MotoGPMatters - Kropotkin ThinksMotoGPMatters - Kropotkin ThinksMotoGPMatters.com features the best writing about MotoGP on the internet. MotoGP writer Kropotkin provides race reports, previews and analysis, all the background info you need about MotoGP. Articles
MotoGPMatters.com Forum Now Online
2008-05-21 19:37:00 MotoGP, like all forms of motorcycle racing, generates a great deal of passion among its followers. And passion is an emotion which always has a need to find expression in one form or another. That passion is what prompted me to set up this website, and prompts me to keep it running. The passion that MotoGP evokes is also evident in the responses posted here to news stories, race reports and race items. Some stories just seem to generate a lot of debate, and unfortunately, the software this site is currently running on makes full and frank discussions very difficult to achieve. To respond to this demand, we have now set up our own forum, as a place to continue the intelligent and insightful debate that this site is fortunate to generate. There are of course many other forums about motorcycle racing on the internet, such as the excellent RideOnTwo.com forums, or the Autosport forums, as well as racing forums on other boards, such as Adventure Rider, Performance Bikes Magazine foru... More About: Forum , Online
Honda's Pneumatic Valve Engine To Debut At Mugello - As A Wildcard
2008-05-20 10:39:00 The Eurosport commentators Toby Moody and Julian Ryder mentioned it during the broadcast of the race, and now several other sources are confirming it. HRC will be wheeling out its pneumatic valve engine earlier than expected. After Honda decided not to bring the engine to Le Mans for the tests which are currently under way, it seemed the first place the air valve engine could make an appearance might be the test after the Catalunya round of MotoGP in Barcelona. Now, though, Honda has changed its mind. HRC's test rider Tady Okada has been entered as a wildcard ride for the race at Mugello on June 1st, and he will be riding the new version of the RC212V complete with pneumatic valve engine. Both Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden have commented that the throttle response of the new engine is too nervous, and there have been persistent rumors about reliability. With the memories of what happened to Valentino Rossi when Yamaha debuted their pneumatic valve engine in race conditions still f... More About: Engine , Wildcard , Debut , Valve
2008 Le Mans Post Race MotoGP Test - Day 1
2008-05-19 23:02:00 1Dani Pedrosa Honda1'33.106 2Valentino Rossi Yamaha1'33.661 3Casey Stoner Ducati1'33.994 4Chris Vermeulen Suzuki1'34.108 5John Hopkins Kawasaki1'34.484 6Loris Capirossi Suzuki1'34.730 7Nicky Hayden Honda1'34.752 8Shinya Nakano Honda1'34.911 9Alex de Angelis Honda1'34.926 10Ant West Kawasaki1'35.082 11Marco Melandri Ducati1'36.064 12Erwan Nigon Honda1'37.389 13Olivier Jacque Kawasaki1'37.424 Times courtesy of GPOne.com More About: Le Mans , Post , Race , Test , Mans
2008 Le Mans MotoGP Race Report - -War Of Nerves
2008-05-19 18:45:00 The three painted lines marking the spot where MotoGP line up on the grid cram a lot of tension into a tiny space. After rolling out of the pits, and round the track for the sighting lap, the riders are in their element doing something they know and understand, riding a powerful motorcycle around a race track. But that release from pre-race tension is all too brief, for it is the prelude to the worst 15 minutes of a rider's life. Once they round the final corner and roll up to their starting position, they are trapped once again inside those few lines of paint, forced to stand idle while the clock ticks away the endless seconds before the race actually starts. Then, once the bustle of the grid is brought to an end by the 1 minute board, and the bikes head off round the track for the warm up lap, the riders know that things are about to get worse. As they return to the confinement of those three stripes of paint, that sickening feeling in the pit of their stomach intensifies. For t... More About: Le Mans , Report , Race , Mans , 2008
2008 Le Mans MotoGP Race Results
2008-05-18 17:22:00 Full results of the 2008 MotoGP Grand Prix of France at Le Mans More About: Results , Race
2008 Le Mans Warm Up Results - Edwards And Stoner Well Ahead
2008-05-18 12:26:00 Pos.No.RiderManufacturerFast LapDiffDiff Previous 15Colin EDWARDSYAMAHA1'34.143 21Casey STONERDUCATI1'34.1560.0130.013 346Valentino ROSSIYAMAHA1'34.4580.3150.302 42Dani PEDROSAHONDA1'34.5020.3590.044 57Chris VERMEULENSUZUKI1'34.7540.6110.252 64Andrea DOVIZIOSOHONDA1'34.7650.6220.011 721John HOPKINSKAWASAKI1'34.9770.8340.212 869Nicky HAYDENHONDA1'34.9820.8390.005 915Alex DE ANGELISHONDA1'35.0250.8820.043 1056Shinya NAKANOHONDA1'35.1020.9590.077 1148Jorge LORENZOYAMAHA1'35.1501.0070.048 1214Randy DE PUNIETHONDA1'35.1631.0200.013 1352James TOSELANDYAMAHA1'35.1961.0530.033 1433Marco MELANDRIDUCATI1'35.3441.2010.148 1565Loris CAPIROSSISUZUKI1'35.4011.2580.057 1613Anthony WESTKAWASAKI1'35.7761.6330.375 1724Toni ELIASDUCATI1'35.9091.7660.133 1850Sylvain GUINTOLIDUCATI1'35.9871.8440.078 More About: Le Mans , Results , Stoner , Edwards , Mans
2008 Le Mans Qualifying Practice Report
2008-05-17 20:54:00 The second day of MotoGP practice at Le Mans had started in spectacular fashion. At the start of the morning FP3 session, Jorge Lorenzo had a nasty crash, ending up tumbling through the gravel trap at the end of the straight for the Chemin aux Boeufs chicane. A visit to the Clinica Mobile revealed that Lorenzo had been incredibly lucky: the Spanish champion, riding with two fractured ankles and fractured bones in his feet, had not injured himself any further. The morning's session was dominated by Colin Edwards, the Tech 3 Yamaha man managing a frighteningly consistent run of laps in the 1'33 bracket, several tenths faster than Valentino Rossi, who ended the session 2nd fastest. But morning practice is one thing: the question was, could Edwards maintain his pace in the afternoon? Once Qualifying Practice got underway, under mixed skies and a threat of rain, Edwards answered that question in the affirmative. The Texan was not the quickest rider out of the gate, but from the s... More About: Report
2008 Le Mans Qualifying Practice Times Day 2 - A Change On Pole
2008-05-17 17:20:00 Full results of the official Qualifying Practice session of the 2008 MotoGP Grand Prix de France at Le Mans More About: Change , Times
2008 Le Mans FP3 Times Day 2 - Yamahas On Top, Edwards Takes A Big Lead
2008-05-17 13:17:00 Pos.No.RiderManufacturerFast LapDiffDiff Previous 15Colin EDWARDSYAMAHA1'33.765 246Valentino ROSSIYAMAHA1'34.1140.3490.349 32Dani PEDROSAHONDA1'34.2290.4640.115 41Casey STONERDUCATI1'34.3530.5880.124 54Andrea DOVIZIOSOHONDA1'34.4380.6730.085 67Chris VERMEULENSUZUKI1'34.7460.9810.308 714Randy DE PUNIETHONDA1'34.7671.0020.021 821John HOPKINSKAWASAKI1'34.8281.0630.061 952James TOSELANDYAMAHA1'35.1071.3420.279 1065Loris CAPIROSSISUZUKI1'35.1281.3630.021 1156Shinya NAKANOHONDA1'35.1901.4250.062 1269Nicky HAYDENHONDA1'35.3211.5560.131 1348Jorge LORENZOYAMAHA1'35.3451.5800.024 1424Toni ELIASDUCATI1'35.6421.8770.297 1515Alex DE ANGELISHONDA1'35.7001.9350.058 1633Marco MELANDRIDUCATI1'35.8912.1260.191 1750Sylvain GUINTOLIDUCATI1'36.0442.2790.153 1813Anthony WESTKAWASAKI1'36.2282.4630.184 Circuit records Fastest Lap: 22 Colin EDWARDS 1'33.765 160.678 Km/h Circuit Record Lap: New circuit Circuit Best Lap: 2008 Colin EDWARDS 1'33.765 160.678 Km/h More About: Le Mans , Edwards , Times , Lead , Mans
2008 Le Mans Day 1 Report
2008-05-17 01:24:00 The first day of free practice took place under cool, overcast but mostly dry conditions, with rain spotting the track only during the final moments of FP2. During both sessions it was Dani Pedrosa who was setting up his stall as the man to beat. Pedrosa was there or thereabouts almost from the moment they rolled onto the track, and it's clear that he means business. Pedrosa's lap times have been almost Stoner-esque, but that would be the Stoner of 2007, not 2008 . The Australian champ had a mixed day today, running a way off the top in the morning, but finding some speed in the latter part of the afternoon. Stoner was losing most of his time in the second half of the track, losing any advantage he could gain in the first part of the circuit, but in the last 20 minutes of FP2, he came up with a solution, ending the session in 2nd spot, just a few hundredths behind Pedrosa. Valentino Rossi's story was rather the reverse of Stoner's: Rossi was quicker in the morning, but could no... More About: Le Mans , Report , Mans
2008 Le Mans FP2 Times Day 1 - Pedrosa Fastest Again, Stoner Chasing Now
2008-05-16 17:08:00 Pos.No.RiderManufacturerFast LapDiffDiff Previous 12Dani PEDROSAHONDA1'34.227 21Casey STONERDUCATI1'34.2760.0490.049 35Colin EDWARDSYAMAHA1'34.2870.0600.011 448Jorge LORENZOYAMAHA1'34.4870.2600.200 57Chris VERMEULENSUZUKI1'34.6300.4030.143 646Valentino ROSSIYAMAHA1'34.9590.7320.329 756Shinya NAKANOHONDA1'35.0470.8200.088 814Randy DE PUNIETHONDA1'35.0730.8460.026 921John HOPKINSKAWASAKI1'35.1330.9060.060 1015Alex DE ANGELISHONDA1'35.2391.0120.106 1165Loris CAPIROSSISUZUKI1'35.2561.0290.017 1269Nicky HAYDENHONDA1'35.3781.1510.122 134Andrea DOVIZIOSOHONDA1'35.4501.2230.072 1433Marco MELANDRIDUCATI1'35.6781.4510.228 1552James TOSELANDYAMAHA1'35.8481.6210.170 1613Anthony WESTKAWASAKI1'35.8771.6500.029 1724Toni ELIASDUCATI1'36.0391.8120.162 1850Sylvain GUINTOLIDUCATI1'36.4142.1870.375 Circuit records Fastest Lap: 29 Dani PEDROSA 1'34.227 159.890 Km/h Circuit Record Lap: New circuit Circuit Best Lap: 2008 Dani PEDROSA 1'34.227 159.890 Km/h More About: Le Mans , Stoner , Times , Mans
2008 Le Mans FP1 Times Day 1 - Pedrosa On Top, Lorenzo On His Tail
2008-05-16 13:17:00 Pos.No.RiderManufacturerFast LapDiffDiff Previous 12Dani PEDROSAHONDA1'34.646 248Jorge LORENZOYAMAHA1'34.7790.1330.133 346Valentino ROSSIYAMAHA1'34.8860.2400.107 41Casey STONERDUCATI1'34.9670.3210.081 55Colin EDWARDSYAMAHA1'35.3190.6730.352 67Chris VERMEULENSUZUKI1'35.5020.8560.183 74Andrea DOVIZIOSOHONDA1'35.5740.9280.072 856Shinya NAKANOHONDA1'35.6721.0260.098 921John HOPKINSKAWASAKI1'35.7431.0970.071 1052James TOSELANDYAMAHA1'35.8741.2280.131 1165Loris CAPIROSSISUZUKI1'35.9681.3220.094 1215Alex DE ANGELISHONDA1'36.0591.4130.091 1314Randy DE PUNIETHONDA1'36.1341.4880.075 1469Nicky HAYDENHONDA1'36.1441.4980.010 1533Marco MELANDRIDUCATI1'36.3591.7130.215 1613Anthony WESTKAWASAKI1'36.4181.7720.059 1724Toni ELIASDUCATI1'36.7562.1100.338 1850Sylvain GUINTOLIDUCATI1'37.4212.7750.665 Circuit records Fastest Lap: 25 Dani PEDROSA 1'34.646 159.182 Km/h Circuit Record Lap: New circuit Circuit Best Lap: 2008 Dani PEDROSA 1'34.646 159.182 Km/h More About: Le Mans , Times , Lorenzo , Tail , Mans
2008 Le Mans MotoGP Preview - The Shadow Of History
2008-05-16 00:32:00 The MotoGP series, especially in the shape of Dorna, the marketing body behind MotoGP, loves to compare itself with Formula One and other four-wheeled racing series, the comparisons always coming out in MotoGP's favor. And it is true that there is usually more passing in a single MotoGP race than there is in a season of Formula One. Dorna is always delighted to point out that if it's excitement you're after, then MotoGP is very much the place to be. But such hubris is not without risk: the irony that the two most famous racetracks the MotoGP circus will be visiting this year are famous as venues for racing on four wheels rather than two is not lost on either MotoGP fans or the car-racing crowd. And to add insult to injury, the MotoGP bikes won't even be running on the track layouts that made these venues famous, but on shorter, neutered versions of the tracks. In the case of Indianapolis, where MotoGP visits for the first time in September, that is probably no bad thing, as a 2... More About: History , Preview , Le Mans , Shadow , Mans
Yamaha 2009 Roundup - The Plans So Far
2008-05-10 01:20:00 Since Estoril, a number of announcements have come out of the Yamaha camp concerning the 2009 series and beyond. These developments have already been reported elsewhere, but are worth recapping here. The first news emerged at the Estoril round, where the Tech 3 Yamaha announced contract extensions with both Yamaha and James Toseland. The success of Tech 3's riders, with several front row appearances, now including a pole position at Shanghai for Colin Edwards, has boosted the status of the French privateer firm in the paddock. Now, Yamaha have rewarded that performance with a contract extension of two years, meaning that Tech 3 will be guaranteed Yamaha M1s in 2009 and 2010. At the same time, Tech 3 also announced that James Toseland had decided to exercise an option to stay with the team for 2009. The reigning World Superbike champion has made a real impact since moving into the series, and the support provided by Yamaha has vindicated Toseland's decision to jump ship from Hon... More About: Roundup , Plans
James Toseland Audio Interview On BBC
2008-05-10 00:40:00 British rider and double World Superbike rider James Toseland has made a big impression since entering MotoGP. Toseland's 6th place in the MotoGP championship, tied for points with Loris Capirossi, achieved mostly at tracks he'd either never visited or never raced at before, has been a boost in the arm for a number of Superbike riders with aspirations of moving up to MotoGP, as it has disproved the idea that Superbike racing is not a viable route into the MotoGP series. With Toseland's success comes increased public interest, which is good for both Toseland and for the sport. A reader was kind enough to point out that James Toseland was interviewed by BBC Radio's Simon Mayo, and that the interview was available as an MP3 download. The interview has some interesting moments, although being aimed at a general audience, it does not contain anything that is likely to surprise hardcore MotoGP fans. But it was interesting to hear Toseland's perspective on the next few races, all... More About: Audio , Interview
Where Is Honda's Pneumatic Engine?
2008-05-07 12:23:00 That is the question which has been echoing around the MotoGP paddock since the start of the season. At Shanghai, the clamor grew to almost deafening levels, after rumors that HRC would ship new versions of the RC212V with pneumatic valves to the Chinese race track, where speed is at an absolute premium. Despite the speculation, the new engine failed to make an appearance, and the chorus of questions grew even louder: Where is Honda's new engine with the pneumatic valves, and when will it turn up. The Italian site MotoGrandPrix.it has a possible answer: the engine is Japan being tested, and will probably be ready for Mugello. According to the Italian news hounds, Honda's veteran test rider and former GP star Tady Okada is spending 3 to 4 days a week testing the bike at Motegi and Suzuka, under the watchful eye of HRC R&D and racing department engineers. The tests show that the reliability of the engine is "good", but whether "good" is good enough remains to be seen. It has long b... More About: Engine
2008 Shanghai MotoGP Race Report - Resurrection
2008-05-05 02:29:00 Throughout the first three races of the 2008 MotoGP season, all the talk has been of the newcomers to the class. Much to the chagrin of MotoGP's old guard. At Shanghai , the old guard struck back. More About: Report , Race , Resurrection
2008 Shanghai MotoGP Race Results
2008-05-04 12:13:00 Full results of the 2008 MotoGP Grand Prix of China at Shanghai More About: Results , Race
2008 Shanghai Warm Up Results - Stoner On Top In Wet
2008-05-04 09:14:00 11Casey STONERDUCATI2'13.055 246Valentino ROSSIYAMAHA2'13.9710.9160.916 32Dani PEDROSAHONDA2'14.2671.2120.296 421John HOPKINSKAWASAKI2'14.4141.3590.147 54Andrea DOVIZIOSOHONDA2'14.5601.5050.146 615Alex DE ANGELISHONDA2'14.7491.6940.189 77Chris VERMEULENSUZUKI2'15.1582.1030.409 85Colin EDWARDSYAMAHA2'15.4912.4360.333 933Marco MELANDRIDUCATI2'15.6662.6110.175 1013Anthony WESTKAWASAKI2'15.6922.6370.026 1156Shinya NAKANOHONDA2'15.9092.8540.217 1250Sylvain GUINTOLIDUCATI2'15.9762.9210.067 1369Nicky HAYDENHONDA2'15.9762.921313.4 1452James TOSELANDYAMAHA2'16.5743.5190.598 1514Randy DE PUNIETHONDA2'16.9703.9150.396 1665Loris CAPIROSSISUZUKI2'17.0473.9920.077 1748Jorge LORENZOYAMAHA2'20.2847.2293.237 1824Toni ELIASDUCATI2'21.9868.9311.702 More About: Shanghai , Results , Stoner , 2008
2008 Shanghai Qualifying Practice Report
2008-05-03 15:41:00 Two things were on everyone's mind during qualifying practice at Shanghai on Saturday afternoon. The first was the weather, the sun making conditions hot and sticky for qualifying, while torrential rain is forecast for the race on Sunday. This left the paddock in a quandary as to how to treat the session, whether to look for a dry race setup which may turn out to be irrelevant, or focus on qualifying as close to the front as possible, and hope it rains. In the end, most teams found a compromise, and split the session half and half. The bigger question, however, was whether Jorge Lorenzo could ride with the fractured ankles he suffered after crashing yesterday, and if he did, whether he would be able to keep his perfect streak of poles alive. Lorenzo answered part of that question in the morning's free practice session, riding 21 laps in 3 sessions, to see whether he was physically capable of riding. Though his times were nothing to write home about, the Spanish rookie showed he w... More About: Report , Qualifying , Practice , 2008
2008 Shanghai Qualifying Practice Times Day 2 - Four In A Row For Yamaha
2008-05-03 12:29:00 Full results of the MotoGP Qualifying Practice for the Grand Prix of China at Shanghai More About: Times , Yamaha
2008 Shanghai FP3 Times Day 2 - Rossi Fastest Again, Lorenzo Rides Through
2008-05-03 08:40:00 146Valentino ROSSIYAMAHA1'59.690 22Dani PEDROSAHONDA1'59.7380.0480.048 31Casey STONERDUCATI1'59.9080.2180.170 45Colin EDWARDSYAMAHA2'00.1020.4120.194 556Shinya NAKANOHONDA2'00.1410.4510.039 669Nicky HAYDENHONDA2'00.3390.6490.198 765Loris CAPIROSSISUZUKI2'00.3500.6600.011 821John HOPKINSKAWASAKI2'00.5530.8630.203 94Andrea DOVIZIOSOHONDA2'00.6210.9310.068 107Chris VERMEULENSUZUKI2'00.6921.0020.071 1124Toni ELIASDUCATI2'00.7151.0250.023 1214Randy DE PUNIETHONDA2'00.7311.0410.016 1315Alex DE ANGELISHONDA2'00.7511.0610.020 1448Jorge LORENZOYAMAHA2'00.7991.1090.048 1552James TOSELANDYAMAHA2'01.0811.3910.282 1633Marco MELANDRIDUCATI2'01.4761.7860.395 1713Anthony WESTKAWASAKI2'01.4871.7970.011 1850Sylvain GUINTOLIDUCATI2'01.5021.8120.015 Circuit records Fastest Lap: Lap 23 Valentino ROSSI 1'59.690 158.84 Km/h Circuit Record Lap: 2006 Dani PEDROSA 1'59.318 159.335 Km/h Circuit Best Lap: 2007 Valentino ROSSI 1'58.424 160.538 Km/h More About: Shanghai , Rossi , Times , Lorenzo , 2008
Honda Doesn't Have Pneumatic Valves At Shanghai
2008-05-02 13:09:00 The speculation over over the past few weeks had been intense: would Honda risk their untested pneumatic valve engine at Shanghai , to take advantage of the added top end power it should provide? Now that practice has started, the answer appears to be "no" at least according to Spanish sports daily AS.com. AS asked Dani Pedrosa whether he had the air valve engine, and Pedrosa answered that they did not. "The engine isn't here. It's not ready," the Repsol Honda rider said. "I asked to have the engine once it is ready and working, so we don't have to put it to the test. For the moment, we will have to work with what we have. No deadline has been set, and I don't know when it will be ready. We were supposed to have it to test after Estoril, but there were a few problems which meant it wasn't there". So it looks as if the Repsol Honda men will have to make do with the conventional steel spring engine. That bike isn't doing too badly so far: Although the RC212V was 9km/h slower tha...
2008 Shanghai FP2 Times Day 1 - Stoner Back On Top, But Only Just
2008-05-02 11:11:00 Casey Stoner was the fastest man on track during this afternoon's session, returning to familiar form. But his lead was small, and he had Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa snapping at his heels. The lead swapped several times during the session, but the Australian World Champion eventually came out on top. Further down the field, several riders made remarkable improvements. Biggest surprise so far was Shinya Nakano's 4th fastest time, the Japanese rider really starting to find his feet on the Bridgestone-shod Gresini Honda. Some of the Ducatis showed an improvement as well, with Marco Melandri finding a couple of seconds and getting closer to contention. But it is Toni Elias who has made the biggest jump. At previous races, Elias had been running round at the very back of the grid, but the improvements the Spaniard found in testing at Estoril is starting to pay off, with Elias setting an 11th fastest time. James Toseland also made a big step forward, taking him up from 16th to 13t... More About: Shanghai , Back , Times , 2008
2008 Shanghai FP1 Times Day 1 - Rossi Leads, Lorenzo Crashes
2008-05-02 10:07:00 Valentino Rossi was fastest in this morning's first free practice session, but the big news was Jorge Lorenzo 's crash. Lorenzo had a huge highside, more reminiscent of a 500 cc two stroke than a modern electronics-packed MotoGP bike. As a result of the crash, Lorenzo has fractured an ankle, and is not taking part in the second free practice session. Doubts remain as to whether he will reappear during the remainder of the weekend. The speculation about Marco Melandri has intensified, after Melandri finished the first session nearly 5 seconds down on Valentino Rossi's time. 146Valentino ROSSIYAMAHA1'59.906 21Casey STONERDUCATI2'00.3180.4120.412 32Dani PEDROSAHONDA2'00.8190.9130.501 44Andrea DOVIZIOSOHONDA2'00.9741.0680.155 521John HOPKINSKAWASAKI2'01.1531.2470.179 665Loris CAPIROSSISUZUKI2'01.2491.3430.096 75Colin EDWARDSYAMAHA2'01.2871.3810.038 869Nicky HAYDENHONDA2'01.4191.5130.132 956Shinya NAKANOHONDA2'01.5131.6070.094 107Chris VERMEULENSUZUKI2'01.5881.6820.075 111... More About: Shanghai , Leads , Times
Yamaha Preparing For '09: Rossi To Take Pay Cut, Telefonica As Title Sponso
2008-04-27 02:18:00 An intriguing bit of news appeared over on GPOne.com over the past couple of days. Their main MotoGP reporter, Alberto Cani, writes that Yamaha is getting ready to finalize its plans for 2009. And the first item on the agenda for Yamaha supremo Lin Jarvis is the rider line up. Jorge Lorenzo and James Toseland already have contracts for next year, with Toseland signing an extension with Tech 3 at Estoril, after the French satellite team secured another two years of support from Yamaha, including access to factory-spec machinery. But that leaves two seats still left to fill. The most important of those seats is of course the other factory Yamaha. The most obvious and most likely sequence of events would be for Valentino Rossi to sign a new deal with the team. Rossi has previously spoken of his desire to end his career with Yamaha, and Jarvis has told the press he will be doing his best to keep the Italian multiple world champion. Pretty straightforward, you would think, but there's ... More About: Telefonica , Title
Honda To Run Pneumatic Valve Engine At Shanghai
2008-04-24 00:03:00 HRC's on-again-off-again testing of their pneumatic valve engine is about to shift up a gear. After electing not to test the air valve engine for the RC212V at Estoril, the new powerplant could make an appearance at Shanghai in China. The Spanish weekly magazine Solomoto interviewed both Dani Pedrosa and team manager Kazuhika Yamano after the Estoril Grand Prix in Portugal, and Italian site GPOne.com is carrying a summary and translation into Italian of those interviews. By far the most interesting fact to come out of that interview is that HRC will be shipping the new pneumatic valve engines to China, and allowing the riders to choose whether they want to run the bikes or not. The current plan is that both Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden will be able to try the pneumatic engine during Friday free practice, and if they think it is good enough, use it in the race on Sunday. With Shanghai having two straights, one long one and one absolutely enormous one, the extra top end and acceler... More About: Honda , Engine , Valve
Melandri Speaks Of His Despair On The Desmosedici
2008-04-21 16:01:00 Marco Melandri has something of a reputation for speaking out whenever he's not happy. Melandri's outburst about the weakness of the Honda RC212V, and HRC's reneging on promises of full factory support for the Gresini Honda team are still ringing in the ears of both Honda officials and journalists, and now Melandri is at it again. Melandri has posted a diary entry on his personal website speaking about the despair he feels at his current situation. "Whenever I think I've hit rock bottom, things just keep on getting worse," the Italian ex-250 champion wrote. Things are so bad that Melandri can't even bear to watch the races on TV, as the pain of seeing just how stiff and uncertain he is on the bike, the very opposite of his natural style: "I look like someone who's never ridden before," the Italian wrote. He confidence is at such a low ebb, he describes himself as being "a luxury spectator," rather than actually doing any racing, "but only at the start, for after the first tw... More About: Despair
Nicky Hayden: Honda Or Ducati For 2009?
2008-04-18 01:33:00 Conflicting reports are emerging from Italy about the future of Nicky Hayden in MotoGP. On the one hand, we have MotoGrandPrix.it, who are reporting that Hayden is close to signing a new 2-year contract with Repsol Honda . According to Alessio Piana, HRC is determined to avoid the fiascos of the last two years, during which both Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa didn't sign their new contracts with Honda until the very last minute, leaving HRC with few other alternatives should the negotiations with the riders fail. As a consquence Honda wants to sign contracts early, and keep control of the situation in its own hands. In this view, Honda would want to close the negotiations with Hayden as early as possible, and try and keep the last man to win them a world title a Honda man for life. The authoritative site GPOne.com sees it differently. Alberto Cani is claiming that the most likely scenario is that Hayden will make way for either Andrea Dovizioso or Marco Melandri. Dovi has made a hu... More About: Ducati
Shanghai Round - Is It On, Or Is It Canceled?
More articles from this author:2008-04-18 00:50:00 The excellent and amusing Dutch newspaper columnist Bert Wagendorp wrote recently of the 2008 Beijing Olympics "If you really hate a country, you should let them organize the Olympic games." Ever since the announcement that China was to organize the olympics, there has been a growing movement of protest about the human rights situation in the Chinese heartland and in Tibet. The pressure is not just coming from outside the country, internally, groups are making use of the increased attention from the outside world to voice their discontent and get themselves heard. Instead of turning out to be the propaganda coup the Chinese government had hoped for, presenting the face of a new and dynamic country to the world, the Olympics are increasingly focusing attention on the fact that China remains a closed society presided over by an authoritarian regime, with scant regard for freedom of expression or political organization. The Chinese government's reaction to this growing dissent has b... More About: Shanghai , Round 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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