Rossi set to stay longer in MotoGP

Off season rumour mill starts.

Next year’s MotoGP World Championship is unlikely to be Valentino Rossi’s last, with the newly crowned nine-time title winner now 'thinking out loud' about a shot at Giacomo Agostini’s grand prix win record.

The 30-year-old Italian superstar has one more year to run on his existing Yamaha contract - and could put his name at the top of all the major premier-class records by the end of 2010.

Rossi already heads the all-time list of 500cc/MotoGP race wins (77), podiums (127) and poles (58) - and is just one title away from joining Agostini on a record eight premier-class world championships.

But Rossi faces a far tougher challenge in terms of total grand prix wins and titles, over all classes.

Nine world championships has put Rossi joint third in the overall record books, but catching Angel Nieto (13) and Agostini (15) is all but impossible in the modern era of racing one class per season.

However the all time grand prix win record remains a more realistic goal.

Agostini holds the record with 122 victories in all classes, while Rossi is currently second with 103. Each MotoGP season contains 17 or 18 rounds, so Rossi would need to ride for at least another two years.

And, judging by comments made immediately after clinching his seventh MotoGP crown one round early at Sepang on Sunday, the question won’t be if he signs a new contract - but for how long.

"Maybe I can get close to that record of 122,” The Sun reports Rossi as saying. “It depends what I decide in 2011, if I take a one or two-year contract.

"If I had to decide today I would sign up straight away for another two seasons.”

But who will Rossi ride for in 2011?

The Doctor appears unhappy that his main title rival, Jorge Lorenzo, is now also his team-mate - although this could simply be a bargaining position with Yamaha - whilst rumours at Sepang suggested the more Rossi-friendly Vittoriano Guareschi could replace Livio Suppo as head of the factory Ducati team in preparation for a future #46 switch.

Substantial obstacles continue to stand in the way of the ever rumoured Rossi/Ducati partnership - not least what would happen to Ducati’s present number one Casey Stoner and the fact that Rossi would insist that crew chief Jerry Burgess and as many members of his current team as possible make the move with him.

Yamaha unsurprisingly intends to do all it can to keep Rossi, who has transformed the fortunes of the Japanese factory since his shock switch from Honda at the end of 2003.

Rossi’s team manager Davide Brivio also believes that at 30-years-old the chances of Rossi moving to F1 are receding.

"The more years that pass, the older he gets for F1. The chances are lessening in my opinion. And we will do everything we can to keep him,” he said.

Rossi is rumoured to want another Ferrari F1 test to celebrate his latest MotoGP title, but Crash.net believes the only way Rossi will actually race in F1 is as a 'wild-card'.

Rossi, who plans to drive in the Mexico WRC round in March, has previously stated that he will make a decision regarding the 2011 season by June of next year.

Lorenzo, Stoner, Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso (both factory Honda) will also be out of contract at the end of next season.

Eurosport

If Suppo goes, I'm going to be pissed (unless it's his choice). He is one of the most important characters in MotoGP and he is a good team principal in my opinion. Suppo is a big part of Ducati's success. While other teams were dropping out and failing miserably, Ducati built a world championship winning team in just 4 seasons (they might have been able to win in 2006). The bike has chassis problems and Ducati are more or less forbidden from using an aluminum twin spar. Can you blame Suppo for that?!

I'm not convinced that Rossi is angry about having Jorge for a teammate. I think he's angry that his work as the development rider seems to be passed over to Jorge Lorenzo. Riders only choose to be the development rider b/c they have confidence in their ability to find more speed rather than more problems. Passing information to the other side of the garage probably makes him pretty angry.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mylexicon @ Oct 26 2009, 09:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>If Suppo goes, I'm going to be pissed (unless it's his choice). He is one of the most important characters in MotoGP and he is a good team principal in my opinion. Suppo is a big part of Ducati's success. While other teams were dropping out and failing miserably, Ducati built a world championship winning team in just 4 seasons (they might have been able to win in 2006). The bike has chassis problems and Ducati are more or less forbidden from using an aluminum twin spar. Can you blame Suppo for that?!
no, CS & presziosi are a big part of ducatis success. Suppo is a ..... just ask Bayliss.

The boss is always a ..... Even the nicest boss in the world. That's just the territory. You have to lean on people and people don't like being leaned on. Some guys need to get some tact but still it's all together different when you're in the hot seat. I don't know Suppo but not just anyone runs a motogp squad so he has to have something.

I will still be surprised if valentino goes to ducati, unless he has significant financial problems and marlboro offer him a lot more money than is available elsewhere. Even then I don't think he is too keen on tobacco sponsorship.

I wonder whether the recent yamaha/lorenzo stuff was because he was considering retiring at the end of 2010, which it now seems he is not going to do.

Is it possible that if Rossi had pledged a more certain long term commitment to Yamaha they would have kept Lorenzo as number 2, and he may even have left? It is obviously understandable that he wants to keep his options open, but in doing so Yamaha have to do the same.

Hello everyone, been away a long time again (screw work).

I was at PI again this year (have a million photos - later)

Heard this rumour and it goes like this.

Rossi will go to Ducati when he finishes with his current Yamaha contract.

Stoner becomes No. 2 rider (unless Vale doesn't gel with the bike but that is doubtful).

Vale's crew (nearly all Australian + 1 Kiwi) go with him including JB. Vale finishes with Ducati and the Australian crew stays with Casey.

I've heard that JB would love to work with another Aussie rider (specifically Casey) and that he would then retire leaving the team he has developed with Casey.

Don't have much to support it (other than a Michael Scott article) - just throwing it out for the mob.

stoner #2? i dun think so.... i dont think rossi can adapt to the ducati within a few races or even in 1 season. unless he can make radical changes to the bike to suit himself....

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Andy Roo @ Oct 27 2009, 10:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Rossi will go to Ducati when he finishes with his current Yamaha contract.

Stoner becomes No. 2 rider (unless Vale doesn't gel with the bike but that is doubtful).

Vale's crew (nearly all Australian + 1 Kiwi) go with him including JB. Vale finishes with Ducati and the Australian crew stays with Casey.

I've heard that JB would love to work with another Aussie rider (specifically Casey) and that he would then retire leaving the team he has developed with Casey.

There's only one bit of that I disagree with, and thats that I strongly doubt that Rossi could ride the ducati. Its just so different to either the Honda or Yamaha he has ridden and done well on. Iy would be like going back to his first year on a 500.

Melandri would have filled Rossi in on the Ducati, and many others by the looks of it .... CV would not take the ride and chose to go back to WSBK over a ride on a Duc in MGP. Lorenzo turned down lots of money to swap. A ride on the Duc. is almost MGP suicide.

I was more thinking that something is arranged that both Rossi and Stoner are on the same team. And that the 1 year tenure of Lorenzo is not so much his asking but may be aimed at coinciding with when Casey is next available

JB gets his wish and gets to work with Casey

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Andy Roo @ Oct 27 2009, 05:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Hello everyone, been away a long time again (screw work).

I was at PI again this year (have a million photos - later)

Heard this rumour and it goes like this.

Rossi will go to Ducati when he finishes with his current Yamaha contract.

Stoner becomes No. 2 rider (unless Vale doesn't gel with the bike but that is doubtful).

Vale's crew (nearly all Australian + 1 Kiwi) go with him including JB. Vale finishes with Ducati and the Australian crew stays with Casey.

I've heard that JB would love to work with another Aussie rider (specifically Casey) and that he would then retire leaving the team he has developed with Casey.

Don't have much to support it (other than a Michael Scott article) - just throwing it out for the mob.

Perhaps we could Merge because it's turning to be the same subject...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (VHMP01 @ Oct 27 2009, 07:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Rossi: ""Some of those things make me smile. Sometimes rumors have a basis in truth, but not in this case. I don't understand where they come from, but I suppose they are based more on hope. Many people would love to see me go to Ducati, but there's no truth in this. I will 100% for sure stay with Yamaha in 2010".

Other statements from the Article:

…Crew chief Jerry Burgess has said that he will continue to work as long as Valentino Rossi is racing, but Burgess has expressed no desire to go through the rigmarole of leaving one employer for another yet again…

…There is good reason to doubt that Preziosi's approach and Burgess and Rossi's approach are compatible…

… Then there's the record books. If Valentino Rossi has a goal, it is to establish himself as the greatest racer of all time, and beat the records set by his compatriot Giacomo Agostini. Rossi is currently 20 victories short of Agostini's all time win record (or 19, depending on whether you count Ago's F750 victory or not) and 2 titles short of Ago's premier class championships…

… Rossi's best chance of hitting the record books therefore rests with stability…

…It could still happen. It's just not very likely.

http://www.motomatters.com/news/2009/10/16...ors_more_i.html

Rossi set to stay longer in MotoGP + Will VR continue with Yam after 2010 merge, what do you think?

Ducati to promote Guareschi

Ducati is set to appoint its veteran test rider Vittorio Guareschi to the role of MotoGP team manager.

Guareschi, who was a podium finisher in World Superbikes before joining Ducati as tester in 2001, will now take a more hands-on role in the garage than previously.

"I'm going to fill a void, in the sense that a team manager role hasn't existed in Team Ducati before," the Italian told Motosprint.

"I will be the link between the riders and [technical director] Filippo Preziosi. I will be close to the riders, I'll go on the track to see what happens and I will be an advisor to them. Finally, I will also manage the work in the garage."

Guareschi said that he intends to remain in his role as test rider, at least for the time being. The decision has been welcomed by 2007 world champion Casey Stoner.

"I have been the tester of this bike [the 800cc Desmosedici] since the beginning, so I know it perfectly," he added.

"In this regard, I can really give the riders a hand. This is why Casey wants me to continue testing too. I don't think I will do it for much longer though. I'm 38, so I will have to quit in a couple of years time."

looks like livio is out of favour.P45

and casey welcomes Guareschi cool

maybe a few month ago all this came to a head casey/livio.(VIRUS MY ARSE)

casey takes 3 months gardening leave

now livio is out.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pigeon @ Oct 28 2009, 03:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>looks like livio is out of favour.P45

and casey welcomes Guareschi cool

maybe a few month ago all this came to a head casey/livio.(VIRUS MY ARSE)

casey takes 3 months gardening leave

now livio is out.


Seriously - You still think after all this time there was nothing physically wrong with him?
So you are saying he dropped off the pace after 3 or 4 laps for 3 races in a row and got off the bike looking like he had just ran a marathon because he was pissed of at Suppo?
All I can say is it's not too difficult see how rumours start. People put 2 and 2 together and make 4,327

Let's promote Rossi to Ezzy position.