Sunday pm - Pedrosa and Stoner Have the Tools to Fight Back Against Rossi
It's so tempting to say that it's all over now. After three consecutive victories,
Valentino Rossi seems to have found one of his championship-winning grooves with the combination of the Fiat Yamaha YZR-M1 and his new
Bridgestone tyres.
But racing changes so fast. At midnight in Qatar, less than three months ago, we were standing in the cool desert air after
Casey Stoner's relaxed victory in the opening round of the championship contemplating another Marlboro Ducati season-long sweep.
So just because Valentino's on a roll at the moment - and even though he's got favourite circuits such as Barcelona,
Donington and Assen coming up - it's a long way from being all over.
For one thing, Vale leads by only 12 points - nothing when there still 12 races to come. And Stoner made a pertinent point in the post-race press conference. "It's better to have bad luck at the start of the season," he said, referring to Ducati's recent difficulties. "A lot of the tracks towards the end of the season are better suited to our package."
And perhaps the 14th place finish of wild-card rider Tady Okada on the experimental pneumatic-valve Honda RC212V was more significant than
Dani Pedrosa's third place finish in the race on the valve-spring engine. The pneumatic bike revs 1,000rpm higher and is clearly quicker in a straight line than the present machines.
Okada's top speed of 325.2kph (201.949mph) was only 1.2kph slower than the fastest Honda of the weekend, in Pedrosa's hands. Pedrosa might be able to wring an additional 10kph from that motor when he starts to use it - possibly at Barcelona next Sunday - and regain parity with Rossi.
And finally, if
Jorge Lorenzo can hold third place in the points table, after riding with fractured ankles in the two previous races and falling today from his Fiat Yamaha, who's to say that he couldn't spring a revival as he regains strength.
It's way too early to switch off the TV yet.
Sunday pm - Toseland is Happy with His Finest Ride Yet
Even though he only equalled the sixth places he achieved in Qatar and
Jerez, that was
James Toseland's finest
MotoGP ride yet. Everyone lost a day and a half of dry practice time, but it hurt Toseland most because he had not previously raced at Mugello.
