Wednesday, 12th March 2008
'MotoGP's salvation from another Ducati rout this season may yet come from Dani Pedrosa and the oft-criticised Honda HRC operation...'
Sometimes it feels so nice to be hated. Until four races into the 2007 season, the Marlboro Ducati MotoGP team was loved. Loved in the same way that you might cherish a 1970s' Ducati road bike: lots of character and noise, but if you really need to arrive at your destination, you take the Honda out of the garage.
After Casey Stoner had recorded his third win in four races in China last year, sentiment towards Ducati changed. Now they were – well, not hated, but let's say resented. We wanted the colourful underdogs from Bologna to win plenty more races and some titles – but not that easily. Hey, you're spoiling our championship!
Ducati's team chief Livio Suppo must be laughing at the transformation. Ducati and Stoner continue to look so cool and commanding, while all four Japanese manufacturers, having taken such a duffing in '07, have kicked off the 2008 campaign looking not a lot more composed.
It's true that Yamaha, at least with the pneumatic-valve engine supplied to the Fiat Yamaha 'factory-factory' riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, achieved an all-Yamaha front row in qualifying at the opening round in Qatar and brought Lorenzo home in second place. But despite squeezing more power from the YZR-M1 over the winter, they still lack the poke that wins drag-races – and races themselves - on big tracks. Meanwhile, Rossi's dramatic switch to Bridgestone rubber hasn't produced the overnight miracle that he must have dreamed of.
MotoGP's salvation from another Ducati rout this season may yet come from Dani Pedrosa and the oft-criticised Honda HRC operation. Pedrosa's recovery from a broken hand during winter testing and a mediocre eighth place on the grid, to lead the race at Losail and eventually finish third, was totally unexpected.
By Mike Nicks
From : www.crash.net
Labels:
MotoGP 2008
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'MotoGP's salvation from another Ducati rout this season may yet come from Dani Pedrosa and the oft-criticised Honda HRC operation...'
Sometimes it feels so nice to be hated. Until four races into the 2007 season, the Marlboro Ducati MotoGP team was loved. Loved in the same way that you might cherish a 1970s' Ducati road bike: lots of character and noise, but if you really need to arrive at your destination, you take the Honda out of the garage.
After Casey Stoner had recorded his third win in four races in China last year, sentiment towards Ducati changed. Now they were – well, not hated, but let's say resented. We wanted the colourful underdogs from Bologna to win plenty more races and some titles – but not that easily. Hey, you're spoiling our championship!
Ducati's team chief Livio Suppo must be laughing at the transformation. Ducati and Stoner continue to look so cool and commanding, while all four Japanese manufacturers, having taken such a duffing in '07, have kicked off the 2008 campaign looking not a lot more composed.
It's true that Yamaha, at least with the pneumatic-valve engine supplied to the Fiat Yamaha 'factory-factory' riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, achieved an all-Yamaha front row in qualifying at the opening round in Qatar and brought Lorenzo home in second place. But despite squeezing more power from the YZR-M1 over the winter, they still lack the poke that wins drag-races – and races themselves - on big tracks. Meanwhile, Rossi's dramatic switch to Bridgestone rubber hasn't produced the overnight miracle that he must have dreamed of.
MotoGP's salvation from another Ducati rout this season may yet come from Dani Pedrosa and the oft-criticised Honda HRC operation. Pedrosa's recovery from a broken hand during winter testing and a mediocre eighth place on the grid, to lead the race at Losail and eventually finish third, was totally unexpected.
By Mike Nicks
From : www.crash.net
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