Highside

Round three of the 2010 MotoGP season is about to begin, and all eyes are turned to the Fiat Yamaha duo of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. For the seventh time since the two first rode on the same team, Fiat Yamaha has qualified 1-2, and when the lights go out on Sunday, the vicious battle for the World Championship title resumes in earnest at the legendary home of French racing, Le Mans.

Rossi, who has been slowly recovering from a bad shoulder after an incident in training, has shown himself to be in good health and stamina going into the race. He currently sits four points behind his teammate Lorenzo in the standings, and will be looking to finish better than the disappointing 16th he posted in last year’s wet French Grand Prix. Lorenzo, on the other hand, will be looking to put in a repeat performance of last year’s chaotic race at Le Mans, and continue to build his lead in the standings.

Looking to challenge the Fiat Yamaha duo is the remainder of the Fantastic Four, Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa. Stoner comes to Le Mans with a serious gap between himself and Lorenzo in the standings, thanks in no small part to his crash at the season opener in Qatar. Being beaten by his Marlboro Ducati teammate Nicky Hayden for the first time at the previous race in Jerez, Stoner will come off the line focused, and having qualified in 4th, he stands poised to make a strong start and take the hole shot into turn one. Pedrosa also comes to Le Mans with a bit of a grudge to settle, having led the previous race for nearly the entirety, only to have his victory snatched from his grasp in a last-lap pass by his bitter rival, Jorge Lorenzo. Pedrosa is notoriously quick off the line, and if the cards fall his way, he could very well end up doing what he does best–a lightning start that rockets him into first, where he can ride a lonely and unchallenged race to win.

Farther back in the grid, a number of riders are hoping to mess up the projected orders. Nicky Hayden has had an unbelievable start to his season, performing on a level that has been absent since he won the championship in 2006. Fellow American Ben Spies has yet to crack into the top four as many had predicted, but hopes are still high for the Texan to demonstrate the raw, furious talent that propelled him to the World Superbike title last year. A number of other rookies are hoping to start moving up the order as well, most notably Marco Simoncelli and Hiroshi Aoyama. The two former 250cc champions have performed well so far, but have failed to crack into the ranks of the rest of the veterans.

Of course, there’s one other thing that’s on all the other rider’s minds now. Last week’s rumor that Casey Stoner signed a contract with Honda for 2011 has marked the start to what will undoubtedly be a long and exciting Silly Season. As the riders take to the tracks at Le Mans, they will not only be riding for championship points, but also for seats on the best bikes, and the best teams, in the coming seasons.

The lights go out at Le Mans in less than 12 hours. Round three is upon us. Stay with us for more coverage of the MotoGP season as it unfolds!

In a race where the only scraps seemed to happen farther down the order, the final laps brought a charge on from Jorge Lorenzo that no man could hold off. A disappointing start saw the Mallorcan slide from 2nd on the grid all the way down to 5th, and for the first thee quarters of the race, he seemed to be out of the picture.

Indeed, up until the penultimate lap it seemed that poleman and fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa would walk away with another win after taking the holeshot into the first corner and never looking back. Valentino Rossi rocketed up from 4th on the grid to 2nd, and despite his injured shoulder, put out a superb ride. Superb was still not enough, however, as the Italian found himself overtaken by his teammate with just five laps to go.

Nothing’s impossible for these Untouchables, however. Just as was the case in Qatar, Lorenzo found magical speed in his M1 during the final laps, launching a drive that carried him from over two seconds down on Rossi, all the way to the win. In the final two laps, Lorenzo and Pedrosa launched into a vicious scrap, almost colliding at one point, as the two rivals fought bitterly into every corner. With half a lap remaining, Lorenzo forced Pedrosa wide, sealing the win.

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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.

Silly Season is in full swing in the MotoGP Paddock, and there seems to be one player whose indecision on signing a contract has many of the other players waiting behind him, scratching their heads and wondering what they’re going to do, and when.  The man in question has galvanized public opinion for and against him, and has certainly made this Silly Season one of the most remarkable on record.  That man is none other than Jorge Lorenzo.

Much has been written about what is ultimately Lorenzo’s first ambition: to be the number one rider at the team, to be the rider that the bike is built for.  Through this, Lorenzo believes he will finally have the last edge he needs to be the undisputed champion next year, and he makes a very strong case.  The question is, where can he get that top ride? (More after the break.)

Jorge Lorenzo

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It seems Casey Stoner’s mystery illness has been getting worse, with the Australian deciding to extend his summer break through the next three Grand Prixs.  Taking his place will be Mika Kallio, the Finnish rookie whose peformance at Pramac has been hit-or-miss, but very promising.

“We have taken the difficult decision not to contest the next three rounds of the championship, to allow my body time to recover from the recent stress. The doctors believe that during the Barcelona race I was suffering from a virus, and, that I subsequently pushed my body too hard, leading to problems that have caused my fatigue since then,” Stoner said in a press release.  “I will be doing everything possible to come back at full strength for Portugal.”

It will be very interesting to see how Kallio does with a factory team behind his back, but don’t hold your breath for any magical upsets.  The Finn still has to gain a little more experience before he starts winning races, and with the results of Donington fresh in everyone’s minds, a lot of racers will be out there with something to prove.  Nevertheless, expect Kallio to perform just that much better, as he’ll have just as much to prove as Dovizioso, De Puniet, and all the other riders faring for their futures now that Silly Season is in full swing.

Filling in for Kallio at Pramac for the next three races will be Michel Fabrizio, who could possibly have eyes for Niccolo Canepa’s bike, depending on his performance over the next month.

Stoner’s withdrawl from the next three races officially quashes any hopes he had at finishing 2009 as champion, and leaves the door open for Lorenzo and Rossi to continue their battle royale without the distractions of a third contender.

Mika Kallio during Free Practice at Donington

Qualifying has ended over at Donington Park, and for the first time since 2005, Valentino Rossi will stand at the front in Pole Position.  Dani Pedrosa will start at number 2 on the grid, with a fastest time less than one tenth of a second slower than The Doctor.  Jorge Lorenzo starts third on the grid, continuing his perfect record of front row starts this season.

Casey Stoner suffered his second fall of the day, taking a lowside during the earlier part of qualifying.  James Toseland, Nicky Hayden, and Mika Kallio also had disappointing qualifying runs.  Toseland, the only British rider in the premier class, starts on the outside of the third row in 9th position, while Hayden starts all the way back in 15th.

125cc title contender and local Bradley Smith took pole in the smallest class, setting himself up for a great performance coming hot off the heels of his disappointing showing out in Germany.

Despite his showing during qualifying today, having Rossi on top of the podium when the checkered flag is waved seems unlikely.  Then again, The Doctor has never been one for simply meeting expectations. Dani Pedrosa’s dominance out on the circuit could mean another top finish for the Spaniard, while Jorge Lorenzo’s times during FP2 and QP lead one to believe The Janitor could possibly rise above.  Casey Stoner will have to beat whatever has been causing these crashes out on the dry track today, but his dominance on the track gives me faith that he will still contend for the podium.

A lot of this will depend on the track conditions come race time.  Weather forecasts put the chance of rain tomorrow at about 70%, which means we’ll probably be contending with a wet race.  This would bode particularly well for Dani Pedrosa, whose excellence in wet weather is unmatched by any of the other podium contenders.  However, if the track should dry out  mid race and we’re left with a flag-to-flag race, keep an eye out for Jorge Lorenzo, whose brilliant decision to stay out on wets for longer in Le Mans won him the race.

Friday’s events at Donington Park are coming to a close, and with the final times for FP1 posted, let’s take a look at who rose above the wet, and who couldn’t quite find their groove.

Casey Stoner

The Australian posted the second fastest time on the circuit despite running 11 fewer laps than the fastest rider, Dani Pedrosa. Stoner put out an amazing performance out in Donington, and looks poised to take his second hat trick of the season.  That will all depend on how well he has his anemia under control, but all signs seem to show that he’s got it beat for now.

Dani Pedrosa

The tiny Spaniard is back in action, and showing remarkably good form in the first practice session of the day.  Posting the fastest time of the session on the last lap is impressive, but the extra time to run, and for the circuit to dry out, leaves me wondering whether he can keep the pace up during the actual race.  Regardless, I fully expend Pedrosa to contend for the podium here in Donnington, possibly even pushing Lorenzo or Rossi off into 4th place.

Valentino Rossi

The man with the most premier class wins at Donington hasn’t won in England since 2005, and if his Free Practice times today were any indication, The Doctor won’t be on top of the podium this weekend.  There’s still another practice and qualifying to come, and even then these times can have very little bearing on the race itself, but Rossi looks to be losing something on this circuit every year, and I don’t see that changing for his last walk in the Park.