Rossi vs Alonso: The Challenge

[magracer]

You don't rally round a track

Tell that to the organizer of the Race of Champions, and to the WRC events that hold "stadium" stages... I guess it could be called rally cross, but you get my drift...

[Wouter Melissen]

I'm starting to get slightly annoyed by Rossi - in fact I think he's turning into a bit of an arrogant f*ck-wit. The way he's swanning around F1 like he owns the gaff must be slightly irritating for the pros, and is becoming that way for me too.

It was Alonso who talked Rossi's speed in the Formula 1 cars down. Rossi merely responded.

[Matra et Alpine]

I'm starting to get slightly annoyed by Rossi - in fact I think he's turning into a bit of an arrogant f*ck-wit. The way he's swanning around F1 like he owns the gaff must be slightly irritating for the pros, and is becoming that way for me too.

He knows he's good.
But ****-wit ? he's one of the funniest guys in any race series in the world !!! One thing most F1ers coudl learn about

I also think Alonso would spring a big surprise on the bike

NOT a chance. Bike riding is totally different to cars. You have to move your body for balance. It takes years to get to beign able to take a biek to the limit whilst hanging off the inside and using the knee slider to "fine tune" the balance Also, handling oversteer is a WHOLE different matter as unliek a car it dones' jsut swing the other way, if it doesn you go "highside" -- all those "funny" clips where you've seen guys spat 15 feet in teh air forwards ?? Yep, bikes bight HARD

it would feel positively pedestrian to a young gun like Alonso.

He'd be crapping himself at th e first brakign zone when he find out how badly a bike stops with only one tiny bit of rubber to help, slightest lean and the back comes round on you under braking Then trying to get the biek to it's optimum agnle by getting his arse off it ? Not gonna happen It's easy to point and squirt a bike to be "fast", it takes HUGE amounts of skill to make a bike fast through corners !!

Also, Rossi would get decimated in an equal F1 car (you don't really believe the Ferrari test crap do you? He was in a V10 while everyone else was driving V8s aside from anything else!), and given Alonso's skills in a Maxi Turbo - the rallying would be a close run thing too.

I disagree that the F1 would be decimated.
Fast reactons and bike to car are more readily transferable skills. I give him 5-6 seconds at best.

[magracer]

I also think (without evidence) that the rider plays a bigger part in the overall result in Moto GP than the driver in F1.

[MrKipling]

OK OK. I shoudn't have called him a ****-wit - that was silly.

The rest, however, I stand by. The balance required to handle 5G and still be able to react to F1 car movements is phenominal.

There's also one hugely fundamental problem with this race - the difference between genius and, well.... crap in an F1 car (in terms of time at least) is much less than the same skill difference in F1 - I could probably drive an F1 car round a track, I would actually kill muself on a MotoGP bike - TC, E-Diff anyone? Not that I'm suggesting Rossi is [I}crap[/I], I just think Alonso (and F1 drivers' ability in general) is being misunderstood and, therefore, underestimated (defamed?) because of all this Rossi to F1 thing. Not by you of course Matra but I hope you see what I mean.

[Matra et Alpine]

OK OK. I shoudn't have called him a ****-wit - that was silly.

The rest, however, I stand by. The balance required to handle 5G and still be able to react to F1 car movements id phenominal.

The reaction needs on a motorbike are JUST as fast but actually require the driver to siumlatenously
move his body in 3 dimensions at the same time as
control the bike by two levers,
two pedals
two brake systems
and one throttle.
I've raced cars and ride bikes fast, I would NEVER consider trying to race a bike
Cars are easy
Even Escort Twin Cams in forest stages don't come as hard as a bike on a smooth track !!!

Alonso (and F1 driver's ability in general) is being misunderstood and, therefore, underestimated (defamed?) because of all this Rossi to F1 thing. Not by you of course Matra but I hope you see what I mean.

yeah, I dont' think anyone is questioning Alonso EXCEPT in his chances of finishing within 10-15 seconds of Rossi on a bike. So then making the competion of combined times so heavily skewed in Rossi's favour he is bound to win. Which is why Rossi will have suggested it
Damon Hill was a mediocre bike racer (really only dominating on his home track) and won an F1 championship !!!

[MrKipling]

Yeah, but what I don't really see is anyone questioning Rossi's ability to beat Alonso in an F1 car!

[Matra et Alpine]

Yeah, but what I don't really see is anyone questioning Rossi's ability to beat Alonso in an F1 car!

I think because EVERYONE is taking the position that Alonso will win the F1 race -- no question. At least that's how I read everyoen posted to date.

Just he'll not do it by enough to make up for the huge loss on the bike.

[magracer]

I think because EVERYONE is taking the position that Alonso will win the F1 race -- no question. At least that's how I read everyoen posted to date.

Just he'll not do it by enough to make up for the huge loss on the bike.

Exactly my opinion. I think of this as a triathlon, and Alonso can't swim...

[sennakid]

I am a huge Rossi fan. But I think Alonso is right to some extent in that Rossi needs a long way to go. Practice/exhibition laps are completely different to an actual race. A one on one, Rossi vs Alonso, for lets say 48-60 laps or something like that would be somewhat interesting but Alonso would win hands down. How big a margin? I'd say a very large margin. Winner- ALONSO

WRC car part would be interesting as well, but I would take Alonso on this one as he has more car experience. But Rossi can slide....and slide a MotoGP bike at that! Winner= ?

As for the bike, Rossi would win by a margin that exceeds Alonso's F1 time advantage many fold. There is a HUGE difference to how a normal bike racer rides and how Rossi can ride a motorcycle. There is no one that can a ride bike like Rossi in this era. If you take those Hondas away from Rossi's competitors, and put them on lets say Yamahas (look at Edwards) or even Ducatis (look at what happened to Gibernau. He went from Rossi's main Honda rival to somewhere in midfield), Rossi would win by a much larger margin than he does now. Winner= ROSSI


I think Alonso wanted to throw one in for Gibernau (a fellow Spaniard) who was embarassed badly by Rossi for 3 years in a row.

My .02.