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Hopefully the rain stays for the Motogp race, a Bautista win might be enough to keep Suzuki next year.
MotoGP 2011 (125, Moto2, and MotoGP)
- Thread starter JohnBM01
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Great win for Pirro and Gresini. You could see how much it meant to them.
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- CHVRCHES_GTP
The emotion is rising. Couldn't imagine how it would be on the podium... I even shed tears of joy and sadness. Great race, could've been even better of Takahashi didn't crashed out. Let's hope the best for him and that's the end to such a fantastic Moto2 season 👍
- 1,377
- zzxxz
You can't really describe the emotion behind Michele Pirro's win today, nobody could have asked for anything better. Shame Yuki crashed but glad he's OK.
For once the GP was a great race, I watched the delayed run on eurosport so it only finished 15 minutes ago but my heart is still thundering away. How can you be 10 seconds behind the leader with 8 laps to go and feel disappointed with 2nd
Fantastic result for Cal today he really needed that.
For once the GP was a great race, I watched the delayed run on eurosport so it only finished 15 minutes ago but my heart is still thundering away. How can you be 10 seconds behind the leader with 8 laps to go and feel disappointed with 2nd
Fantastic result for Cal today he really needed that.
- 2,801
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- Burnout_PT
I stayed away from this. I just feel bad about Sic whenever I see moto racing... But I couldn't resist watching the main event. Only to have my heart pounding with T1 incident. I'm getting too old for this 🤬
Although in a way, I'm glad the Ducatis got parked so soon. They have been very disappointing this year :/
Anyway, It was very obvious how different the Hondas and Yamahas are right now. Power delivery and acceleration are outstanding in the Honda, and the Yamaha(s?) seamed even faster under braking and turning today.
Loved to see Spies overcome his bike "handicaps" on this track against all 3 Hondas, finding a way to pass and stay ahead. Stoner didn't win this one. His bike did. Incredible acceleration...
Great result for Cal (although without Edwards, Hayden and Rossi on track).
Although in a way, I'm glad the Ducatis got parked so soon. They have been very disappointing this year :/
Anyway, It was very obvious how different the Hondas and Yamahas are right now. Power delivery and acceleration are outstanding in the Honda, and the Yamaha(s?) seamed even faster under braking and turning today.
Loved to see Spies overcome his bike "handicaps" on this track against all 3 Hondas, finding a way to pass and stay ahead. Stoner didn't win this one. His bike did. Incredible acceleration...
Great result for Cal (although without Edwards, Hayden and Rossi on track).
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- FactoryDriver
Heartbreak for me on lap 1 when Hayden & Rossi got taken out and then again on the last lap when Stoner snatched victory from Spies.
Just goes to show you though--the Honda just powered on by Spies. Not much he could do there. But it was nice to see Spies and Dovi drop the wood elf when conditions got a little damp. It was kind of a shame that both factory Ducatis got taken out... Hayden does very well in damp or full wet conditions.
The post-season test should be really interesting for the first time in a while. I like Stoner a lot, but I really hope the Ducatis and Yamahas are more competitive than they were this year...
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...I have to admit that i was really mad at the end of the race.
Great race by Ben anyway, for me he's the winner today.
I enjoyed the fight between Pedrosa and Dovizioso.
Worst end possible to Ducati, expecially Valentino.
This season was just about Stoner, i hope to see more competition next year.
Great race by Ben anyway, for me he's the winner today.
I enjoyed the fight between Pedrosa and Dovizioso.
Worst end possible to Ducati, expecially Valentino.
This season was just about Stoner, i hope to see more competition next year.
- 33,155
- Hammerhead Garage
I was really disappointed to see Yonny Hernandez blow it in the Moto2 race. He's been nowhere all season so it would have been good to see him on the podium.
But it was utterly fantastic to see Pirro and Gresini win the race.
But it was utterly fantastic to see Pirro and Gresini win the race.
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Same with Terol vs Zarco. Twice Terol beat Zarco by just outdragging him between the last corner and the finish line this season, never mind the times Zarco worked hard to pass him on track, only to have Terol breeze past hiim on a straight again.
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- F1fan1
While I agree about the Honda's (particularly Casey's Honda) being far better this year, Ben didn't really do himself any favours with the way he exited the last corner. He got a little sloppy and cost himself a great win.
. I'm not a fan of Pedrosa at all, and I could sense Andrea smelled blood and knew it was there for the taking. He may never be a premier class champion, but at least he can say he came third to two great champions. It was a nice result and I was rooting for him. I wish Lorenzo was well enough to ride. I think he would have capitalized on Stoner's caution.
All in all, it was a good race, which is what MotoGP needed right now.
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- zzxxz
At Misano Zarco just let Terol through, nothing to do with Aspar's bike.
Stefan Bradl has been testing the 800 LCR Honda today, and De Puniet a Suzuki which really doesn't add up. 1 Suzuki = Bautista; 2 Suzukis = Bautista & Hopkins, where does Randy fit in??
As expected the CRT bikes are very slow thus far but there's a lot of testing time between now and April.
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Randy de Puniet wants to race for Suzuki in 2012, replacing Alvaro Bautista. Bautista is being lined up for a ride with Gresini, who are losing Aoyama to WSBK (I think). Hector Barbera will move to Pramac, replacing Capirossi. Toni Elias will leave LCR Honda; Stefan Bradl tested for them in Valencia. LCR have expressed interest in in running either de Puniet or Bradl in 2012, but with de Puniet wanting to race for Suzuki, Bradl could get himself promoted to MotoGP.
BQR-Blusens, Kiefer Racing, LCR Honda, Aspar, Marc VDS, Interwetten (who will compete under the name "Paddock GP Racing"), Suzuki and Speed Master are still yet to confirm their line-ups, and Gresini still need a second rider. I have no idea where they're going to get riders from, since most of the key players in Moto2 are staying in the category next year, and it would probably be too much of a step up to promote the big names in the 125cc to MotoGP, sicne they'd be going from two-stroke 125cc bikes to four-stroke 800-1000cc bikes.
EDIT: Alvaro Bautista was confirmed at Gresini Honda while I was typing that.
BQR-Blusens, Kiefer Racing, LCR Honda, Aspar, Marc VDS, Interwetten (who will compete under the name "Paddock GP Racing"), Suzuki and Speed Master are still yet to confirm their line-ups, and Gresini still need a second rider. I have no idea where they're going to get riders from, since most of the key players in Moto2 are staying in the category next year, and it would probably be too much of a step up to promote the big names in the 125cc to MotoGP, sicne they'd be going from two-stroke 125cc bikes to four-stroke 800-1000cc bikes.
EDIT: Alvaro Bautista was confirmed at Gresini Honda while I was typing that.
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- FactoryDriver
Yep, Bautista to Gresini, Aoyama to WSBK. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/96030
Not sure what Suzuki gains by going with De Puniet. Granted the Ducati was a piece of junk this season but I'd rather give one of the better Moto2 riders like Iannone or Luthi or Corsi a shot. My guess for the CRT teams is that they'll either reach for the 2nd or 3rd tier Moto2 riders or maybe see who they can get from WSBK. They look like they will be seriously uncompetitive for a little while.
Not sure what Suzuki gains by going with De Puniet. Granted the Ducati was a piece of junk this season but I'd rather give one of the better Moto2 riders like Iannone or Luthi or Corsi a shot. My guess for the CRT teams is that they'll either reach for the 2nd or 3rd tier Moto2 riders or maybe see who they can get from WSBK. They look like they will be seriously uncompetitive for a little while.
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Bradl is confirmed for Moto2 next year, so he wont be on a LCR in Motogp. I like Bautista, it's just a pity he is the stereotypical made-for-media rider. Iannone on a competitive bike would have been tasty.
It's going to be interesting to see where Motogp finds so mnay riders to fill the new seats. If they come up from Moto2, Moto2 needs to find replacements. If those replacements come from Moto3, same story.
I guess it will be easier to fill Moto3 with a pile of 15yr old Spaniards then Motogp with newbies.
It's going to be interesting to see where Motogp finds so mnay riders to fill the new seats. If they come up from Moto2, Moto2 needs to find replacements. If those replacements come from Moto3, same story.
I guess it will be easier to fill Moto3 with a pile of 15yr old Spaniards then Motogp with newbies.
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With who? He's not listed on the Wikipedia page under the Moto2 entrants.
I think Bautista-Simoncelli would have made an intersting combination for Gresini. I wonder if they would have taken Bautista if Simoncelli were still alive, or if they would have looked elsewhere. Ianonne-Simoncelli would have been another decent lineup.
Josh Hayes might get drafted in from the AMA. I know a lot of his Valencia result was down to the first-corner crash, but he did finish ahead of some of the regulars on his first attempt.
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I was sure it had been announced Bradl was still in Moto2, but I can't find anything to confirm it, so it would appear it is still up in the air.
I would have liked him to stick around and take on Marquez again, but with so many rides around in MotoGP next year....
I would have liked him to stick around and take on Marquez again, but with so many rides around in MotoGP next year....
Hopefully John Hopkins too 👍
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Hopkins would probably be good for one of the incoming teams, kind of like Colin Edwards running for Forward. I'd probably want to pair Hayes with another rider, but looking at the 2012 season page on Wikipedia, Gresini is the only team to run multiple bikes with a vacancy.
Marquez and de Angelis might be staying in Moto2, but I think Bradl, Iannone, and Luthi could step up. Maybe Simone Corsi, too - he scored points in every race from Qatar to Australia. Toni Elias needs another team, even if his season was slow. So I think it will play out like this:
BQR-Blusens - Simone Corsi*
Cardion AB - Karel Abraham
Ducati - Nicky Hayden, Valentino Rossi
Forward - Colin Edwards
Kiefer -
LCR Honda - Stefan Bradl
Aspar - Toni Elias*
Marc VDS -
Tech 3 - Cal Crutchlow, Andrea Dovizioso
Interwetten (Paddock) - Thomas Luthi
Pramac - Hector Barbera
Repsol Honda - Dani Pedrosa, CASEY STONER!!
Suzuki - John Hopkins, Randy de Puniet
Gresini - Alvaro Bautista
Speed Master - Andrea Iannone
Yamaha - Jorge Lorenzo, Ben Spies
*Really could go anywhere - I put Luthi and Iannone with Interwetten and Speed Master, because that's who they raced with in 2011.
Marquez and de Angelis might be staying in Moto2, but I think Bradl, Iannone, and Luthi could step up. Maybe Simone Corsi, too - he scored points in every race from Qatar to Australia. Toni Elias needs another team, even if his season was slow. So I think it will play out like this:
BQR-Blusens - Simone Corsi*
Cardion AB - Karel Abraham
Ducati - Nicky Hayden, Valentino Rossi
Forward - Colin Edwards
Kiefer -
LCR Honda - Stefan Bradl
Aspar - Toni Elias*
Marc VDS -
Tech 3 - Cal Crutchlow, Andrea Dovizioso
Interwetten (Paddock) - Thomas Luthi
Pramac - Hector Barbera
Repsol Honda - Dani Pedrosa, CASEY STONER!!
Suzuki - John Hopkins, Randy de Puniet
Gresini - Alvaro Bautista
Speed Master - Andrea Iannone
Yamaha - Jorge Lorenzo, Ben Spies
*Really could go anywhere - I put Luthi and Iannone with Interwetten and Speed Master, because that's who they raced with in 2011.
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I agree that Elias surely has to find another Motogp team; he has loads of experience of obviously knows how to ride a bike (Moto2 champ) if he can get his head around the tyres.
There was some talk in the last race of Yonny Hernandez going up too - not sure on the back of what performance that might be on though.
There was some talk in the last race of Yonny Hernandez going up too - not sure on the back of what performance that might be on though.
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Valencia, I'd say. Conditions were very mixed, and if it weren't for his off, he would have finished on the podium
It would make sense for Hernandez to race for Blusens, since he's currently with them in Moto2. Since they'll be a one-bike operation in 2012, it makes sense for them to run one of their own riders for a year because they already know him. No doubt Blusens will look at promoting Maverick Vinales to their Moto2 squad in 2013, and up to MotoGP in either 2014 or 2015, by which time they would expect to be firmly-established in the top category. Until then, they'll need someone to help them get started, and if they can't get an existing MotoGP rider (like Toni Elias), the next-best alternative is one of their Moto2 riders - either Yonny Hernandez or Kenny Noyes (since Esteve Rabat is moving to Pons Moto2 in 2012, and Joan Olive and Martin Cardenas only did one race each).
It would make sense for Hernandez to race for Blusens, since he's currently with them in Moto2. Since they'll be a one-bike operation in 2012, it makes sense for them to run one of their own riders for a year because they already know him. No doubt Blusens will look at promoting Maverick Vinales to their Moto2 squad in 2013, and up to MotoGP in either 2014 or 2015, by which time they would expect to be firmly-established in the top category. Until then, they'll need someone to help them get started, and if they can't get an existing MotoGP rider (like Toni Elias), the next-best alternative is one of their Moto2 riders - either Yonny Hernandez or Kenny Noyes (since Esteve Rabat is moving to Pons Moto2 in 2012, and Joan Olive and Martin Cardenas only did one race each).
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Just found this about Stefan Bradl on MotoGP.com:
“We have concluded two positive days of testing with Stefan and I was impressed by his skills and the way he studies the bike: he gave us a very precise technical feedback if we consider it was his first run on a MotoGP bike. Now we will proceed our negotiations with our sponsors and Honda to fix our 2012 program in the next hours.”
Possible 2012 MotoGP ride for LCR?
EDIT: Oh and James Ellison is returning to MotoGP and will be racing a CRT Bike for next season, for Paul Bird Motorsports.
“We have concluded two positive days of testing with Stefan and I was impressed by his skills and the way he studies the bike: he gave us a very precise technical feedback if we consider it was his first run on a MotoGP bike. Now we will proceed our negotiations with our sponsors and Honda to fix our 2012 program in the next hours.”
Possible 2012 MotoGP ride for LCR?
EDIT: Oh and James Ellison is returning to MotoGP and will be racing a CRT Bike for next season, for Paul Bird Motorsports.
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- FactoryDriver
Over 24 hours, so no double post.
Anyway, I just had my weekly decent thought (it's a good one this week) if Randy De Puniet were to sign for Suzuki we get one thing: This woman:
Wearing this(on the right just to be sure):
Different series, but Marco Melandri's GF/wife is also very not bad to look at. Same for Leon Haslam's GF...
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Yep there hot
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Going by the Wikipedia page for the 2012 season, another MotoGP team will join - Paul Bird Motorsports, running James Ellison on a bike with an Aprilla engine (though there is no word on the chassis supplier).
