I don't agree that Rossi ever dished it out routinely - unlike Marquez has over the last 4 years.

 

I saw that he just never got out of the way when people tried to intimidate him on the track (Sete, Max, Casey, and now Marc)

 

Re Casey and Jorge - I too am unconvinced by the Aussie, but Jorge? Anybody who can come into the Doctor's team, and 3 years later force him out into the hopeless wilderness at Ducati must be seriously good.

Now come on Camel where did I say he routinely dished it out?

 

What I said was he isn't scared of a battle and has a few.  So yes that can well be interpreted as he isn't easily intimidated, if at all.  He is a nine (and hopefully ten) times World Champion and he has proved this year that he has the will and skill to take on all around him. 

 

I am not sure what happened at Yamaha and there certainly were problems with talk of a wall in the garage between the two riders.  Then Lorenzo had the beating of him and he left to what 'should have been the dream package and possibly a fitting finale to his career.  Considering how Rossi and Jeremy Burgess turned an uncompetitive Yamaha into a Championship winning one I fully expected him to go to Ducati and continue AND improve what Stoner did and yet he didn't. 

 

Subsequent seasons has shown what a difficult life was in a Ducati team with talks of them unwilling to listen to either Rossi or Burgess with their track record. Had they done so they may well have ended up like Yamaha with a winning package within a year but sadly they didn't.

 

As for Honda well it is alright for Cal Crutchlow to say the Honda is really difficult to ride but it obviously wasn't the previous years and it is only because they have listened to what Marquez has said that they have turned it into something of a beast that he cannot control.  Not many riders can fine tune a bike like Rossi and in fact Lorenzo apparently tells the team nothing about what is going on on track and just tells them to look at the computer.  He has now ability to tell what the bike is doing and relay it to the team. 

 

For me (and you can probably tell) Rossi deserves the title of GOAT and whilst the likes of Stoner, Lorenzo and Marquez have beaten him none have his all round ability and mind set.  I believe and hope he is on his way to number 10.

Now come on Camel where did I say he routinely dished it out?

 

You didn't.  Alex did.

 

I too would love to see Rossi win another title, although in my book his record doesn't need any enhancing.  

 

He is already the top class GP rider with the most wins ever.

Edited 29 June, 201511 yr by camelspyyder

Tell you what Camel get yourself back here for the last round and I will gladly buy you a drink (or two) to celebrate his 10th. :beer:

Hey Why wait? I am back in Englandshire now.

 

On new shifts though so this Sunday, I saw no sport at all - being at work.

You didn't.  Alex did.

 

I too would love to see Rossi win another title, although in my book his record doesn't need any enhancing.  

 

He is already the top class GP rider with the most wins ever.

 

Giacomo Agostini Fans might want to take you to task on this one

Well they'd be wrong (much as I admire him).

Many of Ago's wins were on smaller classes.

Rossi has won more top class races on 500/Moto GP bikes than anybody .

Personally I agree Rossi is the king in my book. arguably the machines were not as quick the competition not as close so an unfair comparison. That said his record is very impressive including 10 IOM TT victories which I only just found out about. Its a bit like comparing Fangio to schumacher. Its not possible to be objective.

IMO comparing Ago and Vale is worse than comparing Fangio to Schumacher. Ok, Schumacher has more (total numbers) of F1 wins and titles than Fangio, but he has a longer F1 career at a time when there were more races per season, and Fangio has a better record in sports cars.

 

Ago has more depth of skill than Vale, but Vale has more numerically wins and titles, and a longer period of dominance (before the Ducati thing).

For me it is the different classes of Moto GP that Rossi has won on. He has been there for a number of years with 500, 800, and 1000 bikes and yet he still manages to adapt.

 

I agree it is pointless comparing Rossi with the likes of Ago, Mike Hailwood and the others from years gone by.  Bikes were completely different then and Age and co had far superior bikes to manyof the lesser riders because there was not so much factory involvement in years gone by.  Also the standard of riders now is much higher hence split seconds (0.2) cover the top twelve riders which would have been unheard of even in the days of Roberts and Sheene.

 

That is not to say that the riders in the past were not good riders or committed just today the game has changed so much with the money poured into it by Manufacturers.

So having had a look on the Moto GP web site I see Matthew Birt has aired his views which quite frankly I agree with.

 

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2015/06/30/rossivsmarquez-the-storm/179208

So having had a look on the Moto GP web site I see Matthew Birt has aired his views which quite frankly I agree with.

 

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2015/06/30/rossivsmarquez-the-storm/179208

I agree with that article 100%. Racing incident

So having had a look on the Moto GP web site I see Matthew Birt has aired his views which quite frankly I agree with.

 

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2015/06/30/rossivsmarquez-the-storm/179208

 

 

I agree with that article 100%. Racing incident

I'd been deliberately not commenting on the specific incident, but now I have IMO Marquez used Rossi as a braking point!

As it says in the article Marquez had practiced that last turn but NOT with another rider in the corner!  So as you quite rightly say Ken.

I'd been deliberately not commenting on the specific incident, but now I have IMO Marquez used Rossi as a braking point!

A dangerous tactic for both imho

So aside from the Moto GP what about Moto 2 and 3?  It looks like Danny Kent will steal the show in 3 and with a bit of luck not getting knocked off by some of the axe murderers out there on track he should do.  So what then?  Moto 2 I suppose but having been there once and not had the team he came back.  If he has a crap team offer I doubt he would move but I suspect some top teams will be looking to take him on.  Leopard may even move into Moto2.

 

Then what about Sam Lowes?  I see his manager Roger Burnett was in Assen and Sam is out of contract this year.  I would suspect that he will finish pretty much where he is at the end of the year if only because I don't think he has the package to take on Rabat and Zarco at every round.  Hence he will not be able to mass enough points to pass them in the Championship unless of course something goes wrong with them but hopefully not.  He could move onto Moto GP but again getting the right ride is going to be difficult.  Look at the problems Scott Redding is having and he has a good albeit new team behind him.

 

I think in Danny Kent and to some extent Sam Lowes we have some good chances of having a Brit at the top of the Moto GP in the near future if they are given the right package.  I thought Cal Crutchlow was going to do well when he left Tech 3 but it would seem not and I think to some extent that is down to his lack of consistency and the ability to stay on the thing and score points.  Bradley Smith is doing very well this year but I cannot see him progressing from Tech 3 to a full factory ride and as such his possibilities to improve are limited.

 

There are some riders in Moto GP that will without a doubt be leaving at the end of the year Hayden, Melandri and maybe even Pedrosa.  That should create some movement where the Brits can get a foot in the door and them maybe, just maybe we can take on the Spanish and Italians and beat them once more.

 

Some interesting times ahead and for me this season so far has been one of the best in all classes that I can recall.  So join me for a virtual pint and come and sit down and chew the fat if you like.  As it says at the bottom 'other opinions are available'.

Well Chris, the starter for 10 from your post is just who would Repsol put on the second bike if Dani goes?

 

And also, Who would want it? alongside Marquez?

 

 

There are at least 3 proven ex works Honda riders out there called Andrea, Casey, and Valentino somebody or other?

 

Would any of them take it?

No don't think so Camel.  I can't see Honda wanting anyone that will put Marquez in the position that Rossi was when they imported Lorenzo so I think it would be fresh blood and with it being Repsol you could safely say of Spanish origin.  Rabat?  I can't see them dropping anyone already there in the team but hey what do I know?

How tight do Suzuki have their guys contracts tied up? Both Spanish, one proven quick, the other with loads of potential.

If looking at Moto2, Rins is the standout rookie. Rabat is damaging his own rep by staying there IMO.

Suzuki could actually be the team to be with if they improve much more.  I see Aleix is asking for more power in the press.  Maverick is certainly going to be one to watch and I suspect Honda (Repsol) have their eyes on him.

 

As for Rins he could have won last year had he been a little more consistent and lost to Marquez Junior because he wasn't yet this year it seems they have swapped places.  Marquez had a better ride this weekend but he seems to be struggling to adapt to the class.  To quote Steve Parish "first person you HAVE to beat is your team mate" and he is going to have to go some to beat Rabat.  I believe there is an age limit on the class and Rabat will reach that this year or is that Moto3?  Not sure now I think about it but I don't think Rabat can stay there for another year.

I think Suzuki are flattered a little by the soft tyres at the moment, but it clearly corners faster than anything else.

 

Moto3 age limit is 28? Danny Kent's team mate is in his last year.

 

I don't think there is a limit in Moto2, There have been some pretty old guys in there.

So just you and me for the virtual pint then Camel.  Might as well do the real thing.

 

Soft tyre was the same for Ducati last year but I think this year they are doing it without just seemed amiss last race for some reason.  Next year when the new tyres come in and the control ECU it will be a different ball game and I doubt the tyres will have the same feel as the Bridgestones they have now where allegedly they can push the front as hard as they like.

 

I knew there was an age limit in one of them.  Pretty old huh?  Depends on what you are using as a reference point.

Well in Moto3 Vasquez is nearly old enough to be Quantarano's Dad.  They probably should pension the old lad off 

Edited 2 July, 201510 yr by camelspyyder

Finally!

Melandri out.

Michael Laverty is now on the Aprilia for races as well as testing.

Edited 8 July, 201510 yr by camelspyyder