End of Test 1

Is it 2009 all over again?  After the Sepang weekend:
1.  Pedrosa
2. Lorenzo
3.  Rossi

Marquez is close behind, and Crutchlow is the fastest of the non-factory prototype bikes, on the same "second" as the aliens.  The departure of Stoner leaves room for someone to step up; one would think Marquez will make some rookie errors to allow others, like Cal and Stefan Bradl, to approach the podium.

Its funny how people see Rossi's failure to perform on the Ducati as perhaps more than it actually is -- remember that Stoner's success peaked in 2007, his first year on the bike and the first year of the 800cc formula.  The engines were different, the tires were different... so when Rossi finally took over, Stoner had gone from winning 7 races a year to winning only 3 in 2010, all at tracks he and the Duke were known to do well at.  In the interim, all the other bikes had changed drastically, MotoGp had gone to a control tire, and Ducati had gone from a steel frame, to a carbon frame, to an aluminum frame.  Realistically, the entire MotoGP game had moved on.  Comparing Stoner in 2007 to Rossi in 2011 (and 2012) really isn't fair.

And Casey wasn't the "only" rider who could win on the Ducati... Capirossi won 5 or so races, and a certain Troy Bayliss jumped on the bike and won a race the one and only time he was on a MotoGP desmo.

Whatever -- Casey's skill is without question, but Rossi's persona is something special, and I am happy to see him back at the front, even if it is just testing.  This argument could go on forever, but really requires a group of bench racers, some beer, a big-screen TV, and some racing... when is Qatar???