The Official 2010 Qatar Moto Gp Thread
Discussion
You beat me to it, ya git starting this thread!
Anyway. My thoughts on this?
Firstly, HRC - I suspect - are getting a bit pished off that they've scored something like seven wins in two seasons. They will have been burning the midnight oil for this year's RC; it just depends if Dani and Dovi have the cojones to ride the bloody thing when it's not perfectly set up.
Ducati? I've read that the factory have finally addressed the fact that only Stoner can ride the Desmosedici. Thing is, apparently, they've made it a little softer; a little easier to ride. And as Nicky asks: how much of the 100% ability have they sacrificed for rideability?
Yamaha? As usual, Vale will be the lad to beat and George will again be biting his ankles like an irritating Spanish Jack Russell. Jorge seems impervious to Rossi's on-track psychological attacks; very different to Biaggi / Gibbers. I thought that after Catalunya 2009, Jorge would be a broken rider, but no. He just seemed to think it was "Just another race. Move on.".
The dark horse for 2010? Mr Pies for 4th in the championship.
Anyway. My thoughts on this?
Firstly, HRC - I suspect - are getting a bit pished off that they've scored something like seven wins in two seasons. They will have been burning the midnight oil for this year's RC; it just depends if Dani and Dovi have the cojones to ride the bloody thing when it's not perfectly set up.
Ducati? I've read that the factory have finally addressed the fact that only Stoner can ride the Desmosedici. Thing is, apparently, they've made it a little softer; a little easier to ride. And as Nicky asks: how much of the 100% ability have they sacrificed for rideability?
Yamaha? As usual, Vale will be the lad to beat and George will again be biting his ankles like an irritating Spanish Jack Russell. Jorge seems impervious to Rossi's on-track psychological attacks; very different to Biaggi / Gibbers. I thought that after Catalunya 2009, Jorge would be a broken rider, but no. He just seemed to think it was "Just another race. Move on.".
The dark horse for 2010? Mr Pies for 4th in the championship.
The floodlit desert circuit will host the opening round of the 2010 MotoGP World Championship on Sunday, April 11th.
The 154-day long wait for the start of the new MotoGP season will come to an end on Sunday, when the 17 riders who will battle it out for the 2010 World Championship line up on the grid at the Losail International Circuit for the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar.
Little over three weeks have passed since the riders finished their pre-season preparations at the track, and it was Casey Stoner who signed off the third and final pre-season Test at the circuit as the fastest rider of the field. In doing so the Ducati Marlboro man broke reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi’s pre-season dominance, and will be aiming for a magnificent fourth straight season-opening race win at the track.
Fiat Yamaha rider Rossi starts the campaign with the aim of securing a tenth World title – an eighth in the premier class – and his form in the Tests indicates that he remains the man to beat. He is still seeking as first win under the floodlights (he has won daytime races at Losail in 2005 and 2006) and finished second last year, and the factory YZR-M1 has received a glowing assessment from the Italian in the lead-up to the first race, as it has done from team-mate Jorge Lorenzo.
The Spaniard, who finished last year’s Championship as runner-up to his team-mate and rival, will arrive at the first round still carrying the after effects of an injury that saw him at less than 100% at the Test three weeks ago. Nevertheless he still managed to maintain a competitive check on the timesheet, and Lorenzo’s physical condition will no doubt be further improved.
Dani Pedrosa, last year’s third-placed Championship rider, has struggled in pre-season with his factory RC212V of the Repsol Honda team, but will be in much better physical shape for the opening race than last year, when he finished 11th after an injury affected pre-season. His team-mate Andrea Dovizioso was in good form at the Qatar Test with the third best time, and other factory riders Nicky Hayden (Ducati Marlboro) and Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki) will also be in the hunt for strong starts to their respective campaigns.
Monster Yamaha Tech3 duo Colin Edwards – who finished fourth in Qatar in 2009 – and Ben Spies have both enjoyed good pre-seasons, with the latter the best performing rookie and causing great excitement at his debut season in MotoGP.
A host of other newcomers are making their premier class bows, as 250cc World Champion Hiroshi Aoyama (Interwetten Honda MotoGP), Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki), Héctor Barberá (Paginas Amarillas Aspar), and Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini) make up an exciting group of rookies on the grid. Randy de Puniet of the LCR Honda team, Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini), and Pramac Racing pair Mika Kallio and Aleix Espargaró complete the 17-strong list.
The first hour-long practice of the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar begins at 10.30pm local time on Friday evening, with the race due to commence at 11pm local time on Sunday.
Looking forward to this year. Apparently Lorenzo's hand isn't fully fixed yet http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbi... .
Top three over the year will still be very close between Rossi, Lorenzo and Stoner. They are all
ing good on their day. Hoping for Rossi though 
Top three over the year will still be very close between Rossi, Lorenzo and Stoner. They are all
ing good on their day. Hoping for Rossi though 
all with the same supplier/spec engine, should be interesting 
It was encouraging to see quite a few good riders in GP2 (as well as the return of the Moriwaki name on the team sheet). Lovely looking bikes as well.
Stoner looked ominous. Comfortable, fast, and relaxed. Quite the opposite - for me - of Vale, who looked relaxed in the garage but very "tense" on the bike. Maybe it's just me. As suspected, Benji looked very composed as did Bautista. Disappointed - so far - with the San Carlo boys, as I expected Simoncelli and Melandri to be attacking the pointy end.
Anyway, it's only FP1.
Bring on Qualifying!
Stoner looked ominous. Comfortable, fast, and relaxed. Quite the opposite - for me - of Vale, who looked relaxed in the garage but very "tense" on the bike. Maybe it's just me. As suspected, Benji looked very composed as did Bautista. Disappointed - so far - with the San Carlo boys, as I expected Simoncelli and Melandri to be attacking the pointy end.
Anyway, it's only FP1.
Bring on Qualifying!
Realistically, it's Casey FTW. 1/2 a second away from 2nd place for the lion's share of quali 'bodes well.
Disappointed with Benji, expected more from him; then again it's always a joy to watch his riding style. Surprises? Aoyama and Bautista without a shadow of a doubt, closely followed by Colin. And what the holy fk is going on in the Gresini squad??? Melandri and Simoncelli are way better than that.
Anyway.
Personally, I'm looking forward to Moto2.
Disappointed with Benji, expected more from him; then again it's always a joy to watch his riding style. Surprises? Aoyama and Bautista without a shadow of a doubt, closely followed by Colin. And what the holy f
k is going on in the Gresini squad??? Melandri and Simoncelli are way better than that.Anyway.
Personally, I'm looking forward to Moto2.
MotoGP - Your going to have the 'aliens' pull away from the pack and I believe Stoner will take the win, Rossi second and the rest fighting for the last podium spot.
Moto2 - You might as well pull names from a hat, it should be that close. Elias is probably the favourite and likely winner, if all goes well. The depth of talent should make this a very close tier - although I fear that toward the end of the season we will see the best teams pull away from the rest
125 - I want Bradders to win however his pace is off those like Marquez and Espargaro. It should be a close race; but which 125 isn't!
Looking forward to the race
Moto2 - You might as well pull names from a hat, it should be that close. Elias is probably the favourite and likely winner, if all goes well. The depth of talent should make this a very close tier - although I fear that toward the end of the season we will see the best teams pull away from the rest
125 - I want Bradders to win however his pace is off those like Marquez and Espargaro. It should be a close race; but which 125 isn't!
Looking forward to the race
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