MotoGP SPOILER!
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B.S. Hayden has had a bad clutch all season long. Last year he was going too hard and falling off.. Hayden was doing the smart thing this year, especially given his equipment problems. Really pisses me off that you question Haydens desire or effort. You get on a MotoGP bike with a bad clutch and race the greatest motorcycle racer of all time. Honda should of put Hayden first, issued team orders to Pedrosa. Nicky should have left Honda for Yamaha or Ducati..
I think your taking it the wrong way and not looking at all the facts. Rossi had problems many many problems. Hayden has had relatively few. The clutch is the only problem and it was just a problem for the starts from what I have read. The clutch problem has also been used as a proverbial crutch for all the Hayden fans. I said Hayden should have done better to keep a bigger cushion. That is a fact. I get tired of Hayden fans acting like Hayden is being robbed of the championship. That is BS. If he loses it, then he only has himself to blame. If Rossi loses it to Hayden it, then he also only has himself to blame. DNF's, crashes, etc happen in racing.
Sure it was a dumb mistake and unfortunate for Nicky who has really stepped up this year. But who doesn't really believe Rossi is the best. If Nicky had won this year, it'd be because he managed to capitalize on Rossi's earlier bad breaks.
And the Pedrosa screwup doesn't change the fact that he's let slip a nice point advantage. You can only blame so much on that clutch/holeshot issue. I get the feeling Nicky has been playing "prevent defense" and that's why he is in this predicament.
And the Pedrosa screwup doesn't change the fact that he's let slip a nice point advantage. You can only blame so much on that clutch/holeshot issue. I get the feeling Nicky has been playing "prevent defense" and that's why he is in this predicament.
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It was a pretty aggressive move by Hayden. But I got the feeling that Hayden was shocked that he had to even pull a move like that given the circumstances. Dani was going balls out from the first lap and giving no quarter whatsoever and was aggressive in re-passing after Hayden had got by him for third the first time. Team orders or not, Dani should have chilled a bit the first time Hayden got by him. There was plenty of race left.
And it was a similar attempt to what Hayden accomplished, but it was totally botched; he didn't have the room and came in very hot at a crap angle (which, yes, caused him to lose the front on the curbing.)
Not saying that this is you, but any critisism of Hayden being overly aggressive should be directed back at those who've been whining that he's been riding too safely.
And it was a similar attempt to what Hayden accomplished, but it was totally botched; he didn't have the room and came in very hot at a crap angle (which, yes, caused him to lose the front on the curbing.)
Not saying that this is you, but any critisism of Hayden being overly aggressive should be directed back at those who've been whining that he's been riding too safely.
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The clutch issue is far more problematic than just starts. It's not drag racing. It's a 20-some-odd-lap race. A slipping clutch is equivalent to being down on horsepower, especially out of corner exits. They also use the clutch to control wheelies (remember that we're talking about a 340 lb. short-wheelbase bike with a high COG and 240+ horsepower) and to control the power. Then you've got to baby the thing to avoid having it go totally AWOL.
I was reluctant to attribute too much to the clutch problems, too. But it has become clear recently that this is a real problem and HRC has admitted it.
P.S. We all believe Rossi is the best. But it's not simply rider against rider. And it doesn't mean he should win all the time. If that were true, they'd just have a parade lap, hand him his trophy and everyone could go home early.
The point is that the Pedrosa/Hayden incident was not just a mere racing incident. It shouldn't have happened.
I was reluctant to attribute too much to the clutch problems, too. But it has become clear recently that this is a real problem and HRC has admitted it.
P.S. We all believe Rossi is the best. But it's not simply rider against rider. And it doesn't mean he should win all the time. If that were true, they'd just have a parade lap, hand him his trophy and everyone could go home early.
The point is that the Pedrosa/Hayden incident was not just a mere racing incident. It shouldn't have happened.
It seemed to me Nicky was doing a good job of "managing" his lead. This job would have been easier without the clutch issues. To do otherwise would be trying to win a battle while losing sight of the fact that the main objective is to win the war. "Hindsight's 20/20", "that's racing" and "it's not over till it's over". If KRJR could have got in there too...
What happened to Nicky is really bad. I'm not his or Rossi's fan, I'm a motoGP fan, and I was hoping to see them both fight for the title with fair play until the end of the season. Unfortunately Pedrosa ruined yesterday's race for Nicky and probably the championship. It's a shame. Even if there were no team orders he should have been more careful with his own teammate. I hope Nicky can overcome this and Pedrosa learns something about team spirit and fair play.
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Yup to all of the above. I would add two things. First, I think that Dani is undoubtedly a talented young rider, with the emphasis on 'young'. I view his error as one of immaturity - simply the hot-headed action of a young gun who wasn't being careful in thinking through the potentially disastrous consequences of taking the chance that he did. One certainly hopes that this will have been a significant growing experience for him - I'm sure glad that I'm not in Pedrosa's shoes today!
Secondly, I'll bet this'll cause Honda HRC to re-think their 'no team orders' policy in future such situations. While I think it's reasonable (although probably not the choice I would have made) that Dani be permitted strut his stuff and do what he can, I also think it reasonable that he be instructed to exercise care not to jeopardize his teammate and points leader's opporunity to finish as best as is possible. After all, as I'm sure HRC team management realizes, the result of their 'hands off', no team orders policy ultimately did them considerable harm. Bet they'll think twice before doing that again!
Secondly, I'll bet this'll cause Honda HRC to re-think their 'no team orders' policy in future such situations. While I think it's reasonable (although probably not the choice I would have made) that Dani be permitted strut his stuff and do what he can, I also think it reasonable that he be instructed to exercise care not to jeopardize his teammate and points leader's opporunity to finish as best as is possible. After all, as I'm sure HRC team management realizes, the result of their 'hands off', no team orders policy ultimately did them considerable harm. Bet they'll think twice before doing that again!
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It has been frustrating to see the preferencial treatment that Honda has given Pedrosa in the final stages of this championship, of course the sponsor is giant oil company Repsol, which is one of the richest companies in Spain, of course Mr. Carmelo Speleta, who is from Spain, has incredible pull with the FIM and Honda. Maybe I am paranoid here, but why was Hayden testing parts and software, on racing weekends, while leading a championship? Why was he having problems with his clutch? In the mean time Pedrosa was riding his usual bike, that he was doing great with, without being bothered by testing and development, I have allways been under the impression that when a racer is leading the points chase in any form of racing, the factory and the sponsors go out of their way to ensure that that competitor has the outmost ammount of support, to make sure he, she, has the best possible chance to bring the championship home!
I guess we will never truly know what transpired, but I think those things enboldened the little *&#* to try and make a hero out of himself in his own back yard and make the stupidest bone headed move in racing in recent history.
I feel for Hayden, but Yamaha and Rossi deserve to win, they have made a great come back fron adversity, and that is the way true professionals and champions act, maybe Honda will learn from it.
I guess we will never truly know what transpired, but I think those things enboldened the little *&#* to try and make a hero out of himself in his own back yard and make the stupidest bone headed move in racing in recent history.
I feel for Hayden, but Yamaha and Rossi deserve to win, they have made a great come back fron adversity, and that is the way true professionals and champions act, maybe Honda will learn from it.
absolutely right. nicki is fast but he doesn't seem to have the chops to win the title this year. maybe next year.
too bad. would have been cool to have an american winner.
regarding the firing of pedrosa: it'd be stupid. he is a future world champ. just 'cause he pulled a bonehead move doesn't change that.
too bad. would have been cool to have an american winner.
regarding the firing of pedrosa: it'd be stupid. he is a future world champ. just 'cause he pulled a bonehead move doesn't change that.
>>If Nicky had won this year, it'd be because he managed to capitalize on Rossi's earlier bad breaks.
Well go figure that. I thought that's exactly how championships were won. One guy keeps it all together all year long while everybody else suffers "bad breaks".
Seems to me you've already decided that Rossi's won this year a long time ago--which is probably why Nicky is on a factory Honda and you're on a factory couch.
Well go figure that. I thought that's exactly how championships were won. One guy keeps it all together all year long while everybody else suffers "bad breaks".
Seems to me you've already decided that Rossi's won this year a long time ago--which is probably why Nicky is on a factory Honda and you're on a factory couch.
It was just bad luck and racing. They were both fortunate they were not taken out earlier when Hayden did an equally aggresive move in the exact same corner. All of these guys race to win. Thats good for racing and the spectators. Moving over because you were told to, thats bad for everyone and undermines the legitimacy of the sport.
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