Melandri: We won't be best friends...

Did Marco sign a one or two year contract? I don't know why he is wearing those shades, his future is not liiking that bright at the moment

Marco shows that he is not ready for front?

I' m looking for the answer of why Ducati signed with him and for what?

Come on guys, give the bloke a break. He hasn't started well and has had difficulty adjusting to the Ducati. All he's saying is that Estoril is not particularly friendly to Ducati's, so don't expect too much.

Yes but he is not rookie? He was the winner rider when joined to Ducati? How long everybody will wait him to adapt his style? If he was rookie then lets say "be patient" but as a winner this is not a valid reason?

If Melandri struggles to reach top10 when Casey fights for front? The problem is bigger than thought???

nobody really knows what's Melandri's problem. not us,Ducati,or himself!!!
there is no doubt he has talent and skill. there is no doubt the Ducati can go fast.
i just really hope that Melandri and Ducati will find something fast.
this year is really bad for his future.
though if you look back Gibernau & Checa didn't go well on the 990 Duke as well.

The last time I remenber Melandri saying something negative about a racetrack was for the first US GP at Laguna Seca and he crash 3 times during the GP!!!!!!! strange a rider of his level having this sort of comments.

Well, for sure it's not *just* the rider. Elias and Guintoli are right there with him at the bottom of the time sheets.

It's looking like ol' Capirex was not doing so bad adapting after all. I wonder how Ducati feel about sacking him now..

Hell, Xaus crashed twice on the warm up lap at Leguna on a SBK before his MotoGP days.
Bayless never was able to come to grips really with a MotoGP bike when he was there. Yet he won in a wild card race. Go figure. Melandri has shown great ability in the past on a fairly consistent basis and he is Italian so one must assume that is a good part of why he is on the Duck payroll. I hope he can adjust to the bike. But the longer his present form continues, the harder it will be for him to show his stuff.

RR75, Gibernau did pretty well before he trashed his shoulder, when, mid-season?

GREG guintoli and elias may be at the back but they are not on factory dukes are they??? there is no excuse for marco and i dont think that ducati will tolerate it much longer either and i wouldnt blame them to release him from his contract i would!!!

Marco is not a rookie and if he fails on competition he has some problems although he is an italian. OK. Ducati tolerates him but how long?

In two races Marco was struggling and for next race he doesn't have any ambition? Casey is the only man to fight with the rivals then what's Marco' s job?

He is an expensive guy to travel on track with MotoGP! Ducati should call Schumi and he does free ride for Ducati and thanks for them invitation!!!

villieres are you series??? three 4th two 5th, 95 points???
the year before he had 95 ponts in six races eight rounds!!!!
if you call that pretty good so what do you call bad???
at least Marco finished both his races rubber side down.
all the best...
go Edwards Cpirossi

The Ducati seems to be a "particular" machine. I'd like to see Marco get back on something else....He's probably thinkin' the same thing.

@yamaha r1:
It's true, they're not on factory machines, but how much different could their bikes be? At worst, they're riding the 2007 bikes, which Stoner won the world championship on!

On the other hand, I agree with you that no factory rider that achieves only poor results will last for long..

He can improve for the Estoril race.

Maro MELANDRI is king of İstanbul PARK.

Marco is a confidence ride, if he can just get a couple of good laps in on the Ducati, his confidence will rise and you will see the old Marco return, the Ducati did give an early dump in testing and that when his problem started, I believe he thought he could just get on the Ducati and go as fast as Stoner

Ducati signed Marco cause he is Italian/marketing, the price was right and he can ride well......The problem was Ducati simply did not realize just how good a rider Casey really is! They lost faith in Loris last year and let him go which was a big mistake as I think he was a huge advantage with development and still a very good racer/rider.....
Maybe in hindsight what Ducati should of done until the bikes were further developed was to keep Loris on and bring in a third factory bike for Marco and not run the satellite team at all at least for now

Totally agree with you both.....Loris definitly knew the charactistics of the bike and although not great at all the tracks last season I am sure he would have improved this season. I am sure they are suprised by Marco's inability to take the Ducati to its potential......but that could come from him coming from a easy bike to ride to a bike that needs way more agressive control......if Marco doesnt finish the season in control of the bike, it might be possible he will ask for his contract to be terminated......I for one hope he gets it together.

Alex Barros also did not do too badly on the satellite duke beat Stoner on a works machine as I remeber, probably why they got rid of him.....:-)

Duke@ee- It would seem to be the case. The Honda must be a dream to ride nowadays in comparison to the Duke! it dosent seem so long ago now since watching Wayne, Mick, Darryl and Eddie wrestling those mighty NSR's around the great old circuits of Hockenhiem, Assen etc. Seems any kid or clown can could look good nowadays on a Honda

Undead- Total Rubbish, If Alex had shown ANY potential to able to be perform consistently well on the Duke he would be in Caseys position today or at least Marco bike. simply sounds like you have been blinded to reality by the misguided/pathetic "groupie denial" bleatings. Believe me there IS light at the end of your tunnel vision called reality. ;)