Ducati 2013, Audi is all in.

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/181780/1/valentino_rossi_audi_counting_on_me_at_ducati.html



So I doubt anyone is really surprised that Audi is going to continue the GP project. But they have also stated to Vale they want him to be part of the mix. Ducati has also given a 2 year offer to Cal Crutchlow yet nothing to Hayden who has been out performing Vale for the most part. THEN the other little tidbit in the mix to consider is the interest Ducati is said to have in Scott Redding who hasn't done really anything in Moto2. Where does this go next for Ducati? I am feeling a Three man team with Rossi, Crutchlow and Hayden.



Audi is said to have a vision and direction for the team to get back to its winning ways. It seems as though they are going to need all the help they can get. This also means that with the bit of injected life (money), into Ducati from Audi they could afford a three man team. Maybe this is why Ducati was saying they are going to wait to do anything with Hayden until the company purchase is completed. You know they have to make a few offers to some guys out there to keep options open. They in a way already do have Nicky if they really wanted him. It seems as though he has invested himself into the project as well. It would be a shame to scrap all of Hayden's efforts especially when he has started to show promise, not withstanding Vale's efforts and results as of late. So, a three man team a possibility?

He will be silly to stay with Ducati unless they start showing some promise this year. In my opinion his style is just not compatible with Ducati characteristics.

redding is going on a satellite machine next year ,possibly moving up with his current team to lease a desmo.

there have to be serious doubts whether pramac and/or cardion will lease a duc so there will be some desmos available for sure.





.... treatment for hayden,sadly nothing new.

i like crutchy and during the course of the season i've come to expect a lot from him now that i've seen his potential. but blindly choosing him over a loyal hardworker thats been able to keep up with rossi (which says it all in my mind) is just stupid.

Quote,,.... treatment for hayden,sadly nothing new.

i like crutchy and during the course of the season i've come to expect a lot from him now that i've seen his potential. but blindly choosing him over a loyal hardworker thats been able to keep up with rossi (which says it all in my mind) is just stupid.



















How is it stupid to choose a young hungry up and coming rider over an aging ex champion??? Nicky is quality but he won his title 6 years ago,its a good job your not a team manager youd be offering Phill read a contract. .... me what does it take.

fair enough, i see your point and normally i'd agree with it.

but as things stand i don't think cal would be a definitive ,huge improvement. if theres a rider to get rid of its somebody else thats more expensive and is not performing at 100% and throws the company under the bus.

i wouldn't call nicky aging too



edit : killer avi, but for christs sake please format your posts

Redding? GMAFB! What has that kid done?



Looks like they're passport shopping.



If Nicky is gone, that's fine, no objection but please don't infer that Redding has shown some kind of top form. He's fifth in M2, just a few points ahead of Kallio who's already tried and failed on board the Ducati.

I hope the first thing they do is .... can Presi, Cal wouldn't be an upgrade over Nicky with the mistakes he's been making but he looks to have some promise for the future. Now I really hope Rossi stays there so all the Dorna/Rossi conspiracy theorist can eat some crow.

cliché guevara said:

fair enough, i see your point and normally i'd agree with it.

but as things stand i don't think cal would be a definitive ,huge improvement. if theres a rider to get rid of its somebody else thats more expensive and is not performing at 100% and throws the company under the bus.

i wouldn't call nicky aging too

edit : killer avi, but for christs sake please format your posts

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We agree on the getting rid of the other one and fair point Nicky isnt that old,how do i format my posts? pm me.

hawkdriver said:

I hope the first thing they do is .... can Presi, Cal wouldn't be an upgrade over Nicky with the mistakes he's been making but he looks to have some promise for the future. Now I really hope Rossi stays there so all the Dorna/Rossi conspiracy theorist can eat some crow.

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I can surely understand why they're making the effort to retain Rossi. I also think Cal is talented but I don't rate him much better, if at all better than Nicky. Like I said in another thread, if Cal goes to Ducati, he'll see the Clinica often! He'll become frustrated and he'll complain openly to the press (like he does now).



Cal speaks his mind. Doing so at Ducati will sour the relationship VERY quickly. They'll pull that red carpet from under him quite quickly if his mouth begins making them blush!

levigarrett said:

He'll become frustrated and he'll complain openly to the press (like he does now).



Cal speaks his mind. Doing so at Ducati will sour the relationship VERY quickly. They'll pull that red carpet from under him quite quickly if his mouth begins making them blush!

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Interestingly, its had the opposite affect with VR.

Jumkie said:

Interestingly, its had the opposite affect with VR.

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Aint that the truth.

thedeal said:

Quote,,.... treatment for hayden,sadly nothing new. i like crutchy and during the course of the season i've come to expect a lot from him now that i've seen his potential. but blindly choosing him over a loyal hardworker thats been able to keep up with rossi (which says it all in my mind) is just stupid. How is it stupid to choose a young hungry up and coming rider over an aging ex champion??? Nicky is quality but he won his title 6 years ago,its a good job your not a team manager youd be offering Phill read a contract. .... me what does it take.

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Stupid because Nicky has been out performing Rossi and more importantly because he's been a part of the development of the bike - for better or worse - for all these seasons and therefore has an intimate knowledge of the workings of Ducati and strong relationship with the engineers. Stupid Audi only want to keep Rossi around for reasons of status and his utility as a sponsorship magnet. I would laugh my balls off if Rossi and Hayden both told Ducati to .... themselves - which is more than they deserve.

Keshav said:

Stupid because Nicky has been out performing Rossi and more importantly because he's been a part of the development of the bike - for better or worse - for all these seasons and therefore has an intimate knowledge of the workings of Ducati and strong relationship with the engineers. Stupid Audi only want to keep Rossi around for reasons of status and his utility as a sponsorship magnet. I would laugh my balls off if Rossi and Hayden both told Ducati to .... themselves - which is more than they deserve.

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I believe Rossi should go and Nicky stay with Cal but as thats not going to happen id give Cal the seat as he is young and hungry

The last race shows why you keep rossi, especially if you are an outsider looking in. Rossi has again used his own set up and made the bike perform a little better while Nicky has been using the setting Ducati want him to use and again lost his tires at the end of the race. Rossi is obviously doing something right, and he isn't going to settle for what Ducati want him to do, he wants more and he's made that plain to see. If there's one thing management type people understand it's accountability, you can't continue to fail and put the blame on the riders. Rossi isn't going to let Presi and Duc get off the hook as easily as they have with every other rider.

hawkdriver said:

The last race shows why you keep rossi, especially if you are an outsider looking in. Rossi has again used his own set up and made the bike perform a little better while Nicky has been using the setting Ducati want him to use and again lost his tires at the end of the race. Rossi is obviously doing something right, and he isn't going to settle for what Ducati want him to do, he wants more and he's made that plain to see. If there's one thing management type people understand it's accountability, you can't continue to fail and put the blame on the riders. Rossi isn't going to let Presi and Duc get off the hook as easily as they have with every other rider.

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Are u being sarcastic? The first half of ur post would see so. Correct me if im wrong, but wasnt the setting VR used earlier this season forced on him by Ducati. At which time he improved. Not sure what ur on about "doing something right". Penultimate lap shuffle and u want to cite this as some great revelation? But go ahead, continue thinking Ducati have done nothing for the man. Continue to place all the blame on Ducati despite all the "radical" changes.

Jumkie said:

Interestingly, its had the opposite affect with VR.

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There's a big difference when Rossi says your bike sucks and Cal saying the same thing.

Jumkie said:

Are u being sarcastic? The first half of ur post would see so. Correct me if im wrong, but wasnt the setting VR used at Estoril the one they forced him to use, which was Nickys settings?

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Certainly was, but apparently the name of that setting has changed twice.

It went from Nicky's setting to "a Ducati setting" to now "rossi's setting"? Nice spin.

Ducati couldn't solve their front end issue for nearly 2 years now with Rossi on board, considering that i don't think they will come up with any thing decent in future. Best option for both sides is to part their ways.



Dont' get me worg i like Cal but he is making unforced errors with supposedly best handling bike so i think he will be just another failure if he moves to Ducati.

Cal is Leon Haslam. Fast, and good for at least one .... up per race that leaves him nothing to show for his efforts.

All we need do is look at the title standings to see who is outperforming who, because thats all that matters.



Audi must have some radical management and P & D changes planned for Ducati-Immediately if Rossi is considering staying there. For so far we've seen 'no' improvement from any of their riders all season in the dry-still 30 seconds back.



Why can't Nicky, if he's out-performing Rossi, take advantage of all of these changes they are supposedly making to the bike? Nicky is still the same 30 seconds off he was in Qatar.



IMO Ducati have changed fark all in 2012, Rossi has said it, Burgess has said it, Nicky would say it if he wasn't looking for a ride next year. Since the single chassis they built in January, they've changed electronics once or twice to no avail and tossed and turned over materials on the same design swingarm-to no avail. They are specialists in engineering no results, and not fixing the problems being conveyed to them for 18 months now.



Ducati do not have the resources nor the talent to move with the development of Motogp, never have-Furwasawa said it when Rossi signed-and we all knew it, their only success came with reg changes, Bridgestone and Stoner.



Audi would know this too, it will be interesting to see who they remove from the project, and what they change if they keep Rossi. Personally, I think it will take an entire engineering management re-structure at Ducati Corse to make Rossi stay. I do hope that he stays and turns it around, but it will be rather obvious its due to the Germans heavy hand if it happens.........