ya, i agree that the commentators made it seem like a fluke that lorenzo won... and that's simply not the case, he was the absolute best rider this season, no questions. i think rossi's lack of endurance comes from his shoulder, and if you think about it, the technical tracks (and valencia is one of them) are harder for him. i thought it was funny how he parked the M1 and started kissing it after the race.

i think hayden will be very strong out of the box next season tho (or at least that's what ill be telling myself)

 

I think you guys are kinda counting Rossi out a wee bit. Rossi broke his ankle. I'm quite sure that effected his riding and his endurance very much so. Being that I broke my ankle years ago and not a good break might I add is very very painful. And to add to Rossi's behalf he is still riding in pain. To my understanding he still needs a surgery to boot. Now lets see if Lorenzo can continue doing well. Year after year these bike go through alot of testing to make the bike better. New engines are coming!!! Rossi made the Yamaha what it is today. Can Lorenzo develop a bike??? Thats yet to be seen??? Rossi is very good at development inwhich makes him a very dangerous weapon. Todays testing and times show that Rossi is not far off the mark and on a stange bike,engine and a all new engine to Ducati as well. This coming season is going to be very interesting.

 

Not at all. I would never count Rossi out of any race he entered. He is absolutely in my mind, the best rider to get on a MotoGP bike. I've watched him his whole career and have been totally amazed by him. Even though he didn't win the championship this year, I still think he is the best rider in MotoGP.

That will be interesting for sure. luckily for that team, Spies is joining up and is one of the best out there in getting a bike to be fast. He even got the slowzuki to place top 5 two years ago for craps sake!!!. Some of that will surely transfer to Lorenzo if there are any issues with not being able to develop. I really look for Spies to do big things next year.

As much as I like team Ducati next year with two of my all time favorite riders, I don't think they will do as well Yamaha will. Honda will surely be in contention, but Stoner will probably still display the win or crash stigma.

 

look, i'm not counting anyone out. but if you've followed GP for just the last 4 years, then you know that the ducati does have a serious learning curve. when hayden placed 4th at qatar in the beginning of this season, the big story was "no longer just casey's bike!" i'm not saying that rossi won't do well on the duck, but be realistic. not to mention, the fact that the bike has strange tendencies, like no front end feedback, and it will cut power because the bike thinks you'll run out of gas, sometimes it just wants to wheelie (which is why they're the first team to have a "wing" on their bikes).

next year will be honda and yamaha with ducati being a threat every once in a while i feel. but we'll see. you never know until it starts happening....damn march is a ways away isn't it?

 

Your talking about Ducati in past tense. They are testing two new engines that in return change how the bike handles and its past violent tendencies. Yesterday Rossi was a half second off pace on his first ride on the bike. Remember....... Competely strange bike to Rossi as at the same time a new powerplant for Ducati. Never count him out. Stoner I'm going to say he'll be crashing just like he has been for years even before Ducati. I also think that Stoner and Predosa might not make good teamates. Pedrosa doesn't play well with others and Stoner in a whiner that is probably is going to be quite demanding because he was a past champion. Its going to be quite interesting. But one thing Rossi is well known for and its beeen said time and time again and even written about. Thats even if Ducati has some tendencies that other riders had a hard time riding it. Rossi is the best developer in the paddock and he can ride around a bikes Flaws. Making a bad bike look great.

 

JSquid, I agree this was Lorenzo's year. I do think if Rossi & Pedrosa would not have gotten injured it would have been close & who knows...

 

15th overall isn't fast, ya it's pre-season. remember..... completely strange bike to everyone else that's changed (hey, look at stoner). ducati is sticking with the big-bang, it'll be different, but not that much different. rossi's shoulder is seriously messed up still. not counting him out...but i'm not going to say that ducati will be winning the factory championship next year either.

stoner isn't a "whiner". when i think of whiny riders, i think of pedrosa and barbera. where did you get he was a whiner? and he is considered to be a member of the "alien" group, as well as a past champion, so he probably won't have to demand a whole lot. but anyways, most champions and great riders don't whine, kick and scream, they just get on with it. Stoner is one of the least demanding riders that i can think of... less demanding than lorenzo, rossi, and a bunch of other riders, so i don't know what you're talking about there.

nor is stoner a "crasher". he did plenty of it this year, but look back at his career. i don't know how you crash all the time, and beat rossi (when rossi wasn't hurt or anything) in the championship. look back when he rode for honda, he did well as a privateer (hence why he won the factory ducati ride)

 

OMG Yeah I remember Stoners Career he was always a crasher. He is known to push to hard and lose it even before Ducati. And yes a whiner.... 5 times out of 5 he blames the bike. We'll see how demanding he is this year with Pedrosa. As far as beating Rossi?? Wasn't that the year that Rossi and others were having problems with tire that forced Rossi and others to switch brands??? Everthing were saying here is pretty much speculation the season hasn't even started nor has testing. Ducati making a choice on engines I'll bet wasn't made on the first day of testing. If it has that could change in Febuary during next test.

 

I don't consider Stoner to be a whiner at all. If he's asked the question what happened after a crash, he tells it like it is.. "I lost the front.. we haven't got good feel from the bike this season"... Im not sure how thats whining. As Conrice said, look at Pedrosa if you want to see a real whiner. Also, Stoner is a rider that will try to keep going. Its just the fact that the clipons broke in nearly every crash.. He even tried to put on stronger clipons so if he did crash, he could keep going. I think on a bike that gives him more feel, he may be the one to watch for the championship. But its hard to say since he had so many issues this year where Nicky didn't. Nicky wasn't as fast, but he didn't dump it in 70 percent of the races either.

You have to remember, every year, someone wins because others couldn't cope with something on the track. Hayden won... and everyone was dissin him because he wasn't a top finisher... Stoner wins, and its because everyone had to switch tires,.. lorenzo wins, and its because Rossi and Pedrosa crashed out.... Theres always a reason one person wins, and whether we like it or not, its because they were the best rider that year... and thats it.

as for testing,

Anyone else notice Lorenzo spent a lot less time on the track? I realize with his low time, he feels confident, but I would still think he would be utilizing this time to get in as many laps and try as many things as possible. I wonder if he had some issues with the bike since his second day testing was actually slower than his first day, and he only ran 30 laps when others were running 80-100 laps.

 

Yes someone always wins. True enough but there was a tire issue and it mean't letting a multi million dallar sponsor go out of Rossi's camp so he could improve. That doesn't just happen every day. The change was made and the improvement was shown right away.



he tells it like it is.. "I lost the front.. we haven't got good feel from the bike this season"... Im not sure how thats whining



Think about that. Your correct that pretty much sums it up. Thats almost like pointing at his crew not him. Your opinion differs from mine. I was at the 2007 Moto GP at Laguna. Literally seen him throwing a fit in his garage. Wish I knew about what. But it firever changed my view.