Africa's GP - have your say... the response.

Following the tragic events at Suzuka three weeks previously, MotoGP regrouped in Africa with the loss of Daijiro Kato at the forefront of everyone's minds.

Sunday's race would see fairytale finish, when Kato's team-mate Sete Gibernau took a emotional victory, to provided an uplifting finale to a difficult few weeks.

We asked:

We asked you, the Crash.net viewers, to share your opinions with the rest of the motorcycling world on a number of issues arising from Africa.

These are listed briefly below:

1) What can be learnt from Daijiro Kato's accident at Suzuka?

2) Was the FIM right to disqualify the Harris WCM team?

3) Which rider impressed you most over the weekend? Who didn't deliver?

4) What do you make of Ducati's amazing start to the season? What's going wrong at Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki?

5) What are your thoughts/predictions for the new Proton Team KR V5?

Viewers were invited to address as many points as they liked, with no subject out of bounds.

What you said:

''Sunday's race was one of the most compelling, emotional motor races I have ever seen. After Sete took the chequered flag I was surprised to find my pulse was racing. It really was that exciting.

''In response to the other questions:

''1. There are plenty of tracks more suitable for world-class racing than Suzuka, and Kato's demise is directly linked to the proximity of the walls to the track. There is no reason to retain Suzuka on the MotoGP calendar (unless of course you're so beholden to the whims of Honda that you don't want to aggravate one of the series biggest players...)

''2. I think MotoGP should recognise the tremendous effort that Peter Clifford's team has put in, building a bike from scratch. They were fully aware of which engine parts must be not be production based and no doubt built their engine to be compliant. The fact they were not allowed to race suggests that the FIM have an ulterior motive.

''3. Bayliss delivered the most impressive ride. Edwards would have ridden a solid race, but was hit on the startline by Jacque. The only WSBK rider who isn't up to scratch is Haga.

''4. Being a Kawasaki rider, I'm really disappointed with their season so far. I think their problems are related to their choice of engine configuration. A V configuration seems to be the best way to go in MotoGP. Also, I'm not convinced Pitt is a good development and test rider.

''5. Proton are going to struggle. You can tell that their program is very rushed. However, I expect to see them stage a significant improvement as the season progresses thanks to their choice of engineering staff.''

Neil Smith (26) - San Francisco CA, USA.

''1. Suzuka taught us that the MotoGP riders where not working together in their own safety and seemed to leave this issue behind as it troubled them too much. This lazy approach has never done them any good, but can you blame them when on many occasions, when someone stood up and said ''its too dangerous, lets boycott the race'' some riders felt that they could get points by riding and went ahead anyway.

''They all need to sign up to a code of conduct like that of a union and make decisions outside of the organisers control as in the end, its their safety and money/TV comes second.

''Change? Many tracks have seen bikes as second best, but if they push barriers back too far everywhere, just in case, then it's the spectators that suffer.

''Only the riders can say if Suzuka should change anything, but its apparent that something needs to be done at the circuit about the marshals and how they do things... this is the FIM's job isn't it?

''2. Harris use a combination of standard parts and tuning as far as I can ever remember them saying, but they should have been allowed to race until proven guilty. How else do you encourage a manufacturer to MotoGP? We've lost Foggy Petronas already.

''3. Bayliss is really showing them up! Many of his followers expected him to do well, but the crossover from WSB to MotoGP has never been done successfully. He is really showing them up and even Rossi respected his riding enough to stay behind and watch for a while. Bayliss has to learn tracks... Rossi has to learn more about Bayliss. Awesome riding style onboard a very fast Ducati which will give Honda their first big headache in MotoGP.

''Edwards seems to be doing well, getting used to flybywire throttle isn't easy and I cant help but feel it was part of the reason he fell off at the start, lost his foot and leaned to heavily on the throttle with a stupidly over-powered engine just gagging to have its neck wrung equals disaster.

''Poor Jeremy Mc Williams! He seemed to want to have a good run out on the two-stroke and show a few of them up again, but he has lost the luck of the Irish somewhere.

''4. Ducati are amazing! Nothing else to it. Very fast/reliable engine with a tried and tested chassis. They really have put the package together this year and concentrated on the engine first.

''Suzuki have done great, considering they've never had a great history of four-stroke chassis designs, they have put together a good package which I'm sure will continue to improve this season. Their ground work has been done in the engine already last year.

''Take note Yamaha! Stop playing with your endless ideas on geometry and chassis designs, you know too much. Stop thinking and start racing. Kawasaki in my opinion, will be beating Yamaha next year, they've got the engine right and just need to improve the rest, which a season of racing will give them all the info to do off season.

''5. The Proton will be good if it fits well into the chassis KR have already spent so much on developing. It will take the rest of the year to get it right but they will always be just inside the top 10 as usual. McWilliams will just have to ride the tyres off another new bike for yet another season, but at least he will be able to stick his tongue out at the others as he speeds down the straights instead of walking down them.''

Nigel Farquhar (30) - British.

''I'm just going to address subject 3, the riders...

''Most Impressive? No doubt on this one: Troy Bayliss. First year in the series, on a new bike produced by a manufacturer new to the series and having never seen the track before, he pulls an 'awesome' holeshot, leads for quite a few laps and finishes just off the box. Bayliss reminds me of Rossi in that he always seems to be able to go a little faster when he needs to.

''Second most impressive: Nicky Hayden. Granted, he has the second best ride in MotoGP and, after 2 races, should be sniffing Val's tailpipe :). Frankly, I was a little worried about Nicky. I've seen him race in America numerous times and I never really saw the Rossi/Bayliss kind of ''I got something left in the bag if I need to pull it out'' dominance.

''NH has shown he can run with the second group, keep his head straight and not crash. Now he needs to step up and show that he can run with the top 4 by the end of the season. Hopefully Honda (and the rest of MotoGP) will have a little patience with him.

''Least Impressive? Kenny Roberts Jr. Ex-world champ or not, one wonders how long Suzuki will put up with his poor results and whining when his teammates (Gibernau last year and Hopper this year) are consistently doing better on the same machinery that Roberts calls ''Unrideable''.

''Second least impressive: Yamaha. They were competitive last year, what happened?

''Third least impressive: Kawasaki Racing. One gets the impression that Big Green doesn't have deep enough pockets to play in this league. There are rumours that Eric Bostrom will get the chance for a couple of MotoGP starts on the K-wacker this year. Right now, I don't know why he would want to.''

Michael Walt - USA.

''Gentlemen, as to your request for comments...

''Is not Suzuka owned by Honda? The cause of Kato's crash wouldn't matter if there was nothing to hit. The fault must lie with the circuit.

''The WSBK guys and even Hayden will be competitive given time to learn the ropes. As for Edwards' crash at the African GP, I kinda lost interest after he fell off, but what the hell is a highly paid talent such as CE2 doing falling off at the start?

''KR JR needs to stop whining and either start riding or quit and go somewhere else. How about to WSBK where perhaps he could dominate for Suzuki?

''Have you guys seen the photos of the new Barber Motorplex in Alabama? With the proper promotion it could be a very successful (US) MotoGP.''

M. Brown

''1. Racing is a sport that involves risk. Risk is managed by skill, equipment, rules and facilities. Without risk the sport would not be very interesting and more than likely no one would watch it because anyone could do it. Taking lessons learned and applying them is gaining knowledge to minimize risk from external non-rider created factors.

''No-one wants death as an outcome of a crash but inevitably there will be crashes. The best tracks would have infinite run-off room, however we all know that most tracks are multiple use facilities and therefore there are many compromises. Perhaps the best advice is to utilize air crash fences near run-off areas or where deemed prudent. So yes, MotoGP should return or better yet come to America.

''2. I doubt a bike with some R1 parts would out do an RCV211 or a Ducati, but rules are rules and must be followed and enforced.

''3. Certainly one of the best and most memorable races I saw. Bayliss was outstanding, not giving up when Rossi stuffed it underneath him. Troy fought back as he has in WSB with Edwards. Troy is much like a Bulldog and will not give up or make excuses. It's only too bad that the tyres went off and he couldn't get the grip needed out of corners.

''Nicky is also doing well, two seventh place finishes for a rider that has to learn new tracks, new bike, new crew, new tires (not Dunlops) & circulating with new riders that have immense talent. Unfortunate that Edwards had a bum start. It would have been interesting to see how he mixed in with it all. Next challenger would definitely be Loris, just give him an inch and I bet he'll run away with a win.

''4. Ducati of course has an excellent motor with plenty of power. Why can't others do the same? Why did KR's bike spray oil all over the track. I think it will have many development problems similar to Suzuki. So far that seems to be the normal path.''

Jason H (39) - USA.

''Sunday's GP was a really tense, exciting motorcycle race, just what we needed to remind us of why the likes of Daijiro Kato take such massive risks for the sport they love.

''No-one can argue that Sete Gibernau winning wasn't the best result, for the sport if nothing else, he just seemed to respond to the added 'pressure' put him and rode like a hero all weekend.

''Thought Bayliss was impressive, but he seemed to try extra hard when he saw the #46 pass him - maybe its just me but he didn't seem to put up that much opposition when Biaggi and Gibernau went by. A point to prove maybe?

''A lesser known guy who did well was Abe, beating Checa fair and square in only his second ride with the team. Then again Checa was once again off the pace and doesn't seem to be a natural #1 rider. Barros rode through the pain yet again with another 110% effort - hope he can take the fight to the Hondas/Ducatis when he's fit again.

''Capirossi can usually be relied upon to find whatever speed is necessary to match the frontrunners, and was as all-out as ever in qualifying. Seems his bike was leaking some sort of fluid that probably led to his retirement. Bayliss grabbing the limelight will spur him on.

''Edwards was once again solid in qualifying, but never really got to show what he could do - bet the sight of Bayliss leading a GP had him fuming (in the best possible way). Not sure about Haga, everyone knows he can ride but with Edwards doing all the development it's looking increasingly like he's riding someone else's bike.

''Jacque was again slow in both qualifying and the race - he's lucky his (French) team boss is so patient...

''Roll on Jerez and lets have a straight Rossi/Biaggi/Capirossi/Bayliss/Edwards battle! Gibernau will be on home ground too - reckon he could take a top three if he can keep the momentum going.''

Mike Harris (33) - Australia.

''Regarding Daijiro Kato: It is very simple, if the wall was not there and there was plenty of run off Kato would be alive today! In it's current state that particular part of the track allows no room for error! This is because it is an unlikely place to fall off - unlikely but not impossible.

''In a sport like this anything can happen - there is an endless list of reasons that may have caused the crash, Kato may have braked too hard and lost the front end, he may have run off the track onto the grass as a result of another rider pushing him wide, who knows.

''My opinion is that wherever there is any possibility of an accident, the track should provide sufficient run off/safety measures so that simple mistakes do not have life threatening consequences. Racing should be stopped completely at Suzuka until that wall and any other similar hazard has been removed.

''Japan has lost it's most talented rider and along with the whole MotoGP community I have grieved daily for him! We love you Daijiro.''
Steve Woodberry (32) English, Australian resident.

''1. The sad events at Suzuka remind everyone from time to time, that Motorcycle Racing is still a very dangerous sport. It must always be for each rider to decide if the risks are acceptable. The Riders must be the final authority on circuit safety, and be able to ban any unsafe circuit, in advance of a scheduled race. Suzuka must comply with to-days safety requirements. If a rider makes a mistake, even the best circuits are lethal.

''2. The Harris Team knew the tough regulations, before going to Africa so hoping to race under appeal is naive, they might as well as turned up with a Supercharged bike, and race under appeal for the rest of the season.

''4. Ducati's success is due to constant development, and past results. If you continue with engineering proven by results on the track, as is also Honda's case, success will come. Its great to see so many different manufacturers, racing for the future.

''Many congratulations to Sete Gibernau, for reminding everyone, including the Master, that he has always had the potential to win many races.

''Our sport is still unique, long may it continue.''
John (61) - English.

''1) Regarding Kato's accident, I think there is much to learn in terms of after impact care. I'm no paramedic, but moving someone with injuries as serious as his without even the use of some form of neck brace - or red flagging the race to give the marshals time and safety to attend to him - seems ridiculous.

''Can't imagine an F1 driver having a serious accident, and the marshals running over and quickly pulling him out of the cockpit unconscious, then running off with him on a stretcher. MotoGP should be of the same standard.

''I know a lot of riders have criticised the (Suzuka) circuit, but there's a fine line between safety and a dull, unchallenging, track. We don't want lots of stop-start Valencias do we? I think it should be completely up to the riders - if they're happy with the circuit then that's all that matters. After all they are the ones taking the risk.

''Having said that, from what I've heard Rossi and some others clearly weren't happy and their concerns should be addressed before next year. I repeat that the riders should have complete confidence in the medical care they will receive if they do have a serious accident.

''There are lots of circuits with unprotected walls near the track, and the only way to make those areas (such as start/finish straights) safe would be to use an airfence, but that would probably be too expensive, but if riders lives are at risk...

''2) The FIM disqualifying the Harris WCM team is clearly a complicated issue. Not sure why they allowed them to ride in Suzuka as I can't see the team making the engine more standard (which seems to be the FIM's problem) before South Africa.

''The FIM should have come up with a compromise, maybe said 'this needs changing, but as you've paid to bring your whole team/bikes, to South Africa we'll let you ride, but only in the two free practice sessions.'

''Either that or the FIM could have let them ride, but not allowed them to (potentially) score points - weren't Kawasaki allowed to do that in the Japanese SBK series while they were developing their ZX-RR GP machine?

''On that subject, can't help thinking Kawasaki were relived when they heard WCM weren't riding, zero testing and development and Burns already looks capable of turning 'team green' red.

''3) Those that impressed were obviously Sete Gibernau and Troy Bayliss. Rossi was the quickest guy, but then he normally is, and as he didn't win it can't be called one of his best races. Some people have said Biaggi wasn't a match for Rossi, but then he did have an engine problem - third with a loss of power isn't bad in only his second race on a RCV.

''I also think Sete has earned the right to ride Kato's former 2003 spec bike - surely its what the man himself would have wanted.

''Those that didn't deliver must include Roberts, Checa, and the whole Kawasaki team.

''4) Ducati have really shaken things up by proving you don't need years of GP experience or development time to make a potential winner. Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha should hangs their heads in shame - if Ducati can build a GP chassis, new engine configuration etc and be challenging for the top three from the word go, there's no excuse.

''The Suzuki team releasing quotes from Roberts saying the bike being unrideable is probably an attempt to kick the backsides into gear back in Japan.

''I've no idea why Kawasaki are so slow, given what Aprilia and Ducati have achieved over the winter, they have two talented guys - plus Eric Bostrom waiting for a wild-card ride - but they're just wasting them.

''5) The Proton is a step into the unknown, but assuming it's quicker than their two-stroke it should be just outside the top ten to start with. There are plenty of F1 designers at Proton now and that should take effect soon in terms of electronic gadgets like launch/traction control and maybe even things like active suspension.

''At least McWillaims and Aoki will be able to start a race knowing they're not going to be destroyed on the straights.''

John H. Jones (23) - Oxford, UK.

Crash.net would like to thank all those that replied to the ''...have your say'' request for taking the time to share their opinions with the rest of the two-wheeled world. Without them, this article would not have been possible.

Don't agree with what you've read? Then get ready for the next ''...have your say'' MotoGP feature, to follow the Spanish Grand Prix, on May 11.