MOTOGP 2011-Sepang, Malaysia. Preseason Test 2/1

[clutchslip]

I think it's more than a little amusing, the degree of general slagging-off @ Horhay's chances of being the fastest guy out there again this year.
.....but George is likely to be just as dominant as he was last season. :thumbup

Hey? He is the champion. Don't you assume that the current champion in any sport is the favorite, virtually all the time? What's the point of saying, "hey the champ is fast, hey, yeah, Whore-Gay-Guy for the win"? :dunno I don't write him off, for sure.

To the second part - don't think so.

 

[kevin 714]

Hey? He is the champion. Don't you assume that the current champion in any sport is the favorite, virtually all the time? What's the point of saying, "hey the champ is fast, hey, yeah, Whore-Gay-Guy for the win"? :dunno I don't write him off, for sure.

To the second part - don't think so.

statistically in damn near every sport, the champ doesnt usually repeat

 

[monkeythumpa]

Jorge is likely to win it but not because he is a robot, which he is, but with Spies on a factory ride, the ability to earn points is going to be even more fractured than last year.

Sure more people are able to beat Lorenzo in a single race, but is there someone who can podium in EVERY race? Pedrosa is the only one who can match Lorenzo's consistency.

 

[JO EBRMC]

Jorge is likely to win it but not because he is a robot, which he is, but with Spies on a factory ride, the ability to earn points is going to be even more fractured than last year.

Sure more people are able to beat Lorenzo in a single race, but is there someone who can podium in EVERY race? Pedrosa is the only one who can match Lorenzo's consistency.

I have to agree with this. It is going to be hard to build a lot of points unless you are on the podium at every race. Consistency is going to be key here and right now, Lorenzo is on trajectory to set a record for podium appearances.

The King seems to believe the same thing


Of course, Stoner does look pretty menacing.

 

[JO EBRMC]

Simoncelli and Aoyama currently leading the times.

 

[slydrite]

Top tens times at noon:

1 Simoncelli M.San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:02.446
2 Aoyama H.San Carlo Honda Gresini +0.037
3 Spies B.Yamaha Factory Racing +0.172
4 Lorenzo J.Yamaha Factory Racing +0.351
5 Dovizioso A.Repsol Honda Team +0.354
6 Stoner C.Repsol Honda Team +0.443
7 Edwards C.Monster Yamaha Tech 3 +0.453
8 Pedrosa D.Repsol Honda Team +0.487
9 Bautista A.Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +1.427
10 Hayden N.Ducati Marlboro Team +1.700

 

[sidewazzz]

I think it's funny how when Pro say someone scares them if they get a certain bike, then bangwagoners follow. These guys all play mind games with each other. Spies's statement about Stoner on a Honda is just that a mind game. Stoner is a win it or bin it guy and I bet my money he wont win the ship again like that.

Jorge is top dog out there, he is on a level that Aliens could only imagine.
Rossi is Rossi and you would be a fool to count him out. He is going to mind fuck the shit out of little Jorge
Ben... I think his size with plague him but he will finish strong.
Stoner will finish 4th
Pedro with fishing 5th because of injury

 

[kevin 714]

jorge has what stonr, pedro,nicky, and everyone else has lacked: consistency he has been fast, day in and day out. his podium record last year was redonkulous. I still think he is better than both stoner and pedro.

spies also has a deadly consistency that could be very dangerous

 

[sally101]

...wonders how much data sharing will happen between Nicky and Valentino...

My educated guess? all of it..

exhibit A: Ducati has an open garage policy with even the satellite teams.
exhibit B: If I may interpret the GOAT: "The engine is good. WTF is up with the balance/rideability of this fucking bike!?!?!? holy shit WTF did I do?!?! Help Nicky HELPPPP!!"

I may have exaggerated that a little.

 

[JO EBRMC]

Stoner is a win it or bin it guy

There is nothing to support that conclusion. His crashes have typically been while running well behind the leader and rarely when he is actually setting a fast pace. His crashes have always been related to unpredicatable equipement. Hayden's crashes last season in races and practice were similar.

And as I pointed out earlier, Stoner has a better crash ratio than Lorenzo or Pedrosa. So, unless you can call those two win it or bin it riders as well as Hayden, you can't really call Stoner such.

 

[Spec-ECU]

Lorenzo's impressive consistency last season is not a testament of how inconsistent everyone else was; it's just that every other known fast guy last season had one of their worst seasons.

Stoner with the front end woes (evident by Hayden as well).
Rossi with the injury.
Pedrosa with the early season chassis woes on the Honda, then his shoulder injury despite being en route to posing a serious challenge to Lorenzo's unblemished run.

 

[JO EBRMC]

Lorenzo's impressive consistency last season is not a testament of how inconsistent everyone else was; it's just that every other known fast guy last season had one of their worst seasons.

Stoner with the front end woes (evident by Hayden as well).
Rossi with the injury.
Pedrosa with the early season chassis woes on the Honda, then his shoulder injury despite being en route to posing a serious challenge to Lorenzo's unblemished run.

I would point out that Pedrosa actually had his best season yet rather than his worst. It should also be pointed out that the worst seasons for those 3 gentlemen is still a bigger mountain to climb than the talent faced by a WC in many year. Typically, the leader has only had one rival taking points from him; Lorenzo had 3

Lorenzo faced Rossi at his best and beat him. He faced Stoner at his best and beat him and he did the same to Pedrosa.

 

[monkeythumpa]

Simoncelli and Aoyama currently leading the times.

Who? Are they new?

 

[jacksprat]

Damn, Stoner got crazy fast at the end.

End of day 1

Pos Rider Team Fastest lap Prev. Gap Lead. Gap Laps
1 Casey Stoner Repsol Honda Team 2:01.574 - - 0
2 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha Factory Racing 2:01.977 +0.403 +0.403 0
3 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team 2:02.024 +0.047 +0.450 0
4 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:02.295 +0.271 +0.721 0
5 Ben Spies Yamaha Factory Racing 2:02.332 +0.037 +0.758 0
6 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 2:02.422 +0.090 +0.848 0
7 Hiroshi Aoyama San Carlo Honda Gresini 2:02.483 +0.061 +0.909 0
8 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team 2:02.507 +0.024 +0.933 0
9 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:02.514 +0.007 +0.940 0
10 Randy De Puniet Pramac Racing Team 2:03.152 +0.638 +1.578 0
11 Kousuke Akiyoshi HRC Test Team 2:03.224 +0.072 +1.650 0
12 Valentino Rossi Ducati Marlboro Team 2:03.365 +0.141 +1.791 0
13 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team 2:03.508 +0.143 +1.934 0
14 Loris Capirossi Pramac Racing Team 2:03.695 +0.187 +2.121 0
15 Hector Barbera Aspar Team 2:03.767 +0.072 +2.193 0
16 Cal Crutchlow Monster Yamaha Tech 3 2:04.009 +0.242 +2.435 0
17 Toni Elias LCR Honda MotoGP 2:04.238 +0.229 +2.664 0
18 Karel Abraham Cardion AB Motoracing 2:04.470 +0.232 +2.896 0
19 T1 Yamaha Test Team 2:04.717 +0.247 +3.143 0
20 T2 Yamaha Test Team 2:05.235 +0.518 +3.661 0

Ducati is hurt. Two seconds off the pace? Really? :laughing Sure, the first day means nothing, neither does testing, but still.

 

[Shaggy]

Who is that short guy in the middle?

Kinda looks like Pedrosa, but...anyone hear of him getting face surgery so he can look like he is smiling?

:laughing

 

[JO EBRMC]

So, Stoner's time was about equal to QP times last season and is about half a second faster than the fastest race lap. Hayden is 2 seconds off his own pace from last season. Not good for Ducati.

 

[Raider]

So, Stoner's time was about equal to QP times last season and is about half a second faster than the fastest race lap. Hayden is 2 seconds off his own pace from last season. Not good for Ducati.

I was reading the reports, Stoner put in like 60 laps, Rossi about 30... and he's go out do some laps, come back in, go out, do some laps come back in...

So Rossi is doing what Stoner did all the time :rofl

 

[Spec-ECU]

I would point out that Pedrosa actually had his best season yet rather than his worst. It should also be pointed out that the worst seasons for those 3 gentlemen is still a bigger mountain to climb than the talent faced by a WC in many year. Typically, the leader has only had one rival taking points from him; Lorenzo had 3

Lorenzo faced Rossi at his best and beat him. He faced Stoner at his best and beat him and he did the same to Pedrosa.

Pedrosa did have his best GP run yet, which makes his injury that much more terrible in my opinion, making last season a bitter-sweet one for Pedrosa I would gather.

Not to take anything away from Lorenzo at all, cause right in the start of the season he was taking no prisoners, so yes, he very much faced stiff competition last year. But while he kicked ass and took the names of three of the other Fast Four, the other three also beat Lorenzo fair and square. Pedrosa was evident post-injury with his rally; Rossi still won a race coming back from injury; Stoner rallied to three wins at the last leg of the season.

If the other three stayed healthy/ as consistent as Lorenzo last season, then I would agree with this:

Typically, the leader has only had one rival taking points from him; Lorenzo had 3

Like I said though, what Lorenzo (and hi crew) did was no less impressive, but in my opinion, it could've been a lot worse for him. :laughing

 

[SuperMike]

I was reading the reports, Stoner put in like 60 laps, Rossi about 30... and he's go out do some laps, come back in, go out, do some laps come back in...

So Rossi is doing what Stoner did all the time :rofl

Not quite. Rossi's not at the top of the time sheets.

 

[xgambit]

its like a honda party in the top 8