Rossi on 'stones and Lorenzo on Michelin?

 

What's your definition of "look like I'm HIV+"?

At 185 cm / 80 kg, your BMI is 23.4. The "overweight" classification starts
at 25.

Carl
Just blew my TI

 just bob wrote:

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/mcn/2007/october/oct8-14/oct1307rossitousebridgestonein08/?&R=EPI-96051  

Why? In 2004 Tamada on Bridgestones and Biaggi on Michelins both rode
under the Camel Pons team umbrella, and it's not like too many people
believe that Rossi and Lorenzo will really be teammates under a unified
team structure. Hell, they more than likerly won't even have the same
sponsor, Rossi to continue with Fiat and Lorenzo probably with Fortuna,
or maybe Telefonica.

In the bigger picture you have the following data points:

  - Bridgestone doesn't want to concede anything regarding the tire
limitation rule, because they are better under that situation than
Michelin. And it won't happen if they don't agree. And in a competitive
situation there is a limit to how many guys they can supply. I doubt
that they'd mind a monopoly, though.

  - Michelin wants to have a representative rider pool, with at least a
couple riders who can win races. Historically they have not been a brand
that supplied a large number of riders with equal tires, rather have
supplied two or three guys with superior tires and the rest with
relative crap. This year they supply the factory Honda and Yamaha teams,
but beyond that it's just two low-budget Honda lease teams and Team
Roberts. So if they lose those top guys, they likely just pull out. Just
as they have in the AMA a few times.

  - Even though Dorna floated this spec tire proposal, they really can't
want that. GP is all about prototypes, and they'd be borrowing from WSB,
effectively conceding that the Flamminis know better than they do. But
they needed to break up the log jam on this tire business.

  - Rossi and Pedrosa can't be remotely happy with the notion that
they'd be on inferior tires next year, and these are two guys very
unused to having inferior anything. And Yamaha and Honda have to be
right there with them. So if Bridgestone won't have them and Michelin
would pull out if they did leave, why not get behind a spec tire rule
and force the issue? But Rossi's been cool on that, because he knows
from experience that having a superior tire specially made for him gives
a huge advantage, and would that happen under a spec tire situation? No
guarantees.

Cycle News this week has this in an article on the tire situation: "'We
have one different season, and everyone wants to jump ship and change
everything. Considering how many riders I've spoken to, I haven't found
anyone who supported this. But then there's always been a couple riders
who decide everything', Stoner said. He meant Rossi and Pedrosa, but
invited to name names, he declined. 'I think everyone knows who I mean'."

And that's what this really comes down to for Dorna, just as Noyes said
earlier. If Rossi jumps, then the good ship EuroGod is righted, and
Dorna can anticipate that he'll be back at the front most of the time.
By moving Tech3 from Dunlop to Michelin and putting Lorenzo on
Michelins, Yamaha has done their part to support Michelin, even if they
don't quite agree that losing Rossi is a fair tradeoff.

But they still have Pedrosa, it seems, and that might be enough for
them. Hayden will stay the course, of course, and they'll have the other
Honda riff-raff as well. So given the year they've had, should be enough
to satisfy them. Pedrosa will feel like he's taken one up the backside,
no doubt, as one of racing's few (two?) privileged elite. Dorna won't
get their dreamed-of Rossi vs. Pedrosa title bout if Michelin doesn't
come through, but having Rossi happy and out front is probably enough
for now, and he'll likely have Stoner and Melandri to fight even when
the Michelins don't work.

The tire rule won't likely change very much, just enough to give
everyone some cover. My guess would be an increase in the number of
tires, but maybe by only a couple pair. Or the Rossi deal may have
involved a real concession on Bridgestone's part, maybe that's enough to
get them to concede a free Friday before the choices are made. But would
Rossi make this move if the rules change enough that he could end up on
the wrong side of the fence again? No, so I doubt that we'll see that -
at the top levels of the sport it IS all about Vale and keeping him happy.

Maybe there's another shoe yet to drop - D'Antin thrown out of the
Bridgestone boat, maybe Gresini, or maybe a third Kawi for Max on
Michelins. And no one has signed on to use those Dunlops yet. But it
pretty much has to be settled by Valencia, as that's where the '08
testing begins...

 

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/mcn/2007/october/oct8-14/oct1307rossitousebridgestonein08/?&R=EPI-96051

Wow, I was not aware. Never happen in F1, but this is not F1, thankfully.

 "just bob" wrote:

Why not? Michelin loses Rossi but gains Lorenzo and Toseland at
Yamaha, and keeps Pedrosa, Hayden, et al at Honda. Sounds like a
compromise worked out by Dorna to keep Michelin in the game and to
keep Rossi happy and in the game as well. Bridgestone doesn't get the
full monty, but they do get EuroGod so are pleased enough. They
probably will give up very little on the tire rule as well, maybe a
few extra sets added to the allowance but no Friday night
decisionmaking.

And Rossi gets what he wants, the best tires in the paddock. As usual.
Dani gets a mild screwing and he's no doubt pissed about it, while
Hayden sucks it up as usual and tries to make the best of a less-than-
great situation. I suppose there might be another shoe to drop on this
as well - like Biaggi on a third Kawasaki running Michelins?

I found this line kind of amusing - "Not even the promise of a huge
increase in investment and resources has convinced Rossi to remain
with Michelin, such is his desire to race on the same rubber as new
world champion Casey Stoner." Shows how the factories suck up to him,
and I doubt Stoner being on Bridgestones has much to do with it, he
just doesn't want to hand an edge in hardware to anyone, and that
recent bit about Yamaha having to step it up just another example of
Rossi's "it's all about me!" attitude...

 "just bob" wrote:

Why not? Michelin loses Rossi but gains Lorenzo and Toseland at
Yamaha, and keeps Pedrosa, Hayden, et al at Honda. Sounds like a
compromise worked out by Dorna to keep Michelin in the game and to
keep Rossi happy and in the game as well. Bridgestone doesn't get the
full monty, but they do get EuroGod so are pleased enough. They
probably will give up very little on the tire rule as well, maybe a
few extra sets added to the allowance but no Friday night
decisionmaking.

And Rossi gets what he wants, the best tires in the paddock. As usual.
Dani gets a mild screwing and he's no doubt pissed about it, while
Hayden sucks it up as usual and tries to make the best of a less-than-
great situation. I suppose there might be another shoe to drop on this
as well - like Biaggi on a third Kawasaki running Michelins?

I found this line kind of amusing - "Not even the promise of a huge
increase in investment and resources has convinced Rossi to remain
with Michelin, such is his desire to race on the same rubber as new
world champion Casey Stoner." Shows how the factories suck up to him,
and I doubt Stoner being on Bridgestones has much to do with it, he
just doesn't want to hand an edge in hardware to anyone, and that
recent bit about Yamaha having to step it up just another example of
Rossi's "it's all about me!" attitude...