Well said, Paul, not because you've endorsed my viewpoint, but because you've thrown a heap of other factual Lorenzo situations into the mix. I know there's track guys on here as well as racers. I raced Hondas in the 70s and although FAR from MotoGP or WSB standard, the mind set of most racing was/is 'win at all costs'. Sure, there's the minority on the grid for a Sunday day out, but ANYONE serious about racing is doing it for themself and for their ego - much like any competitive sportsperson. As for putting 'life on the line'; it goes without saying. We know the risks, but they fade into the background once the flag has dropped, or red lights go out. We will take the straights faster and the corners sharper, we will brake later and we will get back on the gas earlier - all in the quest to win. We are not thinking of team members, pit crew, sponsors, or our pet friggin' goldfish - we're in the hunt for one thing only: No 1.
No doubt you're on the pints, Alan-lee. I'll wager right here, publicly, that Lorenzo will finish top five next season - barring any season-ending injury. In fact, I'd even put it in your PayPal account right now to show my sincerity!
Top 5 for a multiple world champion on a repsol Honda?You don’t sound to confident Nigel? Or is it sentiment like kyo? Lol
Friggin' ghost of Kyo is haunting me. But I've put money up. Doesn't that restore my credibility, or does one have no credibility backing Lorenzo? I'd never been a real rap for Lorenzo after being swayed by public voices of his arrogance and big-headedness. However, after watching a couple of documentaries and paying particular attention to some of his media interviews (notably of late) I have totally reversed my opinion of him. I am really excited about next year, not only with the Lorenzo situation but also Ianone.
Yep some valid points again but I'd have to disagree on the Yamaha M1 being the favoured rookie bike. With the exception of Biaggi on the first incarnation of the bike with 2 wins, Spies 1 win and Vinales 3 wins, neither of them Rookies at the time, Rossi and Lorenzo are the only riders to have major success on bard the M1 in the last 15 years with nearly 100 wins between them! So not quite such an easy bike to ride for anyone other than Rossi and Lorenzo!
I see your point......i think you could say the same for a number of riders in the current moto gp line up though. If a rider gets duffed up by a few riders in as many corners, it's rare you'll see them make those places up again by the end of the race. It' happens to the best of them from Marquez to Rossi to Zarco etc. It' happens to them all......it's not Just Lorenzo! There all so close in qualifying and race distance nowadays it's not easy to get back past!
Ah.. see I’m not talking about biaggi era, I’m talking recent era as we are still talking about current riders and the fact of Lorenzo and a move to hrc. Look at Zarco or even folger on the m1 Yamaha in their rookie season in comparison to Morbidelli or Thomas Luti on a Honda, look at Alex rins on the suzuki not exactly top five or fighting with the leading pack until until recently. Vinales fair enough isn’t a rookie anymore but to come from 1 win and 1 podium on a Suzuki, jump on a Yamaha and get 3 wins and 5 podiums is a brave difference. Listen to any of the pundits they’ll tell you the yam is one of the easiest bikes to ride in the class.. perhaps not the easiest and fastest to ride this year but sometimes you take a step back. Basically Lorenzo had that bike set up for him and as said previously if he’s out front and get a rhythm he’s gone, but put some rain or MM93 playing road rash and hes falling down the order. I’m no racer and i certainly don’t know anything about everything but I’ve watched enough motogp to hear what the guys who know say. Each to their own and I think next season will be VERY interesting. No one has even mentioned the fact Petrucci has signed a factory Ducati deal FOR ONE YEAR, stepping stone much???? Lol
I’ll pm you my PayPal deets and gladly take your money. Lorenzo will outside of the top 5 next season! FACT
I think Petrucci will do well - given his recent performances. I wonder if Ducati might now be cautious with its signings and offer an initial one-year contract as a sort of 'probationary' period? They certainly wouldn't want to be caught out with the Lorenzo-type situation again!
I agree that Lorenzo isn't a racer. He can ride the pants off a bike, but he doesn't cope with other bikes being what he classes as too close, and the hissy fit you get if he thinks you are being too agressive puts Stoner to shame. If I had to pick a team for him to not join after Ducati it was Honda. He may gscrape a top 5 season, but it won't be top 4
I seem to remember the Ducati doing well last year and it being a close finish for the World Title - Dovizioso on the Ducati coming in second in the World Championships with 6 race wins. The Ducati would be doing better this year if Lorenzo hadn't crashed into everybody at Jerez taking out Dovizioso. Ducati are the rising star in MotoGP. They were close to winning the championship last year, and they have deep pockets thanks to their VW group connections, which is starting to pay off. Why would you want to leave them now ? The immediate reaction when Lorenzo crashed into everyone at Jerez was anger - you could see the reaction from within the team, and from Dovizioso. Afterwards they tried to calm it and become all PC and corporate about it. But however they want to spin it and talk round it - he will be leaving Ducati is the fact.
In my opinion he never really wanted (wants) to be at Ducati. It was a stepping stone to get him into the next Japanese Manufacturer who can give him a Winning bike (Let’s face it Honda) without kicking his previous employer and arch rivals Yamaha in the nads.
He was I agree, but maybe he wanted a new challenge or got a bit sick of being in the shadow of VR46.
No, I wasn't talking about the Biaggi era either, I merely mentioned he won 2 races on it in it's first incarnation. Not to confuse things let's take him out of the equation. So in the last 3 years only 3 rider's have won on the Yamaha, Rossi, Viñales and Lorenzo. So that's two of the best rider's in the world that can only win on the Yamaha, forget Viñales for now! So that makes it equally as much of a bitch to ride as the Honda, yet more people (2 of them less talented) have won on that bike and more races in total have been won in the last 2-3 years under Marquez, Crutchlow, Pedrosa. The Big Boss's at HRC are not going to sign some one who they think can't win races. I'm pretty sure they can build a bike to suit Lorenzo's style and I for one think he will win on it within the first half of the season. Seriously who else is more capable and why didn't they sign them instead??
I see your points but I still disagree the yam couldn’t be half the animal to ride as the Honda, whenever a rookie is leading, getting pole positions and podiums on it, it can’t be hard to ride, take Zarco away and folger was still up there with the leading pack, even Bradley Smith was up there when he was at tech 3, aye maybe Cal Crutchlow won on the Honda but let’s face it, that was never going to be a permanent thing. Who else has won on it? Pedrosa. What about jack miller? Won once on a soggy track and hardly was in the top ten otherwise. Franco, Scott reading, Thomas luthi, Tito Rabat, none of them able to do what Marquez does on the Honda. As said before I’m not an expert but I’m sure if you built up a results list between Honda and Yamaha over the past 5 years the Yamaha would have a much higher finishing average. And your saying the big bosses at HRC a wouldnt sign someone they didn’t think can win races? I’m sure Ducati thought the same and let’s not forget HRC had a rider for 8 years who never won a championship so I think it’s a more clever bit of business on lorenzo’s end than it is HRC’s. But each to their own opinion, I’ll be very surprised if Lorenzo is finishing in the top 5 of the championship next season
