Testing was cut short for the first day at Qatar as a rare rainstorm put a hold to the first session under the lights of the MotoGP Official Night Test. At 6pm there were ambient temperatures of 68ºF and track temperatures of 75ºF, but an hour later heavy rain drove the riders off track and back into the shelter of their pit-boxes. Almost half the MotoGP field had not left their garages before the rain arrived, including Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, and Dani Pedrosa.
In case you didn’t see this last MotoGP season, you may not have heard of the shenanigans going on in the Repsol Honda garage. With a very unhappy Nicky Hayden, and what has been described as an imaginary wall across the team’s garage, Nicky’s move to Ducati has been a welcomed change.
With most camps being cheeky as to the details that have surrounded the team falling outs, it is interesting to see what outsiders, who may have some more perspective, have to say about the whole thing. MotoGP.com released a short article about Kevin Schwantz’s perspective on Nicky, but left a very telling quote for the end of the article. Click to see what he said.
The 2009 season has started. Well…sort of. The champagne only stopped flowing moments ago for Valentino Rossi, but work for the 2009 season waits for no man. With more rider and team shakeups than the Sunday morning Times word search, the 2009 MotoGP teams (sans Tech3) have begun shaking out their new bikes, and for some, their new riders.
Read more after the jump.
Well that’s it folks, the MotoGP season is over. Not to spoil it, but Randy de Puniet was not the come-from-behind points winner for the rider’s cup. Click on the jump to see every dirty spoiler.
