Japanese show dignity in disaster

Senin, 19 Desember 2011

There was a time when a first-lap crash from Valentino Rossi would have been the biggest talking point of any Grand Prix weekend but the fact his latest misdemeanour - at Motegi last Sunday - has been all but buried under the debris of the post-race aftermath says as much about the ignominy of his first season with Ducati as it does about the drama of a remarkably eventful Grand Prix of Japan.

Of the 18 riders who started the race (with Karel Abraham not even making the grid due to concussion) only 13 made it to the chequered flag and of those riders only seven avoided an off-track excursion of some kind, be it through the pit-lane or across the gravel.

It was an exciting one to watch from pit-lane and the drama continued long into the night as explanations were given and fingers pointed in the riders' post-race debriefs, with Rossi citing a mistake from Jorge Lorenzo as the reason for his first "DNF" of the year.

"Lorenzo went onto the grass slightly in turn one, and in the next turn he moved suddenly to get his trajectory right," explained Rossi. "He didn't see me because I was slightly behind. When he touched me, it pushed me into [Ben] Spies, who touched my front brake lever. It was normal racing contact, but I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Spies initially shrugged off his disappointment at being shoved off track by Rossi in the same incident and said nobody was to blame for what was a racing incident, although he later suggested otherwise on a social networking site.

Marco Simoncelli claimed he made his jump-start because he saw Andrea Dovizioso move out of the corner of his eye whilst Dovizioso, admitted it was his mistake.

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Memories of Marco

I have just landed in Manchester having spent two seven-hour flights wondering how I could ever possibly begin this blog that I have been asked to write. During that time I came up with nothing.

All I can say is that this is not an objective piece of journalism. This is not an obituary. These are my thoughts.

There can be scant higher praise to bestow on Marco Simoncelli than saying that he was the most exciting thing to happen to motorcycle racing since Valentino Rossi.

As outrageous on the track as he was off it, his wild afro hairstyle and swashbuckling riding style won the hearts of fans all over the world. His death has brought us all to our knees.

Inspired by Rossi but quite evidently another maverick entirely of his own breed, Marco feared no rival and made no allowances for reputation, not even that of his great friend, the greatest of all time.

His final act was a lap and a half of pure adrenaline, swapping positions with Alvaro Bautista, a familiar foe, with trademark panache and derring-do. Riding on the edge, the only way he knew, delighting in his own impudence and improvisation, revelling in the one act he loved the most.

His two race performances before that were arguably the best of his career, both of them breathtaking battles to the finish with compatriot and another fierce rival in Andrea Dovizioso. Marco won out on both occasions to take fourth - despite a ride-through penalty - and second - his career best result - at Motegi and Phillip Island respectively.

In those two races the signs were there that he had finally managed to curb the overly combative style that had cost him further podiums or even wins earlier in the season and worked out how to channel his fearless aggression in the most productive manner. Up to then it had been the only chink in his armour.

Dovizioso and Bautista both had previous with Simoncelli from their days together in the smaller classes, as did the likes of Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa, the most vocal amidst virtually unanimous criticism of his riding in the early stages of this season - particularly after a collision with Pedrosa at Le Mans left the Spaniard with a badly broken collarbone.

Under pressure from his peers and from the media, Marco's confidence took a beating but it did not crack. He seemed to know what the fans wanted and his refusal to be intimidated by the establishment endeared him to them even more.

At Silverstone I had the pleasure to introduce him to many of you at the Day of Champions auction, where he was given the loudest cheer of the evening - a hero's welcome. I know it meant a lot to him, confirmation that he should never change his ways. Believe me, your esteem was mutual.

Always accommodating, pleasant and professional, I never saw Marco say no to an autograph or a photo. That was not because he enjoyed the attention, he simply took great pleasure in making other people happy.

Marco was not a rider that would sulk or hide. If he crashed out of practice or a race he would always front up and talk to the cameras and if it was his fault he would readily admit it, occasionally behind sunglasses to hide the tears. At Phillip Island he crashed three times during practice in the same corner. The second and third, he joked afterwards, were just to confirm what happened the first time.

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Off-track issues suggest season of transition

I was asked a question on Twitter last week by @robostarred, who said this: "Is MotoGP a credible sport now? Given [there are] only 3 manufacturers left, and road bikes [are] now being used."

It is an interesting and a contentious question that is being asked as much inside the paddock - from riders to journalists - as it is among fans, as premier-class grand prix motorcycle racing moves away from 100% prototype racing in 2012.

However, the first thing to point out is that the Claiming Rule Team (CRT) bikes that are being prepared in readiness for next season - the ones that will fill the grid in the not-too-distant future - are certainly not road bikes.

They remain largely prototypes, albeit currently with tuned Superbike engines, and although they have made a predictably slow start to life in testing with inexperienced riders on board, they will soon be lapping quicker than any production model at most circuits.

Already, in his first test after signing to ride Aspar's Aprilia-powered CRT bike (which is currently just a slightly modified version of the RSV4 Superbike), Randy de Puniet lapped just 1.6 seconds off his qualifying time on the Ducati GP11 at the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this year.

The more that chassis is adjusted and adapted to work purely on a circuit, as opposed to public roads, the faster the bike will become, not to mention engine updates etc.

The fact there will be only three factory teams in Honda, Yamaha and Ducati taking part next season just goes to underline why Carmelo Ezpeleta, the CEO of the sport's television and commercial rights holders Dorna, is making the right move in taking such drastic action now.

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2012 MotoGP season to start early in Qatar

The 2012 MotoGP season will begin a week earlier than originally planned after organisers tweaked the schedule.

The first race of the season will now take place at the desert circuit of Losail in Qatar on 8 April 2012.

The Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez has been confirmed for the weekend of 29 April, while races at the Sachsenring and Estoril remain subject to contract. The British Grand Prix at Silverstone is currently scheduled to be the sixth race of the season on 17 June.

Australian Casey Stoner won the opening race of last season before going on to win the 2011 championship, his second world crown.

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Valentino Rossi Has 'Fun' on 2012 Ducati Debut

Minggu, 18 Desember 2011

Valentino Rossi got his first taste of Ducati's MotoGP future after trying an early version of the factory's 2012 machine at Jerez on Friday. The bike (pictured) was seen in full Marlboro race livery and one of the most obvious differences, over the present GP11, is the addition of a large 'slash-cut' exhaust by Rossi's right boot.

The 2012 rules will allow a maximum engine size of 1000cc, compared with 800cc at present, although cylinder bore restrictions will limit ultimate performance and it is not yet confirmed that all manufacturers will chose to use the full 1000cc available.

With the Ducati test team concentrating on developing this year's GP11, Rossi was supported by some of his race team mechanics and engineers for the GP12 test. The seven time MotoGP world champion took to the circuit a few minutes after 11:00am and did a first run of six laps.

With that outing having been completed with no problems, the work continued apace for the entire day, by the end of which Rossi had turned 50 laps. “I'm happy,” Rossi said after the test. “I like the GP12. In my opinion, it's more enjoyable, more fun to ride. It was the first time we had it on the track, so we had some work to do, but the engine is nicer.

“It's a lot of fun, and you can do some nice slides. It's the bike we'll ride next year, so it was very important - and also very nice - to be among the first to take it on the track.” Rossi won all but one of the 990cc MotoGP seasons, from 2002-2006, after which the premier-class made an unpopular switch to 800cc engines.

Ducati is the first team to let its MotoGP race riders try a 2012 bike, with Rossi's team-mate Nicky Hayden (the 2006 world champion) due to ride the GP12 at Jerez tomorrow (Saturday).

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