2008 Motogp Season

[kralster]

The 2008 MotoGP world championship kicks off this weekend with the opening round in Qatar.

Qatar for the first time in the worlds oldest racing championship is being run at night time. With the whole track under lights. Some would say it's to improve the conditions so they aren't riding in the extreme temperatures of the day. Logic would dictate that they are only doing it for european viewers so they don't have to be up late at night.

In the practice sessions Casey Stoner wearing the Number 1 on his bike this year has topped the time sheets thus far.

Close to him in second and only 11 one hundreths of a second slower in the 2rd practise session is the new rider for the Fiat Yamaha team Jorge Lorenzo. In his debut MotoGP race after winning last years 250cc World championship.

Finishin up the top 5 in practise are teammates James Toseland in 3rd also in his debut MotoGP ride, and veteran Colin Edwards both riding for the second tier Yamaha squad Tech 3. This is the first time Tech 3 have used michelin tyres after having run Dunlops in previous seasons.

Finally in 5th we have Andrea Divizioso another first timer in the MotoGP paddock but already showing plenty of speed at the opening round.

Official combined free practice times (FP1 & FP2)

1. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 55.442 secs

2. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1min 55.453 secs

3. James Toseland GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1min 55.812 secs

4. Colin Edwards USA Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1min 55.942 secs

5. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Scot Team (M) 1min 55.963 secs

6. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 56.120 secs

7. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1min 56.234 secs

8. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 56.269 secs *

9. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 56.279 secs

10. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 56.478 secs *

11. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 56.922 secs

12. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 57.011 secs

13. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 57.045 secs

14. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 57.085 secs *

15. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 57.091 secs

16. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 1min 57.311 secs

17. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 57.934 secs

18. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 1min 58.500 secs

* time set in FP1

[kralster]

Official qualifying results.

1 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha 1'53.927

2 James Toseland Yamaha 1'54.182 0.255

3 Colin Edwards Yamaha 1'54.499 0.572

4 Casey Stoner Ducati 1'54.733 0.806

5 Randy de Puniet Honda 1'54.818 0.891

6 Nicky Hayden Honda 1'54.880 0.953

7 Valentino Rossi Yamaha 1'55.133 1.206

8 Daniel Pedrosa Honda 1'55.170 1.243

9 Andrea Dovizioso Honda 1'55.185 1.258

10 John Hopkins Kawasaki 1'55.263 1.336

11 Chris Vermeulen Suzuki 1'55.540 1.613

12 Alex de Angelis Honda 1'55.692 1.765

13 Loris Capirossi Suzuki 1'56.070 2.143

14 Toni Elías Ducati 1'56.251 2.324

15 Shinya Nakano Honda 1'56.434 2.507

16 Marco Melandri Ducati 1'56.730 2.803

17 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati 1'57.198 3.271

18 Anthony West Kawasaki 1'57.445 3.518

[gtrtech]

Official qualifying results.

1 Jorge Lorenzo Yamaha 1'53.927

2 James Toseland Yamaha 1'54.182 0.255

3 Colin Edwards Yamaha 1'54.499 0.572

4 Casey Stoner Ducati 1'54.733 0.806

5 Randy de Puniet Honda 1'54.818 0.891

6 Nicky Hayden Honda 1'54.880 0.953

7 Valentino Rossi Yamaha 1'55.133 1.206

8 Daniel Pedrosa Honda 1'55.170 1.243

9 Andrea Dovizioso Honda 1'55.185 1.258

10 John Hopkins Kawasaki 1'55.263 1.336

11 Chris Vermeulen Suzuki 1'55.540 1.613

12 Alex de Angelis Honda 1'55.692 1.765

13 Loris Capirossi Suzuki 1'56.070 2.143

14 Toni Elías Ducati 1'56.251 2.324

15 Shinya Nakano Honda 1'56.434 2.507

16 Marco Melandri Ducati 1'56.730 2.803

17 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati 1'57.198 3.271

18 Anthony West Kawasaki 1'57.445 3.518

Good luck to the Aussies.

Hope Westy can find some speed for the race.

This should be an awesome sight.

[ctjet]

go you good thing

off to a good start for the boy, bit of a runaway towards the end, but some damn fine overtaking moves during the race... was all very entertaining

[gtrtech]

go you good thing

off to a good start for the boy, bit of a runaway towards the end, but some damn fine overtaking moves during the race... was all very entertaining

What he said.

Just started planning trip down to the island for this year's race. Only just over 200 days to go you know.

[ctjet]

ill warm up the bike right now

[kralster]

Awesome start to the season. The first 9 or so laps were great, lots of passing moves, and banging of fairings. At the start i figured casey must of gone for a harder tyre as it took a bit longer to warm up, but once he got the heat into it he just pulled ahead.

Well done Lorenzo 2nd in his first ever race. And also nicely done Dovizioso sticking it up Rossi.

[missusR34GT]

Good on Casey Stoner but what's the go with Pedrossa and Rossi..

[kralster]

Well Pedrosa broke his wrist during winter testing late last year. He practicially had no time on the bike between then and now.

Hence development of the 2008 RC212V was handled by nicky hayden. And pedrosa isn't the biggest fan of nicky and doens't beleive he know's how to steer the development of a new bike.

Having said that coming 3rd in the race is bloody good for Pedrosa cosidering his limited time to practise.

Rossi on the other hand. I think it was stupid to go to the bridgestone tyres. After michelin were shamed by bridgestone last season you'd be stupid to think michelin wouldn't spend heaps of money on research and on supplying better tyres.

Now rossi this year has to come to each track with practicially no knowledge of how the tyres are going to be. He can't look back on past seasons and see what kind of tyres and setting they ran, he has to start from scratch.

Also looking at most races and the final standings in the championship, apart from stoner there were hardly any other bridgestone runners up the front.

At the end of the season where pedrosa had a few good results and wins he was on michelins and had no problem what so ever.

So the story that stoner only won due to his bridgestones, and his ducati, and his electronics package is stupid.

Look at Marco on the weekend he was down in 14th or so on the exact same bike as stoner.

Stoner is just a bloody good rider.

[RubyRS4]

Just started planning trip down to the island for this year's race. Only just over 200 days to go you know.

Better get myself organised then. This'll be my 6th year working as a race official. Awesome times. I look forward to it every year!

Rossi bores the pants off me now with all his complaining. Blame the tyres, blame the engines, blame Yamahas budget.

Rossi is out of touch ... he's not God afterall now that its a level playing field.

Oh, and when the f&*k is Pedrosa going to smile?

Go Vermulen too. And if Westy can get on a Honda, we could see better things from him.

[Whiplash]

anyone catch the interview with the Global president of Honda on the F1 telecast?

His comment was

"I'm sorry to Australia but we have to Casey Stoner this year in MotoGP"

[ctjet]

that sentence doesnt make sense... or word properly

[kralster]

I'm guessing he's saying something like, Honda's priority this year is to beat stoner in motogp.

[Whiplash]

sorry left the "beat" out

thats actually how he worded it, apologizing to Australia over the need to beat stoner

[gtrtech]

Motogp from Spain this weekend should be a cracker.

Results from free practice 2

Jerez_FP2.pdf

[kralster]

A bit late i know.

The second round of the 2008 MotoGP season is this weekend. It is the first of the european rounds and is being held in Jerez in Spain.

Local boys Pedrosa and Lorenzo will be looking to shine in front of their home crowds and being 1st and 2nd in qualifying shows they mean business.

Jerez is a very tight circuit not as suited to the ducati. And traditionally the michelin runners have found the track much more suited to their tyres as opposed to the bridgestones.

All in all should be a great race.

Qualifying results below.

1. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 1min 38.189 secs

2. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 38.789 secs

3. Colin Edwards USA Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1min 38.954 secs

4. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team (M) 1min 39.061 secs

5. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 1min 39.064 secs

6. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 1min 39.122 secs

7. Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 39.286 secs

8. James Toseland GBR Yamaha Tech 3 (M) 1min 39.334 secs

9. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 39.439 secs

10. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 39.484 secs

11. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 39.559 secs

12. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 1min 39.704 secs

13. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Scot Team (M) 1min 39.767 secs

14. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 1min 40.037 secs

15. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 1min 40.088 secs

16. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 1min 40.286 secs

17. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 1min 40.939 secs

18. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 1min 41.027 secs

[ctjet]

how the fcuk did Melandri quaify last?!!?

Lorenzo looks good for the win i reckon

[ctjet]

i suppose considering how bad that race went for him 11th isnt too bad

good race, rossi coming up thro the field early was great to watch

[kralster]

I'll update this all tomorrow.

I just got back from Hong Kong on a work trip.

Well done Lorenzo on his maiden motogp win. I think there will be many more this season.

[ctjet]

so it seems Rossi is back, cant believe how much pedrosa sucked in the wet

poor stoner... shafted hard