Moto GP Qatar *Spoilers included*

[rac3r]

Starts tomorrow!!

Well FP anyway

Moto3FP1
16:00 - 16:40

Moto2FP1
16:55 - 17:40

MotoGPFP1
17:55 - 18:40

Moto3FP2
18:55 - 19:35

Moto2FP2
19:50 - 20:35

*Added spoilers in the title so people don't start moaning later on
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Bikes : 2006 CBR125R - 2004 Monster 620ie - 2004 ZX-6R B1H - 2005 Monster S2R 800 - 2011 Street Triple - 2009 Streetfighter 1098 - 2014 ZX-6R 636

[Fowlersrs]

Cant wait for this, gonna watch qualifying on the red button and record the actual race for monday night viewing

COME ON Crutchyyy!!

[Frost]

FUCK YOU! I came in hoping for some spoilers!

https://iruntheinternet.com/lulzdump/images/son-disappointing-am-disappoint-cat-12914870208.jpg

[Llama-Farmer]

I thought we had a clairvoyant among us... I was hoping to find out the results already.

Shit thread, deciding whether to leave bad karma

[Mikey3]

cannot wait for it! I've got a few friends coming over for the first race
It's seemed like forever, mind it has been acknowledged as a long wait.
can't see the results if the top 6/7 being much different from last year though tbh

Mike
____________________
'04 Yamaha WR450F
'99 SV650 Streetfighter Project - mid build
'Motorcycling is about what you do; not about what you own, or how much you spend on it'

[Frost]

Well then i'm going to attempt some spoilers:

Quali:

Moto3 got off to a promising start with Kent on the front row, pole was taken by vinales

Moto2 returning former chanpion elias qualified well of the pace. A good quali from Reading has him near the front by Smith looks to be struggling for speed. Returning Marquez starts from pole and looks strong.

MotoGP Stoner takes pole from Lorenzo, Pedrosa and spies. A tight battle between Crutchlow and Dovi sees cal come out on top. Rossi is behind hayden.

Race:
Moto3 Kent gets a crap start but makes up ground running in a podium position until dropping back in the last few laps. Vinales wins

Moto2 Marquez wins, good performance from zarco. Reading drops back with tyre issues, smith makes steady progress.

MotoGP Stoner fucks off into the distance. Lorenzo catches him on worn tyres but stoner wins it. Cal gets an awesome start but then fucks up and drops down the order. Rossi has a boring race but claims the experience valuable.



lets see how close i get

[Shaun]

Everyone crashes on the first corner.

The lights went out and everyone races off the line, Stoner gets the hole shot and looks set to win the race in his usual style. But then the floodlights also go out and everyone wakes up 15 minutes later in the grandstand.

Race to be re-scheduled when riders have grown new limbs.

[rac3r]

Moto GP Free Practice starts in a few minutes (17:45) on Eurosport
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Bikes : 2006 CBR125R - 2004 Monster 620ie - 2004 ZX-6R B1H - 2005 Monster S2R 800 - 2011 Street Triple - 2009 Streetfighter 1098 - 2014 ZX-6R 636

[Frost]

I fucking wish Shaun.
To be honest if Stoner, Rossi, Lorenzo & Pedrosa all ceased to exist MotoGP would probably get a lot more interesting.
Or if motoGP ceased to exist and they all move to Moto2, things would get VERY interesting!

[Frost]

https://www.vipbox.tv/sports/formula-1.html

Has links to streaming the practise sessions for those without eurosport.

https://www.vipbox.tv/watch/42426/2/grand-prix-qatar,-losail---free-practice-1-live-stream-online.html

That one is the eurosport live stream

[rac3r]

FP ended with 1st Stoner, 2nd Lorenzo 3rd...........Hayden

with Rossi in 10th. Ducati sand bagging
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Bikes : 2006 CBR125R - 2004 Monster 620ie - 2004 ZX-6R B1H - 2005 Monster S2R 800 - 2011 Street Triple - 2009 Streetfighter 1098 - 2014 ZX-6R 636

[Frost]

Nope they're not sand bagging. There is no point to sand bagging at what is basically testing unless you know you're the fastest. Ducati have had 6 days testing with that new bike and are on alloy frame #2. The other year honda went through 8 frames pre season and that was with prior alloy frame experience. Ducati have had to start from nothing with that frame, but chances are they have copied some of the geometry from the previous bike, and inherited some from the engine shape and positioning.
Hayden got on okay with the old Ducati as he is a corner exit / throttle focused rider. Rossi is a braking and corner entry focussed rider. The ducati suited Haydens style better before and probably does now. Rossi is probably testing parts and set ups while hayden tries to make the best of what he's got.

[rac3r]

[Deckx]

think moaner is gonna run away with it this year would be nice if rossi could turn it around but his head must be a bit messed up by now... even his old mate Biaggi had dig at him at a recent interview along the lines that he's not the funny/laughing guy he was before..

[Al]

They were saying that Bradley Smith may well be on a CRT Tech3 bike next year so does that mean Dovi and Cal get to keep their jobs? or does it mean they are going the way of Gresini and just fielding one of each, so even less prototypes on the grid next year.

I know they were talking about him last night but I think Luis Salom will be good to watch this season. He stands out as an Iannone, simoncelli type hot headed character.

Despite crashing yesterday I think Gino Rea will go well, he was quick in testing and has a pretty extreme riding style.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/big_al/a2bdf602.jpg
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[Mikey3]

So lorenzo and Cal have just knocked Stacey Moaner off top spot, and Rossi got an 8th, .9 off stoner again.
Rossi was only running on the hard tyres in race preparation, the other guys mostly on softs.
Maybe Rossi can qualify 5th/6th tomorrow with the added grip of the soft compound over a lap.
Nice to see a fresh face on top spot though, was getting pretty bored.

Mike
____________________
'04 Yamaha WR450F
'99 SV650 Streetfighter Project - mid build
'Motorcycling is about what you do; not about what you own, or how much you spend on it'

[Fowlersrs]

Great to see Crutchlow put in a quick one, if he's second the grid tomorrow I'm sure he will be well pleased. Looks like Lorenzo may bag Pole, wonder where Stoners gonna slot in!!

[robbieguy2003]

Seems quite interesting, but it's not as cut/clear as the times say.

Jorge, Cal and Vale were on softs at the end of FP3, Casey was still on the hard tyre and he got held up on his last fast bash.

However, Cal had a used hard front, it was only the soft rear, he also got held up on the last corner by a CRT so he could go quicker, and no doubt Jorge could as well. Still, it's amazing to have Cal sat in 2nd place, he's had a great off season and looks to have worked his arse off, so nice for him to be getting good places.

The Honda is apparently chattering like hell, Dani had a weird crash, but he still only managed 5th. I think Honda have more problems than they're letting onto and they're putting a brave face on it tbh.

I still think it'll be an interesting race though, I honestly think, over race distance, on a new breed of bikes, on new tyres it could go either way. And I think Jorge will be the guy to beat, looking at Casey, as good as he is, each lap is ~.2-.4 out from the next/last. Jorge hits out ~.1 all day, and they look smooth, Casey is wrestling that bike around, and i think it'll hurt the tyres over the distance, I think that might screw stoner up later on, I can see him getting 2nd, possibly 3rd depending on how it all pans out, but he's had some vicious slides and spits today.

Vale has been a sly dog, other than FP3, and only at the end, he's spent FP1, FP2 and most of FP3 on the hard tyres. A few people in Ducati have mentioned the possibility of a podium, but I cant quite see it tbh. Rossi and Hayden are on quite different setups, Hayden now has chatter with the track clearing up, but he seems reasonably happy.

As much as i'd love it, the times are just too far for a podium imo.

The only way it could happen is if Ducati are ~1 second down per lap for the first 10 laps, but come lap 10, others start slowing and they stay the same? But I find it unlikely tbh. I think they'll get quicker as they learn about the bike though, but I reckon they'll get pumped at Jerez unless it rains.

Rossi still has understeer, but it's getting better and he says they've got a direction to work in now. Interestingly, he's saying the engine is a bit brutal, which is spinning the back a bit, he reckons if they can take it off the top and give more at the bottom it might be better to control. He's also saying riding on the back rather than the front is better, but odd, so he might be hinting at changing his style a bit. He does look comfortable on it though.
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Old Bikes: Suzuki Intruder 125 LC - '2001, Honda CBR 600F - '92, Honda CBR 600RR - '03

[carlosthejack...]

It's certainly been a fascinating start to the season up to now. I'm just hoping that the race doesn't disappoint and there's some proper racing. Chuffed for Cal Crutchlow, the boy's got a big future...
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[rac3r]

Moto3 Qualifying on now
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Bikes : 2006 CBR125R - 2004 Monster 620ie - 2004 ZX-6R B1H - 2005 Monster S2R 800 - 2011 Street Triple - 2009 Streetfighter 1098 - 2014 ZX-6R 636

[rac3r]

What the hell is up with Rossi?? Didn't move from 12th the whole time and Hayden managed to qualify 5th
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Bikes : 2006 CBR125R - 2004 Monster 620ie - 2004 ZX-6R B1H - 2005 Monster S2R 800 - 2011 Street Triple - 2009 Streetfighter 1098 - 2014 ZX-6R 636

[carlosthejack...]

[Mikey3]

So much for the new bike. Unless something happened to him, couldn't watch it, fucking red button decided to show GOLF instead of bike racing. Suppose it gets some crust's blood pumping .

Last year I beleive he qualified 6th or 7th, on the very bike that was 'unrideable' before the 'improvements and upgrades' came.
Really hope some of his racecraft gets used tomorrow. FINGERS CROSSED, PRAYING.

Mike
____________________
'04 Yamaha WR450F
'99 SV650 Streetfighter Project - mid build
'Motorcycling is about what you do; not about what you own, or how much you spend on it'

[Frost]

[Mikey3]