MotoGP Rumor Mill

I can see both happening, where did you hear it? Any word on who Biaggi's teammate would be? What team would JT be riding for?

Thanks for that.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Wes @ Aug 7 2006, 03:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>If JT does come to MotoGP in 07 he will replace Toni Elias in now the Fortuna Honda Team alongside Marco Melandri. I got the info from here

http://www.forums.ellison77.net/viewtopic.php?p=9861#9861

So its a few guys having cofee speculating Wes! MCN should sign em up.................help them fill the back pages!

I'd really like to see Toseland on a factory bike in 07.............but not on some piece of .... grid filler.

Whats Elias' relationship with Fortuna? Does his passport not count for anything seen as he's not having the season people expected him to be having?

Interesting stuff none-the-less!

i think ur more likely to see lorenzo take elias's place.

I reckon Jarno Trulli should mvoe to Superbikes or Moto GP, he's very good on a bike apparently.

i am wondering will Rossi EVER EVER ride for Ducati??? he was close before but rossi has contratual stance that he does very minimum promotional activities so he can have a normal/race weekend i think this was a factor why he was against ducati as they had a BIG BIG marketing push and arrangements for rossi and rossi was not keen, even thought they offered him more money.

if he can make a yamaha into a race winner, i am sure with ducati he can do the same (for sure he is better all-rounder then capirex)

James Toseland just isn't good enough for MotoGP, if you remember last year at Brands Hatch WSBK Ellison beat Toseland when Ellison was on a privateer Yamaha and Toseland was on the Xerox Ducati. Toseland is massively over-rated.

Well Max and JT both got a mention during yesterdays race, that would really spice things up if the lollipop girl comes back to the grid, and resumes battle with Vale.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Haga @ Aug 21 2006, 10:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>James Toseland just isn't good enough for MotoGP, if you remember last year at Brands Hatch WSBK Ellison beat Toseland when Ellison was on a privateer Yamaha and Toseland was on the Xerox Ducati. Toseland is massively over-rated.

At the end of the day JT is a former superbike world champion, Ellison and Vermuelen aren't.

Vermulen is a Supersport champion, and would be a suberbike champion if he stayed there a few more years. but for Superbikers aspiring to get to GP, getting into GP at a young age where they can adapt easier takes proirity over getting a title to put on their resume, like Hayden and Hopkins, went straight from Domestic American racing to GPs. CV is the same, and now that he`s gone, JT is doing a brilliant job filling his shoes, but watching the way Toesland rides, he`s still a very bullish, rough rider. He can get away with that on a SBK, but it wouldn`t get him far in MotoGP. That said, if his move from a V-Twin Duc to a 4-cyl Honda is anything to go by, the guy looks like he has good adaptation skills, and IF he goes to GP, he might not crash and burn like, sadly so many Superbikers have done before.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <div class='quotemain'>Livio Suppo, head of the Ducati Marlboro MotoGP team, has given discreet approval to the possibility of James Toseland riding one of the factory's 800cc V4s in the d'Antin Ducati satellite team in 2007.

Speaking exclusively to Crash.net, Suppo said: "I like James a lot - he is a very nice guy and a good rider. It's proving difficult for Superbike riders to make the change to MotoGP, but they have to be young enough to make the jump.

"Most Superbike riders have been too old when they have come into MotoGP. But guys like Chris Vermeulen and James are still young, and they have time to get used to the MotoGP bikes."

Toseland, 25, has built a career as a Superbike rider, winning the world title for Ducati in 2004, and holding third place for Winston Ten Kate Honda in this year's championship. Vermeulen, 24, left Ten Kate last year to join the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team, where he has quickly impressed.
Luis d'Antin, the former grand prix rider who runs the d'Antin Ducati satellite team in MotoGP, admits that Toseland is on his short-list of candidates for a better-equipped and better-funded effort in 2007.

"We are speaking with six or seven riders, and James is one of our possibilities," d'Antin said. "He has the talent and the performance, and the British market is very important for the championship and for Ducati."

d'Antin is hoping to bring four-time world 250cc champion Max Biaggi back into MotoGP next year, and his current riders Alex Hofmann and José Luis Cardoso are also on his short-list.

Toseland's Superbike-heavy CV also appears not to worry d'Antin. "A good rider can adapt to any category," he said. "Some people say that the level of Superbike riders is not the same as in MotoGP. But Toseland is beating Alex Barros (who switched from MotoGP last year) in Superbikes."

In the curious courtship ritual that takes place in motorcycle racing, d'Antin and Toseland have not actually spoken to one another about working together next year, although each is aware of the other's interest.

Toseland is unlikely to be put off by his friend Neil Hodgson's difficult season in d'Antin's team in 2004, when he rode year-old bikes, because the 2007 effort would receive much closer support from Ducati, bigger funding from current sponsors Pramac, and the best Bridgestone tyres.

"We would like to have a satellite team like the Honda ones, capable of fighting for podiums," Suppo said. "We want the link between our satellite team and the factory to be much stronger."

If Toseland were to get the ride, he would be running virtually the same machinery as Ducati Marlboro factory riders Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau - who are both expected to be retained for 2007.

http://www.crash.net/news_view~t~Ducati-gi...6~id~136031.htm

Now that's interesting!

JT on a satellite duke with near identical kit to the works bikes................

hmmm...... interesting indeed!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BEN @ Aug 23 2006, 10:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Now that's interesting!

JT on a satellite duke with near identical kit to the works bikes................

Dont get to excited, its just the british media blowing smoke up JTS arse..


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Electric Mofo @ Aug 21 2006, 07:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>At the end of the day JT is a former superbike world champion, Ellison and Vermuelen aren't.

Chris Vermeulen was as close as youd like to be, and no-one was beating Corser that year.. Toseland won the title when he was on the bike that no-one could bear... Vermeulen is ten times the rider Toseland is, and thats shown by his performance on the .... heap of a Suzuki...

Toseland in MotoGP? Pleeeease

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (antfan @ Aug 25 2006, 12:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Dont get to excited, its just the british media blowing smoke up JTS arse..
Chris Vermeulen was as close as youd like to be, and no-one was beating Corser that year.. Toseland won the title when he was on the bike that no-one could bear... Vermeulen is ten times the rider Toseland is, and thats shown by his performance on the .... heap of a Suzuki...

Toseland in MotoGP? Pleeeease

Toseland will kick Vermeulens ...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dion @ Aug 25 2006, 08:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Toseland will kick Vermeulens ...

+1

I think Vermeulen has more talent than Toseland but it would be pretty close. Vermeulen lost out on the 2005 WSB title riding for Ten Kate Honda to Troy Corser (who was rarely beaten) and finished second in points. Toseland will lose out on the 2006 WSB title riding for Ten Kate Honda to Troy Bayliss (who was rarely beaten) and will most likely finish second/third/fourth.

Very close between the two, I personally believe Vermeulen has the extra bit that JT lost after 2003/04.