 | LIVE MotoGP on Grandstand:
Sunday, BBC Two, 1250 |
Preview: MotoGP round two, Jerez
I think it is fair to say that Valentino Rossi's win in Johannesburg two weeks ago was a surprise to us all.
It could be that he was just hoodwinking us all - he is a naturally mischievous character - by claiming that a podium finish would be a great result in his first race for Yamaha.
But I think the truth is that even Rossi was slightly shocked to win in South Africa, and to do so in such a convincing fashion.
If his win was humiliating for his former team Honda, who were convinced of their superiority, then it was even worse for Rossi's Yamaha colleagues.
For years Yamaha's riders have told us it was impossible to compete with the Honda - a statement that has been shot to pieces by Rossi's performance.
Carlos Checa and Norick Abe have been made to look like buffoons.
In a couple of months Rossi has helped create a world-class bike, but at this rate they would struggle to develop a cold.
|  Ducati's Troy Bayliss looked like he was suffering from a severe lack of confidence |
These are also crucial times for Honda, who need to get their priorities sorted out.
In South Africa they only had two of their new bikes on the track - and they were in the hands of factory riders Alex Barros and Nicky Hayden.
But if Honda are going to compete with Rossi then their best chances lie with Max Biaggi and Sete Gibernau, and I would imagine those two will be on a vastly improved bike come Jerez.
Biaggi put in an impressive performance in South Africa, but the others were well off the pace.
Biaggi and Gibernau have lost that crucial winter development time, but with Honda's energies devoted towards their needs they should be able to compensate.
Would that Ducati had Honda's problems - they would be delighted.
The Italian team were well off the pace and Troy Bayliss looked out of sorts; it looked like he was suffering from a severe lack of confidence.
Whatever the problem, it looks like Ducati are in for a tough season.
My gut feeling is that Honda will start to impose their grip on the field in the forthcoming races at Mugello and Catalunya, where outright speed on the long straights will be key.
Jerez is a slightly slower circuit that requires good handling and grip, favouring Rossi, Biaggi and Gibernau, who will have 200,000 fans cheering him on.
Whatever the result in Spain, one thing has become clear: 2004 was the year when Valentino Rossi confirmed his status as MotoGP's finest rider.
Fans of the sport have known it for some time, but until Johannesburg his competitors had managed to convince themselves that it was his bike, luck, or a quirk of fate.
The season had a fairytale start for the plucky Italian, but for Honda, Ducati and the rest of the field, the nightmare is just beginning.
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
