Round 9 - Moto GP 2012, Mugello

[jhansen]

Lots going on at Mugello this week. HRC and Repsol announced Pedrosa and Marquez for next year. Supposedly Crutchlow has to give an answer to Ducati this weekend. Then on Monday there is some testing going on, which includes new bikes/engines for Honda, some Ducati improvements, and Edwards on an FTR Honda. There is also a grand prix in between.

[gomick]

Great track Mugello, hope for 3 great races & a handful of Spanish dnf's

[jhansen]

Lorenzo has this tire thing figured out. Looking dauntless.

[gomick]

He sure is, bit like Vinales & Marquez

[chunder]

Thank God, Marques didnt win

But to be honest his replacement in teh Spanish hit squad is already there, Vinales.

Quote of the year so far, to Pete Benson Reddings crew chief. "A minimum weight when there are two tiny spaniards leading the series, you are having a laugh arent you!"

[gomick]

Yep, Vinales bores me already - i have never been anti-Spanish before, but something has happened this year . Saying that, they can ride - great save by Marquez in Moto2 race!

Iannone's a gun - get him in MotoGP, exciting he is!

[Dani Filth]

thing is .. on what bike?

[gomick]

Dunno - Suzuki perhaps with Rossi

Noticed Rossi wearing a Monster Energy Drink t-shirt when designing his Mugello helmet - they a Ducati sponsor

[chunder]

They sponsor him, not the bike, they dont sponsor Hayden, anotehr possible reason why Cal could be there, he is heavily sponsored by Monster too.

Rumours persist that they could be together, Spies surely cant stay on that Yamaha, if I were Jarvis surely you have to dump him, that was a patehtic showing on a factory bike

[GOLDFINGER]

think Crutchlow should hurry up & sign be4 Ducati change there mind his team mate seems to beat him every week

[frostie]

I was only at Mugello yesterday and today but heard a couple of different rumours. The first one is one that we've all heard a bit about but it seems almost certain that Marc VDS will have a satellite Ducati and from what I've been told it will be cheaper than the current leasing agreement that they offer Pramac and Abraham.

Originally Posted by GOLDFINGER

think Crutchlow should hurry up & sign be4 Ducati change there mind his team mate seems to beat him every week

The news that Ducati set record sales in the US has probably played a role in the delays with getting Crutchlow's contract sorted out but it's hard to see that it won't go ahead and will probably be sorted out in the next week or two. Its a shame for Nicky, especially when it's now hard to see him staying in a factory bike, but his options will be very limited.

I didn't get talking to anyone from Yamaha about Ben Spies but it still seems that the factory want to keep him in MotoGP (the US is a crucial market for both Yamaha and Dorna) but after another poor weekend I can't see how they can keep him on the factory team...especially with another Dovi podium

[gomick]

Maybe Spies can go back with Yamaha too WSB?

[jhansen]

Stoner is starting to look a bit lost. And he can't blame it all on the chatter when Pedrosa is putting it on the podium. Important test tomorrow.

[gomick]

He definitely tried something different... He will bounce back, too good not to!

[chunder]

Quite strange really, it seems these bikes are so scutely defined by tyres that if you are not hapy you are a half second a lap off the pace

Makes Rossi's problems seema little more realistic in a sense when yu see Stoner struggling on a tyre clearly designed by Yamaha technicians!

For me right now Bridgestone are ruining GP racing, its not the manufacturers as I think theya re all a little closer than we think, it's all about the tyres and Yamaha have done a great job developing a bike for 2012 tyres.

Stoner has too, but for some ungodly reason Bridgestone moved the goal in the middle of the year!

No wonder he is leaving, I would too I reckon

[EGG]

Actually it did remind me of one thing, Marquez is meant to be bringing his own pit crew with him from moto2. So now the HRC spot has been locked down, Stoners crew from ducati/hrc will be looking for a team.

[jhansen]

One of the criticisms of Stoner has been his ability to develop a bike. With the tire change he seems unable to account for the changes and perhaps is now trying to ride around it like the Ducati. The amazing thing is, if that's true, then the chatter issue must be worse than the Duc was during his time there. Because even then you didn't see him finishing in 8th. With Pedrosa able to find some pace despite the problems, Stoner should be concerned.

Or maybe he just doesn't care?

[ArnageWRC]

Personally, I don't like the pinnacle of each category to have what is in effect, a control tyre. Fine for the lower formulae, but really, the top class, be it MotoGP, F1, WRC, etc should be open to who ever wants to come in; whether that is Dunlop, Michelin, Kuhmo, etc
If you have a 'spec' tyre, why not similar for the bikes???

[formerf1champ]

Originally Posted by ArnageWRC

If you have a 'spec' tyre, why not similar for the bikes???

Tyres provide the biggest influence in overall performance. With a single tyre supplier, that influence is gone. Therefore, it's easier to judge which is the best bike.

With a spec bike, the biggest variable in performance is the rider (in theory anyway), which is not the point of motor racing. That being the case, under a spec series, it would become a true riders series, right? Wrong. The riders c'ship would be diminished. The riders are always riding under similiar conditions, which would only prove who is the best rider under those conditions. If you want to create a true riders title, you and I could brainstorm a harder competition than MotoGP to see who's the best rider. Do you get what I'm saying?

[ArnageWRC]

It wasn't a totally serious question..I was being slightly facetious. However, I don't agree with a single tyre supplier in the Premier form of any Motorsport.

[formerf1champ]

I made an effort as well! In theory, I agree with you about the tyres. But, I think engineering and performance in all motorsport has reached a point that I think a single tyre supplier is necessary and will be commonplace.

[EGG]

I'm pretty sure only the top teams had access to the best tyres previously, ie the ones cooked up overnight in the factory and flown into the circuit. Everyone else got the go-fast versions of the Pilot Power etc. I don't see a non-control tyre as something which really helped anyone outside of the three-ish factory teams.

About the only good thing about it was you didn't have the situation that Stoner is stating is happening currently, where Bridgestone are producing tyres which occasionally expire before the race is complete in order to inject some interest into the proceedings. Also I guess teams getting the capability to reduce chatter by altering tyre compound, rather than engineering their way out of it.