Sorry it's late, but this was the best race i've seen in a long time.
Anybody going to be brave enough to predict this years champion at this stage (i might have to review my own predictions)....
For anybody who wants the run down......
1. Marco Melandri ITA Fortuna Honda 41min 54.065 secs
2. Casey Stoner AUS Honda LCR 41min 54.265 secs
3. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team 41min 59.523 secs
4. Valentino Rossi ITA Camel Yamaha Team 42min 0.274 secs
5. Toni Elias SPA Fortuna Honda 42min 0.652 secs
6. Loris Capirossi ITA Ducati Marlboro Team 42min 10.747 secs
7. Chris Vermulen AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 42min 10.842 secs
8. Shinya Nakano JPN Kawasaki Racing Team 42min 15.602 secs
9. Colin Edwards USA Camel Yamaha Team 42min 16.912 secs
10. Makoto Tamada JPN Konica Minolta Honda 42min 24.548 secs
11. Sete Gibernau SPA Ducati Marlboro Team 42min 24.608 secs
12. Randy de Puniet FRA Kawasaki Racing Team 42min 28.349 secs
13. Kenny Roberts USA Team Roberts 42min 39.177 secs
14. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team 42min 47.590 secs
15. Carlos Checa SPA Tech 3 Yamaha 42min 53.920 secs
16. Alex Hofmann GER Pramac d'Antin MotoGP 42min 55.306 secs
17. John Hopkins USA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 43min 32.693 secs
18. James Ellison GBR Tech 3 Yamaha 43min 27.080 secs
DNF:
Jose Luis Cardoso SPA Pramac d'Antin MotoGP 42min 25.898 secs
So far, MotoGP has been weird. Usually it's Rossi, then everybody else fighting for second. With Rossi having a few bad starts and not even qualifying well, it really seems to be up in the air. Hayden has been very consistant, I think that will pay off for him down the line. However, if Rossi gets things back in line, he'll have another championship, he is currently 4th in the points. Pedrosa isn't a chamionship contender IMO, but he makes the race very interesting.
I'll put my bid on Rossi. He went from 14th to 4th, if he could have kept from off roading it early, he would have been in the fight half way through the race. Its early in the season and he's only like 14 points out.
And that Stoner kid. Is it me or does he look like he's 13. I know he's 20, but he looks tons younger, and looks way too young to be in MotoGP. I think he'll have a better season the half of the 7 Rossi named. He looked great on Sunday.
Rossi will sneak up and grab it i'm sure, he won't win it with races to spare this season though, despite the start to the year you'd still have to be brave or foolish to bet against him at this stage.
Monday test times, by the way......
1. Casey Stoner AUS Honda LCR 1min 52.420 secs
2. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team 1min 52.900 secs
3. Marco Melandri ITA Fortuna Honda 1min 53.000 secs
4. Makoto Tamada JPN Konica Minolta Honda 1min 53.220 secs
5. Colin Edwards USA Camel Yamaha Team 1min 53.310 secs
6. Kenny Roberts USA Team Roberts 1min 53.600 secs
7. Valentino Rossi ITA Camel Yamaha Team 1min 53.610 secs
8. Dani Pedrosa SPA Repsol Honda Team 1min 56.360 secs
It's good to see Suzuki finally get something going on their program in GP class. Definately making it a better manufacturer battle this season. Honda? Ducati? Yamaha? That's the true question, who's got the championship on the factory side of things?
50th Aniv R6 BABY!!
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