MotoGP Turkey (Spoiler)

 Well, what a race that was.  There's a definite sense of a "changing
of the guard" this year - the hungry young guns just getting on the
bikes and riding the wheels off them, without any respect for their
elders.

1  MELANDRI  Honda    41'54.065
2  STONER       Honda    41'54.265
3  HAYDEN    Honda    41'59.523
4  ROSSI     Yamaha   42'00.274
5  ELIAS     Honda    42'00.652
6  CAPIROSSI Ducati   42'10.747
7  VERMEULEN Suzuki   42'10.842
8  NAKANO    Kawasaki 42'15.602
9  EDWARDS   Yamaha   42'16.912
10 TAMADA    Honda    42'24.548
11 GIBERNAU  Ducati   42'24.608
12 DE PUNIET Kawasaki 42'28.349
13 ROBERTS   Roberts  42'39.177
14 PEDROSA   Honda    42'47.590
15 CHECA     Yamaha   42'53.920

The official results don't tell anything like the whole story tho.
The early pace was set by the Suzukis - Vermuelen got the holeshot
from pole, from Gibernau and Hopkins.  Right on their tail was a
gaggle including Stoner, Hayden, Capirossi and Melandri.  Unusually,
Rossi didn't make any ground from his 4th row start, and then on the
second lap ran way wide and dropped himself to 14th, but by contrast
Pedrosa, who started on the back row, made a demon start and cut
through the field like a dart, joining the leading group on lap 7, and
taking the lead on lap 12.  

By this time the Suzukis and Ducatis had faded.  Rossi had got his
head down, and was setting personal best after personal best each lap,
but he'd given himself too much of a mountain to climb.  His
eventually 4th place, less than a second off Hayden was a real result,
considering, but I really think he needed to beat the american, who,
for my money looks likely to be the consistent challenger for the 2006
title.

Rides of the day were from Stoner and Pedrosa.  Both showed their
inexperience - Pedrosa by crashing out of third on the last lap
(remounting to get 2 points) and Stoner by trying to win from the
front and letting Melandri draft past him into the last chicane.  But
these two youngsters, together with Vermuelen, have set things of fire
for me.

Rossi and Yamaha were in trouble all weekend, so 4th might look like a
result for them.  But if Nicky just keeps getting podiums while the
rest of the field yo-yo up and down, he could be the guy over the
whole season.
--
Champ

 

A cracker race (in fact all 3 races were great), on the last laps I was
kneeling on the carpet in front of the telly yelling for Stoner to go, had
he won he would have been the equal youngest rider to win a premium class
race (fast Freddie is the youngest). I've always been a Stoner fan and I
really can't believe how well he is doing.  Pedrosa is also a real talent
but for whatever reason I don't get behind him, maybe it was all the pre
season hype saying how great he is going to be.  It's way too early in the
season yet to start judging, I'm certain Rossi will recover from early
season dilemma's to being back at the front, already Melandri is showing the
form he finished with last season after a couple of poor races so expect him
to be up there. I think Haydens biggest motivation is to beat Pedrosa,
Hayden is really looking good now although I don't know if he's any better
than Melandri and then Stoner and Pedrosa are certainly fast with a natural
talent and I really believe they will be giving him a hurry up all season
long despite their MGP inexperience.

As for this years championship winner, much as I hate to call it I really
think Rossi will be the man.

Paul

 

Indeed he does, but another half a lap and Rossi would have pased him, I
really felt he would have cleared off once up front.


Phew those guys just didn't know how to give up, it was awesome, credit to
Hayden who admitted in the post race interview
that he just couldn't run with them

But with Rossi having a rather poor start Nicky hasn't really capitilised,
only 12 points ahead IIRC (stand to be corrected)
But I think your correct, constistant finishes on the podium by Nicky put
him in a strong place, I really feel if he gets a win
it will boost his confidence and more will come.

Phil

 wrote:


Of course, if Rossi *had* got past Hayden, it would have changed the
complexion completely - the story would be that Hayden can't even beat
Rossi when he's given an 10 second head start.
--
Champ

 

could, would... doesn't matter.

Hayden is racing very smartly. Brilliant start to the season, doing exactly
what he needs to do in a hotly contested season to stay in the race for the
championship. His approach has always been methodical, and I like what I
see. Others may be getting the top spot on the podium, but what really
matters is who is ahead in the points game. Pedrosa has now made his first
big mistake, and the other ones that have to ride hot to make up for lost
points are likely to follow suit.

Stoner - damn, doing better than even I thought. I knew he was damn good,
because when he was challenging Pedrosa in 250 it was with an inferior team
infrastructure, and now there he is riding the wheels off that bike.
Hopefully going forward he does just have fun and learn the ropes, he's got
*so* much potential it would be a shame if he hurts himself riding a slower
bike faster than it deserves. Honda will probably already have paid notice.

Hayden is indeed looking like the strongest title candidate. I can't help
but think he has some reserve left for when he really thinks it'll help
cement his advantage later on. Right now, in this type of season, it's about
not making early mistakes (some Gibernau never learned). But later in the
season eventually you'll have to up the ante (which broke Biaggi last year
after a very consistent -albeit not nearly as strong as hayden's current
run- early season). Hayden eventually will have to fight, and not just
settle for a good result. I think he'll be very ready.

Rossi? Comes to show what heppens when you get too damn ahead of yourself.
His head already in F1 in pre-season, I don't think he'll recover from the
early shock of having all these youngsters leaving him behind. Is it just me
or does it look like he's lost it some, some kind of Spencer burn-out
syndrome? Everybody's just human.

And it's damn shame the Suzukis are as weak, the riders deserve so much
better. As does Nakano. As right now does Roberts.

I can't recall when it was the last time the points were this close. Lovely.
It's already the best season in a while, it doesn't get better than new
talent, radically re-shuffled cards at every track...

...pablo