[Scruff]

Racing accident my ass. If you're a world class rider capable of MotoGP quality performance, you should be capable of not taking your championship point leading team mate out in the second to last race on the SECOND lap. And I've watched the crash multiple times and that looked like a plain old case of losing the front end, not a freak accident that couldn't have been avoided.

Nicky's pass was tight, but he stuck it. Why did he make that move...hmm let me think...o right because he's leading the championship by the narrowest of margins and was not about to lose sight of the race leaders. There was no excuse for what Pedrosa did. Sure I'm American, but I could care less who he'd taken out so don't throw that biased **** out there. Did anyone listen to what former world champ KR Jr. said at the end of the race? He specifically mentioned that he was taking extra care to not do something stupid to take Rossi out and they were still racing damn close. Elias was riding like a youthful Gary McCoy and he managed to not take anyone out on the way to victory. Now why couldn't Pedrosa have done that for his own team mate

And as mentioned before, the ****ing robot of a rider would have been mobbed if he'd taken Rossi out. The bottom line is you can replace any two names in this scenario and the end result is that there is still no excuse for taking your team mate all but out of the championship when you have no chance of winning it.

[colryn]

Man, Nicky was so angry as he was pounding the ground. I thought was going to take a poke at the midget. I am sure the country boy in him wanted to. Not that I would blame him mind you.

[sheepofblue]

Originally Posted by colryn

Man, Nicky was so angry as he was pounding the ground. I thought was going to take a poke at the midget. I am sure the country boy in him wanted to. Not that I would blame him mind you.

The fact that the corner workers did not have to seperate them speaks volumes of how much control one has. The fact they were in the gravel trap speaks volumes of the others control.

[CBRGuy]

I am going to take out Pedrosa when he comes to Laguna Seca next year.......

[CBR929RE]

I only saw the second half of the race so I missed the incident. Can't really blame Pedrosa for going for a position but he should know better than to be anywhere near a curb. I bet he does regret it though and this will probably be the first time he shows even a hint of emotion all year.


that late braking pass from third to first at the end of the straight by Elias was simply amazing. what a monster on the brakes.

[CBRVFR]

Commentary from the normally objective crash.net

.....exactly one lap after Hayden has passed Pedrosa, the young Spaniard launched his RCV back up the inside of the #69 - aiming for a non-existent space - in a desperate attempt to retake third into the long left hander. Considering what was at stake, and the distance he was behind his team-mate approaching the turn, the move was nothing less than sheer lunacy. As Hayden turned in to the corner, the out of control Pedrosa lost the front of RCV, fell to the floor, then slammed straight into the side of the American - sending them both cartwheeling into the gravel.

A moment of stunned silence descended on the paddock as it tried to absorb what had just happened - Hayden, who has finished every other race this season, immediately rushed back to his broken bike to try and rejoin, but the damage was too great and all the apoplectic American could do was remove his helmet and scream in frustration while punching the ground with his fist. It must have taken every inch of Nicky's restraint to avoid inflicting similar blows on the young Spaniard, who appears to have broken a finger in the fall. It is no exaggeration to state that Pedrosa's moment of madness was one of the greatest mistakes ever seen in modern motorcycle grand prix racing.....

[colryn]

Originally Posted by CBRVFR

Commentary from the normally objective crash.net

wow..... The last sentance says volumes.

[Heavy-Dee]

Originally Posted by CBRGuy

I am going to take out Pedrosa when he comes to Laguna Seca next year.......

let's see... what did I do w/ that "List of People to Kill".....

[sheepofblue]

Originally Posted by CBR929RE

I only saw the second half of the race so I missed the incident. Can't really blame Pedrosa for going for a position but he should know better than to be anywhere near a curb. I bet he does regret it though and this will probably be the first time he shows even a hint of emotion all year.


that late braking pass from third to first at the end of the straight by Elias was simply amazing. what a monster on the brakes.

You did not see it or it would be obvious. Edwards made a pass on Pod in the same area but with more space and very in control that was impressive (yes Edwards and impressive) Pod looked like he used it as a ramp to t-bone Hayden, there was no room and he was out of control x10

[CBR929RE]

Originally Posted by sheepofblue

You did not see it or it would be obvious. Edwards made a pass on Pod in the same area but with more space and very in control that was impressive (yes Edwards and impressive) Pod looked like he used it as a ramp to t-bone Hayden, there was no room and he was out of control x10

even just reading about I agree it was boneheaded, even without regards to anyone else and a championship. it was a stupid place to try to fit yourself into. but he's a competitor and wants that next position. can I blame him for wanting the position? no. can I blame him for not seeing the whole situation (where you might take out a fellow rider)? yes.

like I said, he should have learned his lesson a couple weeks ago about staying away from curbs.

[BDA116]

I really wish even more now that Hayden had signed either the Yamaha or Ducati contract. The money may have been slightly less, but the situation would have been FAR better.

[HondaGalToo]

Originally Posted by CBRVFR

What a toxic little ****.

If I were Nicky would have beaten him into a puddle of pesto.
I would also be looking to void my contract with Repsol. It would be intolerable to be in the same paddock with that immature, self-absorbed little ****.

Couldn't have said it better myself. What a totally stupid, selfish move. The little ****. Wasn't he pissed when Stoner slowed him down during qualifying? And Stoner got fined. That was nothing compared to this lunacy.
I am so angry and sad for Nicky. What a little ****. That has to be the stupidest thing I've ever seen.
Props to Elias, though, he should be Nicky's Spanish teammate.
And KRJR, way to go.
My heart is broken for Nicky.

[kawboy69]

Originally Posted by BDA116

I really wish even more now that Hayden had signed either the Yamaha or Ducati contract. The money may have been slightly less, but the situation would have been FAR better.

I agree..

[HondaGalToo]

Originally Posted by BDA116

I really wish even more now that Hayden had signed either the Yamaha or Ducati contract. The money may have been slightly less, but the situation would have been FAR better.

[Heavy-Dee]

Ryder Notes:

The man having luck almost as bad as Nicky's was Sete Gibernau - who else? He ran over Casey Stoner's fallen Honda, broke a bone in his hand and it seems he may also have damaged the oft-re-plated collarbone again. If so, he's likely to need a bone graft.

Bone Graft? Ouchy.

[bwhip]

More from Crash.net:

Dani Pedrosa committed motor racing's most cardinal sin at Estoril on Sunday when he took out world championship leading team-mate Nicky Hayden in a moment of madness that could cost the American the 2006 MotoGP crown.

Hayden started the penultimate event of the season with a 12-point lead over reigning five-times champion Valentino Rossi, who converted pole position into an early race lead - while his Camel Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards dutifully held station in second.

By contrast, there was no such co-operation between Repsol Honda team-mates Pedrosa and Hayden - the cited reason being that fifth in the championship Pedrosa still had a slim mathematical chance of the title - but team orders is one thing, team destruction another.

Yet, exactly one lap after Hayden had squeezed inside Pedrosa for third, and with the 28 lap race less than seven-minutes old, the Spaniard - in a moment of utter madness - gambled Hayden and Honda's entire world championship lead on an inexcusably optimistic attempt to retake the position, which he later blamed on a braking mistake.

The 2006 rookie of the year - previously renowned for his cool head - appeared to forget who pays his wages as he tried to make the panicky pass stick but, as Hayden turned in to the left hander, Dani already had nowhere to go, lost his front wheel and wiped them both out.

Hayden, who has finished every other race this season, desperately tried to rejoin, but the damage to his RCV was too great and the furious American was left punching the ground amidst screams of anger and abuse directed at Dani... but most would probably have punched Pedrosa, whose fumbled pass was one of the most costly team-mate-on-team-mate mistakes ever seen in world championship motorcycle racing.

"I don't know what to say really - it just hurts," said a stunned Hayden. "I don't expect Dani to pull over and let me by but I definitely didn't expect him to do that. Everybody at Repsol Honda is feeling just as sick as I am. I hate it for myself, for the team, for Dani. You work your whole life for something and to be this close, then have it slip away from you, is tough. We're professionals and Dani did come to my motorhome and talk to me afterwards and we shook hands."

"What can I say? I made a mistake and I'm really sorry," offered Pedrosa. "It's the first time I've hit another rider in my career - it's never happened before in practice or racing in six years and it's happened at the worst moment that I could do it. Obviously I'm very unhappy and Nicky is not happy and I just want to apologise because I made a mistake. I said sorry to Nicky and I can understand that he is very upset – I wish I could change it. I didn't want to pass him at that moment. I braked and my rear wheel came off the ground and then it touched the ground again, I got a little more speed. I couldn't stop the bike and there was nowhere to go. I have a fracture in my little finger but we have time for it to be ok for Valencia."

The only 'good' news for Hayden, Pedrosa and Honda is that Toni Elias deprived Rossi of the full 25 points on offer at Estoril - meaning that the Italian will take an eight, instead of 13-point, championship lead into the Valencia showdown in two week's time.

That is still enough to allow Rossi to finish second and take the title, but if Hayden wins with another rider - such as Pedrosa - third, then Nicky and Honda could sensationally snatch the crown.

"I've proved this weekend that I wasn't going to give up without a fight and even now I believe I'm pretty strong," insisted Nicky. "This was not one of my best tracks and I've come here and gone quick - I was fastest in one session, got on the front row and had a good race pace. I need Dani's help now because anything could happen in Valencia, so I hope his hand's ok. I told him there's a way to make it up to me and that's if we run one-two in Valencia then the championship's still possible."

[CBR929RE]

Originally Posted by bwhip

That shows a lot of class and maturity.

[Hammer]

In the replay it looked as if Pod's rear was off the ground, now don't know if that was from being on the front binders too much or a peg kicked the rear up. Either way that was no way to treat a team mate that is in contention for that championship.



Oh yea, and screw yates and podrosa

[evl_twn]

Originally Posted by bwhip

I told him there's a way to make it up to me and that's if we run one-two in Valencia then the championship's still possible."

Maybe Asimo should take out Rossi next race.

I wish we would have had sound feed from the corner. When Nicky was yelling, I'm wondering what he was saying. Or was he saying anything at all? He might have just sounded like Yosemite Sam on crack.

[luvtolean]

I can't believe the vid is not on youtube yet.

I can't find it anywhere online.