barrygrussell
Senior Member
As day one draws to a close at the San Marino MotoGP round there seems to be a wide range of moods in the paddock. On the basis that everyone can read the time sheets let's overlay demeanors on results and see if we can learn anything.
Interestingly, the unhappiest looking riders are the fastest, with Lorenzo, Stoner, Pedrosa and Spies all going well, with only the cheerful Marco Simoncelli having the temerity to bring life to the party in the second free practice session by recording the fourth fastest time ahead of the taciturn Texan.
Outside of the fastest five, only Cal Crutchlow seems grumpy, as his difficult spell continues. Everybody else, including Loris Capirossi, who made an emotional announcement that he will retire at the end of the season, looks like they are here to enjoy themselves.
The other Italians are clearly enjoying this home round too. The naturally reserved Andrea Dovisioso may be following his dour teammates on the timesheets, but looks happy enough in the paddock, while Valentino Rossi's cheerfulness and willingness to spend time with fans seems undiminished by his tribulations at Ducati.
Although the reigning world champion's management have successfully removed his love of life and racing motorcycles, his compatriots are all smiling, including the struggling Toni Elias. Alvaro Bautista is continuing his good run of form since returning from injury, while Hector Barbera was the fastest Ducati rider in both sessions.
While it is tempting to conclude that MotoGP racers have to become F1-type sociopaths in order to reach the top, one encouraging sign for old-school types who actually love motorcycle racing is that the sports brightest rising star is also one of the happiest riders in the paddock. Marc Marquez kept himself in the top five today in both sessions and can be seen buzzing around the paddock on his scooter with a big smile on his face, chatting with friends and, literally, enjoying the ride. So long as he can avoid Lorenzo's management and the clutches of Repsol Honda and their dreaded charisma by-pass operation, the world-wide MotoGP audience still has something to look forward to.
Interestingly, the unhappiest looking riders are the fastest, with Lorenzo, Stoner, Pedrosa and Spies all going well, with only the cheerful Marco Simoncelli having the temerity to bring life to the party in the second free practice session by recording the fourth fastest time ahead of the taciturn Texan.
Outside of the fastest five, only Cal Crutchlow seems grumpy, as his difficult spell continues. Everybody else, including Loris Capirossi, who made an emotional announcement that he will retire at the end of the season, looks like they are here to enjoy themselves.
The other Italians are clearly enjoying this home round too. The naturally reserved Andrea Dovisioso may be following his dour teammates on the timesheets, but looks happy enough in the paddock, while Valentino Rossi's cheerfulness and willingness to spend time with fans seems undiminished by his tribulations at Ducati.
Although the reigning world champion's management have successfully removed his love of life and racing motorcycles, his compatriots are all smiling, including the struggling Toni Elias. Alvaro Bautista is continuing his good run of form since returning from injury, while Hector Barbera was the fastest Ducati rider in both sessions.
While it is tempting to conclude that MotoGP racers have to become F1-type sociopaths in order to reach the top, one encouraging sign for old-school types who actually love motorcycle racing is that the sports brightest rising star is also one of the happiest riders in the paddock. Marc Marquez kept himself in the top five today in both sessions and can be seen buzzing around the paddock on his scooter with a big smile on his face, chatting with friends and, literally, enjoying the ride. So long as he can avoid Lorenzo's management and the clutches of Repsol Honda and their dreaded charisma by-pass operation, the world-wide MotoGP audience still has something to look forward to.
