GeneRally International Forum

2010 season went under way a couple of weeks ago under the lights at Losail, Qatar and we have seen a few things.

125cc
3 engines: Aprilia RSW and RSA and Honda RSR
4 chassis: Aprilia RSW and RSA, Derbi RSA and Honda RSR
Tyres: Dunlop
· Spain vs. The World because no country has a really strong national championship to breed young riders.
· Why Lambretta is here??

Moto2
1 engine: Modified Honda CBR 600
Many chassis: about 20 teams, only 3 chassis are on different teams (RSV, Suter and Moriwaki)
Tyres: Dunlop
· 30 guys in 3,5 secs on practice and qualifying sessions.
· Races are VERY familiar to the ones seen on 250cc (small groups all around).
· Some guys from the CEV (Campeonato de España de velocidad) that do not deserve to be there (Martínez, Guerra, and Noyes).
· The class was also developed in the Japanese championship but no team wanted to come to the World championship, why??

MotoGp
Yamaha, Honda, Ducati and Suzuki.
· M1 has a big lack of power but perfect suspension.
· RC212V has a GREAT engine but awful suspension.
· GP10 is quite good and much more rideable but riders need more confidence.
· GSV-R is still very bad. Hopkins-Vermuelen era was by far the best one.

In my opinion, Dovizioso could have won the race but showed how powerful the Honda was VERY early. Without trying to overtake Rossi, the 2 Italians could have began working together and Dovizioso could have passed Rossi on the last straight.
On the other half was Hayden, he didn't showed the power of his ride during the race but ended up finishing 4th.

Yeah, I'd like the sport as well but it is darn friggin annoying that The Netherlands don't have the rights anymore to broadcast it. So I haven't been able to see it on my t.v. One thing is certain though, I'm going once again to the Dutch TT in Assen.

CaLu wrote:Yeah, I'd like the sport as well but it is darn friggin annoying that The Netherlands don't have the rights anymore to broadcast it. So I haven't been able to see it on my t.v. One thing is certain though, I'm going once again to the Dutch TT in Assen.

BBC....

If my memory is still OK, the Spanish Gp at Jerez is going to be this weekend.
About 250k accumulative spectators are expected , expecting about 120-130k only for sunday. The circuit is gonna be as crowded as always but organizers expect more foreigners and less locals in the circuit (stupid economical crysis... ).

125cc
Spanish dominance is expected to continue in the home circuit but things can get a little bit worse because EVERYBODY in the championship has been there a lot of times.

Moto2
Elias will be better after a couple of weeks of resting.
I hope Bradl and de Anglelis don't crash this time so we can see about 6 guys figthing for the win.

MotoGp
Speed is not very important in Jerez, the Yamahas will be OK while Honda (specially Pedrosa) will have lots of problems.
If the Ducati is really more rideable than before, we can see good races by Stoner AND Hayden.

Alonsomania wrote:

CaLu wrote:Yeah, I'd like the sport as well but it is darn friggin annoying that The Netherlands don't have the rights anymore to broadcast it. So I haven't been able to see it on my t.v. One thing is certain though, I'm going once again to the Dutch TT in Assen.

BBC....

Wish that was true... As I can't recieve the BBC due to having digital television from a provider which doesn't have standard BBC in the setlist.

Otherwise it wasn't an issue.

I hate spanish drivers... Thats all I can say.
Sorry all spanish guys!

CaLu wrote:

Alonsomania wrote:

CaLu wrote:Yeah, I'd like the sport as well but it is darn friggin annoying that The Netherlands don't have the rights anymore to broadcast it. So I haven't been able to see it on my t.v. One thing is certain though, I'm going once again to the Dutch TT in Assen.

BBC....

Wish that was true... As I can't recieve the BBC due to having digital television from a provider which doesn't have standard BBC in the setlist.

Otherwise it wasn't an issue.

Eh? That makes no sense...BBC should still be available on the analogue connection (which you still have...)

Can we keep the MotoGp discussion or should I say to the mods that they should delete the post??
C'mon guys, it's incredible that you never stick to the topic for more than 5 replies...
Does anybody have ANYTHING to say about the present season, previous seasons or the future of the championship??

CaLu and Alonsomania are discussing way, how to catch MotoGP in Netherlands, so they are in topic.

My interest about MotoGP and motorcycling events? In fact I'm very happy, that a Czech TV, which owns right to MotoGP, decided, that the MotoGP race will be on their paid broadcasting and Moto2 on general (the original plan was opposite), because MotoGP is very boring IMHO now. I saw 6-7 races of the highest class last year (including Barca race!) and I decided not care about next seasons until there will be at least as much bikes as cars in F1. Fortunately the two smaller classes are still big fun (even better this year). For me highest motorcycling competition of four-stroke bikes is WSBK at this moment (will they race now at Monza?) and best action IoM (I don't have chance to see ''live'' Irish Road Race Championship, but I'm happy, that Czech Rep. has this kind of champ since this year too - Czech Road Racing Cup - organizers of 6 independent actions decided to organize it. BTW Their events are more attended by spectators than races of main Czech Championship held in Brno and Most.). And I'm trying to see Speedway racing too, because I like this class of racing very much.

How do we feel then about the loss of the 250cc category, which has been replaced with the Moto2 category?

I think that it is ashame that we lost a lower category, although I haven't been able to see it running due to broadcasting issues in The Netherlands.
The gap between the 125 and the Moto2 class seems in first instance too be big. As the prime being a 2-stroke engine and the latter a 4-stroke engine, there is a big difference in how the bike will respond to the drivers actions.

Well at least I'm going to see the Dutch TT, so I think I can judge properly after that.

General thoughts about the class itselves (not 2010 specific)

125cc
Some years ago, there were like 36 guys in EVERY race but there were a big bunch of riders that were lapped. The grid has become smaller in the last couple of years but only wild-cards are lapped so I think that quality has improved A LOT.

250cc / Moto2
The middle class has always been quite boring. Good bikes were very expensive and there were only about 5 factory guys. I have never seen more than 4 guys battling for a position in the last lap of a race. FIM and Dorna tried to eliminate the "factory factor" so we can see more guys battling but I don't think it's gonna work very well.

500cc / MotoGp
There have never been more than 24 BIG guys... The Golden era of the 2-strokes (early to mid 90s) had grids with less than 15 guys and races were great. Now we have a some kind positive thing... MotoGp bikes are so precise and so "perfect" that there're no real privateers. All bikes are pushed to the edge. During the first 5-6 races of the championship ('til mid-season evolutions), there's no real difference between the different teams of the same brand.

Circuito de Jerez (Jerez's racetrack)
Jerez's layout is maybe the most ideal for bikes of the whole schedule. It's not a typical stop-and-go track, there're some turns where you have to be quite gentle with the accelerator and/or with the brakes. With bike racing, there're like 4-5 overtaking points in just 13 turns: Expo '92, Dry sack, Ángel Nieto and Ducados with possible overtakes at Sito Pons and Álex Crivillé (I have seen some overtakes there).
Also, crowds are always huge there. Assen WAS the cathedral but Jerez now has much bigger crowds and I think that the layout change in Assen was the last step to let Jerez become the new cathedral.

Well Assen is still named the cathedral of motorsports. Although since they've shortened the circuit it has become more ordinairy compared to the rest. The old circuit has got my favours though as they've 'raped' the circuit with it's curent lay-out.

Though Assen still gives very nice races. The crowds aren't as big as they were before, but that does seem logical with the shortening of the circuit.
The atmosphere is always very good, as I've noticed during the last 5 events that I've been to. Hopefully this June we will get to see a good show.

What I feel as lame is that there are currently 4 Spanish circuits... Dorna should get rid of at least 3 of them (also counts for the mutiple circuits in the US and in Italy), and for those circuits they should go to other countries to make it a true world championship. For example let's go back to South Africa (i.e.Welkom Circuit) or an entirely different circuit. Also Indy doesn't seem to work for me, as it is a cultivated circuit, which only work with the oval lay-out. Formula One didn't work there, so doens't MotoGP and the lower classes.
But that's just my opinion.

Greetz, CaLu.

BTW is Kallio Still driving in MotoGP?

Yes he is, he's still driving for the Pramac Ducati Team. Only now the bike is an ecological green color instead of what they've had last year.

All righty then

I stopped watching the MotoGP series(and the smaller classes) around the same time when Kallio changed to 250s. The channel showing the races decided to move it to another channel, and that's why I just forgot the series. And now there's just no reason to watch it anymore, since the number of participants has gone way down.

Hm, in Moto2 there's Ukrainian.

Can someone explain why in MotoGP there are only 17 riders and in Moto2 - 40?

Because nobody is able to pay so much money ATM (e.g. for frames from special materials). Also the bike is/was full of electronic driving aids (as you can see, when drivers shift or accelerate) and the bike is only 800ccm, Moto2 is 600ccm, so it's not big difference.

FIM tries to solve it by changes for this season and next seasons. For example since this year changes in MotoGP's rules say:

• During the weekend driver may use only one machine.
  The rider can use a maximum of six engines for the entire championship.
  Hydraulic pressure systems are not allowed. Engine oil may not be used for other purposes.
  Variable valve timing and variable valve lift system operated hydraulically or electronically are not allowed.
  EGR (exhaust gas regulation) is not allowed. Variable exhaust system is not allowed.
  Automatic transmission is not allowed. Manual gear shifting with little support will be admissible. Infinitely mutable systems of transmission are not allowed.
  Dual clutch system (known as DSG) is not allowed.
  Electrical / electronic damper control system is not allowed.
  Ceramic composite materials for brake discs and brake segments are not allowed.
  MMC (Metal Matrix Composite) and FRM (Fiber Matrix Material) are not allowed.
  Testing is strongly limited (details not interesting).
  etc etc etc

Since 2012 MotoGP will be 990ccm. I hope, that all these changes will help to increase field.

Comments after the qualifying sessions in Jerez

125cc
· Spain vs. The World... and Spain wins
· Still some problems with the Lambretta (brand new bike with low budget) but they are getting closer to top 15

Moto2
· Tomizawa is the fastest after surprisingly winning at Qatar
· Former CEV riders (Yonni Hernández or Kenny Noyes, for example) become very fast thanks to their good knowledge about the track
· 15 guys in the same second

MotoGp
· Yamaha is not that fast at a very good track for them... and Rossi should stop training doing motocross, he sould do laps at rallycross tracks (more slide, less risk)
· Honda is getting better but lacks of consistence
· Ducati is more and more rideable, Hayden is becoming quite fast
· Suzuki still sucks... and I don't see the light after the tunnel

Well... it's not really a bump, it's only that we didn't have a race for the last 3 weeks!!!


JEREZ- Spanish Gp
125cc
· Spanish riders dominated the race, completely, they even had some options to clinch the top 5 spots but Márquez and Vázquez fell down
· What's happening to Bradley, Folger and Webb?
· Lambretta scored their 1st point thanks to Spaniard Luís Salom and to the 9 retirements

Moto2
· In-cre-di-ble battle for the top 10
· 9 different chassis in the top 10
· SUGGEST: change the points system to one used in motocross: 25-22-20-18-16-15-14...

MotoGp
· Lorenzo came back from 4th or 5th to 1st
· Pedrosa had some electrical problem that make his engine save about 1 litre of gas during the last 5 laps
· Ducatis are more rideable but way more slower than in previous seasons
· Great battle for 7th (7 riders in 3 secs)
· Simoncelli begins well but then goes slower than the rest while Bautista and Barberá are much more constant

LE MANS- French Gp
125cc
· Spaniards in all top 4 spots
· Smith, Cortese and Koyama are maybe the only ones who can beat "Spanish Junior Armada"

Moto2
· Elias' 2nd win of the season, he's the man to beat after his fast recovery of an off-season injury
· 6 different chassis in top 7
· Lots of crashes (polesitter Kenny Noyes, son of Dennis Noyes, fell down)
· Aspar team changed to Suter (Simón and di Meglio rode RSV in Qatar and Jerez)

MotoGp
· Lorenzo's first back-to-back wins in MotoGp
· Pedrosa's having BIG problems with tire wear
· The battle between the 6 rookies is getting hotter thanks to Spies' lack of constancy
· Stoner, Spies and Capirossi keep crashing

I hope you liked it, you'll see my comment about Mugello in a week or so!!!

Since this round, I'll only create one post per Gp and I'll only edit it when events happen.

Italian Gp at Mugello circuit
This is it, the 4th round of the championship is here.

The track
· One of the longest ones, about 5,5km long
· One of the longest straights, Pedrosa scored 360kph (225mph) in 2009
· Lots of downhill and uphill esses, 2 wide u-turns and a couple of single right handers. The layout is simple but it works very well when it comes to bike racing
· Valley-like enviroment is perfect, riders said that the crowd is very loud thanks to the acoustic of the track

FRIDAY
- 125cc
Only 2 non-Spanish riders on the top 7. Smith and Krummenacher are becoming the only threads to the "Armada invencible" (look at history books, you'll sure find it)

- Moto2
De Angelis hasn't scored a point on the 1st 3 races but it has shown his strenght
Gadea is becoming more and more stronger as races go by
Elias (11th), 1 second behind, seems to have some problems with the setting
CEV (Spanish national championship) riders are way behind because they haven't go outside Spain very often...

- MotoGp
Yamaha duo is up front
Honda and Ducati are having lots of problems
WTH!!!??? Why is Capirossi 3rd??
Spies is (always) the fastest rookie
Btw, Héctor Barberá scored 340kph

SORRY, but I couldn't upload this earlier... (June 7th)

SATURDAY
- 125cc
1st pole by a non-Spanish rider
The 5 big Spaniards will start in the first 2 files
Luís Salom (the guy that scored 1 pt. for Lambretta) has abandoned the team and now is a privateer in an Aprilia team, he'll start 12th (Molenaar)
Moncayo is almost faster than teammate and British young gun Webb

- Moto2
14 guys in just 1 second
Incredible 8th place in the grid for Axel Pons (son of 2-time 250cc champion Sito Pons)
Former CEV riders are having problems with this track (too new for them)

- MotoGp
Rossi will be out for 6 weeks or more
The rookies: Spies - Espargaró - Simoncelli - Barberá - Bautista
Bautista is freaking slow (more than 4 secs behind)
341,9kph for Barberá

SUNDAY
- 125cc
Another 3-peat for Spain
Good battle for the win, 4 riders (Smith was the only non-Spanish one and finished 4th)
Pole-man Cortese made a mistake early in the race and couldn't finish
The championship is becoming a Nico-Pol duel

- Moto2
Iannone wins after pulling hard early
5 guys battling for 2nd (Gadea - Corsi - Luthi - Elías - Tomizawa)
Pons couldn't finish the race where he started best in his career
Gadea is becoming a threat for the championship
Elias is the leader but there are 3 guys about 20 pts. behind (Tomizawa - Corsi - Gadea)

- MotoGp
Pedrosa wins following Iannone's tactics
Hayden could've been a threat for Lorenzo-Dovizioso but fell down early
AWFUL race for Stoner, he finished 4th though he could have finished 6th
Simoncelli avoided a crash (it was the 1st time ever)
Spies leaded the rookies while his teammate crashed and finished last behind an injured Bautista
Lorenzo leads while Pedrosa and Dovizioso are less than 30 pts. behind
Simoncelli leads the rookie championship by just a couple of points

Valentino Rossi out for up to 6 months with broken leg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsp ... 723843.stm
Valentino Rossi could be out for up to six months after suffering a compound fracture of his right leg in a crash in practice for Sunday's Italian MotoGP.
The 31-year-old reigning world champion is recovering in hospital after a successful operation on Saturday.
Dr Claudio Costa, head of the Mugello medical centre where Rossi was treated, said he was "awake and smiling".
"The surgeon Dr Roberto Buzzi has talked of four, five, maybe six months recovery," Dr Costa said.
"But as ever the diagnosis after the first few days is always important."
Dr Costa earlier described Rossi's injury - a displaced and exposed fracture of his right tibia - as a "very ugly fracture" while Dr Buzzi later reportedly said it was the worst type of injury he had operated on and expressed doubt that Rossi would return to racing in 2010.

As you can guess by my name I've never really been Rossi's biggest supporter but it was a horrible accident, get well soon Vale

MotoGP without Rossi? Bye bye for while. I think Kallio have now chance to be in Top15

It's ashamed that Vale is out for at least 7 weeks till 2 months... Now it does seem it's going to be a walk in the park for Lorenzo, as he has been almost 'superior' this season. What I do hope is that Colin will replace Vale in the factory team of Yamaha, as he deserves it.

Get well soon Vale, we'll miss you on-track!

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT VALENTINO'S CRASH

I've been following FIM Gp racing since my memory is OK, I've seen lots of crashed in both 2-strokes and 4-strokes. I've seen Doohan's career-ending crash at Jerez and Pedrosa's horrific crash at Phillip island after he won his 125cc championship. I've also seen guys like Gardner, Rainey, Schwantz, Itoh, Beattie, Mamola, Lawson and even Spencer racing thanks to retro vids.
After all of this, I think that Rossi's crash wasn't his fault. He made a high side BEFORE the apex of the racing line's (that S has quite a particular racing line and the apex of the line is not the apex of the turn, it's earlier). I have never seen that, not with BIG BANG engines, not with 125cc and not with 4-strokes. I think it was an electronical fail of his single-handed brake system (yes, I'm 95% sure this guys don't have to brake with their right hand and foot), I think that system locked his rear wheel in a turn where braking is not strictly needed. Rossi's crash was closer to a supermoto crash, where guys slide the backs of their bikes thanks to a strong use of the rear brake.
Guys, I've been a FIM Gp fan for almost a decade and a half and I can only say that we'll officially never know why Rossi crashed because it'd mean that these guys are using an excessively advanced system.

THANKS FOR YOUR READING and please try to discuss that if you can.