JMU R1
 |
|
|
Just saw on Twitter than Stoner announced in the pre-race press conference that he'll be retiring at the end of the season! Wow, I am well and truly dumbfounded.
|
magueto
|
|
I just read the news on MotoGP, sad....really sad.
Now..moving on, What Honda will do? Unfortunately Pedrosa is no having that extra thing to defeat Lorenzo consistently.
How will be the new raider for Honda? Valentino? Hope not!!!!
|
JMU R1
|
|
Next season there is going to be a serious scramble for the second Honda seat. As I see it the short list will be (in no particular order):
Cal Crutchlow
Andrea Dovizioso
Ben Spies
Valentino Rossi
Stefan Bradl
Marc Marquez can't go directly to a factory team as a rookie so that's a no go. Whoever gets that seat, will probably get a one year deal (unless they plan on getting rid of Pedrosa).
|
a10thunder
|
|
Very sad. I was ecstatic when Honda got him.
Lorenzo's contract with Yamaha is still up in the air isn't it?
|
notyper
|
|
Rossi must not be allowed to return to Honda. I have tremendous respect for his riding ability, but I despise him as a person.
SC
Last edited by notyper on 05-17-2012 13:19
|
K25
|
|
This is really disappointing :(
He didn't strike me as the type of guy to be racing until very late but I never expected him to retire at 26. He will be a legend (even if his 3 titles in motogp won't quite be a match to his idol Doohan's achievements).
This is really bad news for Honda. Having him in the team pretty much guaranteed we would be winning races regularly even when things are not running smoothly technically.
Now I won't be surprised if Honda gives Marquez a factory ride next year (in a satelite team) like they did with Simoncelli.
I will be surprised if Rossi is in a Honda again. But it will be interesting if Honda will go after Lorenzo. Nakamoto seems to rate him very high.
|
Potenza
|
|
a10thunder wrote:
Very sad. I was ecstatic when Honda got him.
Lorenzo's contract with Yamaha is still up in the air isn't it?
|
I'm surprised by the serious words by Stoner. He sounds pretty unhappy.
"This sport has changed a lot and it has changed to the point where I am not enjoying it.
I don't have the passion for it and so at this time it's better if I retire now.
There are a lot of things that have disappointed me, and also a lot of things I have loved about this sport, but unfortunately the balance has gone in the wrong direction."
Interestingly I can see Schumacher saying these same things after a couple more bad F1 races.
|
CafeDelMar90
|
|
unbelievable news, i am cut up about this like only a fanboy could be. I have been a fan of his since his KTM days. He always seemed to have that bit extra about him. That hard tire squeezing, tough on the bike kind of riding style will be sorely missed. Sliding at his home track of Phillip Island, boy oh boy that was a sight to see.
As for Honda well, Jorges contract is up and i daresay Repsol will be gunning for him as much as possible. Two spaniards in one team? it will be heaven for them
As for Rossi?? well well well....seems like Nakamato-san has changed his tune about him.
Remember how he said that it wasnt possible for him to return to the factory team, and that he had to prove that it was the rider not the bike? well this is what Nakamato says now (rough translation from GPONE):
Valentino Rossi is right when he says that the withdrawal of Stoner "changes all the cards on the table." Honda loses its lead driver, world champion, one able to climb on the podium 19 times out of 20 races on the MotoGP Tokyo. "It was a surprise for us - admits Shuei Nakamoto, vice president of HRC - we tried to get him in every way to think about it, but it was useless. We respect his choice. "The first signs of impatience with the world Casey had already shown them at the end of last season: "I have discussed at length - said - said he wanted to spend more time with his family in Australia. He made clear he wanted to do as few tests as possible, in addition to the winter. We satisfied, we have also eliminated most of the promotional events that required his presence. "
It was not enough, the number 1 said just now, and begin preparations for the succession. "We will begin to talk seriously with Pedrosa in 2013, we had not yet done," says Nakamoto. But a door may open for Valentino Rossi, the closed long ago. "At this point anything is possible, we have to think about it" are the words of Vice President of HRC that assesses the ability to have two more top drivers "but I will talk directly with Honda Motor, the sponsors even before she is the main contact
hmmm...seems like Rossi back to Repsol isnt so daft after all...
|
CafeDelMar90
|
|
And one other thing. In my eyes Casey is the greatest rider of all time. Taking the title this year will be the cherry on top. No other rider rides like him, and also being the only rider to win a championship on a Ducati is no easy feat, he may be the only Ducati winner for a long time...
Plus, Ayrton Senna is considered by many to be the greatest F1 rider and he won 3 championship. Yet people still talk glowingly about him. I hope in a couple of years the bike racers/ bike racing fans will talk about Casey in much the same light :)
|
P54
|
|
When Rossi left he wanted to prove it was him, not the bike that won. He wanted to show he was capable of winning without a Honda. But to do that he did not just leave Honda but took with him the team members, a lot of experience that went into the hands of Yamaha.
Rossi is not doing well with Ducati and other riders that have left Honda for other brands don't do it so good either. If Rossi comes back to Honda and wins it will complete the circle, it takes a top rider with a top bike to win, unless you are Stoner that was able to win with a not so top Ducati.
|
chazcra
|
|
|
rossi back to honda was the first thing came to mind when i heard of stoner retirment.he could do alot of good i think, maybe a two year contract.honda would dearly love to have a good handling bike with its already smooth powerful engine which vali could help with.it would kind a nice to see a three bike team again in 2014.the option here could be to fast track marquez in motogp to get that rockey year under his belt it would be nice to see him and bradl in the the same team i think, but gess we just gut to wait and see
|
notyper
|
|
I don't know if I'd call Casey the greatest of all time. But he certainly deserves Top 10 consideration if he wins again this year.
I found this article (it may have been already posted here) very interesting with respect to Stoner's abilities both on and off the track in terms of bike development. Stoner's detractors (and Rossi's boosters) have often said that Stoner is just a raw physical talent who can't develop a bike. Read the article and see how thoroughly that is debunked:
http://motomatters.com/opinion/2012/04/17/between_the_devil_and_the_deep_blue_sea_.html
As for the return of Rossi, I still can't believe that Honda fans would even consider it. Is it win at all costs, or do we have pride and respect? Rossi was a complete ass and primadonna in his last year at Honda. Does anyone remember all the B.S. that preceded his leaving? And if it was all about proving he was the key ingredient, why did he take most of the team and go to the team with the highest bidding price? Why not go to Ducati (because he wouldn't have been able to win there - that's why)?
Again, I have tremendous respect for Rossi's ability, but I think that as a person he's not someone you want in your organization (or anywhere close). I also feel that people like Manny Puig are detrimental as well, so Honda is certainly not perfect in this regard.
SC
|
JMU R1
|
|
Yeah I would rather not see Valentino back on a Honda. Lorenzo's contract is up this year so I'm sure Honda will make a big play for him. I have to think Repsol might be willing to throw in some extra money to sweeten the pot.
I wouldn't be totally opposed to Rossi riding a Honda though, because now the point is crystal clear, the rider can't win without the right bike. Rossi needs HRC waaaayyy more than HRC needs Rossi. If Rossi went back to Honda it would be with tail tucked firmly between the legs. And it would probably be for a one year deal.
|
danielgr
|
|
JMU R1 wrote:
Yeah I would rather not see Valentino back on a Honda. Lorenzo's contract is up this year so I'm sure Honda will make a big play for him. I have to think Repsol might be willing to throw in some extra money to sweeten the pot.
I wouldn't be totally opposed to Rossi riding a Honda though, because now the point is crystal clear, the rider can't win without the right bike. Rossi needs HRC waaaayyy more than HRC needs Rossi. If Rossi went back to Honda it would be with tail tucked firmly between the legs. And it would probably be for a one year deal.
|
- Honda would show again that they make the best bikes, the wining ones, and that the rider alone isn't enough to win (something many claimed Rossi proved wrong when he switched to Yamaha).
- Rossi would show the world he still has what it takes to win if given a decent ride, and could finally retire in peace.
|
JMU R1
|
|
danielgr wrote:
JMU R1 wrote:
Yeah I would rather not see Valentino back on a Honda. Lorenzo's contract is up this year so I'm sure Honda will make a big play for him. I have to think Repsol might be willing to throw in some extra money to sweeten the pot.
I wouldn't be totally opposed to Rossi riding a Honda though, because now the point is crystal clear, the rider can't win without the right bike. Rossi needs HRC waaaayyy more than HRC needs Rossi. If Rossi went back to Honda it would be with tail tucked firmly between the legs. And it would probably be for a one year deal.
|
- Honda would show again that they make the best bikes, the wining ones, and that the rider alone isn't enough to win (something many claimed Rossi proved wrong when he switched to Yamaha).
- Rossi would show the world he still has what it takes to win if given a decent ride, and could finally retire in peace.
|
Well certainly for the good of the sport it'd be better if Rossi won again. Especially now that Stoner is leaving, Moto GP needs Rossi in the mix more than ever.
I'd still rather have Lorenzo come to Honda though, because he'd be a better long term prospect. But Honda would have to pay dearly to get him I'd imagine.
|
danielgr
|
|
JMU R1 wrote:
danielgr wrote:
JMU R1 wrote:
Yeah I would rather not see Valentino back on a Honda. Lorenzo's contract is up this year so I'm sure Honda will make a big play for him. I have to think Repsol might be willing to throw in some extra money to sweeten the pot.
I wouldn't be totally opposed to Rossi riding a Honda though, because now the point is crystal clear, the rider can't win without the right bike. Rossi needs HRC waaaayyy more than HRC needs Rossi. If Rossi went back to Honda it would be with tail tucked firmly between the legs. And it would probably be for a one year deal.
|
- Honda would show again that they make the best bikes, the wining ones, and that the rider alone isn't enough to win (something many claimed Rossi proved wrong when he switched to Yamaha).
- Rossi would show the world he still has what it takes to win if given a decent ride, and could finally retire in peace.
|
Well certainly for the good of the sport it'd be better if Rossi won again. Especially now that Stoner is leaving, Moto GP needs Rossi in the mix more than ever.
I'd still rather have Lorenzo come to Honda though, because he'd be a better long term prospect. But Honda would have to pay dearly to get him I'd imagine.
|
|
notyper
|
|
Site tells me I can't watch it without buying a video pass. Can you summarize in a couple of sentences?
SC
|
K25
|
|
danielgr wrote:
JMU R1 wrote:
Yeah I would rather not see Valentino back on a Honda. Lorenzo's contract is up this year so I'm sure Honda will make a big play for him. I have to think Repsol might be willing to throw in some extra money to sweeten the pot.
I wouldn't be totally opposed to Rossi riding a Honda though, because now the point is crystal clear, the rider can't win without the right bike. Rossi needs HRC waaaayyy more than HRC needs Rossi. If Rossi went back to Honda it would be with tail tucked firmly between the legs. And it would probably be for a one year deal.
|
- Honda would show again that they make the best bikes, the wining ones, and that the rider alone isn't enough to win (something many claimed Rossi proved wrong when he switched to Yamaha).
- Rossi would show the world he still has what it takes to win if given a decent ride, and could finally retire in peace.
|
That would make a nice story but I can't see him racing for Honda again. And even if he did, on the Honda he would be outpaced by Pedrosa and certainly by Lorenzo on the Yamaha, I reckon (assuming the bike's caracteristics don't change much).
He can't race without his old buddy Burgess and the rest of his trusted crew so he would need to convince them to change teams (yet again). When Rossi announced he was leaving Yamaha for Ducati, Burguess didn't want to leave (and go along with him) but somehow Rossi managed to convince him. Would he be willing to change teams again only for one year (or even 2)?
Honda will probably call Bautista (or even Bradl) for one year to keep the seat warm for Marc M (while he does his rookie year).
Personaly I would like to see Jonathan Rea given a chance in a Honda GP bike for his loyalty to Honda and his efforts in saving them from total humiliation in WSBK. It's a shame about the rookie rule. I think the RC213V would suit his wild riding style. I think what he's doing with the uncompetitive Fireblabe in WSBK for the past few years is nothing short of amazing, and the way he crushes every single teammate, from Carlos Checa - the reigning WSBK world champion, to Hiroshi Aoyama - a former motogp rider and last 250cc world champion. Seeing how Cal Crutchlow (a former WSBK rider) is currently doing in MotoGP, I see no reason why Rea couldn't be battling at the front on a Honda. And he's such a nice chap as well.
|
K25
|
|
notyper wrote:
Site tells me I can't watch it without buying a video pass. Can you summarize in a couple of sentences?
SC
|
Yep.
What does he say?
|
CafeDelMar90
|
|
K25 wrote:
danielgr wrote:
JMU R1 wrote:
Personaly I would like to see Jonathan Rea given a chance in a Honda GP bike for his loyalty to Honda and his efforts in saving them from total humiliation in WSBK. It's a shame about the rookie rule. I think the RC213V would suit his wild riding style. I think what he's doing with the uncompetitive Fireblabe in WSBK for the past few years is nothing short of amazing, and the way he crushes every single teammate, from Carlos Checa - the reigning WSBK world champion, to Hiroshi Aoyama - a former motogp rider and last 250cc world champion. Seeing how Cal Crutchlow (a former WSBK rider) is currently doing in MotoGP, I see no reason why Rea couldn't be battling at the front on a Honda. And he's such a nice chap as well.
|
spot on mate, agree with everything you wrote. Surely Honda can repay him the faith for wringing everything out of the outdated SBK fireblade in WSBK. I certainly hope he gets a chance sooner or later.
The other reason why i wouldnt mind Rossi back at Honda is the Rossi image. Rossi sells bikes. Manufacterers love him riding their bikes because thats what people see when they watch the races. They go out and they buy bikes from the manufacter their hero rides for...Honda could be selling a ton of bikes. And also Rossis sponsorship potential is crazy. Look at Yamaha now after Rossi left, still no official sponsor as of yet.
|
|
|
| |
|
| Thread Page - [1] |
|  |
![[home]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/home.gif){kind=small}
![[rumors and news]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/rumors.gif){kind=small}
![[model release matrix]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/newmodelreleasematrix.gif){kind=small}
![[dealer network]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/dealernet.gif){kind=small}
![[desktop calendar]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/calendar.gif){kind=small}
![[exhaust notes]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/exhaust.gif){kind=small}
![[tov forums]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/forums.gif){kind=small}
![[links]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/links.gif){kind=small}
![[search]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/search.gif){kind=small}
![[sponsors]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/sponsors.gif){kind=small}
![[garage]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/garage.gif){kind=small}
![[login]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/login.gif){kind=small}
