Jerez Review: Form an orderly queue

Well, Jerez wasn't the barnstormer that we thought it would be, but at Yamaha, things couldn't have been better with Valentino Rossi winning a vital race over a vital rival. Dani Pedrosa got points, but how he wished he could have won the biggest race of the year. Yamaha's Colin Edwards was there to back No. 46 up, taking points off everyone else other than Pedrosa.

I say it wasn't the stonking race that I thought it would be because after the closest ever top 10 in qualifying for a 500/MotoGP race, with just 0.325 seconds covering Pedrosa on pole to Kenny Roberts Jr in 10th, we all though it'd be great come Sunday. Ultimately the top three were the same on lap 1 as they were at the end of lap 27 and on the podium. Maybe a quirk of a little too much testing at the Andalusian track?

Riders just cannot make the thing go any quicker, so a natural pecking order will have been set out in the overlay of the grid positions and the race results. Something similar happened in Barcelona with the Formula One cars during their old qualifying hour, in that the grid would be lined up two-by-two with a team taking an entire row. The resulting pattern would indicate who had built the best car. Just a thought...

But others, such as my colleague Randy Mamola, say that it is because of the electronics that are making it easier to ride these bikes as well as less power, more grip and shorter braking distances. Kenny Roberts Sr has to have the credit on this one, though. "Ban electronics before they get a hold," he said in 2003.

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) leads the start of the Spanish Grand Prix © DPPI

I hope it's not too late for MotoGP, but seeing as though the MSMA make the rules and there are four Japanese factories writing the rules for MotoGP with one European factory (Ducati), it is up to them to keep the sport spectacular. Who cares about lap times and the speed? A MotoGP bike is 27 seconds a lap slower around Barcelona than an F1 car, but I know what race I'd rather watch!

Away from the technical side of things, it was interesting that Rossi said after the race that he thought the paddock was willing Pedrosa to win at Jerez. Personally I think he's overreacting a bit on that one.

I thought Pedrosa would win because he came second there 12 months ago and because of his speed in the test a month ago. But in the end Rossi rose to the atmosphere of 138,000 people in the place. It will be a sad day when people, particularly the Italian media pack, want Rossi to be beaten at just one race, particularly at a golden nugget of a race such as Jerez.

Rossi just had to win it. It was vitally important for his championship chances in the long run. Not in so much as he needs 25 points over 20 points, but in that if he had been beaten by Pedrosa in the Spaniard's backyard, it would have rankled with Rossi to lose at a place he had previously won at some six times. It's now seven after the weekend.

The Yamaha was only behind Pedrosa for half a lap as Valentino sped past him into the tight right-hander at the end of the back straight. The M1 then blitzed them all in those early laps, the slightly softer tyre that he took was better with the cooler conditions come race day over the two days of practice. That may well have been the luck Rossi got back from last year's bad run!

Ciao Bambino

Over the weekend there was a hoo haa around the back of the trucks about Pedrosa getting the smile wiped off his face when Rossi reportedly called him a bambino (kid) in the press. Dani rightly got the hump at this and said he wasn't a kid. Trouble is for Pedrosa, they got him back when the two Yamaha guys blocked him out of the 'moment' before they went out on to the podium.

Rossi stood there talking to Colin, but cleverly made sure his back was to Dani. The Honda rider was left there with no one to speak to. Very Rossi to subtly make himself the centre of attention, belittling the others. He is an expert at this. Don't be fooled by the happy-go-lucky image of the guy. In there, there is an extremely clever and thoughtful mind. Not evil or wicked, just clever.

The Italian works this best when he is in the press conference that is put on by Dorna on Saturday evenings. Present are the three front row riders for MotoGP and the pole men for 125 and 250.

Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa during a press conference at the 2006 Czech Republic Grand Prix © DPPI

Rossi (usually on pole) will say his bit, then hand over to an arch rival - say, Sete Gibernau or Pedrosa - to say their piece, at which point Valentino will chat to a friend who is also up there on the table - say Marco Melandri or Andrea Doviziso - therefore taking the focus of the conference his way as 54 flash guns all go off at the same time. It is really very hard to concentrate on what the other person is saying, because Vale is goofing around with the other guy's Pole Position watch, or whatever!

Pedrosa now, incredibly, hasn't won a race since July 2nd 2006 - it is ten races since he was standing on top of the podium at Donington - and that will begin to eat into him, considering he made such a strong start to the season last year, when he took a victory in only his fourth ever MotoGP event.

Repsol Honda will be keen to start winning again as the works team have been beaten twice since by off-the-shelf Hondas ridden by Melandri and Toni Elias, never mind the stunning Troy Bayliss and Casey Stoner rides. Mentor Alberto Puig will be keen to get back into those winning ways with Pedrosa as it must be about the longest non-winning streak Pedrosa has had since he first won a 125 race. Crew chief Mike Leitner has the level head to calm any nerves and realise that there are sixteen races still to go.

Hayden's Hassles

Nicky Hayden is in trouble. The World Champion suffered tyre dramas in Qatar, only to have front-end feeling problems at Jerez this weekend. Hayden is blaming himself for not riding well enough, which is all very admirable and tough of him, but he must not get into a downward spiral of negativity.

A racer has to take the positives and do things his way just as Mick Doohan did. Thumping the table, shouting and refusing to ride some parts brought by tinkering engineers from Japan was Doohan's way - and that worked 54 times atop of a 500cc podium. There must be something positive coming from some of these tests and races of Hayden. It's not as if he's just forgotten how to ride!

Interestingly, though, Hayden did say at the track at the end of the Monday test, which followed the race, that the bike still had the same front-end feel problems even in the rain. "A lot of the same issues we're having in the dry, we're having in the wet too, so the feeling was mixed," he said. Does that indicate that there is an inherent problem with the bike somewhere?

Maybe not, as teammate Pedrosa was second and Elias stormed through to fourth from being ninth on lap 1 when using the same bike. But I only hope for Hayden that if there are some technical basics that need to be overcome, such as he had all last year with the clutch problems, Honda get on top of them sooner rather than later and do not leave him out to dry as they did before.

"I tried stuff here but it didn't work," said Hayden. "They say there is also stuff that I might be able to try in Istanbul. My main concern is the chassis, but there is also a clutch to try after Jerez."

Boy, oh boy, he's two years into an HRC contract, and there's a long way to go before he has a chance of having a bite of another apple.

Alvaro Bautista (Aspar Aprilia) Andrea Dovizioso (Humangest Honda) and Jorge Lorenzo (Fortuna Aprilia) battle for the lead of the 250cc Spanish Grand Prix © DPPI

Ride of the Day

Ride of the day was a close run thing between 125's Pol Espagaro and 250's Alvaro Bautista. Pol was nowhere on Friday but pulled through to be fourth in the race. At only 15, the guy is super quick and will be one to watch at Catalunya as his home race - he can walk to the track as he lives so close.

Bautista, the 125 champion of 2006, rode like he was possessed in Jerez. Mid race he was looking like he was going to win it by a mile, but ultimately he couldn't get away from the pack. Come the flag, Jorge Lorenzo took it, but he'll be putting his focus away from Hector Barbera and on to Bautista.

The thing that is a bit worrying for Lorenzo is the whole fact that he is in 250 for another year, really. I mean, if you are that good you need to get up into the big class. But, alas, there are not enough seats there, so doing another year in 250 has to suffice. He has already had talks with other teams, but at this stage of the year it is way too early to have an idea where he may go.

The psychological advantage has been pummeled home by Jorge against the others, but the seriousness of the celebrations may wear a bit thin on some paddock people if they go on as they did in Qatar and Jerez.

Reports coming from photographers trackside said that there were bigger cheers for Bautista over Lorenzo, and this can only be because of his perma-happy demeanor, his smiling sparkly eyes and his perma 'The Joker' smile, let alone the fact he rode incredibly well in only his second 250 race.

The guy is a hero and has got 'the package' to become another Rossi. Quick, of course he is, but he's got the charm and character and probably hasn't got a bad bone in his body - and it is that, as well as sheer speed, that people take to when hiring riders.

Bautista also has got an upper hand by being true to his word from last year, when he said he'd speak English when on camera in 250. That he duly did after lessons over the winter, so there's a little point that he's scored over Lorenzo's not-so-great English. Small points, I know, but they are there nonetheless.

Impatient Pasini

Squadra Corse Metis Gilera rider Roberto Locatelli © DPPI

Mattia Pasini in 125 needs to remember that although his bike was to blame in Qatar for giving him zero points, he cannot blame the bike this time after Jerez.

Fail on the out-lap to the grid it did, but he started 35th and dead last with his spare bike only to climb to ninth by the second lap. With that speed you're going to win it, but instead he tried to win it all in one corner, careering into Bradley Smith and taking the pair of them into the gravel.

Smith continued, but Pasini came back to the pits banging tables and swearing - because this time he knew it was his fault and, actually, not the bike's. Two races in as a championship favourite and he's got zero points from 50.

Loca

Enough has been written about the terrifying injuries of Roberto Locatelli, but I can only hope that he recovers well.

Having spoken to him in the pitlane during the MotoGP session that morning, and then seeing him have such a violent accident within the hour, just reminds us that it is still dangerous.

That's one of the reasons why riders love it out there, because it is so fast. As Colin Edwards, still buzzing from the thrill, said after the race: "If you were on the back with me through the fast rights behind the paddock, you wouldn't have liked it."

But the point is that it is still dangerous. 'Loca' is one of the genuine nice guys in the paddock. Get well soon Roby.