No change in Catalunya...

External Since: Mar 05, 2005 Posts: 650

Mark N wrote:
> - Michelins take the top two spots, but then you drop all the way to
> Hayden in 10th for the next one. What I suspect is going on there is the
> result of the situations at Michelin, Honda and Yamaha showing itself at
> last, those three OEM powers circling their battered (more or less)
> wagons around the two guys they really intended to focus on all along,
> and now we see the fruit of that. The caddies, Hayden and Edwards,
> finished 10th and 12th, over a second a lap back, Nakano and Checa are
> nowhere, and the Robertses even less, as is the French team with British
> (sort of) tires.
> - Bridgestone losing momentum in Europe? Not necessarity, it was just
> one race, with dry practice in short supply, and Michelin's main problem
> has seemed to be getting the right tire on the right bikes and riders
> under the new rules. So maybe they just guessed right this weekend, who
> knows. The 'Stones were good enough to have Barros, Stoner, Hopkins and
> Elias looking very racy and they all have different requirements, and
> the truly wet running showed their continuing superiority there.

So Pedrosa led the morning session and Rossi in the afternoon. But they
were the only Michelins in the top eight in P2, Michelin weighting the
bottom of the order much more than the top. And these items reported by
CN out of Italy:

Would the extra brownie points [maybe racing in the Suzuka 8-Hour]
improve Hayden's still-dubious status with Honda? Not an easy question -
but the answer was thrown into doubt when the defending World Champion
again found himself lagging behind teammate Dani Pedrosa in the supply
of special parts. He had expected new exhaust pipes here but discovered
on Friday that he wouldn't be getting them. "Actually, they didn't show"
he said, "or not enough of them showed." Did this mean that Pedrosa had
them, and he didn't? Hayden was somewhat circumlocutory. "Yeah, he...
well, he's got some different pipes. I don't think it's anything he
hasn't had before. But I'm not getting into all this stuff."

The official line from Honda on the new Dani-pipes was the usual about
the things being too loud for him on the left side. Right. Meanwhile at
Yamaha there was this:

Yamaha had exclusive exclusive special equipment also [In addition to
what Capirossi got at Ducati] for Rossi alone: a new, extra-beefy front
fork, and a new, extra-bendy top triple clamp. Rossi skirted the issue
before the meeting began. "WE have a different triple clamp for more
stability in braking" Rossi said. "It works quite well. We tested it at
Le Mans. The fork is the same." But the fork is clearly not the same: it
is as thick as a tree trunk, and visibly bigger than those on the other
Yamahas. "It's [the triple clamp] to put back some flex that has been
taken away elsewhere." said a team man. Taken from the fork? "Yes."

Back to Spain, we see some real stability in the picture at the front.
In addition to Rossi and Pedrosa, we see Stoner and Hopkins solidly in
the top five, Vermeulen moving up, Elias again fast in Spain on his
'Stones, but Capirossi and Melandri frustratingly just off the pace they
expect. And then there's Edwards and Hayden.

Also in CN this week they talk about the early appearance of the silly
season, acknowledging these rumors:
- Melandri to Ducati, of course, now frustrated with Honda and Gresini.
- Lorenzo already signed by Yamaha for '08.
- Hopkins to Kawasaki, Monster being the linkage there.
- A second Suzuki team, run by Schwantz, at least as a figurehead. The
team owner might be Batta, with Biaggi, and that's where the Spies
rumors come in (and you know Kev would weigh in there). But reported
more likely to be yet another Spanish team, run by Martinez, and the
riders mentioned are de Angelis and Elias. So do you want an outsider
coming in with 310 pounds of seriously accomplished riders, or another
tiddler-sourced insider with 250 pounds of occasional
semi-out-of-control speed?
- Ten Kate getting a Honda and giving it to Toseland. But Hondas are
in short supply, and Konica Minolta wants another, so Roberts may quit,
or Gresini may be out.
- A third Kawasaki, but probably an updated '07 bike run by the
factory team, no doubt with a paying rider.
- Vermeulen will also be on the market, but no specific prospects
mentioned.

The more things change...

External Since: Jun 08, 2007 Posts: 40

"Mark N" wrote in message

> So Pedrosa led the morning session and Rossi in the afternoon. But they
> were the only Michelins in the top eight in P2, Michelin weighting the
> bottom of the order much more than the top. And these items reported by CN
> out of Italy:
>
> Would the extra brownie points [maybe racing in the Suzuka 8-Hour] improve
> Hayden's still-dubious status with Honda? Not an easy question - but the
> answer was thrown into doubt when the defending World Champion again found
> himself lagging behind teammate Dani Pedrosa in the supply of special
> parts. He had expected new exhaust pipes here but discovered on Friday
> that he wouldn't be getting them. "Actually, they didn't show" he said,
> "or not enough of them showed." Did this mean that Pedrosa had them, and
> he didn't? Hayden was somewhat circumlocutory. "Yeah, he... well, he's got
> some different pipes. I don't think it's anything he hasn't had before.
> But I'm not getting into all this stuff."

This part might be telling as well, "I think I’m less than a second off the
front guys
right now, but around here, I mean, that’s a lot. But actually felt
somewhat positive towards the end.”

Think again Nicky, you're 1.2 back from your teamate and that ain't too
good, but if you want to feel "positive", Okay...

> The more things change...
>

He's lookin' more fuk'd everyday and this weekend it'll be on national TV,
how sweet...