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whilst not a brilliant race, it was much better than what the 800s offered up last season.  tyre management is now reminiscent of the 990 days, with dicing likely right up to the chequered flag.  i doubt MotoGP will ever be like Moto2, but it's most definately heading in the right direction.

for the first time this weekend, i've now started to doubt if Rossi can turn things around at Ducati.  the manner of the performance and the gaps in the qualifying to his team-mate, and the front of the grid, now leads me to wonder if a combination of a number of thinks (bike, shoulder/leg injuries, Simo) means that he's genuinely not at his best.  for his sake, i hope he still has the enthusiasm for the Ducati MotoGP project, or the eloquent posting from Nostro on an earlier thread will most definately be realised.  at least on race pace, Rossi wasn't out-gunned that much by Hayden, but there's little time to turn things around before the next race.

elbowz will do well to keep his head down for a few days, that was a shocker from Spies.  finishing behind Rossi and Barbera, more than half a minute behind the fella on the same bike, and being shown the way by the Tech 3 boys.  last prototype bike home again - something is very wrong with him.  i suspect that he's not right mentally at the moment and the pressure of expectation has got to him.  needs a big result at Estoril to prove the perrenial doubters (like me) wrong.

and last, but by no means least, another top performance from Cal.  he appears to be in a good place at the moment, both professionally and personally, leaving him relaxed to deliever what he is capable of on the M1.  i just hope we don't big him up too soon, it's still very early in the season.

Rossi comeback

It would be great to see Rossi fighting at the front again but just saying 'if not on a Ducati then some other bike' ,  isn't going to make it happen is it! At the risk of sounding 'foolish or stupid' , can anyone run a scenario which would place Rossi on a competetive bike!? Honda and Yamaha are doing very nicely thank you so thats not going to work. Tech 3 also, (with Smith coming on board next year they have more riders than they know what to do with! )  So, can Suzuki or Kawasaki be tempted back now they are 1000's. Even if they did it would take longer than Rossi's got to get up to speed. So that really only leaves Ducati as his only chance to get back to where he should be. Perhaps they will!

Intense

The battle between Lorenzo and Stoner was totally absorbing. I rank it up there with Philip Island 2009.

As for kit, I reckon we safely rank Ducati on par with Yamaha. Witness Rossi and Spies today.

Accomplished factory riders on factory bikes. Of course I'm taking the piss and making a stupid point but nevertheless a point. When you have sat Yamaha riders trouncing a  factory Yamaha rider and a sat Ducati rider going hammer and tongs with highest paid racer in the world on a factory Ducati ,you just have to question the rider's rather than their steeds.

I have never been more wrong in rating a Moto gp rider, than i was at rating Cal Cruthlow! I thought he would go nowhere at the top level, and look at him now. Verry happy to be proved wrong though. I think all of us on this forum should be happy that Yamaha gave Tech-3 a bike that is not far of the factory M1 at all. If Honda would do the same i reckon Bautista and Bradl could also mix it up right behind the Alliens. Still Scott Redding is the rider of the day for me, he might have finished outside the top 10 if the race had been full distance. But that riding style freakin rocks!!

game of two halves,? or 3 !!

Kind of an odd race, first few laps was banzai !!! Great stuff and lots of riders all dicing for positions :P Then the middle of the race was a bit flat, then the last 7/8 laps was kind of will they wont they with CS and JL for 1st and DP/CC for 3rd !!!! Shame the last part never quite materialised. Not the result that would have been predicted after qualifying, I had the finishing 3 down for reverse order with Dani taking the win given his pace all weekend. No change at Ducati so no need to discuss there, disappointing race from all Ducati riders after showing much promise in qualifying and warm up. Excellent from Cal again, proving that he is on the rise in the class and rising to the challenge of having to be the no.1 at Tech 3 to keep his job next season. Like many others I am going to join in in saying (sadly) what is happening with Ben S !???? For one thing he in on my fantasy MCN league, I was sure he was a very good prospect, but more importantly why is he going backward on a machine that has clearly leaped forward between seasons??? Real headscratcher???