Hodgson

pillowsniffer · 19 Jun 2003, 18:43 (Ref:636892)

Did anyone see the interview with Hodgson on sunday after the end of superbikes on BBC2,when he was asked about moto gp and what he thought about the win by ducati,then he was asked if he would like to join moto gp for ducati he said it would be nice but not yet,then he was asked about Capirossi and he said he was not looking forward to racing against him next year. :confused:

Knowlesy · 20 Jun 2003, 09:40 (Ref:637393)

Yes, I think he's just give the secret away........

f1manoz · 20 Jun 2003, 11:59 (Ref:637520)

Who are Ducati going to replace? Surely they cannot replace Bayliss?!?!?

IMO Hodgson is being a little cocky thinking he's already got a MotoGP seat. He's had it bloody easy this year. THAT'S why he is in front.

BootsOntheSide · 20 Jun 2003, 14:44 (Ref:637686)

Maybe he meant he was looking forward to not racing against him next year? He doesn't seem to be especially smart so his grammar may be quite poor.

All the same, he could end up in MotoGP. OI think it's mroe likely that this team will be switched and be a second semi-works outfit,rather than ahving him on one of the main bikes.

I don't think he could do the job, to be honest. He wasn't competitive against Bayliss and Edwards last year, and is lucky that they've gone, and Ducati were dumb enough to put Xaus rather than Toseland or Chili on the works bike, leaving those to suffer inferior hardware but stillr attle him.

DavidStHubbins · 21 Jun 2003, 07:50 (Ref:638268)

Hodgson would be cheaper than Bayliss and Ducati already have a superstar in Loris... Bayliss aint getting no younger either so maybe Ducati are secretly getting ready to turf Bayliss out

Ooooonly joking aussies...

Maybe next year Ducati will field another team - makes sense really. What is the point of having just two of those beasts when you can have 4 or 6? They would find the sponsors easy.

racer69 · 21 Jun 2003, 15:36 (Ref:638516)

Is there any room on the MotoGP grid for more Ducati's though?

There's only 22? spaces, and haven't KTM been promised two of those slots for next year?

CleanTone · 21 Jun 2003, 19:50 (Ref:638670)

David, isn't Hodgson old too?

wreckless · 22 Jun 2003, 00:34 (Ref:638825)

Im sure WCM would like to take a few of those dukes

DavidStHubbins · 22 Jun 2003, 05:31 (Ref:638958)

Cleartone,

Bayliss is 34 years old
Hodgson is 29 years old
Capirossi is 30 years old

Rossi is 24 years old...

Rambo · 22 Jun 2003, 08:53 (Ref:638992)

Problem with Hodgson is it's taken him too long to grow up. If he hadn't been so much of a brat when he was first in WSBK you never know where he could be right now. Going back the BSB actually helped him no end, like keeping a child back a year in school. It'll either turn them into the person they should have been, or finish them entirely. Hodgson is lucky - you don't often get second chances at this level. He has, and nice to see he's made the most of it. Shame he had to waste about 3 years of his career being a bit of a prat.

f1manoz · 22 Jun 2003, 09:35 (Ref:639024)

My personal opinion is that Hodgson is not good enough to be in the MotoGP ranks. He's only now hitting the top of the pile in WSBK but look who he's surrounded by - nobody's really. Last year he was trounced by Bayliss and Edwards, and in previous seasons before when he was in the WSBK ranks he was always outclassed by other riders.

I think he'll end up being the dominant rider in WSBK for a while. Bayliss and Capirossi are set at Ducati for the time being at least.

DavidStHubbins · 22 Jun 2003, 10:36 (Ref:639058)

Well, Bayliss must improve on his form at Barcelona or else he might be on thin ice.

Being 34 means he does not have much longer. He is very fit though but still, he is old!

Schummy · 24 Jun 2003, 03:27 (Ref:641013)

Improve his form in Barcelona? Do you mean in night-clubs?

Barcelona's GP has been raced already!

(Possibly did you mean Assen? I agree)

Highlander · 24 Jun 2003, 11:32 (Ref:641319)

a 1 2 for Ducati at Assen

ATF · 24 Jun 2003, 19:30 (Ref:641840)

Quote:

Originally posted by f1manoz
Last year he was trounced by Bayliss and Edwards, and in previous seasons before when he was in the WSBK ranks he was always outclassed by other riders.

At times, he showed he could run with them - eg at Brands Hatch, Sugo - and he beat them to pole on occasions. And you have to take into consideration he was on Dunlops, not the Michelins so tyre wear will have come into play at some point.

And do not forget he was on a year-old bike but he still beat the works Aprilia and Ducatis of Haga, Xaus and Bostrom by the end of the year!

Rambo · 24 Jun 2003, 21:23 (Ref:641979)

"Trounced"?? Look at Bostrom last year - he didn't even come close to winning a race, but he had SEVEN wins the year before! At least Neil led from Bayliss and Edwards a few times. He finished behind them - but right behind them. He should have had his first SBK win when he was first in WSBK - at Hockenheim, but he was mugged. Then that lousy Kawasaki...

Look at Hayden - he isn't anything special, and he's got a moto GP ride! Of course Neil could ride, and he'd score points, and top tens - but whether he'd get anywhere near winning races is a totally different thing. Probably not - but then, Bayliss hasn't exactly been near the front just lately either, has he?

BootsOntheSide · 25 Jun 2003, 10:31 (Ref:642467)

Hayden is just a kid though, he's got to learn abut the extra power of the MotGP bike and most of the courses, while always under Rossi's thumb. He's defiantely a better ebt than Hodgson, because he's got so many years in which to learn how it's done.

Neil has little chance of improving any further, and is defiantely not as good as Bayliss. If you put Bayliss on the Repsol Honda he'd already have a win, even though many of the tracks are new to him. Look how well he's done against Capirossi, outracing him on several occasions.

As for Dunlop V Michelin, being on Dunlops was probably a disadvantage in racing conditions, I accept that, but ti was an advantage in qualfying - no way would he have got poles on Michelins.

Bostrom simply lost form last year. His confidence dipped, only Ben could really tell you why.

Rambo · 25 Jun 2003, 11:41 (Ref:642528)

So in other words, what people are saying is it's ok for Bayliss to have Xaus beat him a couple of times, but it's not OK for Hodgson to let Xaus beat him?

Neil has already proved more than once that in the right circumstances he can beat Bayliss, Edwards and the rest of the world. I'd like to see how fast he could lap Donnington on the GP Duke since he always goes well there.

DavidStHubbins · 26 Jun 2003, 10:13 (Ref:643539)

Quote:

Originally posted by Schummy
Improve his form in Barcelona? Do you mean in night-clubs? Barcelona's GP has been raced already!

(Possibly did you mean Assen? I agree)

I meant improve on his performance - cos he sucked at Barcelona! Sorry, I was typing fast and didn't make myself clear

DavidStHubbins · 26 Jun 2003, 10:16 (Ref:643541)

Quote:

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide
Hayden is just a kid though, he's got to learn abut the extra power of the MotGP bike and most of the courses, while always under Rossi's thumb. He's defiantely a better ebt than Hodgson, because he's got so many years in which to learn how it's done.

Neil has little chance of improving any further, and is defiantely not as good as Bayliss. If you put Bayliss on the Repsol Honda he'd already have a win, even though many of the tracks are new to him. Look how well he's done against Capirossi, outracing him on several occasions.

As for Dunlop V Michelin, being on Dunlops was probably a disadvantage in racing conditions, I accept that, but ti was an advantage in qualfying - no way would he have got poles on Michelins.

Bostrom simply lost form last year. His confidence dipped, only Ben could really tell you why.

75% rubbish!

Knowlesy · 26 Jun 2003, 11:16 (Ref:643593)

Britain seems to be over excited by Hodgsons recent run. But where is the competition? Mostly on inferior bikes. Or in MotoGP. Or retired.

Hodgson would be awful in MotoGP in my humble opinion. Doesn't seem to be made of the right stuff somehow.....

Rambo · 26 Jun 2003, 13:53 (Ref:643743)

Hodgson has been in 500s before - he started badly, got the hang of the bikes, won the privateer award and had a best finish of 7th at Donnington. And the bikes these days aren't the beasts they used to be.

As Bruno said - you can only beat what they put in front of you. It's not his fault the SBK field is thin this year.

Rambo · 26 Jun 2003, 14:30 (Ref:643780)

11th overall World 500cc in '95...

DavidStHubbins · 26 Jun 2003, 16:59 (Ref:643896)

I reckon he would do well.

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