Couldn't stand Stoner before and things like this make me like him even less.

garyb425 - 22 June 2008 08:13 AM

DamattaSpeed - 22 June 2008 08:09 AM

marco was about as far off the line as he could get. casey was just being a dick, i really find it hard to root for him sometimes.

To my eyes Marco should have been low rather than the outside edge at the exit of a corner, but he was definitely trying to stay out of the way - and I agree about Stoner.

I watched all the practices and qualifying on the computer and saw that moment when Stoner came by. You can see that in any series. I see Mladin do it all the time. One thing I heard that made me sit up was that besides the rumor of Marco getting dumped this week, was that Marco might go to Kawasaki to take West's seat. It was the first I had heard of Kawasaki entering the fold.

neracer - 23 June 2008 12:15 PM

I watched all the practices and qualifying on the computer and saw that moment when Stoner came by. You can see that in any series. I see Mladin do it all the time. One thing I heard that made me sit up was that besides the rumor of Marco getting dumped this week, was that Marco might go to Kawasaki to take West's seat. It was the first I had heard of Kawasaki entering the fold.

If this is true, this is probably one of the dumber things he can do. If he is struggling on a bike that has shown to win races, he's going to ROT on the Kawi.

In fact, there's no where to go that could give him a better chance than on the Ducati. He's gotta suck it up and figure things out. Pouting is for losers.

neracer--it does happen in all series, i grant that, but of the times i have seen it, this was perhaps the most offensive. at donington, casey was destroying the field in qualifying, and this may have cost him a tenth at most--if any time at all. coupled with the fact that marco is a teammate who is typically running 2-3 seconds off him and is just mentally destroyed, it just seemed so unnecessary and unsporting a gesture.

i would bet my tax return against marco going directly to kwack this season. he may be faster than west with testing, but this would be getting thrown in the deep end given his lack of confidence.

marco needs a home where he can be loved. i am guessing that gresini may be his new home next season unless honda pay for nakano to stay there.

DamattaSpeed - 23 June 2008 12:25 PM

neracer--it does happen in all series, i grant that, but of the times i have seen it, this was perhaps the most offensive. at donington, casey was destroying the field in qualifying, and this may have cost him a tenth at most--if any time at all. coupled with the fact that marco is a teammate who is typically running 2-3 seconds off him and is just mentally destroyed, it just seemed so unnecessary and unsporting a gesture.

i would bet my tax return against marco going directly to kwack this season. he may be faster than west with testing, but this would be getting thrown in the deep end given his lack of confidence.

I hear what you're saying, but I don't think it was really hurting Stoner. I continued to watch him cut huge chunks of time each lap by once he retained the lead in qualifying. Yes, I agree Melandri shouldn't have been there but I don't think he was doing it on purpose to Stoner because it looked like he didn't know who was around him. Given the sound of those Ducati's live, it's hard to imagine anyone however not knowing one of them is coming after you!

I'm not saying the Kawasaki thing was going to happen but it was a hot topic I guess over there. Hopper honestly believed the bike was better than the Suzuki (even though he took big money), I think John and Marco could turn that program around given the fact of being healthy and the right people around them.

Melandri is suffering from the same disease as Hayden !
Sifilis !!!
Dani P. is the quickest = Hayden has to take Dani's crumbs! or E L S E
Stoner is the quickest = Melandri has to take Stoner's crumbs! or E L S E

only sucessfull teams in this respects are Yamaha with Lorenzo and Toseland
which have been doing Ok as teammmates to Rossi and Edwards ( HE HAS BLOWN OFF all nonbelievers of the Tornado from Texas including me, GO Colin !!!)

I see Ducati as the Italian HRC

Ducati as the Italian HRC? They wish they had half the money and resources of HRC... and considering what they have acheived with what they have now, it could be scary.


As for the qualifying incident, it was yet another display of how classless Stoner is. If you were watching, you actually saw (just a few minutes before or after) Rossi get held up by DeAngelis (could have been Nakano) on one of his hot laps. Rossi was ahead in the first couple of sectors, and at the very least gonna better his own best, when he got caught up with a slower guy. What did he do? He just kept his head down and rode by. Stoner would have had a freakin fit. That's the difference.


And the latest from Motospint has Melandri staying till the end of the year. Both parties realize that things are basically beyond hope, but there is little that can be done before the end of the season. The problem is that Melandri doesn't want to walk away from the money (which Motosprint puts at 2.5 million EURO a season), and Ducati can't afford to pay him to sit out or ride for someone else. So, unless they find a solution, they are stuck together for the rest of the year. At least for now.

Motosprint has mentioned that both sides are being surprising nice to eachother about it, and both just want an amicable break.

Suppo said he hopes that Melandri can at least find the form that he had in China... and he said that he needs to do so in the next 4 or 5 rounds (hinting there is still hope).

Melandri says he has no idea about his future, and says it is hard to think about it. He says they have tried everything possible, and that the bike just doesn't suit his style. He said he has tried his hardest to adapt his riding style, but that it is "the complete opposite of what the bike calls for."

He says that if it was up to him he would have made radical changes to the bike... but he understands that they don't have the resources to do it, nor the reasoning with Stoner doing well. He does admit that Stoner's success means that there in potential in the bike.

That's a good assessment but part of the reason is due to Ducati being a fairly small factory. It's obvious they can't and won't change the bike to fit Melandri and as he noted that with Stoner's current performance why should they.

It makes sense for Melandri to stay put for the sake of money for the rest of this season then negotiate with Ducati and other teams for his release for next season. If he's smart he'll make Ducati pay him a good chunk of change to buy him out of next season which should help a team pick him up. Going back to Gresini makes sense.

As far as Stoner he's a classless twit and while I like Ducati as a company I can't wait for the other companies to start kicking Stoner's butt on a regular basis. Then Ducati will kick him to the curb as fast as he rose. That day will be a fun day.

robertorolfo - 25 June 2008 08:43 AM

Ducati as the Italian HRC? They wish they had half the money and resources of HRC... and considering what they have acheived with what they have now, it could be scary.

As for the qualifying incident, it was yet another display of how classless Stoner is. If you were watching, you actually saw (just a few minutes before or after) Rossi get held up by DeAngelis (could have been Nakano) on one of his hot laps. Rossi was ahead in the first couple of sectors, and at the very least gonna better his own best, when he got caught up with a slower guy. What did he do? He just kept his head down and rode by. Stoner would have had a freakin fit. That's the difference.

And the latest from Motospint has Melandri staying till the end of the year. Both parties realize that things are basically beyond hope, ...

Motosprint has mentioned that both sides are being surprising nice to eachother about it, and both just want an amicable break.

Suppo said he hopes that Melandri can at least find the form that he had in China... and he said that he needs to do so in the next 4 or 5 rounds (hinting there is still hope).

... He said he has tried his hardest to adapt his riding style, but that it is "the complete opposite of what the bike calls for."

He says that if it was up to him he would have made radical changes to the bike... but he understands that they don't have the resources to do it, nor the reasoning with Stoner doing well. He does admit that Stoner's success means that there in potential in the bike.

I know there more knowledgable here will know but how many times can you recall when a factory rider has been let go and gone to another factory during the year ?

Factory rider is the key question. I can't remember a factory rider but I can recall Chris Walker, Troy Corser and Anthony Gobert, off the top of my head of GP riders that didn't finish their season. It was usually funding issues (like, dude are you going to pay me?) and of course the drug thing with Gobert.