Motogp 2012 #5: Reset

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Nicky Hayden has denied being in discussions over a switch to World Superbikes with Ducati, and says he is determined to remain in the Italian firm's MotoGP line-up.

Ducati is known to be talking to Tech 3 Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow about a 2013 MotoGP deal, and with Valentino Rossi now looking more likely to stay on at Ducati, Hayden's future with the team is in doubt.

There had been rumours that Ducati was set to place the 30-year-old American in its Superbike programme, but Hayden dismissed this.

"I haven't thought about that. Everybody says I've spoken to Ducati about World Superbikes. It's never even been mentioned," he said. "It's a rumour people say like they know something, which makes me laugh, because it shows how much journalists really don't know."

He underlined that his focus was on securing a fifth season in Ducati's works MotoGP line-up.

"I have to think about my future. I've said from the beginning that I really like it here. The team is great," said Hayden.

"Obviously we haven't got the results in the last year and a half that maybe I would've expected. We'll see what happens. I hope things work out, I've got a lot of support from people at Ducati, so I hope we can make it happen."

Hayden is also confident that Ducati is now beginning to turn its form around after a very tough start to 2012. Hector Barbera put his Pramac Ducati third on the grid for this weekend's Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, one place ahead of Hayden's works machine.

"Today I'm two seconds faster than last year. I'm not riding two seconds better than last year. Clearly the bike is better," said Hayden.

The 2006 MotoGP champion also believes that Ducati would be better off continuing to develop its current bike rather than having a total design rethink, despite this year's problems.

"I think we need to stay with this bike. I don't think it's right to keep going change, change, change. We need to chip away," Hayden said. "Look at today, we have a package with a lot of potential. Of course we need to improve the engine and we have to get rid of this understeer problem."

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It appears Cal Crutchlow won't have a contract for a Ducati factory bike to sign this weekend at Mugello, after all.

Reports swirled all week that this weekend was the deadline for Crutchlow to inform Ducati bosses whether he would accept a two-year deal offered to him to race a factory Desmosedici. But Crutchlow insists Ducati hasn't presented him with an official piece of parchment to sign.

As you might imagine, even though current bosses at Yamaha are said to have banned him from talking about any deal with Ducati or mentioning Ducati in terms of employment opportunities, Crutch' ignores them.

"Talks are still ongoing, and that's it," Crutchlow said. "It is not a holdup from our side, so read into that what you want.

"As far as I am concerned, we can't do anything different, and we are waiting. It is a situation that I don't print my own contract. They print it and then send it, so obviously nothing has been sent. We have to wait, and I am still talking to them, but we are waiting for them.

"It is their decision. Everything is discussed, but at the minute we don't have any paperwork. I don't have a contract so I can't do anything. Everything else was done quite some time ago, but at the moment there is a bit of a holdup."

That snag doesn't appear to be an 11th-hour change of heart about current Ducati factory rider Nicky Hayden within Ducati management or its new owner, German auto giant Audi. Hayden confirmed he has conducted recent talks with Ducati President and CEO Gabriele Del Torchio, but no formal contract negotiations.

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Nicky Hayden's racing future is still in question as the former MotoGP World Champion is investigating opportunities away from Ducati.

Nicky Hayden accepts that he is not Ducati's primary choice as a rider in MotoGP for 2013 and he is investigating other options including at Tech3 Yamaha.

His current superstar teammate, Valentino Rossi, has denied that he has endorsed Hayden over British rider Cal Crutchlow at Ducati for next year.

Presuming Rossi is with Ducati next year he says that in terms of a teammate that "Crutchlow or Hayden is the same."

Hayden admits his future is up in the air: "I think it is normal, riders don't have a preference as a teammate. I'm happy that after two years Valentino is still supporting me and says it doesn't matter who it is; we have a great relationship.

"But I'm not the number one choice here (at Ducati) so I have to look around and think about my future. It's business, obviously."

Earlier Italian reports claimed that Rossi was recommending Hayden to Ducati bosses.
“No, this is not true," Rossi said. "I said that I like Cal very much and I have a very good relationship with him. He is one of the funniest guys in the paddock.
"But I also very much like Nicky and I know him better because we share time together and a team for longer. He is a good guy and very fast. But I don't give real advice to Ducati on this matter."

Rossi remains non-committal on his future as he continues to urge Audi to get involved in fixing Ducati's stalled race program.

An earlier time frame had pointed to this weekend's Italian GP at Mugello as being crucial concerning Crutchlow's future given that he is not guaranteed factory support if he stays at Tech3 Yamaha next year.

As to his own plans Rossi is still waiting ("I have to talk more with the Audi guys") in the hope that Audi will trigger a major shakeup at Ducati Corse to make the team more competitive.

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Op zondag 15 juli 2012 14:51 schreef M.Melandri het volgende:
Stoner maakt toch kostbare fouten in de strijd om het kampioenschap.

Wat een race overigens van Bradl en hij rijdt ook nog eens met oudste spec Honda.

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Het lijkt wel of iemand een vloek heeft uitgesproken over Ben Spies want ook tijdens de Italiaanse Grand Prix wil het niet lukken met de Amerikaanse Yamaha rijder die door een voedselvergiftiging pas als 11e over de streep kwam.

De start van de race was vrij goed voor Ben Spies maar al snel zakte de Amerikaan enkele plekken en een paar ronden later weer een aantal plakken waardoor hij achter CRT rijder Randy de Puniet kwam te rijden en even leek het erop dat Spies ook een plek aan Mattia Pasini zou verliezen. De met voedselvergiftiging kampende Spies wist zich echter te herpakken en zo in de eindfase nog langs De Puniet te komen om de 11e plaats te pakken.

“Ik ben zo teleurgesteld, niet alleen voor mezelf maar voor het hele team en voor Yamaha die dit weekend hard hebben gewerkt. Ik voelde ma voor de warm-up niet goed en het werd gedurende de dag allen maar erger. Ik had het tijdens de race moeilijk om goede rondetijden te zetten terwijl ik vocht met duizeligheid en probeerde om niet over te geven in mijn helm. De Clinica had voor de race zijn best gedaan om me te helpen maar het was een enorme uitdaging om me te kunnen concentreren en dat met deze snelheden,” aldus Spies.

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Wat een race overigens van Bradl en hij rijdt ook nog eens met oudste spec Honda.

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Op de maandag na de race in Mugello probeerden Repsol Honda rijders Casey Stoner en Dani Pedrosa de 2013 versie van de RC213V uit, het was een stap voorwaarts maar niet zo groot als vooraf gedacht werd.

Om de chatter problemen van Casey Stoner en Dani Pedrosa proberen op te lossen had Honda voor de test in Mugello naast nieuwe motorblokken ook twee nieuwe machines meegenomen die eigenlijk voor het 2013 seizoen bedoeld waren. Over het nieuwe blok waren beide Repsol Honda rijders wel tevreden maar over het nieuwe chassis was vooral Stoner wat minder te spreken.

Honda zal proberen om beide rijders volgende week in Laguna Seca van nieuwe motorblokken te voorzien, Pedrosa zal daarbij waarschijnlijk ook het nieuwe chassis krijgen aangezien hij er voordeel mee denkt te hebben.

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Andrea Dovizioso says he 'has alternatives' and could even be open to moving into the Superbike World Championship should he fail to land a works ride with Yamaha.

The Italian, currently at satellite squad Tech 3, has made no secret this year of his desire to land a works ride with the Japanese manufacturer from 2013.

Four podiums in the last five races have helped Dovizioso make an increasingly strong case for himself, but the Italian admits it is perfectly possible he could miss out on the ride.

"Yamaha hasn't decided, it's buying time. I've already understood that meritocracy doesn't count so, despite my results, I already know that it's possible I may never have the factory bike," he told Motosprint.

"But I have alternatives - other teams and other makes - and I'm also considering something very different."

Asked whether he could be open to a switch into Superbikes, he replied: "Yes, that. My objective in MotoGP is to get back on a works bike, because only then could I aspire to get the results I still lack: to fight for the title. If I don't get that, then I might as well go for different experiences."

Despite Yamaha confirming Lorenzo and Honda Moto2 starlet Marc Marquez alongside Dani Pedrosa, there remains a deal of confusion about every other rider – with the future of seven-time champion Valentino Rossi playing a pivotal part.

The Italian has openly criticised Ducati at times this season, and talk of a move away from the Italian manufacturer gathered momentum. He held positive talks with Audi management at the Sachsenring, but insisted ahead of Mugello that his future was still open.

A return to Yamaha remains an option for Rossi, while HRC vice president Shuhei Nakamoto told Motosprint he would be interested in placing the Italian in a works-supplied satellite team.

"I'd like to work with Valentino. When he was at Honda I was on the Formula 1 programme, so the only time I've seen him racing with us from our pits was at the Suzuka 8-hour race," he said.

"It hasn't been possible to place him in the works team, but I'm ready to supply him with a factory bike in one of our satellite teams."

Aside from Dovizioso, Rossi's decision could also hold the key to both Cal Crutchlow and Nicky Hayden's futures.

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Pramac Ducati rijder Hector Barbera heeft zich tijdens een voorbereiding op de Red Bull US Grand Prix danig geblesseerd waardoor hij de race op Laguna Seca aan zich voorbij zal moeten laten gaan.

In de buurt van zijn huis in Spanje heeft Hector Barbera tijdens een motorcrosstraining zijn linker scheen en kuitbeen gebroken, de Spanjaard was zich fysiek aan het voorbereiden op de Red Bull US Grand Prix.

De Spanjaard zal een operatie ondergaan in het inmiddels bekende Dexeus Instituut in Barcelona waar hij door Dokter Mir en zijn medisch team behandeld zal worden. Barbera zal op zondag opnieuw onderzocht worden om te bepalen hoe lang het herstel in beslag zal nemen.

Het Pramac Ducati Team wil de resultaten van het onderzoek afwachten om hun plannen voor de nabije toekomst te kunnen bepalen.

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Toni Elias zal tijdens de Red Bull US Grand Prix terugkeren in de MotoGP klasse als vervanger van de geblesseerde Héctor Barbera.

Barbera staat zes tot acht weken buitenspel vanwege een beenblessure die hij afgelopen week opliep tijdens een motorcross training. De Spanjaard zal daardoor zo goed als zeker de twee Amerikaanse Grand Prix in Laguna Seca en Indianapolis moeten missen.

Het Pramac Racing Team heeft op maandag bekend gemaakt dat Toni Elias in ieder geval tijdens de eerstkomende Grand Prix, op het circuit van Laguna Seca, Barbera zal vervangen.

Elias, in 2010 de allereerste Moto2 wereldkampioen, stapte onlangs op bij het Mapfre Aspar Moto2 team na tegenvallende prestaties en was dus per direct beschikbaar om in te vallen.

De Spanjaard kwam in het seizoen 2008 ook al uit voor het team in de MotoGP klasse en wist toen zelfs twee keer een podiumfinish te behalen in Brno en in Misano.

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The American confirmed his decision on the eve of this year's United States Grand Prix, the first of two races held in his home country.

Spies used his personal Twitter account to link to a story on Superbike Planet, which quotes him as saying: "Yesterday I made a comment on Twitter to cause a stir. [Today] I'll be more in saying that I have chosen to leave Yamaha after this season for a litany of reasons.

"I will explain more when I feel it is appropriate. I'm discussing my situation with my sponsors and they are behind me. There are a few people at Yamaha who I hate to leave. And they know who they are. I wish Yamaha the best. I won't make any further comments until the official announcement comes out."

He then added in a separate tweet: "I'm extremely happy to push for the rest of the season to my fans and myself next year starts a new chapter. And yes I'm pumped!"

The American's decision brings a two-year spell with the works outfit to a close, and has huge potential ramifications in the 2013 rider market.

Spies has met with varied success in grand prix racing, earning rookie of the year honours in 2010 while racing for the Tech 3 outfit before moving to Yamaha's factory team to replace Valentino Rossi, and then claiming his first win in 2011 in the Dutch TT. This year he has struggled however, counting two fourth-place finishes as his best results.

His departure leaves the second works Yamaha seat, one of the most coveted rides in MotoGP, open for 2013.

Tech 3's Andrea Dovizioso, currently fourth in the riders' championship with four podiums to his credit, is an obvious candidate based on form.
The Italian recently fired a warning shot to the works team however, saying that he could consider alternative options.

Valentino Rossi is another name understood to be in consideration for the ride, with the Italian achieving unprecedented success with Yamaha between 2004 and 2010.

A potential move for Rossi could bring its own complications however, with sponsorship and his relationship with Jorge Lorenzo - fractured at best in his final two years at Yamaha - all questionable.

Spies meanwhile has not confirmed what he will do next year, but other MotoGP rides - namely at Tech 3 and Ducati – remain potential avenues, as does a switch back to the Superbike World Championship.

twitter:

BenSpies11 twitterde op dinsdag 24-07-2012 om 16:48:58 I'm extremely happy to push for the rest of the season to my fans and myself next year starts a new chapter. And yes I'm pumped! reageer retweet

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BenSpies11 twitterde op donderdag 26-07-2012 om 19:43:00 Rumors rumors are so awesome! I've heard I'm riding for 5 diff teams or retiring haha. Laguna is here! reageer retweet

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Colin Edwards gave a typically colourful explanation of his 2012 MotoGP struggles when he met with the media on the eve of his home US MotoGP at Laguna Seca on Thursday.

The former double World Superbike champion and twelve-time MotoGP podium finisher was the most high-profile rider to sign-up for the new CRT privateer category.

But the Texan made clear he expected much more from the Suter-BMW project, with which he has scored points just twice so far this year.

Asked about his 'really tough' season, Edwards replied: “Yeah. My bike is a piece of shit. That'd be a better way to say it!

“It's been tough. Obviously some of the things we've been promised... we had our ass smacked and our balls tickled and it just hasn't come to fruition.

“Some of the things we were promise just haven't happened. I'm not only trying to race the bike I'm doing 100% of the development. We don't have anybody there...

“I've heard rumours we'll be on an Aprilia at Indianapolis,” he said. “Which is still not going to able to compete with the [prototype] guys but at least it's the best CRT bike out there. If that happens it's a step forward.”

38-year-old Edwards - who said he has a two-year deal with Forward Racing, but is waiting to confirm his 2013 plans - brought his son up from the audience for a mid-press conference photo alongside Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, Ben Spies and Jorge Lorenzo

Questions from the floor anyone?

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Ducati is rumoured to have completed its first rider signing for the 2013 MotoGP season, in the form of a contract extension for Nicky Hayden.

Hayden, the 2006 world champion with Honda, has been a Factory Ducati rider since 2009.

Although he hasn't won a race since his championship season, Hayden scored just seven points less than team-mate and seven time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi last year.

The American's place had looked under threat from Ducati's interest in Cal Crutchlow, but GPOne.com says that Hayden has got the nod and could be officially announced as a 2013 rider during his home US GP at Laguna Seca this weekend.

The sudden movement on a Hayden deal will be seen by some as a reaction to the possibility that Rossi will leave the team.

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Op vrijdag 27 juli 2012 16:35 schreef Michael_Moore het volgende:
Nicky Hayden lands new Ducati MotoGP deal?

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Vlak voor aanvang van de Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix heeft Ducati middels een persbericht bekend gemaakt dat men ook in het seizoen 2013 gebruik blijft maken van de diensten van Nicky Hayden.

Nicky Hayden, die aanstaande maandag 31 jaar hoopt te worden, is dit seizoen bezig aan zijn tiende seizoen in de koningsklasse waarvan inmiddels vier seizoenen bij het Ducati Team.

De afgelopen vier seizoenen is de Amerikaan ongekend populair geworden bij de fans en de vele Ducati liefhebbers over de gehele wereld dankzij zijn betrouwbare en positieve vooruitzichten, zijn passie en zijn vastberadenheid.

Momenteel bezet Hayden de achtste positie in de tussenstand van het kampioenschap, werkt hij hard en met volle overgave aan de verdere ontwikkeling van de Desmosedici GP12. Na de vele geruchten over het mogelijke vertrek van Valentino Rossi bij Ducati, de komst van Cal Crutchlow heeft Hayden middels het tekenen van een nieuwe overeenkomst zekerheid voor het seizoen 2013.

"Ik ben erg blij dat ik in 2013 wederom met Ducati in de MotoGP uit kan komen, kan racen op het hoogste niveau en deel uit kan maken van een zeer belangrijk team. Ik hou van de jongens waar ik mee werk, ik hou van de Ducati fans en ik hou van het merk. Dit is in een aantal opzichten een belangrijk moment voor Ducati en ik ben blij dat ik hier onderdeel van uit mag blijven maken. Het voelt alsof ik nog niet klaar ben hier en hopelijk lukt het ons alle stukjes op zijn plaats te laten vallen en de vruchten te plukken van het vele werk wat we de afgelopen jaren verzet hebben. Het is natuurlijk ook geweldig dat we dit nieuws hier in Laguna Seca wereldkundig kunnen maken en dat ik het kan delen met mijn fans, vrienden en familie. Als ik zondag ook nog eens een goed resultaat kan scoren dan zou dat een mooi verjaardags cadeau zijn voor maandag.”

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Op zaterdag 28 juli 2012 18:37 schreef Michael_Moore het volgende:

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Hayden blijft ook in 2013 Ducati trouw

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Op zaterdag 28 juli 2012 19:12 schreef Lavenderr het volgende:

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Oeh, morgen races! Wordt het uitgezonden ergens? BBC misschien?

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Op zaterdag 28 juli 2012 19:16 schreef Michael_Moore het volgende:

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BBC2 van 23:00u tot 0:00u.

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Op zaterdag 28 juli 2012 19:12 schreef Lavenderr het volgende:

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Oeh, morgen races! Wordt het uitgezonden ergens? BBC misschien?