Highside

It had been said before in Brno, but now we can confirm it: Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso have renewed their contracts with HRC, keeping the two men on board the Repsol Honda bikes for 2010.  The news was announced by the head of HRC, Tetsuo Suzuki, during a press conference this weekend in San Marino.

The main hitch in the agreement was the role that Pedrosa’s manager and mentor Alberto Puig would play in the garage.  HRC downplayed the previous rumors that they were seeking to bar the elder Spaniard from the pits, but firmly stated that while Puig might be Pedrosa’s manager, Mike Leitner was the team manager and would stay as such.  A cordial Suzuki went on to clarify that the relationship between Honda and Puig “is not bad, but we are not friends.”

The announcement marks a shift in Silly Season; with every factory ride now accounted for, the shuffle amongst the satellite rides will begin in earnest.  A big new piece has just come into play, however, as HRC has hinted that they might run 8 bikes in MotoGP next year, up from the current six.  The two additional bikes would be split between LCR Honda and Scot Honda.  This would not only allow current 250cc points leader Hiroshi Aoyama to move up, but would bring the total number of bikes on the grid to 20—a move that would certainly please Dorna.  The additional bikes would provide a little extra air for the furiously competitive satellite riders, as Alex de Angelis, Toni Elias, James Toseland, and others furiously battle for a spot on the grid in 2010.

Yamaha, Yamaha, Yamaha.  With the first session done in San Marino, it’s Yamaha who lead the way, and by a very sizeable margin.  Home favorite Valentino Rossi sits at the top of the order, having snuck past teammate Jorge Lorenzo in the final minutes of the session, while Lorenzo himself sits at #2, a full six tenths of a second ahead of the last remaining Immortal on the track, Dani Pedrosa.

Pedrosa suffered a bike mishap during the later parts of the session and had to retire early on.  Behind him is San Marino native Alex de Angelis, who’s riding hot off his debut MotoGP podium in Indianapolis.  de Angelis is just .016 behind the tiny Spaniard, and a good two tenths of a second ahead of Andrea Dovizioso.  de Angelis, who is undoubtedly riding for his future in MotoGP, is seemingly riding for his life, as his performance in Indy, and now in Misano, have been shockingly good.  de Angelis, on his satellite Honda, leads both the factory Ducati squad as well as both the Rizla Suzuki bikes, and if he continues this pace, we could see him strongly contend for a second podium this weekend.

Disappointing performances came from Nicky Hayden and Marco Meladri.  Hayden, who scored his first podium of the season last race, clocked in at 10th during the first free practice, while Marco Melandri finished 16th in the order, ahead of only Gabor Talmasci.  Melandri’s time is highly unusual for the veteran, and you should fully expect him to lift his times considerably during the next two sessions.

Extra praise goes to Aleix Espargaro, who finished 13th in his second time out on a MotoGP bike ever.  Espargaro, who finished in 13th in Indianapolis, is quickly taking to the MotoGP bike, outperforming current teammate Niccolo Canepa at every opportunity.  However, Espargaro’s performance is not quite at the caliber you’d expect for teams to consider signing him on for next season, and it’ll take a very surprising finish here in Misano for teams to start considering him as a candidate.

Back when Tetsuo Suzuki announced that HRC were resigning Pedrosa and Dovizioso, there was an audible sigh of relief amongst the fans, as it meant that the 2010 paddock was starting to form more clearly.  Just minutes later, though, we fnd out that HRC had been a little vague: a basic agreement had been reached, but neither rider had actually signed.  This left the door open for either rider to still be courted, and it would appear that The Red Beast has come knocking for Dani Pedrosa.

The tiny Spaniard told Visordown magazine “Yes, we have had some contact, simply that.  They [Ducati] are interested.”  Specifically, it’s Livio Suppo who is interested, with the head of Ducati Corse’s MotoGP venture always looking for some way to stir up rumors and flex his Marlboro Muscle at the other riders.

We’ve seen this before, back when Lorenzo was debating between Yamaha and Ducati.  Suppo sees a rider that’s up for grabs, prepares to throw a giant sum of cash at the rider, while the rider—who has no desire to actually step onto the Desmosedici—uses this as leverage with his preferable signing team.

Much has been said about Pedrosa’s dilemna: his contract with HRC explicitly states that Alberto Puig, Pedrosa’s longtime mentor, cannot be in the garage.  And Pedrosa, who is seemingly the only human in the world that is close with Puig, doesn’t like this demand.  So now, Pedrosa is looking to Suppo to help him gain leverage over HRC, hoping to push the factory Honda squad into letting him keep the unpopular Puig.

Of course, Suppo isn’t just doing this to help Pedrosa.  Ducati’s boss seems furiously intent on replacing Nicky Hayden, who is slowly finding some pace on the Desmosedici, but hardly at the pace that Suppo would like.  Hayden’s podium at Indy means he’s now an option for 2010, but hardly an option Suppo likes.  Despite Hayden’s willingness to do extensive PR events—something their star rider, Casey Stoner, absolutely refuses to partake in—and the commercial success of the Limited Edition Nicky Hayded Desmosedici 848 bike, Suppo is looking to drop Hayden, and fast.

Why is Suppo so set on replacing Hayden?  Possibly because their star rider, Casey Stoner, has become a falling star of late.  His mystery illness continued to hurt him throughout the central part of the season, and now with the Australian sitting out three races, his future in MotoGP is the unspoken question on everyone’s lips.

Enter Pedrosa.  The current Honda star is in 4th place in the standings, just 9 points behind the absent Stoner.  Pedrosa is young, and despite his small stature, has proven his skill in controlling a MotoGP machine.  And while Pedrosa brings the bad baggage of Puig with him if he comes to Ducati, he also brings something that Hayden, Melandri, and many others haven’t been able to bring: hope that Ducati can remain competitive in the coming years.

Of course, Suppo is banking on one thing: Pedrosa taming the Desmo.  So far, only Stoner has done this, and there are many other who have tried and failed.  The most recent name to be added to this list is Mika Kallio, whose performance on the factory Ducati has been no better than his runs on his satellite GP9.  Kallio, who is filling in for the absent Stoner, has been a hit-or-miss rider, finishing consistantly around 10th position.  His best performance of the year doesn’t speak for itself, though—he was poised to take 5th place in the TT Assen when he crashed out on the final chicane.  Since stepping onto the factory Ducati, Kallio’s performances haven’t improved, crashing out of 8th place in Brno in a questionable collision with Marco Melandri, and finishing in 8th in Indianapolis—but only after Pedrosa, Rossi, and Melandri all crashed out from in front of him.  One would hope that Kallio’s performance on board the factory Ducati would improbve, but it’s famous difficulty would seem to effect even the aspiring Finn.

Pedrosa doesn’t have too long to make up his mind.  With the San Marino GP beginning in 3 days time, Silly Season is soon coming to a close, and if Pedrosa doesn’t play his hand soon, HRC might play it for him.  HRC has a lot to lose if Pedrosa leaves, after spending 2 years building the bike for Pedrosa’s specific stature, but HRC seems convinced that a Pedrosa with Puig is a Pedrosa worth leaving.  As the MotoGP circus pulls into Misano this weekend, the rumor mill will surely pick up more speed.

Another race, another win, and another record broken by The Doctor.  Valentino Rossi has sealed his place in history as the world’s greatest rider through his victory today, surpassing Giacomo Agostini’s record of a career-long 159 podiums. Rossi’s easy ride across the finish line, and the fall from Jorge Lorenzo that precipitated it, has given the Italian a 50 point lead in the Championship, bringing his 9th title well into view.

The race was not without it’s own highlights and lowlights, so lets take a look at a few of the key moments and key results of today’s race in Brno.

Smashes

There were two big smashes during the race today; the first one came from Rossi as he smashed through Ago’s record of career podiums.  However, the big smash came on the penultimate lap as Mika Kallio smashed into the rear of Marco Melandri.  Both of the riders were having amazing races: Kallio riding superbly all weekend on his first factory Ducati ride, and Melandri proving his worth as he rose from 15th position on the grid all the way up into 9th with 2 laps to go. The riders had a few choice words for each other as they walked out of the gravel trap over whose fault it was, and it’s hard to say.  Melandri certainly was in front of Kallio, and was taking a clear line through the corner, but the line Melandri took was a bit more exotic, throwing Kallio for a loop and catching him by surprise.  Both riders seem to have emerged uninjured, but the damage to Kallio’s psyche might be a bit more extensive.  We wait for Indianapolis in two weeks to see if Kallio can complete a race on board the factory Ducati, and to see how he shapes up when the chequered flag is waved.

Crashes

But it was Jorge Lorenzo’s crash with 5 laps to go that was the highlight of the race itself.  Lorenzo kept right on Rossi’s tail through most of the race, fighting past Pedrosa after another one of The Janitor’s mediocre starts and right back to the rear wheel of Rossi.  And it was right when the battle was about to begin that it suddenly ended, with Lorenzo falling as he attempted to overtake the reigning world champion.

What did Lorenzo’s crash really mean?  It put the championship just that much farther out of his grasp.  What was a plausible challenge when he awoke this morning is now a longshot that will entirely depend on Rossi making a big mistake–something Rossi is naught to do.  The crash was hard and fast, putting the integrity of his engine at risk.  With the new rule limiting the number of engines that can be used now coming into effect, this could potentially be disastrous for The Janitor.

Passes

It would be amiss of me to completely pass over the other racers on the track today, many of whom are fighting for their future in MotoGP as we race in the midst of Silly Season.  Nicky Hayden’s brilliant performance that ended in 6th will certainly help him in his efforts to remain onboard the Ducati next year, while Chris Vermeulen’s finish in 11th isn’t going to help him get a ride at Tech 3 Yamaha next year.  Loris Capirossi rode brilliantly to finish in 5th, ahead of Hayden, Colin Edwards, and Andrea Dovisioso while working with a bike that’s clearly less powerful than his competitors.  Randy De Puniet finished in 10 while riding injured, a testament to his determination and sheer willpower alone.  But it’s Toni Elias who really shone today, finishing with his first podium of the season right after he’s been told he won’t have a ride at Gresini next year.  His remarkable string of performances has made him a gem of a rider to add to any roster—don’t forget he was leading the race out in Donington before the treacherous weather claimed him as the first of many casualties in England.

As we head Stateside to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in two weeks, it will be very important to see how these riders continue.  All eyes will be on the wildcards: the successes and disappointments of the satellite teams as they start to battle for their future.

With the racers off the track and the pole position finalized, lets take a look at the three competitors whose performances today give something to watch for tomorrow

Jorge Lorenzo/Valentino Rossi

The Yamaha duo has become the ultimate force to be reckoned with, with two of the three Untouchables performing in such a dominant display of force that it’s hard to imagine anyone else beating them.  The battle tomorrow will undoubtedly be between these two, and picking out which of the two will will is nigh impossible.  Lorenzo dominated both of the Free Practice sessions, posting times that were nearly half a second faster than Rossi when both sessions were over.  Rossi, however, took the pole out from under Lorenzo by just .050 seconds, but then soon found his bike out from under him.  Rossi’s lowside crash during QP might shake up your average racer, but don’t think for a second that it’ll keep the Italian from pushing just as hard tomorrow.

Mika Kallio

The Finn has been making good use of his factory ride, finishing in 7th in FP1, 8th in FP2, and qualifying in 10th position.  This race is incredibly crucial for Kallio, as he will be trying to prove to all the factory teams—most importantly Ducati Corse—that he can handle a factory ride.  Indeed, Kallio has shown to be one of the remarkably few riders who, despite his erratic results, can perform well on the Ducati.  While he certainly won’t win tomorrow, expect a strong showing from Kallio, perhaps even finishing in 5th or 6th.  His lowside during QP might give him a bit of the jitters, but I expect he’ll put it behind him and strive to finish just behind the Untouchables—a feat he might be capable of, if it weren’t for…

Colin Edwards

What a remarkable change in pace and performance we’ve seen from Edwards recently.  Ever since his performance in Donington, he’s been superb onboard that Tech 3 Yamaha, finishing ahead of both factory Suzuki riders *and* every single Ducati on the field–in every outing this year in Brno.  And Edwards has repeatedly stated that this is *not* one of his better circuits–just look at his track record. Ever since his MotoGP debut in 2003, his best finish in Brno has been 7th– all the way back in 2005.  Last year, he finished in 14th, the year before that he crashed out, and the year before that he finished in 10th.  And now, Edwards will start in 5th position tomorrow, ahead of Donington race winner Andrea Dovizioso and within striking distance of Rossi.  Then again, The Texas Tornado is a patient storm, preferring to move his way up to the front than to shoot out of the gate and run at the start.

(Apologies for the delay, dear readers; I was on the road for 8 hours today, and therefore unable to get a post up in a more timely fashion.)

The first day back on the track after the summer break has brought away from Silly Season and back to this year, and with the first Free Practice in the books, let’s take a look at the most notable performers:

Jorge Lorenzo

The Janitor has a chip on his shoulder; now that his decision to stay as the #2 rider at Yamaha is all but official, he’s determined to demonstrate that he can still be #1.  Posting the fastest time of the session, he’s screaming for Rossi’s blood, and desperately fighting for his contention in the championship.

Mika Kallio

The Finn’s first day on the factory bike has been astounding, taking 7th position ahead of both the factory Suzuki riders *and* now-teammate Nicky Hayden.  Kallio has usually suffered slightly during the first practice of a race weekend, and his dramatic performance so early on means that the temporary factory ride is definitely helping him–even if he doesn’t want to admit it.

Colin Edwards

Edwards finished 4th during the first session, which wouldn’t be remarkable were it not for his record at the track.  The Texas Tornado has never won a race in Brno, be it in World Superbike or in MotoGP, and he’s always struggled (and, in typical Edwards fashion, been rather vocal with his struggles) at Brno.  To see him finish 4th, coming off the first podium of his season at Donington, is impressive.  What’s even more impressive is to see him ahead of Dovizioso, who’s hoping to build off of his maiden victory out in England.

Ed: Did anyone else notice that after FP1, Edwards was wearing an Air Force cap instead of his typical Marine hat?  Clearly the Texan has some strange juju at work here in Brno…

This weekend, MotoGP comes to Donington Park for the last time, bringing along with it the fierce competition this season has provided. Let’s take a look at three things to keep an eye on this weekend.

Andrea Dovizioso
After his third straight DNF in a race, Dovizioso has a lot of pressure on him when the lights go out. The Italian finished in first two years ago in the 250cc class, and 5th last year. Can the second Repsol Honda rider pull through and finally take a podium? Will he continue his streak of retirings? Or is Dovizioso doomed to never rise past #4? While answers set at Donington won’t be set in stone, the race will give even more insight into his future in MotoGP.

Nicky Hayden
The Kentucky Kid is back on track, delivering a phenomenal and, frankly, surprising showing during FP1 and QP in Germany. However, an overzealous start took Hayden’s podium chances away. Can he turn this around in Donington, a track that has a less than favorable track record for Ducati? For the sake of his future, I can only hope so.

Jorge Lorenzo
Speculation is beginning to build over The Janitor’s future as Rossi’s teammate. Lorenzo’s one small sentence has been brewing many different theories, over just how much money he’s worth. Despite the overwhelming success he’s had on the Yamaha, is being #1 on a team worth the switch over to Honda? And if so, what does that mean in terms of other team switches. Only time can tell, and it’ll start telling this weekend in England.

Nicky Hayden reviews his performance after the German Grand Prix