Originally Posted by Keshav

So fine. Let Rossi have some wildcards. Stoner's move I suspect was a relatively pragmatic decision on the part of Ducati who weren't having huge success at the time. There weren't a whole lot of other unsigned riders, and Stoner had achieved quite a lot in the lower classes prior to his rookie year. Has to have been more than a few people in MotoGP scouting new talent capable of discerning Stoner's potential. And as has been pointed out ad nauseum, it wasn't so much the bike as custom engineered Bridgestones that gave him his edge.

Originally Posted by Keshav

So fine. Let Rossi have some wildcards. Stoner's move I suspect was a relatively pragmatic decision on the part of Ducati who weren't having huge success at the time. There weren't a whole lot of other unsigned riders, and Stoner had achieved quite a lot in the lower classes prior to his rookie year. Has to have been more than a few people in MotoGP scouting new talent capable of discerning Stoner's potential. And as has been pointed out ad nauseum, it wasn't so much the bike as custom engineered Bridgestones that gave him his edge.

Originally Posted by Hollywood

Did Rossi decline, or or has the rest of the field caught up and with him?
I think age has a little something to do with it, also after so much initial success his focus has broaden to a wider range of endeavors. a 20 year old rider only has to focus on riding, while a 30 year old usually has family, business investments, and other things to focus on.

MotoGP racing is also very different then it was 10-15 years ago... It was a two team race between factory Honda and factory Yamaha, the rest of the field was in a different universe.

Originally Posted by misfit

I see what you're saying, but you describe a situation that has existed, and that will continue to exist within the sport and in any competitive aspect of life actually. Rossi does not unilaterally decide where, and if, he continues to rides in MotoGP. His pedigree and achievements do provide him undeniable leverage, but his achievements, are his and they count for something. It's for him to use and he deserves this. His relative performance in race conditions hasn't been that bad either and he is clearly keeping an eye on this, hence his single year contracts.

The younger riders aren't there to beat Rossi. They have their own careers to build, now that they've made it to the premiere class. They have an entire grid of excellent riders to take on. Finally, the VR46 team, owned by Ross as far as I'm aware, has joined the premiere class and will field two young riders. His contribution to a viable grid and the sport continues.

Here we have a 9 times World Champion still riding at age 42, in a rigorous and highly competitive sport. He will be continuing to do so while fielding his own race team. Quite the spectacle from where I sit and makes for a great story.... for some, and I know.... oh how I know, that some cannot stand it, but OK... I know.. it's not for everyone.

Originally Posted by michaelm

I have to say it is hard to argue now he was holding up Vinales after Vinales was reputedly given the keys to the factory team last year, or that the other younger Yamaha riders are consistent enough to be world beaters/clearly much better than him either. From the interview excerpts I saw it didn't appear that Petronas Yamaha necessarily had him in their plans all along/were entirely pleased with him joining their team for the coming season though.

I am that rare phenomenon, a fan of Jorge Lorenzo (a 5 times world champion himself) however, and consider him to have been screwed over, probably to Yamaha's overall detriment.

Originally Posted by Hollywood

Did Rossi decline, or or has the rest of the field caught up and with him?
I think age has a little something to do with it, also after so much initial success his focus has broaden to a wider range of endeavors. a 20 year old rider only has to focus on riding, while a 30 year old usually has family, business investments, and other things to focus on.

MotoGP racing is also very different then it was 10-15 years ago... It was a two team race between factory Honda and factory Yamaha, the rest of the field was in a different universe.

Originally Posted by michaelm

He was signed as a 1 year rental because Marco Melandri had to serve out the remaining year of his existing contract. When Stoner performed so well for them they basically had to sack Loris Capirossi to keep him with Melandri joining. Sure the Bridgestones were likely what made the thing rideable at all, but to quote Presiozi about the title win “that was Casey”. Marco Melandri didn’t seem to consider the Bridgestones much of an advantage coming from a Michelin shod Honda either.

I am sure the narrow second place finish and the pole position on the LCR Honda attracted some notice and were why Ducati signed him, but my point was that he pretty much fluked a ride in a year when the Ducati on the Bridgestones was good enough to win. He was still called “Crashey” with some justice after his rookie season, and I doubt he would have gotten a factory Honda or Yamaha ride which was mostly what was needed back then; he himself said he wasn’t being given competitive/top spec tyres riding the LCR Honda.

I guess Dorna have succeeded in at least increasing the number of competitive bikes now, but riding a factory Yamaha for Petronas is still a fairly plum ride, with FQ pretty much the favourite to win the title in that situation early season last season.

Originally Posted by Keshav

I only mentioned the Bridgestones specifically because his Crashy nickname was bestowed by Rossi fanboys, in a year when he had no option to choose his own tires. The fanboys weren't aware of this scenario, but serious industry people who were trackside at every race . . . they had to have been aware and it's not unreasonable to think, saw how the rookie kid rode in spite of being hobbled with shite tires. He came in 8th that year. Riders 1st through 5th were all much more experienced and on full factory bikes. 6th was Roberts Jr a one time world champion, and Edwards a two-times WSBK champion - both with much greater familiarity with all the circuits. Also - I believe there was at the time a greater disparity between full factory and customer bikes - especially as this was prior to the introduction of one-size-fits-all electronics. I don't meant to suggest the tires won the races - but they were certainly a big contributing factor re: making the bike "relatively" rideable for Stoner. Obviously Rossi thought the B-Stones were a big factor as well.

Originally Posted by birdman

All coincidence really, no one in their right mind predicted Stoner/Ducati/BS championship winners in 07. They were all also rans. Att Pedrosa was the chosen one to Rossi’s clown. It did change the Motogp landscape though, and I still celebrate that as a huge achievement.

Stoner was nothing more than a big pain in the ass for Dorna, viewer ratings went down big time every time he won a race over Rossi.

2012 was even worse, no wonder he quit, good on him, no use risking life and limb for the Donald Trump of motogp.