Moto GP 2013

He has Rossi’s bike. He’s said as much himself. He wants Rossi’s team.

He has Rossi’s bike. He’s said as much himself. He wants Rossi’s team.

But with last years chassis and fuel tank position. That’s why he can’t attack in the first few laps because the heavy fuel load affects the front end feel.

Cal was given on of the chassis designs that VR and JL rejected during their last test but he didn’t like it so went back the the 2012 chassis.

I don’t think anyone knows apart from the techies what Cal is running, rumour has it that Rossis bike and Lorenzos is different and that the playing field is tilted in Lorenzos favour which was part of him agreeing to have Rossi back as a team mate.

I get the impression that Cal is a wring the tits off the thing and bully it through corners while the other 3-4 at the front have a lot more finesse in the way they ride. Could be wrong.

But with last years chassis and fuel tank position. That’s why he can’t attack in the first few laps because the heavy fuel load affects the front end feel.

Yeah, right. I remember Lorenzo having the same problem last year. 😆

Should have said front end feel for him.

Different riders, different feel innit! 😀

Upon reflection and having spoken to someone well regarded in the BSB paddock, Cal’s move may be a wise one.

OPTION 1 (head over heart, set up for life)

He goes to a FACTORY Ducati for 4 years for £7million (I think that’s the terms). So he’s stinking rich for life, well looked after and most likely he’s nowhere then that will be the bikes fault, not Cal’s.
Audi makes an example of the lead Italian engineers sending them to the special shower blocks to motivate the others and Cal starts getting podiums and wins then it’ll be down to him (whether or not the bike has actually improved).

OPTION 2

He has no other Factory options and stays at Tech 3, next year he’ll only (due to bike limitations) do what he’s done this year so far at best and if he does any worse then he’s paid a pittance and after a few years fades through CRT obscurity to WSB/BSB.

OPTION 3

He gets the Gresini ride and the same thing will probably happen.

OPTION 1b (heart rules head)

The Ducati deal lasts about a year as the bike is still rubbish. Cal realises that his inner racer is dying a little bit at a time, every time he fails to get anywhere on the Ducati or it beats him up for no explainable reason. Cal wants a win more than money at this point.
A FACTORY HONDA, YAMAHA or Suzuki ride comes up. Contract suddenly becomes worthless and Cal leaves for another team.

Of course it’s a wise move. He’s hasn’t got many years left. He needs to earn some money.

Marquez

kind of dominance Rossi once had

I was actually thinking the same about Lorenzo, truth is unless there are rule changes like there have been in the last decade then i don’t think anyone will repeat Rossi. They will be more like Doohan, and thats no bad thing at all 😉

Cal?
Look, i hope he owns the Ducati- its not beyond the realms of possibility- he comes from a superbike background so if Ducati can make their bike more ‘superbike’ like then he’ll be fine 😀
Don’t forget that Rossi, Hayden, Dovi etc all came from GP backgrounds- used to 125, 250 and 500cc bikes (and of course MotoGP), maybe Cal can be the solution to their problems.

Fingers crossed eh?

Yo.

I’ve got tix to Silverstone on Saturday – I know nothing about Motorbikes.

Should I go – can someone tell me what to do/what to see and what not to do etc.

🙂

Cheers,
SammyF

Don’t forget that Rossi, Hayden, Dovi etc all came from GP backgrounds- used to 125, 250 and 500cc bikes (and of course MotoGP), maybe Cal can be the solution to their problems.

Hayden came from AMA (American Superbikes) and dirt track before that. They thought his style would suit the Ducati, and to be fair he’s been ok on it (at least compared to Rossi.)

Edit: I’ll never really understand how Hayden was a world champion. Seem to remember it being Dani’s first season and everyone else kept falling off.

Yo.

Are we in the 1980’s again!!

Completely disagree about Cal not being WC material, he can’t do it on a Ducati but I reckon he’d mix it up with Lorenzo/Marquez/Pedrosa on Rossi’s bike no probs.

Perhaps, perhaps not. I don’t think he’s as good as those three, week in, week out. He finished behind a very second hand Jorge last time out. Ok, perhaps not his favourite track, but to be in with a chance of being WC, you need a bad weekend to be third at worst – not at best.

Regarding his bike compared to the factory boys? No idea tbh, but reports suggest there’s not a lot in it. It’s certainly not underpowered to the same extent it was at Qatar.

I’d love Ducati to turn it around and for Cal to be leading the charge. He’ll need to delete his social media accounts if he wants to keep his job 😀 . I doubt zee germans would appreciate him lambasting the bike in public if it remains a dog.

News Flash (assuming its not been stated already)

From Bradley Smiths Faceblog page :

“Smith and Espargaro form young and talented Monster Yamaha Tech 3 line-up for 2014”

I’ll never really understand how Hayden was a world champion

Consistency- not Lorenzo consistency- but consistency none the less. And everyone else kept falling off 😀
It was nice to see though, everyone likes an underdog 😉
He has been pretty good on the Ducati aswell to give him his dues…

Hayden is a good rider, the Champ I just dont understand is Kenny Roberts jnr.

Also a good rider. Timing and luck come into every championship.

cupra – Member
Crutchlow signs to Ducati for 2 years…

Get the wheelchair ready.

Whatever they’re paying him, it’s not worth it.

We had a chance of a British World Champ, now the best we can hope for is he comes out of it walking because I don’t think he’ll be backing off.

(I hope I’m wrong)

Hayden is a good rider, the Champ I just dont understand is Kenny Roberts jnr.

I know what you mean about Jr, though he was second the year before, and he did win quite a few races.

Hayden, was it only the one win at Laguna Seca in his championship season? A very lucky champion.

We had a chance of a British World Champ

Are you drunk?

The only way crutchlow can win a championship is in a factory team. Yamaha is full. Honda is full.

He had absolutely no chance of winning in a satellite team.

The statistic I love about Hayden’s championship year is that Bayliss led more laps that year than Hayden – but Bayliss only did one race. Also heard that Rossi thought it was in the bag and celebrated a bit too much on the Saturday night. Hangover = crash at first corner…

Lets get back to racing, everyone is fit again well fittish and since Bradl seems to have got the handling sorted he can run at the front, should be a cracking race.

The Levi post 😉

Is it just me or has MotoGP disappeared from iPlayer? Last 2 rounds (which I’ve missed) don’t seen to have ever been put on it?

Bloody hell, Bradders up to sixth in free practice!

Cal 2nd.

Looking forward to this, how very dare they have a summer break!

S’on the red button now folks.

Peppa pig sounds much more appealing….

Mamola retired yonks ago.

Blimey, half a second!

Redding 😯 holy crap

Bloody brilliant race

WTF were the ducati boys doing???

Love how Rossi came back to 4th from no where. Superb 8)

Crutchlow seemed to have enjoyed that race incredibly too. Big smiles from him afterwards. He had great tussles with bautista all the way through and then with rossi at the end. Looked like superb fun from a riders point of view. 😆

last few laps were ripping! Marquez is a stunning to watch, how he slid that bike around beggers believe 😀

I can’t help thinking Yamaha have made a big mistake with Crutchlow.

Marquez was looking very much like Stoner.

The ducati motocross project showed more promise than their moto gp program.

brilliant race, shame they missed some of the key moves. Ducati reminded me of this (also involving Hayden)

I thought Cal’s interview was clumsily handled – asked what he had to say to his worried fans he replied “my true fans will support me and they dont know what was on the table” – he as much as said “I am being paid a fortune so f– it”. Surely he’d have been better (and just as honest) to say that he expects Ducati to turn the bike around and make it competitive within the 2 years?

Marquez was looking very much like Stoner.

Stoner wouldn’t have made that move on Pedrosa.

Watching the slow motion of Marquez sliding put me in mind of the poster I had on my bedroom wall of Doohan doing the same thing.

Any replays of the Ducati incident yet? 😀

Was it just me and my wobbly eyes or was Marquez’ bike suffering a good deal of chatter while he was monstering it round? Interesting to see Rossi coming back so strongly in the dying laps.

Hard to tell with Marquez’s bike it was going in all directions all at once it seemed to me. The poor thing was left wimpering in the garage after the race wondering what the hell had just happened to it.

Rabat had the same thing as Rossi, suddenly finding pace at the end of the race. Rossis move to get 4th from Cal was pretty smart 😀

Yamaha put a tyre warmer on Lorenzos rear in the winners enclosure, that was strange.