btw, i’d say rossi and his legendary luck parted ways in 2006 and it has not returned. if rossi doesn’t regain the championship this year (and lets face it, the chances are really really really slim) he’s going to turn his team and bike upside down one last time. it should be pretty interesting…

dani is insanely talented and fast but he has got to learn to pass consistently. he cannot win races by hoping to lead from the first corner which is really the only way he wins races. the moment there’s a tussle to deal with he loses a place.

stoner, otoh, has always been fast *and* fearless. he has no qualms about swapping paint…

Whilst taking NOTHING away from Stoners well deserved lead, HRC has given Ducati a considerable headstart with their disastrous start to 2007. As the weight of the Honda factory swings behind Pedrossa and Nicky i fully expect to see the championship margin narrowing. Whatever peoples opinion of Danni’s dour personality i think most folks would credit him with being a prodigous and fearless talent. Likewise over at Yamaha. To a certain extent Rossi has always had a lot of luck riding alongside with him and perhaps in 2007 this luck has deserted him. Couple that with what i believe is the Yamaha factories complaincy over the last few years; all their money riding on Rossi (Edwards role being to run interference and contribute data for set-up and development) and you see the results in the standings mid season, Rossi being too far from the front to make up the ground. While Stoner is riding phenomanally consistent and blisteringly fast times, if and this is the IF, Rossi is within striking distance of Casey his tactics, skill and race craft do give him the edge.

What i have so enjoyed about the 2007 and this is in stark contrast to Doohans years of domination! Is that on the whole it is a young mans championship with all the scant regard for age and reputations that young man carry with them. I think Rossi carried a lot of Doohans race psychology away from his years at Honda with Doohan and the mind games with competitors like Gibernau that he has played in the past are neutered with the likes of Stoner, Vermuleen, Elias who simply don’t give a shit.

I actually think we are entering a golden age for the sport and like popmonkey i couldn’t give a rats arse if the sport grows in popularity or not. If progress means bending over so the likes of Bernie Ecclestone can fuck us up the arse and turn our beloved sport into the pantomime that is F1 then leave it as it is.

the sport should come before the money, although i realize it’s a silly idealistic thought.

besides, although i don’t think rossi is going to catch stoner, the season is going to have some amazing racing still to come, don’t you worry.

and frankly, do we really need motogp racing to grow? sure, dorna wants it, and the manufacturers. but what if we plateau for a while? let the costs of racing get under control. maybe get some privateer teams in there. does it have to have 150,000 spectators at each race to be an incredible sport?

i think there are many like me who WOULD enjoy watching the master paint…

As far as the analysis, I have to agree. Rossi’s chances for the championship are quickly diminishing. Things need to start going perfectly for Rossi while going badly for Stoner, and that’s a situation that’s not too likely.

Just say “no” to control tires in MotoGP. The Pirellis have actually worked out quite well in WSBK, but MotoGP doesn’t need to worry about that yet.