After a few hours at work pondering this, a few things have come to mind.
Rossi seems to have more of these incidents than anyone else out there. Or am I imagining it?
It's apparent that Rossi has always had the best team and bike. We,ve never really seem him struggle like this. Even when he first road the M1 he was supprised how nice it was to ride, just a little down on power.
If the great man (albiet bad sport) is struggling on the Duke, how well was casey riding last year? This is even more apparent when you realise that the other ducati riders are all about the same place in the field as last year so the bikes place in the field must be about the same.
I think rossi's flambouyant personality and 9 titles hides the fact that he does not play well with others when there is a genuine challenge to him - eg. Gibenou, Stoner (previously), Lorenzo, Melandri. You could put him the same league as John McInroe, Mike Tyson, Floyd Landers etc..... awsome athelets, but just not good honorible sportsman.
Peace out
Go Casey
How good would Rossi be without JB?
And people lauded Lorenzo for being cautious and leting everyone else fall over, yet when Casey did exactly the same thing (as he did in Qatar) people are saying that Rossi had his number anyway. The way he goes out hard and if he can't get away will drop back and have a look at the others is classic casey. I'm sure he had it under control. And if he is as good as i think he is this year, he has plenty of time to recover.
It is far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even if chequered with failure, than to take rank with those who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, as they live in grey twilight that knows no victory nor defeat.