Mamola: Unrest at Honda

ByEurosport

Published 03/04/2006 at 13:54 GMT

Eurosport's MotoGP expert Randy Mamola believes there is some unrest at Honda as their new crop of young riders are unsure which path to take with the RC211V. Nicky Hayden has been charged with developing the 2006-spec bike while Dani Pedrosa gets what he pleases and Marco Melandri remains unsure.

The opening round of the 2006 MotoGP season threw up many surprises at Jerez as 20-year old Dani Pedrosa out performing Repsol HRC team-mate Nicky Hayden to finish second, but Toni Elias also stunned last years vice-champion Marco Melandri on his way to fourth.

The performances caused much a stir in Jerez and Eurosport's MotoGP consultant Randy Mamola believes that an indecision over which chassis to use was the cause of Hayden's and Melandri's poor showing.

"There are a lot of things going on at Honda right now and I've just heard that Marco Melandri is going to go back to the 2006 bike after deciding on Friday at Jerez to ride the 2005-spec bike," Mamola said. "He finished fifth and then on Monday, when they did a test, he suddenly said that he wanted to use the 2006-spec bike again.

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2006 Spanish GP Honda Hayden

Image credit: From Official Website

"Nicky Hayden doesn't have that option because he's the rider developing the 2006 bike that Max Biaggi and Sete Gibernau began testing at Brno last year," continued Mamola, "so it's difficult to know who is riding what in the Honda garages.

"It is sure that Dani Pedrosa is riding this tried and tested bike while Hayden doesn't have that option because he has to move this bike forward," he added. "So we've got this situation where the Honda riders are looking left and right thinking what has he got under that Honda?

"Honda are obviously looking to the future, but while they are sticking parts under Dani to make him feel better, Nicky is doing a lot of laps, a lot of test work and it's very confusing and tiring for him when all he wants to do is to go out there and race."

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