The official 2008 season MotoGP thread!

Lots of action in the first few laps, behind the leaders that is...

Race results:

1. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team (B) 43min 28.841 secs
2. Toni Elias SPA Alice Team (B) 43min 43.845 secs
3. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 43min 50.530 secs
4. Shinya Nakano JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 43min 54.700 secs
5. Anthony West AUS Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 43min 58.306 secs
6. Chris Vermeulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP (B) 43min 59.449 secs
7. Marco Melandri ITA Ducati Marlboro Team (B) 44min 5.294 secs
8. Alex de Angelis RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini (B) 44min 5.591 secs
9. Andrea Dovizioso ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP (M) 44min 7.663 secs
10. Jorge Lorenzo SPA Fiat Yamaha Team (M) 44min 8.414 secs
11. John Hopkins USA Kawasaki Racing Team (B) 44min 8.451 secs
12. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alice Team (B) 44min 9.733 secs
13. James Toseland GBR Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 44min 40.331 secs
14. Colin Edwards USA Tech 3 Yamaha (M) 44min 49.974 secs
15. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team (M) 45min 5.879 secs
16. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP (M) 45min 7.248 secs

DNF:
Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team (B)

Man, the Michelins must have SUCKED for this race.
 
Casey really needs to calm down, Rossi is just simply on it. Great race!
 
Melandri ---> Kwak

Melandri ---> Kwak

Although he still remains focussed on completing the 2008 campaign with current employees Ducati Marlboro, former 250cc World Champion Marco Melandri has revealed that he is to join Kawasaki at the end of this season.

Following his move to the Ducati factory team from satellite outfit Honda Gresini last winter Melandri has experienced an abrupt downturn in form and it was confirmed last month that he would not stay with the Italian manufacturers beyond 2008.

Since then Melandri has been in discussions with other teams and has made his mind up that Kawasaki is the right move.

Speaking to motogp.com on the second and final day of the post-Cardion ab Grand Prix Ceske republiky test on Tuesday Melandri commented, `I hope to get good results in the last six races of 2008 and after that I am moving to another team. I will ride for Kawasaki next year so it?s a big change for me.?

`For the time being I want to think about this season but it will be a big challenge next year. I will keep working hard though and I am quite confident.?

Explaining why he had chosen Kawasaki in particular he added, `(John) Hopkins is a very good rider and maybe he needs a stronger team-mate to be a little bit more motivated. Maybe I also need this kind of company to be motivated a little bit more because I really want to work closely together with a team-mate, so it will be a good experience anyway.?

Commenting on the possibility of a return to Honda Gresini, a rumour that had circulated in the MotoGP paddock, Melandri also said, `Yes it would have been a very nice option to go back to Fausto (Gresini). I had a very good time with him and he has always helped me a lot. Also this year we have been talking together, but for me, I have been looking at Kawasaki and they always seem very good. The engineers and the people give me a good feeling just to talk to them, so that is what I want to do.?

Melandri to Kawasaki
 
The championship is far from decided...I am a Rossi fan but just as Stoner had some bad races so can Vale. He needs maximum attention and definitely points at every race. As for Melandri lets just wish he has a far better year next year because the sport needs him as well.
 
From now on, Dani Pedrosa will be using Bridestones!

With just a day in which acclimatise himself to Bridgestone tyres before the next round of the MotoGP World Championship, Dani Pedrosa performed an extensive first test with Japanese rubber at Misano on Monday. The Repsol Honda rider completed some 81 laps of the San Marino circuit, having announced his switch from Michelin less than 24 hours beforehand.

Pedrosa?s fastest lap was a 1?34.652, some eight-tenths of a second quicker than his quickest time during Sunday?s race. The Spaniard?s marker proved unmatched by the other five regular riders out on track, four of which had prior experience of Bridgestone?s 2008 rubber. He returned to use of a pneumatic valve version of Honda?s 800cc engine alongside runs on the standard spring valve motor, although understandably the focus was on race tyres instead. No extensive qualifying tyre testing programme was undertaken by the 2007 MotoGP World Championship runner-up.

The man whose experience from the past two races will prove useful for Pedrosa, with his having ridden a factory spec Honda RC212V with Bridgestone tyres for the past two rounds, Shinya Nakano was second fastest onboard the San Carlo Honda Gresini standard engine version of the Japanese manufacturer?s bike. He was nearly eight-tenths of a second down on Pedrosa?s marker.

An absentee from the first practice session at Misano, Kawasaki?s John Hopkins played catch-up in the testing session with an extended series of laps. The Anglo-American?s teammate, Anthony West, was also in attendance, sandwiched between Randy de Puniet and Alex de Angelis on the Monday timesheet.
MotoGP Test Misano: Official Times

1. Dani PEDROSA, Repsol Honda Team - 1?34.652
2. Shinya NAKANO, San Carlo Honda Gresini - 1?35.446
3. John HOPKINS, Kawasaki Racing Team - 1?35.879
4. Randy DE PUNIET, LCR Honda MotoGP - 1?35.972
5. Anthony WEST, Kawasaki Racing Team - 1?36.101
6. Alex DE ANGELIS, San Carlo Honda Gresini - 1?36.120

Dani --> Bridestone

OT: I agree with Nicky Hayden: Eurosport should be allowed to continue their MotoGP coverage!!!
 
^I think the both of you are correct! :p
 
After the Misano race i will have to agree to. If Casey doesn't relax the championship is decided.
And Karoug i second your last sentence. Eurosport must keep MotoGP. Their broadcasting and commentating is so informative, so vivid and so humorous at times.
 
Lots of moving around in the Lineup for next year.. Hayden will go to Ducati!!
 
MotoGP Qualifying Practice Classification

Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap
1 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'40.776 304.414
2 1 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Team Ducati 1'40.860 312.178 0.084
3 48 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'41.177 301.911 0.401
4 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'41.271 309.546 0.495
5 11 Ben SPIES USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'41.464 306.638 0.688
6 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'41.492 301.292 0.716
7 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot MotoGP Honda 1'41.744 304.730 0.968
8 2 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'41.754 304.730 0.978
9 24 Toni ELIAS SPA Alice Team Ducati 1'41.886 308.571 1.110
10 52 James TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 1'41.897 305.046 1.121
11 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha 1'41.934 306.000 1.158
12 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'41.969 304.099 1.193
13 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'42.305 304.414 1.529
14 50 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team Ducati 1'42.405 308.571 1.629
15 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'42.551 302.222 1.775
16 21 John HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 1'42.673 301.601 1.897
17 56 Shinya NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'42.732 301.601 1.956
18 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Ducati Team Ducati 1'43.807 312.843 3.031
19 13 Anthony WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 1'43.931 300.983 3.155

edit, regarding Hayden; will be interesting to see how he does, even though I was hoping for an Italian!
 
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^And hopefully he can get the backing he deserves.. Honda has really screwed him...
 
I am pretty sure they will give him whatever he needs.

Edit: I guess it also should be mentioned that Niccol? Canepa and Mika Kallio will be riding for the Alice Ducati satellite team in 2009.

Here is Canepa during a test of the Desmosedici.

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Here are the results from a shortened race:

1 25 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team
2 20 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Repsol Honda Team
3 16 48 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team
4 13 1 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Team
5 11 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA JiR Team Scot
6 10 11 Ben SPIES USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki
7 9 50 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Alice Team Ducati
8 8 2 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team
9 7 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
10 6 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini
11 5 13 Anthony WEST AUS Kawasaki Racing Team
12 4 24 Toni ELIAS SPA Alice Team Ducati
13 3 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP57.366
14 2 21 John HOPKINS USA Kawasaki Racing Team
15 1 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Tech 3 Yamaha
16 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
17 56 Shinya NAKANO JPN San Carlo Honda Gresini1'05.854
18 52 James TOSELAND GBR Tech 3 Yamaha
19 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Ducati Team
 
Not a bad race. I was going to drive up to Indy (8 hour drive from my house) but decided against it when the news of rain came through. I wonder if anyone stole any of those street signs with the riders' names on them. Funny if they show up on ebay.

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And it seems all of the Red Bull girls were nice looking. Which one did Valentino put his coat on?
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