MOTO GP

[Scotty]

A very eloquent summary of the season Roxy, sadly a season that is memorable for the wrong reason :'(

I do recall predicting a Stoner championship win earlier in the year, but I didn't expect him to dominate it in the way that he did. Nobody could have expected Rossi to have had such a struggle on the Ducati. Just how different it is to the bike that Stoner could regularly win on I suppose we'll never know, but it certainly hasn't appeared to be an improvement. Most of us have a new-found respect for Stoner and what he managed to achieve when he was on it. Hopefully when it's got the 1000cc engine back in it, it will steer more like it should do. There's normally a test session on the Monday following the Valencia races, it'll be interesting to see who goes well in that one when it happens.
It's a shame that even with the new rules and more bikes on the grid there won't be any more British riders in the top class (at least not as far as I'm aware, I'm not sure what Scott Redding's doing next season yet). As usual, most of the British talent in international racing is confined to sodding proddy bikes, and the GP circus continues without being troubled by the likes of Rae, Camier, Laverty, Haslam, Davies... Oh well, fingers crossed for 2013 then.

Fingers also crossed for some good racing this weekend, and nobody getting hurt

[Scotty]

Oh well, all over for another season, and considering that the main championships were pretty much all over bar the shouting, there was some pretty decent racing going on.

Top lad, Maverick Viñales in 125s, yet another stellar graduate of the Spanish production line. Personally I've never seen the point of Paris Hilton, but if she's prepared to put money into a GP racing team, then good for her, and it was good to see her on the podium collecting the manufacturer's award on behalf of the team - who knows, her photo up there may even make it to the pages of the vacuous celeb mags, though I dare say that the readership of such trash aren't aware of a Spain beyond bloody Benidorm... :

A fitting win for Michele Pirro in Moto2 as well, and Fausto Gresini crying his eyes out on the pit wall was touching to see. A fitting tribute and send-off for SuperSic indeed. Shame that there were so many crashes, including both the Brits, but aside from Takahashi getting a beating in his highside I don't think anyone was too badly hurt.

Andrea Dovisioso is one rider to whom I've never been able to warm. Very much the forgotten rider on the Repsol Honda roster, though it must be said, pretty handy, picking up regular podiums and getting third overall, but never challenging for the top step really, aside from a somewhat fortuitous win at Donington two years ago. Dovi was a vocal critic of Simoncelli's robust riding earlier this year, not waiting for an invitation to wade in with his two penn'orth following the incident with Pedrosa at Le Mans. Had it been SuperSic wandering across his bows and clipping his front wheel, causing a four bike pile-up at the first corner I'm sure he'd have been making a right song and dance about it, but now the boot is metaphorically on the other foot I don't hear anyone making a fuss about his actions this afternoon... Shame that it removed a quarter of the field in one hit, all of whom qualified ahead of Dovi. It was good to see Loris finish, shame that he didn't take the fight to Crutchlow and Abraham when he was catching them up, but with nothing at stake and in his final race, riding with Marco's #58 and with conditions pretty dodgy he took the wise choice of just bringing it home. You have to feel for Ben Spies, catching and passing Stoner and holding him off admirably, to be beaten by 0.015s in a drag to the line must be gutting. I think it was significant that Spies went wide out of the final corner, crossing the painted stripes at either side of the pit-lane entrance, and with the throttle on the stop the bike would have been trying its hardest to spin-up going over the paint, traction control working overtime to stop it doing so. Stoner, on the other hand, stayed tighter and kept it on the tarmac, getting full uninterrupted drive to the line and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

Congratulations to all the worthy champions of 2011, let's hope for a tragedy-free season next year, it's about time we had one.

Correction to previous post; testing next year's bikes starts on Tuesday, there'll be a major piss-up tonight so nobody will be fit for riding and working tomorrow...

[Roxy]

That's it...all over.

Great tribute to Marco. I am sure he would have been smiling down at all of them. To see Schwantz on #58 was great. My first hero on the bike that I thought was going to take me through the next few years of Moto GP when my boy Vale retired but it was not meant to be.

Gutted for Rossi, Hayden, R de P and Bautista...they really didn't deserve to all crash out on the first corner. After watching it a few times I don't think it was Bautista's fault but like they say...that's racing : Apart from the last lap battle from Spies and Stoner it wasn't that impressive but I really thought Spies had it in the bag....Arghhhhhhhhh! I bet he's gutted.

So pleased Loris made his way to the finish line, a very gingerly ride from him but I think like you said Si he just wanted to bring it home for Marco so you can't blame him for that.

Great result for Crutchlow and for Dovi to finish 3rd above Pedrosa is sure to rustle some feathers in the garage lol.

Anyway it's all over and in a way I am glad. Here's to 2012!

Roxy x

[Roxy]

The 2012 season is upon us. Looking forward to the new bikes, new riders, new teams and of course not forgetting SuperSic....Let it begin!

Go Rossi Go!


Roxy x

[Mikkie1986]

The adverts were on the box the other night.... Brought back the ups and downs from last year...

Cant wait for kick off this weekend though!!

[Geordie Stu]

Looking forward to the New season.... ;D ;D

[Roxy]

Stu,

Is that your arse? is that want drinking all that Monster does to you? ;D ;D

Roxy x

[flick]

Stu,

Is that your arse? is that want drinking all that Monster does to you? ;D ;D

Roxy x

I hope not... ;D

[Roxy]

[quote author=roxychick link=1300576794/196#196 date=1336587673]
Stu,

Is that your arse? is that want drinking all that Monster does to you? ;D ;D

Roxy x

I hope not... ;D[/quote]

and the thong just isn't his color! ;D ;D

[Roxy]

J and I are just back from Le Mans......

Cracking race and a fantastic 5 days! This was the first race of the season I actually enjoyed, tricky conditions but some great overtaking.

...and my boy got 2nd!!!!! Go Rossi Go!

Only 3 weeks to go and I'm off to Silverstone [smiley=laugh.gif]

Roxy x