[.OrgOwner]

2007 Italian MotoGP results.

1.Stoner
2.Vermulen
3.Hopkins

Casey Stoner is making this look way too easy and it's betting boring, Chris Vermulen is another Aussie to wtch out for. Valentino Rossi does not believe he has a chance and most would agree with him I think. Rossi also points out that the riders are not as important as they once were when it comes to getting results, sounds like he wishes he was riding a Ducati this year.

Valentino Rossi believes he has no chance of catching MotoGP leader Casey Stoner of Australia after he was forced to retire during the San Marino Grand Prix.
Rossi's Yamaha broke down on lap five Sunday at the Misano circuit while he was in fourth position. Stoner won the race on his Ducati for his eighth victory of the season to extend his lead over Rossi to 85 points with five races to go.
"I really needed a podium finish," Rossi was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport on Monday. "By now, the world championship is over."
Chris Vermeulen of Australia was second and John Hopkins took third on their Suzukis.
Rossi, a seven-time motorcycling world champion, was using the new Fiat Yamaha M1 engine for the first time in a race in an attempt to challenge Stoner.
Today in Sports
Football: NFC North previewFootball: NFC West previewCollege Football: One Appalachian State graduate, at least, is impressed
The Italian rider just missed out on beating Stoner in qualifying for the pole position, but Yamaha team director Davide Brivio said the gamble in changing engines had backfired in the race.
"We had already tried the engine in tests conducted at Brno," Brivio told Gazzetta. "We bent over backwards to use it. Perhaps we took one risk too many."
Rossi, who has been hampered by engine and tire performances this season, said Stoner deserved to be champion — but that the role of the rider in winning races was diminishing in importance.
"That Stoner and Ducati deserve the title is certain," Rossi told Gazzetta. "But our sport has changed. We are getting closer to Formula One. There is no longer space for the rider who makes the difference."
Stoner leads the overall standings with 271 points after 13 races. Rossi is second with 186 points, followed by Dani Pedrosa of Spain with 168. Pedrosa also did not finish Sunday, crashing on the first lap.
Despite a seemingly insurmountable lead, Stoner is concentrating on the Portuguese GP in two weeks.
"My tactic hasn't changed," Stoner told Gazzetta. "I continue to take it race by race."

[dicknose]

Originally Posted by .OrgOwner

2
Chris Vermulen is another Aussie to wtch out for.

He is getting better and better.
Good in the wet but seems he is getting good in the dry as well. I think the new track helped him as it put him on a more level field with the more experienced riders.

Valentino Rossi does not believe he has a chance and most would agree with him I think.

To be honest I think Stoner has enough points now.
The lead is 85 points in 5 races. So Rossi could do it with a bunch of seconds. But he cant afford to finished worse than 4th more than twice without getting a win to balance. While he looked good for wins earlier he has dropped off. Given the Hopkins and Vermulen are showing pace, Melandri is back in the mix, Caparosi is slowly getting more pace and even Hayden is doing a bit better I can see it could get a lot tighter in the top 5.
So even if Stoner took a holiday or has some real bad luck I think Rossi would have to be back to his best to even get the difference in points.

Put it another way - to wrap it up at the next round Stoner only needs to get 16 points more than Rossi (to get his lead to 101 - more than 4 wins with 4 rounds to go)

Rossi also points out that the riders are not as important as they once were when it comes to getting results, sounds like he wishes he was riding a Ducati this year.

Well there is always going to be times where a manufacturer or a tyre (or a combo of both) is the best package.
And I dont think you can just say the Ducati is the gun machine, its not like they are having 1-2 wins. Stoner has had races where he has run as good as he could and not won.
While Rossi is a great rider he also does make mistakes and in fact in the last 2 years has probably made more than his fair share. Now I think this is in part that he is a great rider on a good (but not great) bike.
But look at Stoner this year - I can barely think of a mistake he has made. He has been smooth and consistant. Most of the time he has also been the fastest, but even when he isnt he has ridden well. Consistant and fast is good (and Hayden was that last year). But consistant and the fastest is great and thats what Stoner has been this year.