MotoGP | 2023 | Race 4 | Jerez | Spain | April 28-30

Maybe because he took out NH69 at Estoril during Nicky's championship year? Yeah, that's the only valid reason I can think of.

 

I really like Dani. Every interview and opportunity the guy gets in front of a camera since his retirement only endears him more. And what the guy can do on a bike is nothing short of incredible. This weekend was really impressive.

 

Come on, the circumstances are not even remotely comparable. He was one year out of MotoGP full-time, and had just clinched the world superbike championship. There wasn't a trace of rust on him.

It's funny how so many people didn't appreciate him until he approached retirement. If I had a dollar for every idiotic "Pedrobot doesn't smile" I read or heard for a decade, I'd have enough money for high-quality hookers and blow every day.

If you're asking an American, the answer is probably Nicky Hayden.
Pedrosa had the audacity to try to beat him while they were both still in contention for the championship and crashed into him.

 

I maintain that Pedrosa is still the most talented MotoGP era rider to never win a MotoGP championship. But it doesn't help me to like him because he is dry in interviews.

You want fan base? Smile, be approachable, put yourself out there, and speak your mind. Ask Colin and Cal for pointers.

-T

 

You say that like it's a bold statement that's going to meet a lot of resistance.

 

He was smiling this weekend and laughing. Hell miller had him on his shoulders

 

So you're sticking with the cheap blow and hookers then....

I forgot about Estoril. Yeah, i'll admit to being pretty pissed about that event, but it didn't make me hate him. I think he's just a bashful guy, and doesn't do well with the whole media thing. Kind of like Stoner, or Lawson. I think now that he doesn't have to live with the day to day media circus, he's able to relax a bit.

 

You all ever see Hitting the Apex? Dani is zen, and has been for awhile.

 

As much as I want no part of the "I Hate Puig's Fucking Face" band wagon, seems to me there was a change when Pedrosa kicked him (first) to the curb...

 

"Trying to beat him" is a little minimizing for how dumb that crash was. Anyhow, as he got older, got rid of Puig, showed his mettle, he was definitely more and more liked. Opinions are dynamic.

Although, my bias made me forget that he was still mathematically in contention until you mentioned it. I just looked it up, and I think he was (236-202)= 34 points behind with two rounds remaining when he bowling balled himself out of contention.

 

We've seen that crash hundreds of times. The outrage was all about Nicky. Bastianini lost a championship this year to the same kind of crash. No one is trying to lynch Marini.

Most people ignored that detail which made a significant difference to the situation.

Not saying that it wasn't a (literal) dumb rookie mistake. But it wasn't an unnecessary attack. He was racing for a championship. Guilty with extenuating circumstances.

 

As we should have been. Nicky was awesome.

Ironically, unnecessary is the exact word I'd have used to describe it both then and now. It was a poor attempt at a stupid time early in the race (IIRC) = unnecessary.

 

As a rookie, Pedrosa hadn't yet gotten comfortable with hard-fought battles. His best strategy was to get ahead and leave people behind. I can see why he would feel that making the pass early and checking out was his best chance of keeping his championship alive.

Anyway, shit happens. Sometimes you crash and unintentionally collect someone.

 

I'd say the biggest issue was that they were on the same team. While the #1 rule is to beat your teammate, the #2 rule is to not take out your teammate. This crash didn't help anybody,
other than 46.

 

He didn't have much of a personality in his early Motogp days, and he almost cost Nicky the World Championship in 2006. It didn't help that the 2007 bike was designed around him. He has come out of his shell since those days, and is more along the lines of what you describe. Getting away from Puig has helped as well.

 

Well, his potential glory was vastly overshadowed by how upset I was at that crash and I hope he knows it.

 

Well if Dani crashed into Nicky now, he would probably be banned for the season the way they giving out penalties

and this is what you don't want to see
"Brad Binder admitted the recent spate of MotoGP penalties meant he decided against trying a ‘roll the dice and see what happens’ pass for victory at the end of Sunday’s Spanish MotoGP."

Brad Binder: Penalty fears put me off last-turn Pecco attack
https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1025416/1/brad-binder-penalty-fears-put-me-lastturn-pecco-attack

 

That sucks. The officiating is bizarre.

 

He's full of BS...
If that was the case, he would of been penalized for overtaking Miller a few times, when they duked it out.

 

He should have just said he was going to go for the pass, but his brake pads had been pushed out.