MotoGP is back ! Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria

[weeksy]

After a 5 week break, the big boys are playing again.

Cal replacing Morbidelli in the Petronas squad, well... interesting !

MArquez to be recovered a bit more now and right on the pace ?

Who will have re-found form and who will have lost it !

[Numnut]

Apparently Rossi has scheduled an 'exceptional press conference' for later today... I'm guessing it's going to be retirement...

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/98413 ... ce-austria

Looking forward to seeing Pedrosa on the KTM this weekend though

[Yorick]

Having a sweep on which lap C.C. bins it ?






Seriously, hope he does OK

[weeksy]

I wonder if he's gone nuts and gone with "i'm racing the Ducati"

[Tricky]

Yup, I'm looking forward to this one more than I have others so far this year, due both to Cal coming back in- will be good to see if the fire is still there and he can compete on the Yam, and Dani on the orange bike, which of course we know goes well (or at least did last years in Oliverera's hands) around here.

I have everything crossed for McPhee too, the wee man deserves a bit of luck IMO and (stating the obvious.. ) needs decent results

[weeksy]

Yup, I'm looking forward to this one more than I have others so far this year, due both to Cal coming back in- will be good to see if the fire is still there and he can compete on the Yam, and Dani on the orange bike, which of course we know goes well (or at least did last years in Oliverera's hands) around here.

I have everything crossed for McPhee too, the wee man deserves a bit of luck IMO and (stating the obvious.. ) needs decent results

Pedrosa is going to be an interesting one for sure this time, he's been lauded as the "reason the KTM is so good", so using that logic, you'd assume he's on the pace as you can't really improve a bike without being on the pace ?

[Tricky]

Yup, I'm looking forward to this one more than I have others so far this year, due both to Cal coming back in- will be good to see if the fire is still there and he can compete on the Yam, and Dani on the orange bike, which of course we know goes well (or at least did last years in Oliverera's hands) around here.

I have everything crossed for McPhee too, the wee man deserves a bit of luck IMO and (stating the obvious.. ) needs decent results

Pedrosa is going to be an interesting one for sure this time, he's been lauded as the "reason the KTM is so good", so using that logic, you'd assume he's on the pace as you can't really improve a bike without being on the pace ?

Aye, my thoughts too, I don't doubt he's got the capability or the desire to win albeit he hasn't been racing competitively at the highest level for a good while, so will be interesting to see how on-it he is in the actual races

[KungFooBob]

Apparently Rossi has scheduled an 'exceptional press conference' for later today... I'm guessing it's going to be retirement...

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/98413 ... ce-austria

He's renewed his contract with Yamaha for another 26 years, until he can claim a state pension.

[Skub]

I wonder if he's gone nuts and gone with "i'm racing the Ducati"

That's a very real possibility.

Didn't the Saudi prince moneybags backing the team want Rossi to race on?

[weeksy]

Very much so

"It would be fantastic for me if Valentino Rossi could compete in the next few years as a rider in our Aramco Racing Team VR46 together with his brother Luca Marini," said Saudi Arabia's Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Saud bin AbdulAziz Al Saud, upon confirming Aramco would sponsor the new VR46 MotoGP project for the next five seasons.

However, Rossi - who has always insisted that results are the key factor in deciding his future - had responded it would be 'very difficult'.

"I will think more deeply [about the future] in the summer break. I also have to speak with Yamaha and the team. We want to try for better performances and better results for sure," said Rossi.

"The season until this moment was not fantastic under this point of view [results]. I think it will be very difficult also that I race next year.

"Always, the Prince pushes me to race next year with my team and Ducati. But at the moment I think it will be very difficult."

[weeksy]

mcPhee at the pointy end of Moto3 in FP1...

Just seeing Pedrosa getting kitted up in KTM .... it's kinda weird to see him in something other than Repsol.

[weeksy]

Pedrosa doing well until his bike quit on him....

Cal not doing as well. "he's not actually ridden a bike since April" which kinda surprises me... You'd think he'd have at least been out testing 'something' wouldn't you ?

[weeksy]

Nakagami
Mir
Aleis Spag
Rins
Pol Spag
MMar
Vina
Quat
Zarco
Pedro
Miller

[weeksy]

Afternoon session is wet.... mostly people taking it fairly steady

[Yorick]

I got so sick of the commentators licking Rossi's arse, I turned the sound off.

[weeksy]

I got so sick of the commentators licking Rossi's arse, I turned the sound off.

Well, without being too harsh, it's easy to forget what he's done for both racing, the sport, motorbikes in general. He's done a massive amount.

[Yorick]

I got so sick of the commentators licking Rossi's arse, I turned the sound off.

Well, without being too harsh, it's easy to forget what he's done for both racing, the sport, motorbikes in general. He's done a massive amount.

I know, but they were creepy.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

mcPhee at the pointy end of Moto3 in FP1...

Sunday - he'll be in the kitty litter by lap 17 after a series of unwise overtakes following a poor start.

[Yorick]

Little Dani top KTM in dry and wet.

Podium?

[Yorick]

Little Dani top KTM in dry and wet.

Podium?

Still top KTM in FP3 and only 2 hundredths off Q2