2007 Moto GP Grid

[Airhead]

Originally Posted by chunder

I think people are being very tough on Hayden here, much the same as they always been about Kenny Roberts to be honest!

Hayden is trying his best and has got the best results so far on Honda, he has consistency, good speed and the ability to grind out a result if need be!

He has won two races which is more than enough really, and yes I agree Vale would be in contention if he hadnt had bad luck, but he isnt really and is gonna ride for wins!

I would love to see Nicky win it, mainly coz he is really nice fella, great also to have a rider of that style winning it aswell, I am not a fan of the front end 250 riders, boring to watch in my view! I am sure Nicky would be right up there if they banned electronics tomorrow, not too sure about Dani!

I agree, the thing is that raising Hayden up does not dimminsih Valentino at all. Nicky has the goods and the attitude - he just needs to maintain the self belief when he hasn't won a race for a few months. This is what does people in, look at Sete!

He hasn't been helped by Honda changing major parts in an effort to "help" him win the championship. But that practice is as old as their involvement in the sport itself.

[Alex K]

This well known information in the paddock mate.

IMHO he will become Champ, but he is a 'test-rider' this year.

[DavidStHubbins]

Slappydif:


Rossi was always testing new parts at Honda, didn't stop him winning buckets of races.

I choose those other riders over Hayden because they have been INJURED this year and most of them have inferior machinery or are less-experienced. All of them have won more races than Hayden (Pedrosa is a rookie with less overall wins but is better than Hayden already) and all are more likely to win a race. My views are shared with most in the paddock (one of my friends is a motogp journalist)...

My comments are far from groundless...

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

Originally Posted by Slippy Diff

On a 1000cc bike?? While challenging for the championship?? I doubt it. Where's your source?

It's mentioned quite a lot by the British Eurosport commentators that Hayden is riding a completely different chassis to Pedrosa. Nicky is essentially doing all the grunt work for the 2008 bike during the race weekends.

[DavidStHubbins]

There are also rumours that what Hayden is actually riding is a heavily-disguised Honda Prelude Touring Car prototype which could be seen in the BTCC next season.

Others whisper his left foot-peg is made of an adventurous new metallic-alloy compound which could revolutionise ladders all over the world.

No wonder he's struggling at the moment!

[jhansen]

Originally Posted by DavidStHubbins

Rossi was always testing new parts at Honda, didn't stop him winning buckets of races.

Yamaha ditched the 2006 bike for the 2005 evo bike. Why? Because they want to win the championship. Honda do not look that focussed on the championship, which still remains odd to me.

Hayden continues on with a clutch that hasn't worked for most of the year.

"I had to baby it off the line (in Malaysia) so I didn't cook it," said Hayden. I'm no engineer of friction or clutch plates, but how could an F1 car cope with nearly 980bhp at the end of the 3 litre formula last year, but a 260bhp V5 clutch cannot survive off the line in one go?"

I'd love to see where Hayden would be had he been riding the same spec as Melandri and Pedrosa.

http://www.crash.net/feature_view~cid~6~id~10150.htm

[jhansen]

Don't know if this has been mentioned, but Stoner will most likely stay with LCR on a Honda. He doesn't exactly sound thrilled. Hope the team find some more money for him.

"Where I am now is where I expect to be in 2007," AAP reports Stoner as saying on the eve of his home grand prix. "It looks like I'll be with the LCR team although I don't know if Honda have any other ideas."

"I think everybody knew Yamaha were talking to me again and all of a sudden they stopped again - just like they did last year," he added.

http://www.crash.net/news_view~t~Sto...~id~137354.htm

[Hazza]

Go Colin. Sounds like he might keep the ride.

I think they've accepted that the only one with the same outright pace as Rossi is on one of the works Hondas...

And really, look at it this way...he's better than Checa

[DavidStHubbins]

Honda never change, but it never stopped Rossi winning title after title despite developing the bike. This'll be Hayden's last year developing for HRC (most likely) as Pedrosa will take over next season. Then we'll see what Hayden can do on stock equipment.

The great thing about the Honda is how easy it adapts to every track. Their base setup is fantastic, all those guys considering swapping to Yamaha or Ducati had better be sure of what they are doing!

Hayden - quit whining!

[jhansen]

Mario Illien is claiming to have some pace. The article also sites that he is still firming up sponsorship.

At Barcelona the team shared the track with Ducati's new 800cc prototype, itself impressively fast when tested alongside the current 990cc machines after the Czech Republic Grand Prix, but Ilmor claims that McCoy lapped 0.4 seconds faster than the new Italian V4.

"That was on Dunlops, so we are pretty pleased with the performance so far," Ilmor's managing director Steve Miller told Crash.net. "We were running six or seven lap stints and were 0.4 seconds faster than the 800 Ducati, and one second slower than the (multiple race winning) 990 Ducati."


http://www.crash.net/news_View~t~Ilm...~id~137603.htm

[Hazza]

Lets hope gary can perform well and keep the ride, and that they don't go all nationalistic and stick Hoffman on the other bike...

[jhansen]

I'm surprised really, but Hayden has re-signed with Honda for another two years.

http://www.crash.net/news_View~t~BRE...~id~137706.htm

This should give Edwards confidence for continuing on at Yamaha.

[Alex K]

He should live, he should go back to SBK for his own sake. With his name he will fight factory bike contract with Yamaha or Honda in WSBK or AMA. This is a better option than playing support role to Vale, if he could play that second role? He can't! that's problem, he has got major set-up problems... all season long, he is losing to almost all Honda riders, to Dukes, sometimes to Suzooks... There is no point to prove anything, he is, was, and will be one of the best riders in the paddock, but he needs ignition, he needs to come back to production class to prove himself that he is capable of winning.

He needs to land a ride in SBK class.

[Hazza]

He doesn't need to land a ride, he just needs to walk into the Superbike Paddock with a pen and a piece of paper and he'd be snapped up pretty quick.

[bestfit]

I think if Edwards doesn't get a MotoGP ride he will retire.
He has stated he has no interest in going back to Superbikes. (WSBK or AMA)

[Pro Racer]

i would like to see Chris Vermulen on a honda yamaha or ducati.

i would like to see him with rossi at yamaha replacing edwards or at ducati replacing sete i think sete's time is up.

[Knowlesy]

The last place anyone would want to go is to Yamaha alongside Rossi!

Valentino would destroy any teammates head, let alone a young and upcoming guy like Chris!

[Bleu]

Our commentator mentioned possibility of Hiroshi Aoyama getting place at Konica Minolta Honda, but another option is to stay with KTM in 250s.

[Pro Racer]

Originally Posted by knowlesy

The last place anyone would want to go is to Yamaha alongside Rossi!

Valentino would destroy any teammates head, let alone a young and upcoming guy like Chris!

true.

welli will rule that one out then i would like to see him on a ducati with loris.or if what was mentioned on the Australian coverage of Phillip Island.melandri could go to ducati and replace sete if sete isnt re-signed at ducati so i wouldnt mind seeing Chris on bourd the fortuna honda.

chris has a lot of potential and i think on a competitive bike he would win.

but then the suzuki 800 could be a gun though i doubt it.

[Hazza]

Originally Posted by Bleu

Our commentator mentioned possibility of Hiroshi Aoyama getting place at Konica Minolta Honda, but another option is to stay with KTM in 250s.

Rumours also sugest Nakano + Bridgestone @ Konica.

[bestfit]

Rumours also link Nakano with Ducati.

[Hazza]

Okay sooooo....

Rossi, Edwards (Maybe, cross fingers) @ Yamaha.
Hayden, Pedrosa @ HRC
Elias (Unlikely) at Gresini, and you must feel maybe Hollywood will come back from Ducati.
Capirossi, Melandri @ Ducati, as Malbrough seem to be shafting Hollywood.
Stoner @ LCR
McCoy @ Ilmor if he runs well in the last two races.
Nakano @ Everywhere, on bridgeystonies.
Ayoyama @ Konica? I don't reckon, but hey, it could happen...

[Hazza]

Also is Pons going to rock up next year? I seem to remember them trying to get the BMW deal, or Ilmor or what ever.

[sr230772]

hollywood surely you dont mean sete,you got to feel sorry for the guy he has had a rotten year he seems to be turning the corner though it would be a shame if he does lose the duke

[Hazza]

I do feel sorry for him. He gets taken out in an accident, comes back and shows he has the pace and malbrough goes NO GOOD! And tries to put a different boy on the bike.