boblo – http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/motogp/14971723

Awesome race tonight and If this is anything to go by the rest of the 2013 championship is going to be a good one!

The moto2 Tech3 bike Smith was on last year was a dog, no difference to this year. Early days yet but Iam not convinced he can cut it. Is Burnett his manager?

weeksy – Member

Where is rusty spanner to nighty?

Hello! 😀

Great race that – very surprised that the factory Yamahas were up there with the Hondas tonight.

Jorge, Rossi & Cal were superb – bit of a shame about Bradders, but lets hope all goes well for him.

Genuinely surprised by Rossi – I thought he would never race like that again – the shoulder seems to have fully healed and his confidence is back.

Looks like it’s going to be a great season.
Shame the best rider won’t be there though – 😀

Good man, respect for coming into thus tonight

Let’s see how Vale behaves in a few races time when the mind games start 🙂

No one’s expecting him to do that well this season, so he an afford to be pleasant and generous at the moment. 😉

Be interesting to see if and when Herve’s lot get some updated parts – they obviously deserve them, but will Vale & Jorge be happy to take part in an equal fight?

I’d be really interested if anyone actually read the interview with Rossi in MCN a couple of weeks ago.

A very interesting interview indeed.

Of course I read it mate. I’ve never denied Stoners speed. However in 20 years he won’t get a fraction of the recognition in history as Rossi.

Sadly, you’re right.

A great personality goes a long way 😉

Superb race in the last 10 laps. Even the dear wife enjoyed it.

Great race, Cal was riding the wheels off that Yamaha to stay with those factory Hondas. Great to see Rossi back and mixing it at the sharp end too. Was out of my chair shouting at the tv for the last 4 laps!

So pleased to see Rossi back.

Just shows how good Stoner was though…

Cal & Marquez are really going to stir things up this year.

Marquez is going to win the next one in Austin, he proved the most this evening- Lorenzo was in a league of his own and he’s the one to beat this season.
Good to have Vale back, who knows he could win again very soon riding like that 😀

So wanted Cal to be on that podium, if he keeps riding like that Mr Yamaha must give him some more speed. Surely???

I wonder if Lynn Jarvis is penciling him in now ??

If Cal had made a better start he would have finished second I’m sure as he was way way faster into the corners than both Honda riders but had to cut speed off and then got blasted on the straights. Great shame and I’m sure how he is riding and his attitude will go a long long way with Yamaha and if they don’t sign him there might be a Honda works seat going if Pedrosa doesn’t get the title. Pressures on that guy for sure and he’s got to deliver or else this season.

Good lad! 😀

Pedrosa

He’s just never quite been there has he? On his day he is a brilliant motorcycle rider, but he can never quite bring it together for an entire season. I can’t see him as Moto GP world champion. Ever.

It was a fabulous weekend, both Moto 2 and Moto GP. Both races had my pulse rate going through the roof!
Casey Stoner is gone and forgotten! Sure he was always very fast, but when did he ever give us great entertainment like that? Great time trialist, but not a great racer. It’s not only his personality that endears Rossi to millions of adoring fans, it’s the impossible murderous things he does on the race track. Last night, the life was put back into Moto GP and it’s going to be a brilliant season 😀

Let’s see how Vale behaves in a few races time when the mind games start

He’ll be happy go lucky just like he always is, but he’ll win any mind games that are to be played with ease. I reckon Lorenzo is already cracking his pants just a tiny bit…… 🙂

Rossi is the master of the mind games, broke Gibernau, broke the Moaner, he keeps laughing and smiling as he slides the knife into you 😆

Pedrosa is handicapped by the fact he is so tiny IMO yes it pays off off the start but he struggles under really heavy breaking and just getting his paper weight around on the bike.

It’s not only his personality that endears Rossi to millions of adoring fans, it’s the impossible murderous things he does on the race track. Last night, the life was put back into Moto GP and it’s going to be a brilliant season

+1

If Cal had made a better start he would have finished second I’m sure as he was way way faster into the corners than both Honda riders but had to cut speed off and then got blasted on the straights.

I think he would have finished where he did even with a better start, as the speed difference on the straight when Rossi was following the Honda’s compared to Cal, clearly showed that Cal would have been drafted and passed at some stage in the race by the Honda’s .

Really good to see Rossi back and now he has less to prove, he can get on with racing with reduced peer pressure and potentially improve on last night.

Rossi is the master of the mind games, broke Gibernau, broke the Moaner, he keeps laughing and smiling as he slides the knife into you

Can’t see that working with Lorenzo, though – Rossi’s past his best, and Lorenzo’s won enough (including the championship, of course) that he’s not lacking in self-confidence. Would probably work on Pedrosa, though.

Rossi proved last night he’s not past his best.. He proved his best is still better than 99% of other peoples bests.

Rossi proved last night he’s not past his best.. He proved his best is still better than 99% of other peoples bests.

Problem is the other 1% is sitting in the box next to him.

With all the talk on here about Rossi lets not forget how amazing Marquez was, Texas will be a fab race,

It all makes F1 look as boring as it really is 😉 😉

Meh, he beat Crutchlow who is on an inferior bike-Rossi stayed with the Honda’s much better down the straights, he then beat Dani, fair play and Marquez who whilst undoubtedly awesome was in his first race….I’d hold off on the ticker tape parade just yet, Lorenzo was in a distant class of his own!

Hopefully the tighter European stuff will suit Cal better. Redding was excellent in Moto2 too….still looks too big for the bike though, I’d love to see him on the big bike.

The question is… If Rossi had got off with the group better and not made the initial mistake that put him behind Cal/Dovi/Bradl, would he have been able to stick with Lorenzo ?

Lap times would say ‘probably’

Lap times would say ‘probably’

+1

Forget all the lap times and if and buts and maybes…… entertainment! This is the stuff! This is what they want! Go Rossi!

Very good race and that one is usually quite dull, looks to be shaping up to be an interesting season with Marquez and Rossi back on a decent bike.
Marquez is due a massive crash as is Dovi though 😯

Anybody know how Smith ended up with a MotoGP ride? He wasn’t up to much in Moto2 last year but still ended up in the premier class. Not trolling, genuinely interested how it came about.

Tech3 signed him to ride motogp in 2013 on condition he wobbled their crap moto2 bike around for the 2012 season.

He’ll come good in a few races (not sure I’d want to be Cal’s team mate, scary bloke 😀 ), it’s not really a fair comparison between him and Marquez, whose had full factory Repsol kit through Moto2 and Motogp (he’s also an Alien 😉 )

Early prediction for Sunday:

Rossi, Lorenzo and Marquez on the podium with Cal as my outside bet.

Plus Scott for Moto2 glory, or a 2nd

What, no comments on my original post! Do I have to name podium places next time?

Amused to see a slightly more humble Rossi congratulating Lorenzo at the end of the race. A bit of a turn around from when they last shared a garage and Rossi threw his toys out the pram when Lorenzo got quicker than him (… which eventually led to Rossi insisting on a wall in the middle of the Yamaha pit, his Lorenzo or me ultimatum, his injury, his having to leave the team, and a sorry two years looking very ordinary on the Ducati.)

Let’s see how Vale behaves in a few races time when the mind games start

They already have started, he basically didnt bother with Lorenzo as he is a bit more immune to the games- and went straight to Marquez and became all Pally with him. He’s working on the kid already!
Plus i’m sure he was buzzing with the racing that Marquez had just shared with him.
Lorenzo is the tough nut to crack- how did he win last year? Consistency and surgeon like precision. And that’s exactly what he’ll do this year. He will be on the podium every race and as long as he dosen’t crash he’ll be right there this year.

Great racing in all three classes.

Moto3 was mental as usual and Redding in Moto2 finally came of age in my opinion….kept his cool, made the tyres last and was right there at the end instead of hanging on for a desperate 3rd like in previous good races he’s had….i reckon there’s a MotoGP ride waiting for him next season, the MarcVDS team certainly have the funds to lease a satellite bike for him.

MotoGP….what to say?….i still cant believe people write Rossi off.
He has been in the top class for 13 years now and is still running at the front of races, it is incredible….he is one of those rare things, a legend of the sport that he is still competing in.
People will miss him when he’s gone….his talent is a once in a lifetime occurrence.

Of course riders like Stoner, Lorenzo etc will come through and beat him….they are younger and the younger generation always moves a sport on but time and time again Rossi shows he can move with them….its awesome to behold, the way he carved through from 7th to 2nd on Sunday was ridiculous.

Do people think Lorenzo will still be racing for podiums or giving the new generation a run for their money in 2021?….13 years after he joined the class?….its not likely.
Mick Doohan spent 11 years in the class before injury halted his career, other greats like Hailwood spent 10 years in GPs, King Kenny Robert’s career lasted 7 years, Schwantz and Lawson both 10 years etc etc….Rossi really is something special and i cant believe people dont want to see that.

Things have been frosty between Rossi and Lorenzo and Rossi and Stoner because i dont think he has ever seen them as heirs to his throne, they have been mere rivals….quick riders who come into the class, win some championships and leave again, an annoying distraction from him going about securing his own legacy in the sport, i dont think they have ever had his respect….Stoner has left already, how many more championships will Lorenzo win once Marquez gets up to speed?….Pedrosa has started to hint that he is ready to retire….meanwhile Rossi keeps keeping on.

I believe in the next couple of seasons we will see Rossi mellow and become comfortable with not winning so may races, he proved a massive point this weekend when people said the two years at Ducati ruined him, he’ll win some races this year but more importantly he’ll enjoy battling with Marquez.
Rossi is a student of the sport, remember his celebrations when he passed milestones set by Hailwood, Nieto etc?….very respectful, he even gave Angel Nieto a ride around the circuit when he broke his GP win record.

Rossi sees shades of himself in Marquez, that is what Stoner, Lorenzo and the others are missing….enjoy the next couple of seasons, this is the passing of the torch we didnt get to see when injury prevented Doohan racing against Rossi.

I don’t see any of that lacking in Lorenzo!! Out and out fastest bloke on a motorbike in the world at the moment. He wasn’t even pushed yesterday, I’d imagine that he’d got plenty left to give had it been required-Rossi was very quick in the second half of the race, but given that he must have been riding on fumes for the last lap, it’s pretty safe to say that Lorenzo wasn’t on the limit. Should be a good season, what has happened to Spies though? Barely beat Espargaro on the CRT despite being 20kph quicker in a straight line, he just doesn’t look comfortable on a bike at the minute.

Lorenzo!! Out and out fastest bloke on a motorbike in the world at the moment

2nd fastest. The fastest has gone fishing 😀

Great display by Lorenzo. It’s going to very difficult for anyone to get the upper hand on him this year. The battle will be for second and i’m really looking forward to it. Great to see Vale enjoying riding again. Makes the show so much better when he’s in the mix.

Once Rossi gets the bike set up to his liking then he’ll start to get inside Lorenzo’s head by mixing it up a bit, like he did with Stoner at Laguna. If Rossi can get ahead of Lorenzo early on he can stick Lorenzo into a dogfight with the two Hondas and Cal, and then it will get interesting. What we don’t want is Lorezo clearing off at the front and doing a Stoner and boring the sh!t out of evereyone.

Rossi still doesn’t look totally settled on the Yamaha to me but when he does I think he’s still got enough to take it to Lorenzo. Should be fun.

One thing which sets Rossi apart is his attitude.

His comment when interviewed at the end of the race was “great fun” says it all and he obviously still loves to race.

Can’t wait for the next one 🙂

i still cant believe people write Rossi off.

+1 Some people don’t know what they have till it’s gone. Enjoy it all now!!
Not many people can bridge a 10 second gap in a few laps.

His comment when interviewed at the end of the race was “great fun”

And this!

2nd fastest. The fastest has gone fishing

Did Lorenzo not beat Stoner to the World Championship last year?
Stoner was a 2 time champion as is Lorenzo….

Once Rossi gets the bike set up to his liking then he’ll start to get inside Lorenzo’s head by mixing it up a bit, like he did with Stoner at Laguna

Lorenzo’s a lot more of a fighter than Stoner, though.

What we don’t want is Lorezo clearing off at the front and doing a Stoner and boring the sh!t out of evereyone.

A massive +1 on that, though. +2 even 🙂