The Qatar MotoGP.

[St Landrew]

The new season gets underway tomorrow, with Friday practice. MotoGP organisers has been really trying to cut the budgets, so that other teams can afford to enter. It hasn't resulted in an overwhelming response, but just to give an idea, of how effective the response to the new Moto2 series has been, they have had to make up a list of reserve teams. It looks like the Moto2/600cc grid will form up with something like 35 - 40 bikes, all with the same engines. The frames and cycle parts are where they make the differences tell. I would say competition is going to be an understatement, in that series.

 

Cuts include a reduction in testing, and shorter practice days. Also, the teams have 6 engines to play with, over a season of 17 races. That's very few when you consider that in between races, the teams are not allowed to do much more to the engine than change plugs. Of course, they can play around with settings and change clutch plates, for example, but essentially the engines are wire/lead sealed. They can peak into the bores with an endoscope, I understand.

 

The 125s have no such restrictions. Plenty of bikes, plenty of competition, and loads of brilliant racing. The 125s never disappoint, and often the races are of the heart-in-mouth variety. Bradley Smith is pretty much the favourite to be World Champion this year, but it is in no way guaranteed. With so much competition, the field is wide open.

 

It has now become de rigeur that there is a night time race somewhere in a Grand Prix season, and MotoGP gets its one straight away, at Losail in Qatar. Hopefully, it won't rain, or there will be no race. It's impossible to see track detail with floodlights bouncing off the glossy road. Apparently, the amount of power consumed to light the track could light a small city for a week. Not exactly a great advert for green issues. I expect the usual suspects to be in there, with one or two changes. Here are my riders to look out for over the season, and particularly in this race.

 

Valentino Rossi [obviously]

Casey Stoner [if he stays well]

Jorge Lorenzo [if his hand has healed]

Nicky Hayden [finally getting some speed again]

Ben Spies [super fast rookie in a satellite team. Current WSBK champion]

 

Significant others are Colin Edwards, Andrea Dovizioso, Loris Caparossi, Marco Simoncelli [i believe will master his Honda] and lastly Dani Pedrosa. I tack Pedrosa on the end instead of where he should be, i.e. right up the front, because he can't get the new frame on his Honda to work. His teammate Dovizioso is doing a lot better than him. It's typical of Honda nowadays, not to be properly ready at the start of the season. Personally, I think they have the wrong rider.

 

Losail

 

Saturday 10 April

 

BBC Red Button 19:50-23:00 MotoGP Qualifying

 

Sunday 11 April

BBC Red Button 17:50-20:05 125cc & Moto2

BBC Three 20:45-22:00 MotoGP

BBC Two 00:00-01:30 MotoGP (rerun)

[Saint in Paradise]

Qatar Grand Prix qualifying result: All from the BBC

 

1 C Stoner (Aus) Ducati 1:55.007

2 V Rossi (It) Fiat Yamaha 1:55.362

3 J Lorenzo (Sp) Fiat Yamaha 1:55.520

4 R de Puniet (Fr) LCR Honda 1:55.831

5 L Capirossi (It) Suzuki 1:55.899

6 A Dovizioso (It) Repsol Honda 1:55.963

7 D Pedrosa (Sp) Repsol Honda 1:55.990

8 C Edwards (US) Tech 3 Yamaha 1:56.005

9 N Hayden (US) Ducati 1:56.163

10 H Aoyama (Jpn) Honda 1:56.227

11 B Spies (US) Tech 3 Yamaha 1:56.271

12 M Kallio (Fin) Pramac Racing 1:56.283

 

 

125cc qualifying result:

 

1 M Marquez (Spn) Red Bull Derbi 2:06.651

 

9 B Smith (GB) Bancaja Aspar Team Aprilia 2:08.835

 

 

Bradley has a lot to make up

[St Landrew]

Interesting. Rookie Ben Spies went backwards after promising a lot, straight off. Randy De Puniet is obviously having one those weekends. Such a shame he can't be consistent, as he's always had the talent. Notable though that 1st to 8th covers just one second. It is often much closer, as well.

 

As to the 125s, Marc Marquez is going to be a future World Champion, there's no doubt. Just hope that Bardley can get his Championhip sorted before Marquez really fulfills his potential.

 

How did the Moto2 grid sort itself out..? How did Scott Redding do..?

[Saint in Paradise]

Moto2 qualifying result:

 

1 T Elias (Spn) Gresini Racing 2:01.904

2 J Simon (Spn) Mapfre Aspar Team RSV 2:02.032

3 S Bradl (Ger) Viessmann Kiefer Racing Suter 2:02.038

 

 

All I can find

[St Landrew]

Moto2 qualifying result:

 

1 T Elias (Spn) Gresini Racing 2:01.904

2 J Simon (Spn) Mapfre Aspar Team RSV 2:02.032

3 S Bradl (Ger) Viessmann Kiefer Racing Suter 2:02.038

 

 

All I can find

 

Ta S-i-P.

 

Nice to see Tony Elias doing well. He really should be riding in MotoGP. Quite surprised to see current 125cc World Champion Julian Simon doing as well as he is, also ex-125 alsoran Bradl. Obviously they've both got everything hooked-up, as motorcycle racing commentators say, early in the season.

[Ponty]

So the leader crashes out and they don't even get it on camera. What's up with that?

[Ponty]

Great last couple of laps. Bit processive after Stoner's crash but the last 2 laps made up for that. Poor old Nicky though That Honda is mental on the straights.

[St Landrew]

Great last couple of laps. Bit processive after Stoner's crash but the last 2 laps made up for that. Poor old Nicky though That Honda is mental on the straights.

 

As Charlie Cox might say... that bike has sure got some mumbo..!

 

Really wierd seeing the Honda streak past the Ducati, when traditionally it's the Ducati that goes past everything on the straights, and then gets caught on the twiddly bits. Agreed, poor old Nicky, but then Dovizioso is a real scrapper. Whenever those two race close, it always becomes something a little bit special. Agreed though, a tad processional at the front, but they were changing places all over the running order. It was almost part of the script to see old 250cc adversaries Simoncelli and Bautista fight to the last corner, and Bautista chucked it down the road. You may remember him from last season, when he flipped his bike, doing a celebration wheelie. Bit of a hothead is Alvaro Bautista.

 

Thought the 125cc and brand new Moto2 600cc bikes were excellent support races, and this on a track where it competes for most boring venue of the year, along with Valencia, and a couple other tracks.

[Ponty]

As Charlie Cox might say... that bike has sure got some mumbo..!

 

Really wierd seeing the Honda streak past the Ducati, when traditionally it's the Ducati that goes past everything on the straights, and then gets caught on the twiddly bits. Agreed, poor old Nicky, but then Dovizioso is a real scrapper. Whenever those two race close, it always becomes something a little bit special. Agreed though, a tad processional at the front, but they were changing places all over the running order. It was almost part of the script to see old 250cc adversaries Simoncelli and Bautista fight to the last corner, and Bautista chucked it down the road. You may remember him from last season, when he flipped his bike, doing a celebration wheelie. Bit of a hothead is Alvaro Bautista.

 

Thought the 125cc and brand new Moto2 600cc bikes were excellent support races, and this on a track where it competes for most boring venue of the year, along with Valencia, and a couple other tracks.

 

I watched the race on BBC3 at 9pm so I wasn't treated to the support races but I have to say, even if I may have said this before, the stark contrast in the TV coverage of F1 and MotoGP was really highlighted in that race. No coverage of Stoner's episode, very few replays of midfield moves and backmarker moves and microphones dead left, right and centre. Poor effort. It was only on the last couple of laps that Lorenzo emerged as a challenger for the podium, yet he must have been all over the bikes behind the top 3 for much of the race.

[St Landrew]

I watched the race on BBC3 at 9pm so I wasn't treated to the support races but I have to say, even if I may have said this before, the stark contrast in the TV coverage of F1 and MotoGP was really highlighted in that race. No coverage of Stoner's episode, very few replays of midfield moves and backmarker moves and microphones dead left, right and centre. Poor effort. It was only on the last couple of laps that Lorenzo emerged as a challenger for the podium, yet he must have been all over the bikes behind the top 3 for much of the race.

 

You're absolutely right, Ponty. It is poor coverage. People have been banging on, left, right and centre about the poor coverage in previous seasons, whereas I have said it was ok. But the coverage from this season's start is poor. It's one thing to miss Stoner's unseating [i could give you my opinion on how it came about], but another not to have an alternative camera angle, and to have practically no analysis afterwards. That's down to time contraints, and lack of care, and the Beeb will not give more time to MotoGP. This is a totally stupid position because, how on earth, do you get the new viewers involved in a new sport [to them] if you don't explain a few things, along the way.

 

The BBC's coverage was pretty good in 2006 and 2007, IMO. Since then it has gone downhill. There is more overall, but the quality is reduced. Losail 2010 was a steep drop in quality. No wonder Suzi resigned.

[St Landrew]

Hey Ponty..!

 

125cc and Moto2 Races on iPlayer

 

Who'd have thought it..?

[Ponty]

Cheers, StL.

 

That's something to watch later while listening to the footy.