MOTOGP » Gresini completes 2008 rider line-up

It has been a disastrous year for Nakano w/ JIR & everybody is chiding him for leaving Kawasaki but in hindsight, who would've known that the Honda 800c bike+michelins would have been such a POS! Obviously, the factory teams got the suspension, chassis, exhaust upgrades throughout the year, but the satellite teams were out of luck. Still rate Nakano though, I remember all the developmental work he did to turn that laughing stock of the paddock (Ninja ZX-RR) into a viable podium contender. Let's not forget he got the first podium for Kawi since the days of Kork Ballington. Hopefully this change of scenery & return to 'stones will resurrect his career!

We read earlier that Gresini was in talks with Biaggi, now this happens. I believe Gresini was not that keen on signing Nakano (no disrespect for him), but was strong-armed by honda into taking the move. Biaggi is no angel, but it is not right for honda to impose its will on satellite team. I just wish honda will go bust.

Wrong choice absolutely! Max is streets ahead! I suppose Max could make a wake up call also to Vale?

Honda stamps it's will on the whole sport,
they stop developing twostroke bikes for the smaller class and the result is a rediculous change
of turning the 250cc into a 600cc fourstroke class by 2010.
This ruins the sport, it has nothing to do with making racing cheaper,
they just can't stand being beat by Aprilia and KTm all the time.
It is sad that a fantastic rider like Dovizioso doesn't end up in the Gresini squad instead of de Angelis,
don't think he will do wonders in the Montiron squad next year...

I don't think it's wrong for Honda to apply a veto to Max.
Some riders forget that the only point of a factory racing is as marketing promotion, and if you have a rider who is bitching and moaning all the time, criticizing the team and equipment, then this is highly damaging and defeats the whole point of racing.
Max did this with Yamaha and was shown the door, then did the same, only worse, with Honda, with the same result.
However good a rider he may be, he simply isn't a team player and he really doesn't seem to learn the lesson. He's made his own bed.

Plus, he did f all in Honda Repsol ... Nicky didnt have a great year either and still kicked his butt

It's only one japanese rider: Nitro Nori !

At least Dovi's bike color will be yellow/black (Kopron team Scot) but number can't be 34...

Chu

Nicky hayden 2003-2007 repsol honda 3 wins what a hero
Danny pedrosa 2006-2007 3 wins what a hero
marco malandri 2005-2007 5 wins good bike this honda (now going to ducati)
tony elias 2005-2007 1 win this bike is not crap
colin edwards wont bother with him 5 ys no wins (******)

So is the honda really good which makes max a lier, or are the riders *********

all max diid was tell the truth,

well max went to honda repsol , it was up to him to do well. he did f all. you re telling me the honda is a crap bike? champ in 06 (without the best rider in it), runner up in 04 and 05 ... and it s one o0f the best bikes at the end of 07, just hamopered by the sh1t tyres michelin have made.
so when others talk loud about their bikes, they re whining , ehrn biaggi does, he s telling the truth. seriously, biaggi days in mgp are long gone. nobody there cares about him. last thing u need is an overpaid rider who will not get any wins and will talk sh1t about his team and bike non stop.

Chu

Nicky haYdon has had 5 yrs at honda 3 wins 1 jammy championship and no where in this yrs championship, should he not be sacked, when,s danni going to deliver, dont just knock 1 guy bexcause he moened, only rossi and stoner have deliverd in the last few years, why has edwards still got a job and caprarossi, our these the best riders in the world

just how i see it.