MOTOGP » Gibernau 'very fast', but will he race?

If he can't get out of it, he will race 2 more races, after Laguna Seca he will ride Kawasaki's Test bike (OJ's bike) for the rest of season, they won't get rid of of Westy unless he goes on his own accord (personally I'd like to see him go WSS with Kawasaki)

This deal for Melandri will go on for the rest of season which will will include riding for Kawasaki for 2009!

I really hope he can leave Ducati before this and do the next 2 races with Kawasaki but very very doubtfull of this.

I believe he can get his confidence back on the basic bike the Kawasaki is, which will very soon improve with the increasing pressure Hopkins is giving them!

Done Deal

And on top of that Kev - chuck Nicki (a frustrated flat tracker) on the Ducati where I think he will find his rhythm and be the ideal wingman for Casey. Personally I think Westy would go better on the Duc than he would on the Kwaka – He would be worth a test for Pramac D'Antin or like you say - he would reign supreme in WSS.

Kev87, I don't understand why Melandri would be any better on the kawasaki - another bike that needs some development direction and what I can deduct from what's written elsewhere in posts (bs notwithstanding) Melandri isn't necessarily the one to do this...
Saltbush, keep drinking those reds - I'm looking forward to your next piece of insighfulness!
One other thing - I don't understand why so many think it's the rider who fixes the problems - the rider provides the feedback (an art in itself), but how well the race technicians and/or engineers translate this to a technical change is a huge part of the equation. Team = Together Everyone Achieves More (corny but true)

Sorry, meant to say Andy Roo keep quaffing the reds!

Andy - a Hunter Valley, of course... Pokolbin, perhaps? I'd like to chuck in the idea of Chris V on a Duc if Kwaka don't really want him but two Aussies on the same team? - not since Doohan and Gardner, if I remember correctly... Ducati seem very keen to have at least one european rider - if not an Italian - on the team... or bring back Gazza McCoy - he wouldn't win but I reckon the cameras would never leave him...

Oscar - I don't want to turn this into a mutual admiration society but I think your analysis (below) is pretty close to the money.

"Makes you wonder whether Ducati had the TC turned up to 'very invasive' earlier and the bike was perpetually transferring weight to the front end in little jerks which was biting and shaking the tail around"

I read an article by Anthony Goebert who rode Casey's bike after the '07 season and he said that Casey had his TC set at the absolute minimum setting, Goebert likewise waxed lyrical about the faith in the design aspect to go fast. I was only ever a B grader so I am left in awe of "faith at 300+km's". Damn!

Hmm I don't think Westy would go to well on the Ducati at the moment I just don't think he's got what it takes to run in motogp, WSS for now to at least build his confidence and get the winning instinct again!

To Melandri though olddog, how I see it Melandri struggles most with TC, the ducati to go fast relies on the rider trusting the advanced traction control which is why I said the Kawasaki at the moment being a more basic bike Melandri would do better on it and we all KNOW Melandri is a much better rider than Westy and if Westy can just about beat him then Melandri can do alot more on the Kawasaki but only time will tell, this is just my opinion. I'd like to see it happen!

McCoy? I think not Oscar. Bring on some new talent - recycling is not the way to invigorate things. Don't ask me who, but I'm sure there's some new "undiscovered" talent lurking somewhere.

Marco is just riding around with no confidence does anybody remember a bloke named Hoffman he got sacked for not riding around.Marco is getting twice the salary of the current World Champion strange world at Ducati.Marco will get a shock if he goes to Kawasaki that bike is the worse handler in MotoGp if you don't believe me ask Hopper,it is an unguided missle.

Oscar - I'll tell you about the red first – my wife (bless her) is a midwife and people have babies and give her either chocolate flowers or wine. They buy expensive chocolate but cheap wine and we have bucketloads of it. (Chateau d' coolant) I don't know whether to drink it or take my testicles out and wash them in it, it's pretty rough.

If Ducati gets another rider I think the background has to be dirt track – to suit the bike – Nicki would be great (I've said that too much right?) & Gazza would be unreal to watch on anything with two wheels – he's developing the 675 at present and throwing his talent away at that level.