Estoril day two
Mark N
morning and both on the front row after QP. And kind of a symbolic front
row, with Edwards sitting between the two, right where he needs to be at
the end in order for Rossi to make the necessary progress toward the
championship. And right behind them Pedrosa and Stoner, who could also
spoil the party for Nicky at no-team-orders Honda...
In the morning Nicky led with a 36.8, but on a Q of course, the
now-standard approach. His race tire pace was mid-low 38s, with a best
of 38.03. For Rossi it was also mid-low 38s, but he seemed to hit the
limit at 38.2. It was 3rd-quick Pedrosa who broke into the 37s, doing
back-to-back 37.9s well into a longer stint, and Stoner, who did a
couple 37.7s. Roberts got down to 38-flat, and Edwards' best was a 38.1.
The best Bridgestone race tire lap looks like a couple 38.25s by Capirossi.
In the QP Rossi did a 37.8 on the last lap of an 8-lap run, the only
time he bettered his morning mark. He got in three solid Q laps, and
always looked like taking pole. Hayden's race tire best was right before
the Qs went on, getting down to low 38s again, the best a 38.1. So not
much to choose from there. He went off the track on his second Q try
after moving to 2nd on the first one, and then had the pressure on his
final go, which moved him back up to 2nd and enough for the front row in
the end.
Edwards showed consistent race pace, doing four straight under 38.3
first time out, then just nipping into the 37s on his 2nd go. Pedrosa
got well into the 37s, doing a 37.79, and got balked by Stoner on his
last Q run, which probably wouldn't have bumped Hayden off the front row
(was a couple tenths back through the first two sections). Stoner again
had the best race tire laps, doing 37.53 and 37.40, after being fastest
on Friday, so he has the pace to win. We've seen that before, though.
Rounding out the second row is Hopkins, who's race pace was low 39s, so
not a factor.
On the third row are Nakano, mid-high 38 pace and a best of 38.65,
sore-shouldered Gibernau, who was mostly mid-38s but got down to a
38.24, and Checa, who got down to a 38.34 but was mostly around 39-flat.
Capirossi leads row 4 and only got down to a 38.57. Filling out ther
row are Elias (38.46) and Vermeulen (38.95). Roberts leads row five,
struggling in this session and only getting down to a 38.5. And on the
far end of the row sits Marco "I've won more races than any other Honda
rider over the last two years" Melandri, who only managed a 38.66 on a
race tire and right now looks hopelessly out of it.
So it doesn't appear that any of the non-Michelin boys will factor,
other than perhaps a lightening start and then getting in the way early
in the race. Then it comes down to Rossi going for the win and Edwards
trying to support him, and what Pedrosa and Stoner might do. They have
the pace to seriously challenge Rossi for the win - or get between him
and Hayden in the end. And the only Honda guy Hayden could count on to
help him is Roberts, who is so far down it doesn't matter. Will Dani and
Casey help? Depends on circumstances, but I have my doubts, especially
Dani. Hayden seems to be in a position to do it himself, though, not in
the sort of circumstances he's found himself in the last couple rounds.
And then there's the weather. Forecast still has showers in it, although
hardly certain, it seems. A wet race may actually favor Hayden, who has
shown great wet form this year, but it's not looking like he's dependent
on that, as at PI. And another mixed bag of weather as at PI could
really mess things up, not what anyone wants right now. Perhaps it would
also once again raise the ugly spectre of the FIM/Dorna imposing their
desires on the process of determining a champion...
Carl Sundquist
"Mark N" <menu...@NYETSPAMearthlink.net> wrote in message
news:1sedndZ8TLB2Y63Y...@giganews.com...
>
> And then there's the weather. Forecast still has showers in it, although
> hardly certain, it seems. A wet race may actually favor Hayden, who has
> shown great wet form this year, but it's not looking like he's dependent
> on that, as at PI. And another mixed bag of weather as at PI could really
> mess things up, not what anyone wants right now. Perhaps it would also
> once again raise the ugly spectre of the FIM/Dorna imposing their desires
> on the process of determining a champion...
>
It would seem reasonable that a wet race would also improve Hayden's chances
vis a vis his clutch. Would it benefit from not being engaged so hard on a
wet track? Also, rain may help keep it cooler.
robo...@googlemail.com
Carl Sundquist wrote:
> It would seem reasonable that a wet race would also improve Hayden's chances
> vis a vis his clutch. Would it benefit from not being engaged so hard on a
> wet track? Also, rain may help keep it cooler.
Can someone please explain to me why an organisation as large and
advanced as Honda can't make a clutch that works properly?
Paul B
I think they have a new clutch system on Haydens bike which for whatever
reasons they can't substitute with say the same clutch on Peds bike so they
have to develop it to get it to work and there lies the problem, it's
probably "almost" right but the "almost" is what's making it a pig and is
hard to engineer out. I'm sure Honda would love to solve the issue as much
as Hayden and his team but without knowing the finer details of the overall
design it's impossible to speculate, but I'm convinced Honda HRC are not
spending god knows how many million dollars to get second this year and are
doing everything to get Hayden #1.
Paul
<robo...@googlemail.com> wrote in message
news:1160860313....@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
T3
"Paul B" <yeah...@nospam.4.me> wrote in message
news:45315db6$1...@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com...
> I'm only assuming but I don't think it's as cut and dried and that.
>
> I think they have a new clutch system on Haydens bike which for whatever
> reasons they can't substitute with say the same clutch on Peds bike so
> they have to develop it to get it to work and there lies the problem, it's
> probably "almost" right but the "almost" is what's making it a pig and is
> hard to engineer out. I'm sure Honda would love to solve the issue as much
> as Hayden and his team but without knowing the finer details of the
> overall design it's impossible to speculate, but I'm convinced Honda HRC
> are not spending god knows how many million dollars to get second this
> year and are doing everything to get Hayden #1.
From what I hear you're "fairly" close. The Prob being the "Brno" bike is a
little more compact than Dani's, I.E. the clutch is further "in" the engine,
hence, it retains more heat. The rumor is, Honda has(is) tried 2 different
approaches to alleviate the slippage, tighter springs and harder plates. The
trick is to find the exact balance, whether they have remains to be seen...
(why they haven't before now is obvious to some, including "moi")