Rossi to Ducati

+1 And I'd say that Ducati are probably not the easiest of teams to just walk into and feel at home straight away either.

I also think that people forget how hard other riders have found it at Ducati (Marco Melandri, loris Capirossi), so Nicky's done well in My book and deserves his contract for next season.

 

Nicky is not articulate, and many hold that against him. He has a lot of heart, and works hard, but he is the Kentucky Kid and for some, that doesn't strike much of a chord in them.

 

As far as I remember, among several potential candidates Nicky Haiden was chosen by Honda at the time, because of commercial considerations.

He was the only American available, and Honda needed an American rider in the team, since the US are their bigger market.

So, instead of promoting one of their riders from lower categories (125 or 250cc), Honda chose a US superbike rider. It took him ages before he was comfortable in GPs.

Nicky is a steady rider of limited talent. He doesn't fall off very often; some people say because he doesn't try that much. He gathers points insead of going for wins; his world championship was the result of steady drives and collecting points regularly where his rivals fell off the track. .
Nicky isn't so good at developing a bike, or adapting it to suits his style. Honda prefered to keep Pedrosa than him, for that reason.

 

Right, my mistake.

I had forgotten that they went to the big bang fours for that class.
(still, they are desmodronic heads.)

Still, I think Rossi will be able to use the full potential of the Duc better than Hayden was able to.
The fact that Hayden relied on the electrics more than his abilities shows it.

I dont see Rossi having an issue with a loose front tire.

Nicky strives to be consistent, Valentino strives to WIN.

 

Edwards was the current World Superbike champion, but was such a foul-mouthed idiot every time a microphone was placed in front of him Honda made the wise decision to send him packing despite handing them two titles in three years on the RC51.

 

Hayden's motogp ride was paid for by American Honda. I'm told the Japanese didn't want him.

Art

 

I don't know. The US are a big market for the Japanese manufacturers, and they like to promote American riders in GP: Roberts, Lawson, Rainey, Schwantz, Spencer, etc...
It certainly makes sense...

 

Yeah, that was pretty obvious the year he gave them a world championship. Meanwhile, he had to do development work that hampered his efforts, had a series of repeated problems with his bike, and watched as the development work all went the direction of Pedrosa. And finally, that work is paying off....Pedrosa is in the fairway and starting to catch Lorenzo, 4 long years on and 200cc's less.

I will be the first to say that Nicky is not an alien. But he is solidly in the camp right behind them, IMO. I think it will be interesting to see how close Hayden can come to Rossi next year. When the 1000's return, all bets are off.

 

Edwards? Foul mouthed? I can't imagine that at all. Any time I have ever heard him in front of a mike, he is always proper and fairly well spoken.

Love Nicky or hate him, he still won a WC, which is an incredible achievement. The high majority of riders cannot say that, and to date, Lorenzo and Pedrosa are still in that group.

 

Nicky is a great rider. However, in order for him to get into MotoGP, American Honda had to buy his ride from the factory. I think they only had to pay for one year, but it took American Honda's money to get him into MotoGP.

Having said that, Nicky isn't quite as good as the other riders there, like Stoner, Lorenzo, Pedrosa, Rossi, and now Spies. Sad to say, but true. He got a WC, but go back and look at the season, and you'll see that he sort lucked into it, with an absolutely great bike. Had Rossi not fallen down a couple of times, he would have been WC that year.

Art

 

My apologies if this was intended as sarcasm. He has definitely cleaned himself up over the last few years. Fiat Yamaha was good for him in that respect.

Back in the day he was a rider of extreme arrogance who thought he could say anything he wanted and get away with it, not the corporate Honda mold for sure. He was forced to sign with an uncompetitive Aprilia team in 2003 while watching Hayden ride "his" Repsol Honda, that had to be difficult. Then in 2004 he finally got the Movistar Honda, teaming with Gibernau who regularly beat him badly. In his defense the bikes were not equal but still another helping of humble pie. Then signing as Rossi's Barichello at Yamaha was probably enough to make him realize maybe he really didn't s*** in the same toilets as the top MotoGP riders (to paraphrase one of his better quotes from 2003).

 

True that it was Rossi's title to lose, for sure, but Hayden did ride himself to the position to snap the WC away if the opportunity arose, and it did. Not only that, he beat out his team-mate at the time, Pedrosa, to that position.

Honda America may have bought Nicky's way to a top factory team initially, but he wouldn't have remained at a top factory team if he wasn't worthy. It's been 7 years since that happened, and he's been on a top factory team ever since. We already know he'll remain at Ducati.

 

Word is now that Rossi will have shoulder surgery early and not race the final two rounds of the year. Yamaha's decision not to let him test after Valencia ironically makes Rossi's decision easier and he will be better prepared and healthier on 1/1/11 to start on the Duc. Also it means he doesn't have to be there and watch Lorenzo be awarded the championship trophy as well. It will certainly be a party in Spain with Lorenzo as champion, but without Rossi there to rub it in for Jorge, it won't quite as sweet perhaps.

BTW, great race by Hayden today.

 

They aren't updating his bike either. Lorenzo still has to win a race or two or at least finish well up there Pedrosa is gaining.

Art

 

I may have mentioned this earlier, but a few races ago it was revealed that Honda was sitting best with the engine allocation while Yamaha and Lorenzo specifically were rapidly running out of engines. He is surely using his sixth engine by now.

A part of me would love the championship be decided in Pedrosa's favor because Lorenzo basically had 2-3 non-points paying positions starting from pit lane. It would show the ludicrous nature of limiting the number of engines to such a small amount.

 

Burgess & crew to Ducati with Rossi: http://motomatters.com/news/2010/09/20/team_musical_chairs_rossi_s_crew_go_to_d.html

 

As expected ...

 

good news to top off the best race weekend of the season

 

Yep... as long as the Ducati wins, who really cares who is riding it?

 

Today's competition between Rossi and Lorenzo bodes well for 2011; perhaps it was the highlight of this season.

 

He set the fastest lap...

 

It shows that there is no way Lorenzo beats Rossi on equal or close to equal bikes, at least for now. Rossi played with his head, and at the end, Lorenzo for whatever reason let him go. Probably rationalized it that he didn't want to lose the championship, but there is no way anyone catches him with the midget out for the next couple of races.

Art

 

Unbelievable last 2 laps..............some of the fiercest racing I have seen yet! I would have liked to hear whatever exchange took place between Rossi and Lorenzo after the race.......

 

To the BBC reporter Rossi praised Lorenzo for the good fight. But He came out on top so he would say that wouldn't he.

 

2011 season around the corner.

These should get the blood pumping..........
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