When was the last MotoGP title that was decided in a fair fight?

Quote from: Speeddog on March 31, 2011, 10:40:04 AM
When was the last MotoGP title that was decided in a fair fight?

2009?

i was speaking more to 'toughest challenge for Rossi in his entire career.'  i don't think you can use 2010 as a measure for that and the years previous, he won.

Quote from: gm2 on March 31, 2011, 11:07:53 AM
2009?

Sorry to nitpick but if we're talking "fair fight" (and I don't know what that means), Lorenzo was riding around with a buncha broken bones for half that season IIRC.

Quote from: Spidey on March 31, 2011, 11:17:23 AM
Sorry to nitpick but if we're talking "fair fight" (and I don't know what that means), Lorenzo was riding around with a buncha broken bones for half that season IIRC.

yeah, you're right.  i shouldn't really even try to quantify 'fair'.. there's always something going on, to nick's point. 

maybe you can measure his 2010 results against the previous 9 considering he missed (only?!) 4 races and somehow got 8 more podiums after the motox accident.  but.. not really.

I guess you could probably say 2003 with Vale and Sete on the same machinery.

year... won by... who was next/won

2001 106 (Biaggi)
2002 140 (Biaggi)
2003 80 (Gibernau)
2004 47 (Gibernau)
2005 147 (Melandri)
2006 -5 (Hayden)
2007 -126 (Stoner) (3rd to Pedro by 1 point)
2008 93 (Stoner)
2009 45 (Lorenzo)
2010 -150 (Lorenzo) (3rd to Pedro by 12 points)

Quote from: Jester on March 31, 2011, 11:50:02 AM
I guess you could probably say 2003 with Vale and Sete on the same machinery.

Sete was never really a threat to Rossi. He was a slightly above average rider that never had the consistency or talent to win a world title.

Kinda what I was thinking by 'fair' was with Rossi and his competition healthy through the whole season.

The other factors of who had Bridgestones/Michelins/Hotter Girlfriend/Faster Bike/Better Tuner/More Stylish Haircut..... that debate can go on for years. 

Folks say the only reason Stoner won in '07 was how fast the 800 Duc was.... but Capirossi finished 6th on the same scooter....and in '06 Capirossi finished 3rd.
From a quick perusal of Wiki...


Folks with a good memory of the last ~decade of MotoGP feel free to chime in.

Quote from: Speeddog on March 31, 2011, 02:42:50 PM
Folks say the only reason Stoner won in '07 was how fast the 800 Duc was.... but Capirossi finished 6th on the same scooter....and in '06 Capirossi finished 3rd.

this is the deadest horse of them all but it wasn't the only reason.. 

Quote from: El Matador on March 31, 2011, 01:45:48 PM
Sete was never really a threat to Rossi. He was a slightly above average rider that never had the consistency or talent to win a world title.

I was just referring to same machinery throughout the season and no major injuries.  No, Sete was never a threat, but the fight was fair.

Quote from: Speeddog on March 31, 2011, 02:42:50 PM
Folks say the only reason Stoner won in '07 was how fast the 800 Duc was.... but Capirossi finished 6th on the same scooter....and in '06 Capirossi finished 3rd.

Stoner won because he didn't toss the bike down the track once that season.  It doesn't matter how fast you are unless you can keep the bike upright.  He managed to accomplish that.  Amazing considering how bad that bike bucked around, but he did it none the less.