MOTOGP » Crash.net's MotoGP season review - Pt 1

No "arguably" about it. Laguna Seca was the best race (and the only good one) since the switch to the 800s. I''ve never seen a finer example of race craft than what Rossi did that day, breaking the unbreakable Stoner. I was lucky enough to see it in person.

Laguna Seca did sort of show why Rossi is so good. Stoner is a brilliant rider but that day was something special... To a casual watcher it was a good race, but to understand the history of these two made it a classic... To me it showed in clear view how a rider can make a difference when they were clearly on a slower bike... To Stoner's huge credit, he bounced back a few races later whilt Gibernau and Biaggi crumbled under the Doctor. Casey Stoner IS and WILL BE Rossi's thorn for the next couple of years, no matter how much Pedrosa and (to a bigger extent I think) Lorenzo next year...

I still would love to know how fair Rossi would think the corkscrew 'pass' was if he wass on the receiving end. But fair play to him he did what he had to do. Stoner will be ready for it next season.

100 percent right Bear

Damo, Stoner didn't complain about the corkscrew incident, it was 2 corners before that where Stoner boiled over the top... Rossi went underneath Stoner (perfectly fair) forcing Stoner a bit wide. Stoner, outraged that someone passed him when he should be 5 seconds ahead by now, proceeded to take Rossi on the corner before the corkscrew and played the big guy by forcibly LEANING on Rossi causing him to sit up... You think Rossi is gonna sit back and take an arrogant move like that? All is fair in love and war, and on THAT day, Rossi was way stronger!

Yeah it was clearly Stoner's fault that Rossi nearly ran him off the track twice at the corkscrew Lol. You're deluded if you think the Ducati was superior to the yam last year.

I'm impartial to those two Damo, but if you think that, then that's your opinion, but 99% of respected professional jounalists, MotoGP experts and riders basically all said that Rossi showed a "real racer" that day. Stoner was Stronger than Rossi sometimes too, but don't say Rossi's moves were bad... Watch WSB for a few rounds and tell me Laguna Seca was anything but a real (and rare since the 800's) race!

P.S. The Ducati WAS superior to the Yam "AT LAGUNA SECA!", at other tracks the Yam was stronger. Casey dominated practice and qualifying so don't gimme that! Had Stoner got enough ahead, he would have dominated the race. The fact Rossi thew some tough but fair moves on him and upset his rythm and unltimately forced Stoner into a mistake was (as Julian Ryder said live just before the Corkscrew incident), "the old brawler versus the young contender"... That's exactly what it was!

WSB guys would have been annoyed by that particular 'pass' too I bet! Rossi did what he had to but some if it was a bit clumsy, thats just a fact.

I also think people actually overestimate the psychological impact of this race. Basically Casey was riding to win every race, cos he had to. So he either won or crashed trying to win because he had no other choice if wanted to keep the championship alive.

that was the same in 2007 and he didn't crash once, after Laguna he crashed twice in a row... Rossi had nothing to do with it?