MotoGP Instanbul times from today

[FourWheelDrift]

1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 54.200 secs
2. Loris Capirossi ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 54.979 secs
3. John Hopkins USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 55.062 secs
4. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1min 55.120 secs
5. Toni Elias SPA Gresini Honda (B) 1min 55.158 secs
6. Olivier Jacque FRA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 55.651 secs
7. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 55.707 secs
8. Alex Hofmann GER Pramac d'Antin MotoGP (B) 1min 55.736 secs
9. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 55.865 secs
10. Marco Melandri ITA Gresini Honda (B) 1min 55.910 secs
11. Kenny Roberts USA Team Roberts (M) 1min 56.071 secs
12. Randy de Puniet FRA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 56.225 secs
13. Alex Barros BRA Pramac d'Antin MotoGP (B) 1min 56.233 secs
14. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 56.312 secs
15. Colin Edwards USA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1min 56.320 secs
16. Carlos Checa SPA Honda LCR (M) 1min 56.555 secs
17. Makoto Tamada JPN Dunlop Tech 3 Yamaha (D) 1min 56.923 secs
18. Shinya Nakano JPN Konica Minolta Honda (M) 1min 56.936 secs
19. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Dunlop Tech 3 Yamaha (D) 1min 57.245 secs

Apart from Rossi and Pedrosa who's 9th look at the Bridgestone runners. Almost the whole top ten on their rubber.

This is the first round for the new tyre rules where the teams have not tested, they have all had to guess their tyre choices for the weekend before starting any running and are now fixed to those choices, they can't change any of the compounds.

Ps. Hayden was last until his very last run when he dragged himself up to 14th.

[anonymous-user]

Do you think Hayden was lucky lasy year?

[Rawwr]

Last time I placed a bet on Stoner I made a tidy £240. I think I'm going to bet again

[kingb]

i cant remeber the istanbul circuit but from those times im willing bet theres a huge straight!!

[FourWheelDrift]

kingb said:

i cant remeber the istanbul circuit but from those times im willing bet theres a huge straight!!

There is, but Stoner was making up a lot of time in the very twisty final 3 corners which are the slowest section on the track! He's not only got a fast Ducati but he has one that handles as well.

[shot2bits]

Stoners Ducati is so fast - if you look at the speed charts it's quite a bit faster than the rest of the guys breaking the 300kph mark with Pedrosa' at 294 or something and he's 2nd fastest.

Would really like Nicky Haden to pick himself up and do well - not sure what's going on there but I don't think his wins were luck last year. Something about the 800 not suiting him perhaps?

What a life for Stoner though, so young and setting the fastest times in MotoGP testing - must be like a dream

I'd like to see JT running next year...

[FourWheelDrift]

Stoner's doing well for a young lad, how old is he now 14?

[shot2bits]

FourWheelDrift said:

Stoner's doing well for a young lad, how old is he now 14?

He looks like an extra from Home and Away!

[Rawwr]

Hayden's problem is that he's riding the 800 like a 990. You can see him hard on the brakes and trailing it through the corners and then trying to get back on the power... but the power isn't there.

[shot2bits]

Rawwr said:

Hayden's problem is that he's riding the 800 like a 990. You can see him hard on the brakes and trailing it through the corners and then trying to get back on the power... but the power isn't there.

He did better with the sticky qualifiers today though - good on him... Let's see how he gets on tomorrow on race tyres - I guess it'll be similar to testing which means his times wont be good?

[Rawwr]

I'm feeling quite smug.

[xiphias]

And how much up? Maybe it might make up for the amount England lost me on the cricket

[Rawwr]

Only managed to catch odds at 5/2 so not that impressive.