**SPOILER CONTENT** QATAR 2008 MOTOGP Thread

[Yamadog]

Can't wait for the season kickoff? Read http://blogger.xs4all.nl/daisy/archive/2008/03/05/358585.aspx/ for a really good preview/review to get started. Edit updated link to Kropotkin season preview.

[Yamadog]

First practice:

1.  Casey Stoner         Ducati Marlboro Team     1:55.870            19
 2.  Jorge Lorenzo        Fiat Yamaha Team         1:55.924  + 0.054   22
 3.  Andrea Dovizioso     JiR Team Scot MotoGP     1:56.221  + 0.351   15
 4.  Valentino Rossi      Fiat Yamaha Team         1:56.269  + 0.399   22
 5.  Dani Pedrosa         Repsol Honda Team        1:56.478  + 0.608   23
 6.  Randy De Puniet      LCR Honda MotoGP         1:56.525  + 0.655   22
 7.  Colin Edwards        Tech 3 Yamaha            1:56.574  + 0.704   22
 8.  James Toseland       Tech 3 Yamaha            1:56.950  + 1.080   21
 9.  Nicky Hayden         Repsol Honda Team        1:57.069  + 1.199   22
10.  John Hopkins         Kawasaki Racing Team     1:57.085  + 1.215   20
11.  Marco Melandri       Ducati Marlboro Team     1:57.137  + 1.267   21
12.  Loris Capirossi      Rizla Suzuki MotoGP      1:57.287  + 1.417   21
13.  Alex De Angelis      San Carlo Honda Gresini  1:57.561  + 1.691   22
14.  Shinya Nakano        San Carlo Honda Gresini  1:57.588  + 1.718   23
15.  Chris Vermeulen      Rizla Suzuki MotoGP      1:57.639  + 1.769   20
16.  Toni Elias           Alice Team               1:58.130  + 2.260   17
17.  Anthony West         Kawasaki Racing Team     1:58.912  + 3.042   21
18.  Sylvain Guintoli     Alice Team               1:59.006  + 3.136   16

[highside]

Oh my, Rossi better watch out for Mr Goldshoes.  

Nothing worse than losing to your own team mate. Even worse if he is a rookie and you just spent an entire year bitching to get your own tire contract.

[Capirex]

Heh.  I'm watching FP2 and Pedrosa just ran into the back of Rossi and binned it.  Not sure if Rossi was pulling up or trying to get up to speed but it was pretty ugly.

[Capirex]

Interesting to see that Dovizioso was the fastest Honda today.  

Still 10 minutes left but I can't watch it anymore.

[JonS]

The top four places are only .4 sec apart and its only the first practice. The only thing I can see so far is that this might be a very interesting year.

Quote from yamadog: Can't wait for the season kickoff? Read http://blogger.xs4all.nl/daisy/archive/2008/03/05/358585.aspx/ for a really good preview/review to get started. Edit updated link to Kropotkin season preview.

+1
I read the article yesterday and enjoyed it quite a bit.

[Yamadog]

Combined free practice times:

1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 55.442 secs
2. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1min 55.453 secs
3. James Toseland GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1min 55.812 secs
4. Colin Edwards USA Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1min 55.942 secs
5. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Scot Team (M) 1min 55.963 secs
6. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 56.120 secs
7. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1min 56.234 secs
8. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 56.269 secs *
9. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 56.279 secs
10. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 56.478 secs *
11. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 56.922 secs
12. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 57.011 secs
13. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 57.045 secs
14. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 57.085 secs *
15. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 57.091 secs
16. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 1min 57.311 secs
17. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 57.934 secs
18. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 1min 58.500 secs
*FP1

One has to wonder who were on race tires vs. qualies, etc. etc.

[DogBoy]

Day one highlights...and some low lights.

[miles]

I love the sparky knee sliders at night.  That rocks.

[Jeff N]

Day one highlights...and some low lights.

Totally bitchin' cool. A viddy I can see from work.  

I've heard the sand traps are actually rock traps to keep the dust down. Poor Pedrobot must be hurtin' sumptin fierce.

[Ant]

That was a fun qualifying!! Really shook things up as well, interesting starting grid for tomorrows race. Am I allowed to post the quali results here since there is a spoiler tag in the title?

God bless Eurosport showing the quali live  

[miles]

Am I allowed to post the quali results here since there is a spoiler tag in the title?

Well, I think it's probably OK to mention that inline fours occupied the top three spots.

[Yamadog]

snip

 Am I allowed to post the quali results here since there is a spoiler tag in the title?
snip

Absolutely. Spoiler simply means that "results" are posted and if one wants to watch the race or qualifying, etc., without knowing the results, then the thread should be avoided.

[JonS]

This is amazing!
Qualifying for Qatar:

Quote Soup:
1   Jorge Lorenzo   Fiat Yamaha Team   Yamaha   1:53.927
2   James Toseland   Yamaha Tech 3   Yamaha   1:54.182
3   Colin Edwards   Yamaha Tech 3   Yamaha   1:54.499
4   Casey Stoner   Ducati Marlboro Team   Ducati   1:54.733
5   Randy De Puniet   LCR Honda MotoGP   Honda   1:54.818
6   Nicky Hayden   Repsol Honda Team   Honda   1:54.880
7   Valentino Rossi   Fiat Yamaha Team   Yamaha   1:55.133
8   Dani Pedrosa   Repsol Honda Team   Honda   1:55.170
9   Andrea Dovizioso   JiR Scot Team   Honda   1:55.185
10   John Hopkins   Kawasaki Racing Team   Kawasaki   1:55.263
11   Chris Vermeulen   Rizla Suzuki MotoGP   Suzuki   1:55.540
12   Alex De Angelis   San Carlo Honda Gresini   Honda   1:55.692
13   Loris Capirossi   Rizla Suzuki MotoGP   Suzuki   1:56.070
14   Toni Elias   Alice Team   Ducati   1:56.251
15   Shinya Nakano   San Carlo Honda Gresini   Honda   1:56.434
16   Marco Melandri   Ducati Marlboro Team   Ducati   1:56.730
17   Sylvain Guintoli   Alice Team   Ducati   1:57.198
18   Anthony West   Kawasaki Racing Team   Kawasaki   1:57.445

[highside]

Rossi is the LAST Yamaha on the grid?!?!  

Looks like Yamaha actually built a fast bike this year though...

I'm real impressed with how Lorenzo is warming up to the 800s. It remains to be seen if he can keep it going for a whole race though. Qualifying doesn't really mean very much in MotoGP, and Rossi kinda likes working up through the pack, so there is no indication of what is really gonna happen. Personally, I would be extatic to see a rookie like Lorenzo finish in the top five in his first MotoGP. He's a colorful character and probably spells a whole lot of fun for the curcuit.

[Gaolee]

As long as Nicky beats the Pedrobot, all is well in the world.

[MisterSmooth]

Geez, Lorenzo still looks like he's about 15.

Fast as hell, though!  

My man Vermeulen is firmly mid-pack.  Shame that.

[Mr Sunshine]

Rossi is the LAST Yamaha on the grid?!?!  

Looks like Yamaha actually built a fast bike this year though...

Rossi did comment that he didn't like Bridgestone's qualifing tire but liked their race tire....so we'll see in about 15 hours.

[Yamadog]

So it appears Michelin have superior qualies, but the race may favor 'Stones. But I'm just glad to see that Stoner isn't 1.5 sec faster than everyone else. Go Nicky!

Edit to add: As usual Kropotkin has a great perspective on qualifying posted at http://blogger.xs4all.nl/daisy/archive/2008/03/08/359345.aspx. Love this comment on Repsol Honda and Pedrobot:

The Repsol Honda team must be wishing they had a wall down the middle of the garage, with the team now split between the two riders. The situation with only two '07 bikes can only have exacerbated the tension, and MotoGP wags are already comparing Dani Pedrosa to Max Biaggi, though "without any of Max's endearing qualities", to quote one commentator. Honda seems very much to have lost its way, and will need to score some points tomorrow to get its season underway. It's a small step from simmering resentment to open warfare, but a step which seems more likely every day.

 

[miles]

[R Doug]

Did I miss it on Speed?  The only showing I found was 10PM tonight (Sunday 3/9)?

[Nouroog]

MotoGP is on later this evening, correct. It's on at 7pm here on the west coast.

[Ant]

It was an interesting race as far as the mixed up front two rows and the finishing "pack" are concerned but other than one or two "ohmygodohmygod" bits it was a fairly uneventful race. Not dull, just nothing much to write home about... It does show though that a lot of the new runners have the pace and the ability to play with the big boys.  

[miles]

It'll be interesting to see if Qatar is an anomaly or an indication of the season's results.  Sure, the track was cold, sure, the lights were a change, and so on...  In three weeks we'll see how it goes in Jerez.

[servicerifle]

No offense Miles, but a lot of "you guys" say "we'll see in Jerez" or "we'll see at Laguna" or "we'll see ______" all the way 'till the end of the season.  Each race is a RACE. Completely independent of all other races.  None are anomalies.  Qatar is a good example of this, where three "new guys" pushed a whole field of GP veterans to the rear.

Stoner worked his way through traffic perfectly and then never looked back.

Lorenzo did a great job his first race, and stuck with Stoner for a good long while.  For a while I was wondering if he'd make a move, 'till he started fading.

Pedrosa, well, it's popular to not like him "just because" or because he's small, or because he almost screwed over Nicky in '06, but good grief the guy certainly has skills.  He's no joke on a bike.

Dovizioso, where'd this guy come from?  See ya Rossi, another guy just passed you up.

Toseland, great showing.

The competition got better, that's for sure.

Looks like an entertaining season no matter how you slice it.

[pearsonm]

I watch Stoner on that Ducati and am just amazed at how much better they are than everyone else. At 200+ mph that bike wiggles underneath him like a shopping cart wheel yet he looks as though he's laying beside the beach in a hammock.

Then I see Pedrosa and am reminded at what a nice guy Biaggi was.

[Nouroog]

Toseland is my new GP hero, bashing fairings and all. Wow.  


Otherwise, I have to agree that after the first ten or so laps it was back to business as usual, with the exception of Lorenzo being the one closest to  Stoner.

[JonS]

Geeze, who are these guys! It something special when one new guy shines, let alone three.

[miles]

No offense Miles, but a lot of "you guys" say "we'll see in Jerez" or "we'll see at Laguna" or "we'll see ______" all the way 'till the end of the season.  Each race is a RACE. Completely independent of all other races.  None are anomalies.  Qatar is a good example of this, where three "new guys" pushed a whole field of GP veterans to the rear.

Stoner worked his way through traffic perfectly and then never looked back.

Lorenzo did a great job his first race, and stuck with Stoner for a good long while.  For a while I was wondering if he'd make a move, 'till he started fading.

Pedrosa, well, it's popular to not like him "just because" or because he's small, or because he almost screwed over Nicky in '06, but good grief the guy certainly has skills.  He's no joke on a bike.

Dovizioso, where'd this guy come from?  See ya Rossi, another guy just passed you up.

Toseland, great showing.

The competition got better, that's for sure.

Looks like an entertaining season no matter how you slice it.

Well, Qatar IS an anomaly in many ways.  Do those ways make a difference?  That's what I want to see.

[heinee]

I can't wait to for Jerez. Rossi, Lorenzo, Pedrosa, Davidsioso (sp?) are all masters at that track, and it's always been a struggle for the Ducati's.
I think the season will be awesome  

[MisterSmooth]

It was an interesting race as far as the mixed up front two rows and the finishing "pack" are concerned but other than one or two "ohmygodohmygod" bits it was a fairly uneventful race. Not dull, just nothing much to write home about...

OK, but did anyone else watch the 250's?  Holy cow!  First, one guy clears off but then three laps in is given a penalty for jumping the start, has to slow ride through the pit lane as penalty and finishes 15th.

Then, two guys clear off and the fight is over first and second, and then about three seconds later, for third.

The guys in first/second place change spots.

Few laps later the guy in fourth place passes the third place rider and catches up to the first two guys who had apparently cleared off...but actually not.

Now there's a cluster of four guys with two laps left.  Anybody's race.  The two guys hauling ass in first and second spots run just slightly wide on a corner...and the guy in third passes them with a tight inside line.  BOTH AT ONE GO!  Holy crap!  The 22 year old Italian winner crosses the finish line pumping his fist, just excited as hell.

His crew mobs him as he comes into the pits, thumping him on his back, hugging him.  His smile is brighter than the overhead lights.





Hey, I heard that there was a race in the 500 class today, too.

[Orson]

Hey, I heard that there was a race in the 500 class today, too.

Like in the 1960s when MV Agusta turned the 500cc class into a snoozefest...

250s are the new premier class  

[servicerifle]

I think for any armchair racer (like me or you) yes, they (the anomolies) would make a lot of difference but for these guys, no.  Now, I'm sure that each team holds a little extra back in the beginning to see what the others have, but I don't think Qatar with all it's differences keeps anyone from stealing the show.  If you can win at Jerez I think you should be able to win at Qatar, but yet many had poor showings.  Why?  If the racers and teams don't take Qatar seriously (just like you) and have the "let's wait until Jerez" mindset, then they miss out on points from the get-go.  Some teams probably DO suffer from that, while others take it just as seriously as any other.  Yet only a few were outstanding.  I doubt it has much to do with the track.

Blaming the track for a racer's or a team's performance is a crutch.

[Busy Little Whiner]

Stoner is riding like a champion he is and won... Rossi is riding like the
champion he was and got beat... he can't wait to sign for Ducati or Honda at
the end of the season...

[Yamadog]

Stoner very impressive. No rush to the front abusing his tires, then put the hammer down!
Rookies very impressive! Lorenzo, Dovi, and Toseland Put some excitement into the race watching those guys.
Dani was well Dani. Rossi did what Stoner didn't do
Nicky?   Was he even there? Depressing! Wonder why he chose the '07? Did they only have one '08? I thought both had the option for '07 but ...
Overall it was great to have racing again. F1 Oz race this w/e YEA.

[R Doug]

Nicky?   Was he even there? Depressing! Wonder why he chose the '07? Did they only have one '08? I thought both had the option for '07 but ...

   I have the same exact question.  What was up with him riding the 07 bike?  Wasn't his times looking pretty good on the new one?

[highside]

Talk about year of the rookies! Lorenzo, Dovizioso, and Toseland, all at the front end, all pressuring or beating the veterans. Despite the usual Stoner run-away, I think this is going to be a great season with all this new blood fighting hard at the front. Lorenzo did a hell of a job to stay at the front, but I am most impressed with Dovi and his gutsy dicing with Rossi right up to the end, on a satellite Honda no less.  

[highside]

Well, Qatar IS an anomaly in many ways.  Do those ways make a difference?  That's what I want to see.

My money says they don't make all that much of a difference, and Qatar isn't the anomaly that people make it out to be. For example;

2007 Qatar Results:

1 Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 43'2.788
2 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 0'2.838
3 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 0'8.530
4 John Hopkins Suzuki USA 0'9.071
5 Marco Melandri Honda ITA 0'17.433

2007 Championship Results:

1.   Casey Stoner      Ducati Marlboro Team   367
2.   Dani Pedrosa      Repsol Honda Team   242
3.   Valentino Rossi      Fiat Yamaha Team   241
4.   John Hopkins      Rizla Suzuki MotoGP   189
5.   Marco Melandri            Honda Gresini   187

The top five from Qatar in 2007 contained the same riders, in much the same order, as the championship standings of 2007. That doesn't seem like an anomalous race to me.

[MisterSmooth]

My money says they don't make all that much of a difference, and Qatar isn't the anomaly that people make it out to be. For example;

2007 Qatar Results:

1 Casey Stoner Ducati AUS 43'2.788
2 Valentino Rossi Yamaha ITA 0'2.838
3 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 0'8.530
4 John Hopkins Suzuki USA 0'9.071
5 Marco Melandri Honda ITA 0'17.433

2007 Championship Results:

1.   Casey Stoner      Ducati Marlboro Team   367
2.   Dani Pedrosa      Repsol Honda Team   242
3.   Valentino Rossi      Fiat Yamaha Team   241
4.   John Hopkins      Rizla Suzuki MotoGP   189
5.   Marco Melandri            Honda Gresini   187

The top five from Qatar in 2007 contained the same riders, in much the same order, as the championship standings of 2007. That doesn't seem like an anomalous race to me.

Matter of fact, only one point (Pedrosa over Rossi) kept the results in Qatar in 2007 from being spot-on!  Cool observation.


So, if this holds true Lorenzo and Davisioso will finish in the top five this year.  Yow.

[Lawn Dart]

Anyone got the race up for downloading yet?  Damned if I missed it!

[Tyrroneous]

You can get it from Undergroundracing.com as a torrent.  They had it up last night.

[Yamadog]

The boys at MotoGP News http://www.motogpnews.com/home.php?pageid=1015 have weighed in, and as usual it's a hoot!

[atypical1]

The boys at MotoGP News http://www.motogpnews.com/home.php?pageid=1015 have weighed in, and as usual it's a hoot!

That is good stuff right there. Night racing is really, really cool to watch on TV. I really wish we got it in High Def  

Good to see the rookies having a good showing. Toseland is fresh from winning WSBK so I am not surprised by his standing. Oh, a 4th place by a one rider team??? How cool is that? That is who I would like to see podium a few times.

james

[Yamadog]

Kropotkin's view http://blogger.xs4all.nl/daisy/archive/2008/03/10/360444.aspx
Superb writing--you can almost see the race without having seen it!

And Toby Moody says Nicky will have the latest spec Honda at Jerez and explains the decision to ride '07 at Qatar. Nicky gets $h!t on again. Hope he can find another ride--a shiny red Ducati would be nice but I'm just dreaming.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/65626