NEW MOTO GP QUALIFYING!

[Badass]

The changes look pretty good but the top two QP1 get a little more time on the track moving to QP2 but I guess they have a reason for this.

[Hooligan]

The reason is to split the grid into slow and fast sessions to make it fairer and safer for everyone.

Did anyone see qualifying today? Motorcycle racing is if anything always unpredictable. Lorenzo shows he wants to crush the field, Pedrosa is still pretending he can win, Rossi learns the boys have not been slacking off in his absence and Marquez learns the motogp boys ain't gonna roll over for him.

Should be an interesting race.

Is anyone else lookinnforward to seeing Rossi and Marquez engage in a battle royal winner take all brawl for a win at some point. Marquez has the talent and aggressive riding style like a Rossi MiniMe. And of course when Rossi thinks he can win, he is unstoppable. Could make for an interesting battle of the titans if neither one wants to finish second. :D

Gawd I am looking forward to this racing season.

[This old RZ]

Should be a great season, Marquez is carring a lot of questions about his unbelievable talent. Don't write Perdosa off,,he's still one of the best 3 riders on the planet,and certainly would have been a 2x MOTO GP World champion is it were not for injuries and being taken out several times...lol final qualifying is today. Pedrosa can easily start from the 2-3 rd row and still be the 1st guy to turn 1 at virtually any race track he's proven that time and time again, as for Marquez..have you ever watched anyone in the last 5-10 years start from the very back of the grid and finish 1st and 2nd......as he did last year. that's sheer utter talent. The bikes and riders seem so close this year through the top 5 guys...its going to go down, as usual to tire choice and management.
The engine rule and changes may hamper things yet again..as "I think" they new rule specs only 4 engines per rider a year, instead of 6 like last year. That's a HUGE problem for Yamaha.

[Badass]

[quote="Hooligan"]The reason is to split the grid into slow and fast sessions to make it fairer and safer for everyone.
quote]

Yeah I see this, but my statement is not even correct if I understand it better now. It's a bit confusing or maybe it's just my ADD kicking in, laughs.

[tobster]

"have you ever watched anyone in the last 5-10 years start from the very back of the grid " - yup, Pedrosa, last race of the 2012 season. Well he actually started from the pitlane which is arguably worse than the back of the grid. Then he forced Lorenzo into making a mistake and crashing....not bad for a guy who supposedly can't race in the wet?
An interesting season ahead indeed - hopefully Crutchlow will get a works engine soon.

[aaronmvrider]

i think crutchlow is on a works bike ???

[This old RZ]

i think crutchlow is on a works bike ???

Are you thinking that due to the fact that he is fairly quick? If so..I do believe he has a more advanced motor than last year, or last years "factory" engines, he's still not with he new chassis he claims, and the engine/electronics package is not as potent as the "official" factory bikes. Its a good idea to have 1-2 satellite riders on machines that are competitive and capable of running with the leaders..it is beneficial to the factory riders, as it allows the 2nd tier teams when possible to allow the Factory team riders to possibly gap the opposing team riders...and it pretty much was a perfect example of that yesterday, Lorenzo was able to squirt out to a slim lead, while the remaining guys battles with each other and could not get into a rhythm, and it allowed him to go to the front and control the pace of his race. It does them no good to have riders fighting for 7-10th place. it almost worked for Honda with Bradl slowing down Rossi, If he had held up Rossi just a few more laps.. Pedrosa in all likelihood would have been on the Podium as well.

Just in case you were thinking there all equal machines.... Well Yes and No. Yes he has a factory "works" engine and chassis but it not as developed as the "official" works team. Which is Team Yamaha, Crutchlow races for TECH3, NOT a factory team. They are provided the basic package, and they have to develop the rest of the bike best they can within the required rules, and their particular budget. The bikes are definitely slower at race distance than the official factory paring. Crutchlow could not keep pace with the Hondas, he was easily gapped by the Hondas at all the straightaways, but Rossi's Yamaha, was easily able to pass the Hondas, that shows the H.P. & development advantage afforded the factory machines.That's usual and par for the course, even the factory riders, often one can be favored over another and receive updates or revisions that the teammate may not get.

Crutchlow ..is fast. He's just a lil too cocky though he has to learn to concentrate better, as he did yesterday what he did several times last year..momentary lapse of judgment cost him some positions and even some races. He publicly called himself.. "the best of the rest" yesterday. At least he was yesterday. Well see, I expect him to achive some podiums this year like Spies did, but I don't see him winning any races. Who knows though stranger things have happened.

[tobster]

"...he has to learn to concentrate better, as he did yesterday what he did several times last year"
Harsh. Crutchlow was competing with Rossi for a high place and just outbraked himself. Rossi did the same thing at least twice in the race and it's called trying hard/entertaining etc, but no comment was made that Rossi needs to concentrate harder. And Crutchlow is clearly not running the same engine etc as Rossi and Lorenzo else he would be told to shut up by his employees i.e. Tech3. The Yamaha factory will surely give him upgrades to get him infront of the Repsol Hondas, and the sooner the better. Can't wait for the next race - finally we should have some real racing in the premier class at the front.

[aaronmvrider]

" Can't wait for the next race - finally we should have some real racing in the premier class at the front.

agree.... but dont hold your breath... perhaps they will televise the position of 3-8.... thats where the challenges will be IMO..

[This old RZ]

"...he has to learn to concentrate better, as he did yesterday what he did several times last year"
Harsh. Crutchlow was competing with Rossi for a high place and just outbraked himself. Rossi did the same thing at least twice in the race and it's called trying hard/entertaining etc, but no comment was made that Rossi needs to concentrate harder. And Crutchlow is clearly not running the same engine etc as Rossi and Lorenzo else he would be told to shut up by his employees i.e. Tech3. The Yamaha factory will surely give him upgrades to get him infront of the Repsol Hondas, and the sooner the better. Can't wait for the next race - finally we should have some real racing in the premier class at the front.

"

HARSH??? Not really. Unless your the kids mother and father....lol

In actuality he has crashed or done similar things several times over last year and this years debut. I understand its racing, and to be capable of riding these machines is a great talent just by itself. He makes mistakes ,just like the top guys do, he just makes a few more of them. he is still learning, remember Lorenzos 1st year...OUCH! Crutchlow needs to learn and he will learn to get smoother and faster and gain better control. hes very fast, and is pushing his satellite machine as hard as he can to keep pace with the factory bikes, not 100% but 110%.
Crutchlow, does NOT like LOSING. I'm betting 2nd place is nothing to be proud of, its just the 1st loser...period. He is also quite brash cocky lil guy, and it rubs some the wrong way.. but that's exactly why he does it

As for the TECH3 engines, I'm quite confidant they are the very same engine design that the factory machine utilizes. Albeit without the same electronics package/programming, chassis and suspension. The transmission on the factory machines may or may not be a new seamless design. But I think that has to be officially disclosed? Its blatant the tech 3 machines do not have the same speed as the factory bikes. Honda out accelerate the Tech3 machines gapped them easily on the straight and out of the corners but the factory Yamahas out paced the Hondas, yes they have easily the two best riders in the world IMO, that shurley doesn't hurt. The factory team ALWAYS gets the most recent and advanced updates TECH 3 will NEVER receive the exact/identical package...NEVER. They will provide the basic platform and tech,and it will get them close to the front, but its not the engine/chassis alone. Lorenzo has one of the best teams to put together his machine there is. And Rossi, goes without saying Jeremy Burgess, provided the winning machines to WORLD CHAMPIONS Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan, and Rossi...that's a tuner RESPONSIBLE for what 12-14 world championships.
In addition, I think? the engines provided cannot differ from factory team to the satellite team under the rules. The transmission I think is open, as is the chassis, certain aspects of the suspension and obviously specialized engine programming by the software development team. I don't see Tech 3 , or any satellite team coughing up a cool $ 300.000 dollars each for a seamless transmission at perhaps 3-4 a year. That's if Yamaha is even using one yet, press releases say no..but who knows? Honda and Ducati are utilizing their designs.

Its a show, and I'm just a spectator. Its fun to speculate and 2nd guess when we really have not much insight as to what really is happening behind closed doors and the press releases and confidentiality agreements

[Badass]

It was awesome in HD I'll bet! with all the lighting, sadly I don't have HD. I never really wanted HD but now I might have to get it just for my beloved racing. Although it was a great race WSBK is still a better show. I guess we can blame the economy on that. Rossi made it for me otherwise not alot happening. I was right about Spies, he should have stayed in WSBK until he got tired of it or somthing?