machinery underneath him. Folger could spring a surprise this weekend and contend for the win.

Predictions for the Qatar Grand Prix

Season opening races are always exceptionally difficult to predict....but here goes!
In the 125cc class Terol will take the second pole position of his career and win the race ahead of Hector Faubel with Jonas Folger the third man on the rostrum. Sandro Cortese and Efren Vazquez will both challenge in the early stages before wilting towards the chequered flag.

In the Moto2 race Andrea Iannone will add to his three 2010 victories by winning ahead of Scott Redding and Julian Simon with Marc Marquez finishing his debut Moto2 race in sixth.

The MotoGP race will be dominated by Honda with Casey Stoner beating teammate Dani Pedrosa after pulling away in the second half of the race. World champion Jorge Lorenzo will open his title defence with a podium finish. Valentino Rossi will finish in eighth with Marco Simoncelli opening the year by holding off Ben Spies for fourth.

**Don't forget that this weekend there is a four day timetable so practice will start on Thursday and not Friday**

pdbhp

Why is there an extra day of racing this weekend?

frostie500

pdbhp wrote: »

Why is there an extra day of racing this weekend?

When you get past 11 o'clock local time the conditions change and dew starts to set in and it leaves a film of water on the track making it a complete lottery for riders in relation to how much grip they have.

Last year in the MotoGP practice sessions that closed out the day there was a series of accidents because of the dew. As a result Dorna changed the times to avoid any issues. Obviously enough it was discussed about moving the schedule forward an hour to get the day finished on time but that would have brought the opening session into dusk and therefore would have offered no benefit to teams and riders in relation to the knowledge they could gain because the conditions would be so different to those expected during the race.

Bit of a round the world answer but hope it makes sense!

pdbhp

Thanks Frostie, I couldn't listen to the commentary earlier.

It's a good idea, safety is priority especially since Tomizawa last season.

Good sessions today, Stoner really looks quick on the Honda, he'll be very hard to beat.
Lorenzo was consistant and was sand bagging I'd say.
Good finish for Rossi but his lap times were nowhere near Stoners, Rossi will have to do something special if he wants to win this race.
Top Ducati in third was Hector Barbera, excellent session for him.
Looking like a good weekend ahead.

Scott Redding got an excellent 2nd in FP2,
Marquez is the one to watch in Moto 2, he is a sensational rider really looking forward to watching him this year.

pdbhp

Stoner fastest again today. Can anyone come close to the Australian at all, he looks a real contender for the title this season.

Grim.

bautista out with a broken femur

pdbhp

Nasty for Bautista, terrible start to the season for the young lad.
There was talk of John Hopkins coming bact to replace him as he has ridden the bike last weekend at the test in Qatar

RxQueen

Really happy to see Simoncelli on fourm last night, can wait to see how it plays out for him.

Would really like to see him have a few podium wins this year

pdbhp

Terol annihalated the opposition in 125's, not the greatest race I've ever seen but a reasonable ending to it.

frostie500

pdbhp wrote: »

Terol annihalated the opposition in 125's, not the greatest race I've ever seen but a reasonable ending to it.

Yeah utterly dominant from Terol but I was impressed by the maturity of Cortese. In the past he was always liable to throw away his good work of qualifying at the front but today he was very solid and instead of trying to race at 110% to catch Terol he raced at his own speed and came away with second.

No surprises that Terol was so good though but at least it was a good race behind him to get the season underway!

pdbhp

Yea it was a more mature ride from Cortese, Faubel did himself no favours with 2 mistakes that cost him dearly.

Paparazzo

Pity motogp isn't live on eurosport
Their commentary team is so much better than BBC, and they can afford to give more time to it.

pdbhp

Paparazzo wrote: »

Pity motogp isn't live on eurosport
Their commentary team is so much better than BBC, and they can afford to give more time to it.

The commentators on Eurosport are great but I like Charlie Cox and Steve Parish they're a good team and knowledgeable about the sport.

Good race in Moto2 Bradl ran away with it, Iannone showed what he's made of.
Upset that Marc Marquez fell off early in the race, think he can still be in with a shout of winning the championship though

Grim.

stoner still has some speed in the bag imo, rossi not doing that bad but i think spies will have him

Grim.

pedrosas tyres are done

pdbhp

Stoner is one fast puppy.
Lorenzo stuffed it to Pedrosa:D
Simoncelli = good result
Rossi good to see him finish the race, onwards and upwards from here

Grim.

rider of the day has to be Lorenzo as good as Stoner was (and he was awesome) that Honda is in a different league to the Yamaha at the moment and the performance Lorenzo put in was astonishing

i think rossi will be pleased with that result I'm certain he will get that bike sorted in the next 5 races you can already see the massive difference in his riding style

brilliant race first time in a while the motogp race has been the best of the weekend

edit: ahh pedrosas injured arm giving him trouble forgot all about that

will be interesting to see how soon Yamaha and ducati can come up with a seamless shift gear box of their own

pdbhp

Grim. wrote: »

edit: ahh pedrosas injured arm giving him trouble forgot all about that

will be interesting to see how soon Yamaha and ducati can come up with a seamless shift gear box of their own

Forgot about Pedrosa's arm aswell.
He can use that excuse for this race only:D
Rossi can use his shoulder excuse for as long as he likes;)

Wagon

Great race actually, glad i caught it! Thank you iPlayer

Stoner was like a bullet on that Honda. Was a little surprised at Pedrosa but next race should clear a few things up when his arm is back on form. Lorenzo did astonishingly well to break the two of them up though.

Grim. wrote: »

i think rossi will be pleased with that result I'm certain he will get that bike sorted in the next 5 races you can already see the massive difference in his riding style

Completely agree. Ducatis need some work but they are monsters. Once that power can be put down more effectively then you'll see them catching the Hondas. I wouldn't say that the difference in Rossi's riding style would be as noticeable in a few races when his shoulders are back up to scratch though.

will be interesting to see how soon Yamaha and ducati can come up with a seamless shift gear box of their own

Can they make that change mid season though? Stupid question I know, but I'm fairly new to this sport so you'll have to forgive the ignorance.

Paparazzo

Those Honda gear changes were unreal! A tiny blip and the gear is changed

Sids Not

pdbhp wrote: »

Rossi can use his shoulder excuse for as long as he likes;)

And no doubt will...every time he loses........:rolleyes:


Delighted for Crutchlow...good first race...

Grim.

Wagon wrote: »

Can they make that change mid season though? Stupid question I know, but I'm fairly new to this sport so you'll have to forgive the ignorance.

yep no rules on new gear boxes that i know of and as far as i know only two engines are sealed so if they need to make any modifications to the other four to work with a new gearbox they can

Grim.

well both rossi and pedrosa have had major surgery on their shoulders neither have been able to train properly, and considering the load that goes trough the shoulders as a result of using carbon brakes I'm impressed pedrosa put in the performance he did

rossi's problem is the fact that the ducati needs to be bullied around the track and with an weak shoulder there's no way he can do that but even with a fully healed shoulder he would still be off the pace of the yamahas and hondas imo

Frank Bullitt

The Honda gearbox is insane, its amazing that Lorenzo was able to get ahead of one Honda, fair play.

Dr. Baltar

I've been watching MotoGp since I was about 9 or 10 and have always been a huge Rossi fan. Not sure why, but in about 2005 I stopped watching it and just lost all interest.

I've decided I'm going to start watching again. Really am enjoying all these "new" faces such as Stoner. Should be a great season and I'm really looking forward to seeing how Rossi/Ducati works.

When is the next race?

pdbhp

Dr. Baltar wrote: »

I've been watching MotoGp since I was about 9 or 10 and have always been a huge Rossi fan. Not sure why, but in about 2005 I stopped watching it and just lost all interest.

I've decided I'm going to start watching again. Really am enjoying all these "new" faces such as Stoner. Should be a great season and I'm really looking forward to seeing how Rossi/Ducati works.

When is the next race?

2 weeks time in Jerez Spain, this race will be crucial to Stoner to see exactly how the Honda handles a tight and twisty circuit with little or no straights.

Dr. Baltar

pdbhp wrote: »

2 weeks time in Jerez Spain, this race will be crucial to Stoner to see exactly how the Honda handles a tight and twisty circuit with little or no straights.

Thanks!

Looking forward to it!

Sids Not

pdbhp wrote: »

2 weeks time in Jerez Spain, this race will be crucial to Stoner to see exactly how the Honda handles a tight and twisty circuit with little or no straights.

Wont make any difference to Doohan Stoner............;)

pdbhp

Sids Not wrote: »

Wont make any difference to Doohan Stoner............;)

Probably not but it's a litmus test for all riders / teams especially Stoner and Lorenzo as it'll give a much better reading of how the season will pan out for what I believe are the 2 main title contenders.

It'll also be interesting to see exactly how Rossi tackles this track with his shoulder to see whether it is better because of the lesser stresses on him under braking.

Sids Not

pdbhp wrote: »

Probably not but it's a litmus test for all riders / teams especially Stoner and Lorenzo as it'll give a much better reading of how the season will pan out for what I believe are the 2 main title contenders.

It'll also be interesting to see exactly how Rossi tackles this track with his shoulder to see whether it is better because of the lesser stresses on him under braking.

Enough with the shoulder........maybe they should give him a head-start..:rolleyes::p

pdbhp

Sids Not wrote: »

Enough with the shoulder........maybe they should give him a head-start..:rolleyes::p

Just getting the excuses in early:pac:

Really though it is a serious issue for Rossi, Pedrosa and Crutchlow and makes a big difference to how they can attack the race.
Just look at how Pedrosa dropped off in the last third of the race in Qatar and how his arm is now it must be really difficult to hang on to a brute like a MotoGP bike in that condition and it says a lot about the riders who put them selves through that each weekend.

frostie500

There are five races on the Iberian Peninsula but one race stands out above them all. While the Catalan Grand Prix brings the culture of Barcelona to MotoGP and Valencia guarantees to closes the season with fireworks, it is Jerez that holds the title of the Spanish Grand Prix and a special place in the hearts of everyone associated with MotoGP.

The Jerez Circuit

This 4.4km circuit has hosted MotoGP since 1987 when Wayne Gardner was victorious in the 500cc class. From that moment onwards Jerez has been the home of the Spanish Grand Prix.

The lap starts with a slow uphill right hander that is also one of the prime overtaking zones. From here the riders face a series of tight corners before the tracks begins to open up through the fast turn four. The back straight sees the bikes reach their highest speeds of the lap, approximately 290kmp/h before braking into the tight Dry Sack Hairpin, another great overtaking zone.

From here the riders start their run into the fabled stadium section with the Nieto Corners the principle area for fans to congregate before speeding out into the Criville Curve which leads riders into the final corner, and the last chance to move past a rival.

This final corer was the scene of arguably one of the most significant clashes in recent years when Valentino Rossi barged past Sete Gibernau on the final lap to take the victory in the 2005 season opener.

Qatar threw up some questions for leading riders

The opening round in Qatar saw Casey Stoner dominate proceedings but it also posed many questions that will only begin to be answered this weekend. Can Stoner find the consistency of his 2007 title campaign? How will Dani Pedrosa deal with the nerve damage that plagued him in Qatar? What can Valentino Rossi do to recover from a poor race in Qatar?

Since entering the premier class in 2006 Stoner has consistently been the pacesetter in Qatar so his result in the opening round should be taken with a pinch of salt. The true test of the Australian’s title mettle will be this weekend in Jerez. Stoner has stood on the rostrum just once in nine races at the Spanish circuit and even in his dominant title campaign it was arguably his least competitive performance of the year. As a result it is crucial for Stoner to show that his performance in Qatar can be replicated this weekend.

Stoner has long been viewed as the fastest rider in MotoGP over a single lap but his race-craft has left a lot to be desired in the past. Relentlessly pushing as hard as possible since winning the title Stoner has suffered badly at the hands of the fickle Ducati and crashed while leading on numerous occasions. His move to Honda should allow him to adjust his style and change his approach to racing. In Qatar Stoner had the pace to open a gap to his rivals but the risk of crashing meant that he waited until the time was right before pressing his advantage.

When Pedrosa started to fade due to his injury Stoner knew that the time was right and from half distance he started to open a gap to his pursuers. The days of Stoner racing at the limit for the entire distance could be over and, if Qatar is anything to go by, he has now added maturity and patience to his relentless speed. Jerez will give a much better insight into whether this maturity can last for the rest of the year.

Dani Pedrosa went to Qatar thrilled at finally being in a position to start a MotoGP season in full health. The Spaniard looked to be in superb form during the week but at half distance his pace started to fall off and his archrival, Jorge Lorenzo, came past. When the race came to a close it was clear that the three times world champion was struggling due to an injury.

Following the race it was discovered that Dani had not yet fully recovered from his broken collarbone as a result of his Motegi crash at the end of last year. The Spaniard will be under tremendous strain once more this weekend but his past form at Jerez will mean that he should not be underestimated.

Each year since 2005 Pedrosa has stood on the rostrum at his home race, taking two wins. With the exception of his rookie 125cc season in 2001 Pedrosa has never finished below fourth at Jerez and last season was arguably one of the best rides of his career. Though he did not take the victory Pedrosa came to Spain on the back of a miserable Qatar race where he suffered from unbelievable instability aboard his Honda.

Pedrosa battled to take pole position and led nearly the entire race before Lorenzo took the win with a daring last lap manoeuvre. There was little reason to believe that Pedrosa could achieve even a podium heading into that race so with the diminutive Spaniard racing in front of his home crowd this weekend on the back of a heartening opening race he should be a contender once more.

Doctors have said that his injury will need time to heal and with the Japanese round postponed Pedrosa will have a month to recuperate for the next round of the championship. As a result he will think little of pushing himself as hard as possible this weekend. The battle between Stoner and Pedrosa will dominate the headlines throughout the year but this weekend looks set to be a pivotal race for both riders.

Valentino Rossi and Ducati are just one race into their relationship but because it did not offer the instant success of the Italian superstars move to Yamaha in 2004 questions are being asked about their hopes for the coming season.

Rossi struggled in Qatar, finishing 16s behind Stoner, and there is no doubt that he is yet to find his pace on the Ducati. There were however positives to be taken from the season opener. Throughout the race Rossi had stages where his lap times were very competitive but it was his inability to get down to that pace fast enough that was the problem.

The current 800cc MotoGP era has been dominated by an ability to immediately get the tyres up to temperature and lap as fast as possible on the second and third laps. In Qatar Rossi, and indeed Ben Spies, were unable to do this and both found themselves in “no man’s land“when the race came to a close. Both riders were considerably faster than the rest of the top ten runners but by the time they were able to lap at their true pace it was too late to challenge the leaders.

The night racing conditions in Qatar could have played a role in both riders inability to generate heat in their tyres and as a result Jerez should be a much better indication as to their performance potential for the coming season.

What to expect this weekend in MotoGP

Once more MotoGP will be dominated by the same figures this weekend.

The Repsol Honda domination of Qatar, topping the times in each session, is unlikely to occur once more this weekend and Lorenzo looks certain to be very fast this weekend. The champion’s past form at home is superb and his victory last year showed once again that he will fight right until the end of a race. It was Jorge’s first win on home soil in the premier class but since then he has added Catalan and Valencia victories to his resume.

This weekend he will be eager to take his first win with the number one plate on his Yamaha. The manner in which he took second place last time out showed that he is as eager as ever to win races and take another title. It was ominous for his rivals that Lorenzo and his team overcame their testing woes to challenge for the win in Qatar and this weekend he will ready to dominate from the outset.

In Qatar Lorenzo’s teammate, Ben Spies, showed that he had the pace to challenge Lorenzo but his race was marred by his inability to get up to speed at the very start. This was a problem that beset the American in his rookie season and until he figures out a way to rectify this problem he could have a very long season in the shadow of Lorenzo.

Rossi will also need to solve this problem if he is to challenge aboard the Ducati. Since 2007 it has been clear that if riders struggle in the opening laps of a race there is little hope of getting back into contention even if they have to pace to match the front runners.

While the fight between Stoner and Pedrosa is the most intriguing on the grid the fight between the other two factory Honda riders is almost as compelling. Last season Andrea Dovizioso needed to rely on a performance clause in his contract to stay on factory machinery with Repsol Honda and not be jettisoned to Gresini as teammate to Marco Simoncelli,

The pair of Italians enjoyed a spirited battle in Qatar, with Dovizioso eventually coming out on top, and the battle between the pair should be just as intense this weekend. Simoncelli has fond memories of Jerez having taken his first two Grand Prix victories at the venue while Dovizioso has struggled there in the past.

The Repsol rider showed in Qatar that he is ready to make a step up in his performance and the threat of losing his factory ride has clearly been enough to put fear into his riding. As a former 125cc champion there is no doubting his credentials but his inability to convert a factory ride into anything more than a single, wet weather, victory has left a lot of pressure on his shoulders. Simoncelli looks primed for a superb season, and eager to heap extra pressure on his compatriot.

While it can be all but assured that the factory riders will dominate the races the battle behind them to be the leading satellite rider can be just as intense. In Qatar Colin Edwards took the honours and the American looked to be riding with an intensity not seen in recent years. The Tech 3 team has last year’s title winning Yamahas at their disposal and Edwards looks to have put a disappointing 2010 campaign behind him and eager to show that even at 37 he is still able to cut it as a Grand Prix rider.

Edwards should have competition this weekend from the likes of Randy de Puniet, Loris Capirossi and Hiroshi Aoyama.

John Hopkins will make his return to MotoGP this weekend in place of the injured Alvaro Bautista. The American showed flashes of brilliance in his early years in the class but left the sport in a cloud of mystery following battles with alcoholism. In recent years he has sought to rebuild his careers in Superbike racing, and will compete in the British championship this year, but with Bautista injured Hopkins could spring a surprise on his return to GP racing.

Can Moto2 return to form at Jerez?

The opening Moto2 race of the year was uncharacteristically dominated by Stefan Bradl. There is little to suggest that a similar story will play out this weekend.

Much of the winter testing has been conducted at the Spanish venue and as a result all of the leadings teams and riders are very well acquainted with the demands of Jerez. Last season one second separated the first five rows of the grid and it would be of little surprise if there was a similar occurrence in qualifying this weekend.

Andrea Iannone struggled for form in practice at Qatar but when the lights went out on Sunday the Italian sprang into life and battled through to finish second behind Bradl. There is little reason o believe that he will have troubles qualifying at the front this weekend and as a result the 21 year should start the weekend as favourite to take the victory.

Bradl’s form in the opening weekend showed that he is ready to fulfil the promise of his breakout 2008 125cc season. The German has struggled since then but has shown consistent progress aboard the 600cc Moto2 machines. Having won two of the last three races he knows that it is crucial to take advantage of this momentum with another strong result.

Scott Redding impressed in winter testing but the Englishman’s opening weekend of the season ended in bitter disappointment with an early crash relegrating him to a 31st place finish in Qatar. A much stronger weekend can be expected in Jerez but the former Spanish championship rider who always excelled at this circuit in the 125cc class.

Even though he crashed out of the Qatar race Marc Marquez had a superb opening weekend to his Moto2 career and while he still needs to adapt to the hard-charging style of racing in the intermediate class he looks ready to challenge for the podium already.

The Moto2 race in Qatar was a strangely flat affair with the battle behind Bradl intriguing rather than thrilling. The class was home of the most exciting racing in 2010 and this weekend should see a return to form for the intermediate class.

Can anyone stop Terol in 125s?

Pol Espargaro and Nico Terol ran away from the field in last year’s 125cc race following Marquez’ opening lap crash. There is little to suggest that Terol will have any competition for the win on Sunday.

This could be a theme repeated at numerous venues throughout the season and until the likes of Sandro Cortese, Hector Faubel and Sergio Gadea can show that they can consistently challenge the Aspar rider there is little reason to suggest that Terol will face competition during the races.

This is a pivotal race for the rest of the class. If Terol can dominate at Jerez in a manner similar to Qatar, where he lapped one second per lap faster than his rivals, it could be a very long season. Hector Faubel looks the most likely to lead that charge over the course of the season but the Spanish veteran has only one podium at Jerez in the past and has generally struggled at his home Grand Prix.

The likes of Alberto Moncayo and Jonas Folger have gone well at the circuit in the past and could challenge for the podium but unless someone finds a magic formula Terol will be a comfortable winner once more

Weather for this weekend

The forecast for this weekend sees sunny skies for Friday and Saturday with 24C expected on both days before rain clouds appear on Sunday with a 40% chance of rain affecting race day. Rain has not been an issue in Jerez since 2004 with Simoncelli, Roberto Rolfo and Sete Gibernau taking the honours.

Predictions for the weekend

If it rains all bets are off and anything could happen in the three classes.

If however it is dry Nico Terol will have a relatively easy run to victory in the 125cc race ahead of a chasing pack led by Gadeo, Moncayo, Cortese and Folger.

The Moto2 race will, as ever, be a lottery but Iannone should take the title lead with a victory with a Alex de Angelis, Redding, Bradl, Marquez and Julian Simon all battling the Italian for the victory.

In the premier class Dani Pedrosa’s Jerez form is impossible to look beyond and the Spaniard will take the first win of his season ahead of teammate Stoner with Lorenzo rounding out the podium places.

Grim.

could be a barn stormer of a race tomorrow stoner on pole again but with pedrosa and lorenzo right on his heals

watching moto2 practice here at the minute and god i cant wait to see mark marquez in motogp EDIT: oh and bradl

Dr. Baltar

http://www.motogp.com/en/photos/season#Valentino-Rossi-Ducati-Team-Jerez-QP---Courtesy-of-Minarelli-520200


Seems Rossi has crashed in qualification. He's not having the best relationship with the Ducati, is he?

Grim.

cranked the thing over a tad to far

MotoGPJules Julian Ryder
Why did Vale crash? 65 degrees of lean angle and "not much grip on the rim"

and according to his manger the second bike was set up quite a bit differant to the one he crashed

frostie500

Pretty good action so far and it looks like we should have a cracking race tomorrow! The Rossi crash was quite a shame because he had actually been looking very competitive throughout the weekend.

Here's some analysis of the opening two days of action from Jerez in the premier class:

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With qualifying completed Casey Stoner took a second consecutive pole position but the action so far has shown that the Australian will face a tough challenge to add to his Qatari victory. Stoner will face a stiff challenge from his teammate, Dani Pedrosa, and Jorge Lorenzo.

Pedrosa, who set the fastest lap of the weekend,has set more sub 1m39s laps than anyone else over the course of the weekend but while the Repsol bikes have enjoyed an advantage in terms of outright pace the form of reigning world champion Lorenzo will give Stoner and Pedrosa a lot of cause for thought.

While Stoner and Pedrosa have concentrated on finding a balance for fast lap times Lorenzo has concentrated on longer stints in a bid to find a race setup that will allow him to get faster relative to his opposition as the race progresses.

The following data takes into account lap times from all three practice sessions as well as qualifying. It discounts laps which are slower than 1m41.5s as the race pace should be considerably faster than such a time.

Casey Stoner has spent a lot of practice trying to get the perfect balance for qualifying at the front of the field. The Australian has shown terrific one lap pace and has been quite consistent on longer stints over the course of the weekend. He has a good spread of lap times and over the course of the weekend it has been very clear that he is very confident in the handling of his Honda, even with his off track excursion at turn one at the end of qualifying.

Stoner, as ever, has not completed a huge amount of long runs over the course of the weekend but when he has completed six or seven lap stints he has not seen any dramatic drop off in performance and it must be comforting for his team to see him riding the bike as comfortably as he has this weekend. The days of Stoner manhandling his machinery throughout a race could be a thing of the past with the 2007 world champion now gliding his bike from apex to apex.

Dani Pedrosa has actually been faster than Stoner throughout the weekend but with concern still over his injured shoulder there are serious question marks hanging over whether he can maintain his pace over the course of the race.

In Qatar Pedrosa was more than a match for Stoner throughout the opening half of the race but then lost feeling in his arm and fell back from the leader into the clutches of Lorenzo. As a result there are doubts about whether his pace in practice can be carried forward to the race.

Throughout the weekend it is clear, from the chart above, that Pedrosa has found a balanced setup for his Honda and that he has found the equilibrium between ultimate lap time and a setup that can deliver consistent race pace. It remains to be seen whether this is enough to enable him to compete with Stoner and Lorenzo over the course of what will surely be an exhaustive 27 lap race.

Pedrosa has completed one lap less than Stoner in the sub 1m40s range, but is should be noted that he has also completed 37 fast laps over the weekend compared to Stoner’s 40, so if Dani can maintain his fitness throughout the race there should be little to choose between the pair during the race.

Jorge Lorenzo has no such fitness worries heading into his home Grand Prix and the champion has been in superb form at Jerez. While Stoner and Pedrosa have combined to complete 77 fast laps in two days Lorenzo has completed 81 in practice and qualifying.

As a result the Spaniard has gained a terrific understanding of how the Bridgestone tyres react over the course of long stints and while he has been, on average, just under 0.25s slower than his fellow front row starters there is little reason to believe that he will be left behind when the red lights go out on Sunday.

Lorenzo has always had an ability to maintain his speed throughout races and this weekend should be no different. In Qatar he was outgunned by the superior Hondas but in tomorrow’s race he should have more than enough performance to make the race a fair fight between the faster Honda and the consistent Yamaha.

There is little to choose between the leading trio and it should be a superb battle for the victory. There is little chance of anyone else joining the fight at the front and a cursory look at fourth place qualifier Ben Spies’ weekend times shows that the American will be hard pressed to maintain even a top five finish.

Spies set his qualifying time on a soft compound rear tyre but up to that point he had struggled throughout the weekend and had only set the ninth fastest time in practice. Until he used the softer tyre he had languished in the lower reaches of the top ten in qualifying and as a result there is little doubt that short of finding a magic formula in morning warm up that Spies will have a very challenging race.

The big challenge for Spies in the race will be to figure out how to get the tyres up to temperature in the opening two laps. Since coming into MotoGP Spies has struggled to master this art and his failure to do so has left him with too much work to do when he finally gets the bike working at its optimum. In Qatar he had the pace to match the riders ahead of him but could do no better than sixth in the season opener.

Marco Simoncelli finished the opening race fourth after a spirited battle with Andrea Dovizioso and while the duo will line up alongside one another on the grid there is little reason to suspect that “Dovi” can keep pace with Simoncelli who has consistently been the fourth fastest rider throughout the weekend.

Even though Simoncelli was outqualified by Spies in Jerez it is clear that he has enjoyed a much more productive weekend to this point and that he should be able to easily stay ahead of his American rival once the race begins. Simoncelli has adapted very well to his new role as a factory MotoGP rider and his ability to set quick times early in his stints should see him earn a second fourth place finish to open his second season in the premier class.

Valentino Rossi had a terrible qualifying session with the Italian crashing en route to qualifying in 12th position, his worst starting spot since Philip Island 2008. Rossi however, has actually enjoyed a much more competitive showing in Spain and could still challenge for a decent haul of points in the race.

While he has lacked the outright pace of the leading riders he has been very consistent throughout the opening two days and should have decent race pace. While we are all used to seeing Rossi at the front of the field battling for victories it is quite clear that this is beyond him at this point and as a result a more realistic target has to be set. Finishing in the top five is a possibility for Valentino as he has been faster than Spies throughout the weekend and a match for second row qualifier Dovizioso.

The third Repsol Honda rider has not had a good weekend and has clearly been struggling to find his required setup. His effort to qualify on the second row was one of immense determination but it is unlikely that he will be able to consistently perform at that level in the race.

The opening two days of practice and qualifying points to a terrific battle for the victory at the front of the field and even though I have backed Dani Pedrosa to take the victory from the beginning of the weekend the performance of Jorge Lorenzo has been top drawer and the reigning champion now looks to be my favourite to take the honours.

Lorenzo has found the perfect balance of speed and consistency and while the Repsol Honda’s of Pedrosa and Casey Stoner have been faster throughout the weekend Lorenzo looks primed to spring a surprise. There is nothing to choose between the trio and this could be one of the best premier class races in some time.

Marco Simoncelli has proven to be their nearest challenger on the opening two days and he should have enough speed to finish fourth ahead of what could be a battle royale for fifth position. The Ducati of Valentino Rossi has enough performance to fight through the field from his lowly grid spot and it would come as no surprise to see him finish ahead of what should be a highly competitive pack with Randy de Puniet, Andrea Dovizioso and Ben Spies in close company.

pdbhp

Excellent result for Bradley Smith in Moto 2 only his second race on a 4 stroke machine.

Minstrel27

Stoner will be like a dog after that.

pdbhp

Damn, Rossi sabbotaged poor Stoner big time.

Grim.

what a ****ing weird race lol