Ducati Sporting Club UK > Sport > Race > MOTOGP - IRTA test day 1

[domski]

I've been watching the live timing of todays official IRTA test in Catalunya.

Everyone has been banging in the laps for the last 3 hours, and Rossi hasn't been on track. Some guys having done 30+ laps already (which is a fair amount when they're only doing 3-4 at a time).

So, then Rossi pops out, and goes straight to the top of the sheet on his 6th lap

Everyone else was starting out around 1:48's or 49's and have chipped away at it.

Rossi comes along and drops a 1:44 in. He's the man!!



[Edited on 3-3-2006 by domski]

[domski]

He's just taken another half second off, and gone 0.700 faster after 15 laps

[Monty]

And you're acting like you're surprised??
He's the alpha male of MotoGP-all the others know they can't beat him-in a race maybe, over a season-no chance. It's a bit like Foggy was in Superbike, he would sit on the grid with his scary race face on and the others seemed to shrink from him. Rossi seams a really happy go lucky person-but they all know if they go into a corner with him-he's the one coming out.

John

[domski]

Originally posted by Monty
And you're acting like you're surprised??

I'm a good actor :P

I'm a Rossi fan. I think the bloke is a genius and whereas I always found Doohan's domination tedious, I love it when Rossi cleans up. Maybe it's a generation thing, or maybe Rossi isn't a boring old fart Australian.

[domski]

I've been following the live timing all day (7.5 hours so far!) and Rossi goes out and pulls out a 1 second gap over everyone.

Then waits til someone gets within half a second or so, and he goes back out and restores his 1 second advantage. Brilliant!

It's also been fun watching Ellison close in on Vermin (a good marker I think) it's down to 0.3s now, whereas Vermin was a couple seconds up for much of the day. Ellison only 2.6s behind Rossi, but back in 16th place.

Edwards and Hopper have been the main guys swapping the runner-up spot on the sheets.

Last 15mins now, and Checa is up to 3rd (he's been top 5 all day). Only 0.462 behind Rossi and virtually even with Edwards. Not bad for a Dunlop shod bike eh.

Who'd have thought a live timing sheet would be so interesting

[domski]

Oh, and the Ducati's have struggled all day. Outside the top 10 for much of it.

Giblets is 7th, and Capirex is 14th with 10 mins to go.