The events of the weekend at Jerez are still reverberating through the racing fraternity with both sides predictably claiming the moral high ground.
Fact is that Rossi lost the front end in the process of trying to complete what was a very ambitious and incautious passing manoeuver. The fact that Stoner was there and got collected in the process is merely collateral damage. Despite all the testing and data that Ducati have done and collected, none of it has yet been able to solve the fundamental issue of the bike and that is that it has a suspect front end that is prone to give way without any warning whatsoever. Events of the last two years have proven this time after time. Most, if not all of Casey’s “unforced errors”, for which Rossi and others have roundly criticised him, have been caused by this issue, and Casey has pointed this out repeatedly.
Now, Rossi is reaping the “reward” of attributing Casey’s string of accidents to rider error when it has been the bike that was at fault. You would think that, knowing the Ducati’s flaw, he would have been a little less confident in trying such a bone-headed move, especially that early in the race and on a wet track.
And, as for his carefully staged “apology” (with all the Italian press corps trailing in his wake), well, a points victory to the Australian. Casey’s “sympathetic” comments about Rossi’s shoulder and his ironic “ambition vs talent” parting shot made the “apology” look as genuine as a 3 dollar bill. I don’t doubt Rossi’s sincerity, but nothing he does is done without a clear view of the media impact and also the psychological edge that he can achieved by doing so.
Casey did well to remind everyone that Rossi received a disproportionate amount of attention from the marshalls, but I hope he doesn’t expect that to change. After all, Rossi is a European and he isn’t and the locals will always look after their own first and foremost.
On another subject altogether, I go into hospital this morning to have a screw removed from the plate in my thigh. The screw is impeding the full joining of the lower break in my femur and the doctor is hopeful that removing it will allow the two ends to join more completely and so enhance the healing process. The fun never stops.
gearsau says
Phil,
Well put. Pity the Rossi Fan boys can’t see through the yellow haze that obscures their vision.