By his standards, Rossi is well off the pace on the Ducati this season. Is it the bike, or has he lost his edge?

I hope it comes together for him soon - sport needs characters like him.

                                                                                                                                                                             

The bike is just not up to the job, with motogp going up to 1200 engines next year I think ducati decided not to develop the 800 any further this year, watch out for him next year :-)                                                                                                                                                                             

Simoncelli needs blinkers on  to stop his fetish of going for the gravel and keeping on the tarmac                                                                                                                                                                               

Ducati have been trying to steal a march on the other teams & develop the bike for next years engines, but it's just not working with the current engine & its handling like a pig, I think Rossi's doing his best with what he's got at the moment. As WB says - watch out for him next year  And as much as I don't particularly favour Stoner, the Ducati was designed around him & he was the only one who could ride it (& even he said it was a pig!)

ducati need spesh in there team.....he will be fine as they dont have a mountain at any of there  circuits lol                                                                                                                                                                              

I agree, bike is shocking , think Rossi will be the one to watch next year as i am pretty sure he is already spitting feathers about whats he's got now :)

Knuckles i like your thinking lol
                                                                                                                                                                             

lol @ Ian - unfortunately though they have the corkscrew!                                                                                                                                                                              

Defo the ducati, bull poo handlin and aint got the speed of the Yams and Honda's. Bad move Rossi to Ducati..Would think he would be unbeatable on a Honda. We luvs ya anyways doc                                                                                                                                                                             

I don't think Rossi has lost his edge as he still has the desire to win... I read in mcn that he has requested an alloy frame so perhaps the carbon frame is not up to the job along with other nuances. Rossi is well known for developing a bike but due to the restrictions on testing etc he will get there, but just not this year

stoner won in first season on the ducati, so hardly built around him! think rossis performance (or lack of) proves caseys ability  - and i'm not a fan, just sick of everyone slating him for moaning - rossis moaned on ducati more than stoner ever did and now everyones saying the bike is a pile of crap!! i dont think rossi realised how difficult the ducati was, plus hes surrounded by more great riders than he ever has been, so winning harder then ever - that means hes under pressure and no one goes as fast when theyre under negative pressure!! ad to that burgess being distracted by his wifes illness and rossi is floundering                                                                                                                                                                             

Rossi's botty could be sore as well, not often you see his girlfriend!                                                                                                                                                                             

you do - i just cant remember his name!!                                                                                                                                                                             

look where alot of them are, other than the factory Yamaha and Hondas - the others are not anywhere near, except maybe Edwards who is the most consistent of the others, Crutchlow seems to be having a crisis of confidence, very similar to what happened to Toseland in his second year (good job Crutch still has another year left on his contract or he may have gone the same way).   Rossi and Edwards still seem to be the best of the rest though.                                                                                                                                                                                 

spies was regular on podium last year on non factory bke and in his first year at many of the circuits,  as was stoner on the ducati.   i believe had they both been on the same bikes this year they wouldve been on the podium regularly still. edwards is consistent, but nowhere near front runners so maybe consistent cause he doesnt really push (and i'm a big colin edwards fan but he was regularly beaten by team mate in his rookie year last year) the top few riders are phenomenal - each capable of being world champions, and that means that someone probably wont be (a la randy mamola - in any other era he wouldve been but his rivals we awesomely good) had it still been rossi/gibernau, rossi would probably be winning on the ducati by now - results are only as good as your competitors allow them to be!                                                                                                                                                                               

Rossi waitin for next yr, i`ve never been a fan of the 800 era i`enjoyed more seeing them backin it into corners /powersliding out great bike control                                                                                                                                                                             

so you think its his plan to run mid field, whine about the bike and get radical changes and then  moan some more?? i think hes going as fast as he can, and its just not fast enough!!  if you want backing it in and great bike control, bring back the 500 strokers!! x                                                                                                                                                                             

You gotta love the Italian leg dangle though (Rossi n Simo ) Any chance of an Italian winning a race this year Dovizioso perhaps ??(If Simo takes out the top 3 that is)                                                                                                                                                                             

didn't Trevor Nation have a habit of taking his leg off when he started braking heavy on the Norton Rotary - probably more to do with him being so tall and having to re adjust his position but heck - lets say we were there first