Damn, he's got some pull apparently. Mid-season replacement, sure don't see that very often.
http://www.crash.net/motorsport/motogp/news/168368-0/official_pedrosa_to_bridgestone.html
Bout time. He should be fighting for second in every race. I wonder what's going to happen next year.
dayumn.
I just realized that he's on stones in the next friggin race. Eek that was fast. I know he's been asking for it for quite a while but who in the heck ever heard of such a thing mid season? Wow.
Quote from: Chococat on September 01, 2008, 11:08:18 AM
I just realized that he's on stones in the next friggin race. Eek that was fast. I know he's been asking for it for quite a while but who in the heck ever heard of such a thing mid season? Wow.
it's happened before... in '94 or '95, iirc.
michelin statement:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/70215
looks like he's already feelin' at home on the new rubber:
http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2008/Pedrosa+content+with+speedy+Bridgestone+debut
Bridgestone now supplies 12 of the 18 MotoGP riders.
Well, you guys always wanted a spec tire... ;D
Quote from: desmoquattro on September 02, 2008, 09:26:47 AM
Bridgestone now supplies 12 of the 18 MotoGP riders.
Well, you guys always wanted a spec tire... ;D
1) no we didn't...
2) there is still a HUGE difference between a 'spec tire' and having a single tire manufacturer.
funny, michelin and bridgestone have basically swapped positions in the series.
Quote from: derby on September 02, 2008, 09:57:44 AM
1) no we didn't...
2) there is still a HUGE difference between a 'spec tire' and having a single tire manufacturer.
funny, michelin and bridgestone have basically swapped positions in the series.
Just giving you guys crap ;D
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/70251
I bet his stones are tiny
This comment by Mathew Birt in the MCN
"The way Pedrosa kicked Michelin into touch to go to Bridgestone opens a political can of worms
Arguably two of the most boring subjects in MotoGP- tyres and Dani Pedrosa stole the lime light from Valentino Rossi's record-equalling achievement at Misano devaluing the professionalism and credibility of MotoGP in the process
Pedrosa's move to Bridgestone was not out of the blue, but the timing was. Why couldn't he just put up and shut up for the final five races, bow out of Michelin gracefully and accept his Bridgestone contract for'09? He's out of the title hunt anyway - and he'll be on Bridgestones any way next season when the single tyre rule gets sneaked through on safety grounds
This is another panic decision whereby Pedrosa has one bad race then carves up a contract Michelin has had with HRC for 24 years. Four races ago, he Ied the world championship and nobody had heard a murmur about quitting Michelin. He led in Germany only to crash out and couldn't ride in Laguna. So did he base his entire decision to move to Bridgestone on Michelin's boob at Brno?
But lets cut the crap and see how Pedrosa matches up against Rossi and Stoner on the same tyres. We all got sick of hearing Rossi whinge like hell last season about tyres, but now he's on Bridgestones he's going to walk the championship - he's backed himself to the hilt and delivered
So let's see if all the fuss and aggro will be worth it because most people doubt whether Pedrosa will be any more of a title threat than he is on the Michelins he so despises.
Some people will hope he does figure more prominently, because for someone so small in stature Pedrosa wields considerable clout in MotoGP. His unsavoury switch to Bridgestone is clear evidence Dorna, Repsol and Honda will go to any lengths to keep him sweet.
For one rider to manipulate the commercial rights owners of the sport for his own benefit is frankly a shocking and dangerous prospect for MotoGP. Contracts are clearly not worth the paper they are written on any more and Honda's reputation as an honorable and dignified leader of world motorcycling has been tarnished.
Somebody must stand up to the riders who have got way too much power nowadays. If Pedrosa fails to win a race on Bridge-stones in 2008, will HRC replace him? Of course not, with all the rider power nowadays, soon they'll be hiring and firing themselves!"
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Sep/080904jr.htm
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/70251
Quote from: gm2 on September 04, 2008, 08:59:51 AM
http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Sep/080904jr.htm
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/70251
ahem:
Quote from: derby on September 03, 2008, 04:14:38 PM
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/70251
;D
yea yeah, whatever.
=)
I realize Michelin have not been able to compete with the Stones for these past 2 seasons but is that really a reason to leave them considering their great consistent past performance? IF Michelin is still in next year and IF they produce a better tire are all these people going to change back to Michelins?
Have the past 2 seasons changed your preferred tire?
or have the rules and restrictions put in place over the last 2 years severely limited Michelin's ability to be effective? which, if that's the case, do they need to go back to the drawing board on tire development, the way Bridgestone has been doing for the last 4-5 years?
never mind the saturday night specials that were either sometimes used or very common (someone else can argue that one..), it appears as though Michelin's way of working in the past was bring every tire under the sun. making the call on thursday has left them in the dust since '07.
Yeah, to me, that's the big issue. The allocation thing is ridiculous. This GP, there should be no limits as to how many tires a rider or a tire company can bring to an event. The playing field would be leveled to a large degree if they just got rid of the allocation BS. They can keep the rule about not flying tires in if they like, but they should be able to bring as many as they please to the event and the riders should have no limits on how many they can use.
Quote from: Pakhan on September 04, 2008, 01:14:14 PM
I realize Michelin have not been able to compete with the Stones for these past 2 seasons but is that really a reason to leave them considering their great consistent past performance? IF Michelin is still in next year and IF they produce a better tire are all these people going to change back to Michelins?
Have the past 2 seasons changed your preferred tire?
funny.. everybody said the same thing when it was announced rossi was switching to stones. it doesn't seem to have hurt him this year and, given michelin's performance this year, it was the right decision.
Quote from: derby on September 04, 2008, 01:37:06 PM
it doesn't seem to have hurt him this year
whereas last year Michelin
was hurting him. regularly.
a racer is going nowhere fast (sic) if he has no confidence in the rubber.