Rossi to Ducati in 2010?

Good Article by Noyes, but with a seemingly far-fetched rumor at the end that is based upon local hearsay from Tavulia radio.

Interesting none-the-less.

Could all three world champions end up running red bikes in 2010?

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/noy...ming-early//P1/

If some of those words to the Dutch journalists are true, it sheds an unfavorable light on Rossi. But very interesting stuff. I'd be shocked if Marlboro bought him out of his contract for 2010 but him leaving Yamaha for 2011 is looking more and more likely. Honda? Or Ducati?

I don't think Rossi would return to Honda anymore. The Ducati option is looking more and more possible, though.

Stoner and Rossi on the same team: The whole forum would explode.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (geewhiz14 @ Oct 8 2009, 08:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I don't think Rossi would return to Honda anymore. The Ducati option is looking more and more possible, though.

Stoner and Rossi on the same team: The whole forum would explode.

I never thought about it that way.

Rossi, Stoner, & Hayden all on the same team?

We'd have nothing to fight about!

I see the switch to Ducati possibly happening in 2011, though. The question is, would Stoner be secure enough to have Vale as a teammate, or would Honda try to tempt him for a move?

Just playing the hypothetical game people, so take it as pure guesswork and opinion.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Austin @ Oct 9 2009, 03:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>If some of those words to the Dutch journalists are true, it sheds an unfavorable light on Rossi. But very interesting stuff. I'd be shocked if Marlboro bought him out of his contract for 2010 but him leaving Yamaha for 2011 is looking more and more likely. Honda? Or Ducati?

Austin, I kinda wouldn't be so shocked was an attempt made to buy out the contract of Rossi with money made available by Marlboro.

I say this as Marlboro showed a clear hand by openly courting Lorenzo during Stoner's absence and with the subsequent comments of the Marketing guy a week or so ago it seems clear that Marlboro would prefer that Stoner not be associated with their product for one reason or other.

So, having missed out on Lorenzo and Pedrosa, what better than to go after the biggest name in the business today - Rossi. But whether they can pay enough to buy out the contract is the real question as no doubt Yamaha would want some level of punitive monies as woudl potentially other sponsors who have gone to the FIAT team based on Rossi's presence (some may even be contractually obliged).

Primary of course is that Yamaha would have to be prepared to allow Rossi to go, which as we know in business would mean a lot of money will change hands and a lot of backroom dealings be done. But yes, i feel Yamaha woudl entertain the thought as they now have Lorenzo and by being rid of Rossi would likely save a large sum of money which would be beneficial in this tight financial times.

But, what of Burgess and the the team as that to me is the big unknown as it woudl be very interesting to see whether they would follow or even be allowed to follow (I suspect this depends on their employment contracts etc).

Ahe, we can discuss can't we.





Gaz

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (geewhiz14 @ Oct 9 2009, 03:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I see the switch to Ducati possibly happening in 2011, though. The question is, would Stoner be secure enough to have Vale as a teammate, or would Honda try to tempt him for a move?

I actually don't think it woudl worry Stoner to much and think that he may well welcome it for a number of reasons, not least that being that Rossi would then be the face of Ducati, Marlboro and the team which would free Stoner from many of the activities that he finds so tiresome.

But, I doubt that Rossi would be teamed with Stoner anyway as Marlboro have made it abundantly clear that they do not want Stoner (or expect far more for their dollars) and would expect a likely swap, but again to me that would be sponsor driven as Stoner would likely be happy to stay and compete equally.





Gaz

Rossi and Stoner teammates?? can't see that happening. Rossi wants to leave Yamaha because of a strong teammate, so why would he team up with Stoner at Ducati? With the top four's contracts expiring at the end of next year we are in for the silliest of silly seasons

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (alex29 @ Oct 8 2009, 10:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Rossi and Stoner teammates?? can't see that happening. Rossi wants to leave Yamaha because of a strong teammate, so why would he team up with Stoner at Ducati? With the top four's contracts expiring at the end of next year we are in for the silliest of silly seasons

Hence my conspiracy theories (completely unfounded and based on a gut feeling) that DORNA actually lured Rossi to Yamaha by using subisidy money to allow Yamaha to offer a ludicrous salary. I'm sure Rossi was genuinely mad at Honda, but I think the move was orchestrated behind the scenes by a governing body who was genuinely worried that the 4 strokes had created only 1 competitive bike.

Now that Rossi is on the inside, I think he is capable of signing his own ticket. Rossi is a great showman and he knows how badly the sport needs a shot in the arm right now. Another tumultous change in the competitive environment would certainly leave him with fat pockets and the opportunity to continue building his legacy.

Does anybody remember that Livio Suppo was the one who said that MotoGP needed to find new ways to raise revenues instead of cutting costs. Coincidence that since his interview, Rossi has said he is open to a switch to Ducati? What could generate more revenues than Rossi to Ducati?! Perhaps the conspiracy is even more grand than we imagine. Maybe Ducati, Rossi, and Dorna are conspiring to wrestle control away from the MSMA and reinstate the 990s. What better way to end the MSMA's reign of terror than to make sure they don't ever win again!

I can only hope that's what they are up to.

If Rossi does go for a Ducati move, my predictions would be:

Ducati = Rossi + Stoner
Yamaha = Pedrosa + Spies
Honda = Lorenzo + Simoncelli



I can dream, can't I?

It would be silly for Casey to stay at Ducati if Valentino comes.

Casey isnt scared of anyone when it comes to racing, and he knows that bike better then anything.
I think the problem Casey would have is there first race together at Qatar, a track Casey dominates at. When Stoner beats Rossi in the first race, how long will it be before he starts getting ...... parts, and ends up with the same Spec Race bike as Pramac are getting.

Think about it Ducati=Italian, Rossi=Italian, Ducati are desperate for an Italian to win on an Italian Bike, theres no way it would be allowed to be a Fair Fight. If Rossi wonts to come in 2010 which i doubt and Yamaha are being hard to deal with Casey should just ok Trade me.
That way Yamaha gets a world class rider in return. And who knows the damage Casey could do on the Best Bike in Motogp.

I would be astonished if yamaha let marlboro buy out rossi's contract unless they are really convinced jorge is better than him now, in which case they inhabit a different reality than I am familiar with. If it does happen, whilst I don't think stoner would mind being on the same team per se, he would need to get out of ducati post-haste because this would mean marlboro who are on the public record as being unkeen on him were effectively running ducati, and would have a huge amount of face to lose and invested money to justify which would not be served by him beating valentino, not that I am necessarily saying this would happen in a fair contest.

I think the best place for casey would now be honda, whom I think would be quite happy at this time in history to overlook any charisma shortcomings if he won regularly for them, possibly even if repsol were not keen.

Rossi's annoyance grew last weekend at Estoril, Portugal when he was a distant fourth, due, he said, to having missed the set-up. Prior to that race he told a Dutch journalist that he was not happy with Yamaha’s decision to sign Ben Spies. “I developed this bike and now other riders are taking advantage of my work.”

If we assume this is an accurate quote, then I'd have to say WTF? This is whining of the worst
kind. Does Rossi believe that upon retirement - Yamaha will take all they've learned from
Rossi's development and put it all on the shelf?

Likewise the quote about Rossi's whining about Lorenzo being allowed to negotiate
his contract beyond the normal deadline. This is some petty .....

If these quotes are true - then Rossi's veneer of unflappability is cracking big-time.
I don't for a minute believe he's going to Ducati - but if he did - a big upside might
be Hayden let out of his contract, and once again on a bike built for normal riders.
At this point I have no illusions about Nicky winning any more championships - but
I'd love to see him stop being a mule and return to RACING.

If Rossi goes to Ducati then you can guarantee an assult on the limited testing rule to start very soon. No way will Rossi want to get on that bike without a mountain of testing to make it rideable for himself. Rossi requires a very precise bike to be fast and we all know that the Ducati is not precise. So just like his "toys out of the cot" antics to get bridgestones you can bet the toys will be out of the cot again to get testing time. How many stories will there be about Rossi going to F1, WRC, WSBK and any other form of racing that will give him leverage over Dorna will there be in the first half of 2010?

I think we are starting to see the dismantling of the public face of one Valentino Rossi and the emerging of the back room face of the Valentino Rossi that has manipulated the sport to cater to his every need since the beginning of the 4 stroke era.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TP70 @ Oct 9 2009, 10:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>If Rossi goes to Ducati then you can guarantee an assult on the limited testing rule to start very soon. No way will Rossi want to get on that bike without a mountain of testing to make it rideable for himself. Rossi requires a very precise bike to be fast and we all know that the Ducati is not precise. So just like his "toys out of the cot" antics to get bridgestones you can bet the toys will be out of the cot again to get testing time. How many stories will there be about Rossi going to F1, WRC, WSBK and any other form of racing that will give him leverage over Dorna will there be in the first half of 2010?

I think we are starting to see the dismantling of the public face of one Valentino Rossi and the emerging of the back room face of the Valentino Rossi that has manipulated the sport to cater to his every need since the beginning of the 4 stroke era.
Then again perhaps valentino and george are doing the boxing pre-fight thing to increase the box-office.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TP70 @ Oct 9 2009, 07:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>If Rossi goes to Ducati then you can guarantee an assult on the limited testing rule to start very soon. No way will Rossi want to get on that bike without a mountain of testing to make it rideable for himself. Rossi requires a very precise bike to be fast and we all know that the Ducati is not precise. So just like his "toys out of the cot" antics to get bridgestones you can bet the toys will be out of the cot again to get testing time. How many stories will there be about Rossi going to F1, WRC, WSBK and any other form of racing that will give him leverage over Dorna will there be in the first half of 2010?

I think we are starting to see the dismantling of the public face of one Valentino Rossi and the emerging of the back room face of the Valentino Rossi that has manipulated the sport to cater to his every need since the beginning of the 4 stroke era.
Of all the theories this one is very smelly, just like ...., oh hang on it is .... from a Stoner Bopper......

History lesson for some, RC211V, M1, GSRV, desmosedicifuckinfastinstraightline and ZX introduced in 2002, the beginning of the 4-stroke era, one VR is riding for HRC with the likes of Max Biaggi on the Yamaha. Prior to this VR only had 3 titles under his belt and Max had 4 and lots of love from Dorna. So any so-called manipulation of the sports governing body at this stage is beyond ludicrous......beyond this no one can really say, we have to remember that lots of dollars from many companies of the years have gone in to try and beat him, which begs the question why would Dorna risk 18-20 other multi-million dollar entrants to give on rider-VR unfair advantages? Very hard to swallow-unless factual proven otherwise.....

So the Yamaha M1 and indeed the Yamaha MotoGP effort for the past 17 years or so has really been hit and miss. Prior to 2004 Yamaha had not won many races or a title for 12 years, since the signing of VR they have 3 titles (well 4 now) and have amassed a silly amount of victories. Yamaha need to be very wary of the past, and the lessons from HRC in the late 90's, MD was making similar noises to VR back then when Alex and Taddy were using his data and development (including many broken bones) to beat him, this was the start of the decline of the mighty HRC.....

My theory is, VR certainly won't sign with Ducati, too old and by the looks of it couldn't be bothered, however I think we may see some serious changes for 2010 for Rossi, I believe he might not be there at all, and his contract will be bought out by a team/sponsor from another class of Motorsport. I'm hoping for Aprilia in WSBK, but WRC is also a serious threat.

If Dorna stays with the 800cc format they are driving more nails into their own coffin, and I feel VR doesn't want to stick around on a sinking ship any longer, the rule changes that were hinted have not yet come to be, so you have to ask why would VR hang around in a class which is drowning in turmoil-technically, politically and integrally?

As motorcycle racing fans, most of us were switching between Motogp and WSBK on the weekend, WSBK had it all over Motogp and usually does, more manufactures, bigger grid, better racing, unless Dorna do something soon I believe they are facing the loss of their trump card and many more supporters/dollars in the not too distant future.

So Rossi thinks that Yamaha should give him a foot stool as a teammate since he helped develope the bike.I guess once he is gone,Yamaha should just fold their tents and quit the sport. And what Ben Spies has to do with anything is beyond me.This looks like a classic case of Rossi getting pissed because its not 100% Rossi all the time at Yamaha. He is having to share the fame and isnt liking it one bit. Spies getting a lot of ink,Lorenzo pushing him for all he is worth isnt what Valentino is used to.He had Nicky and Colin as his nice guy, foot stool mates that pumped his insatiable ego and now he is starting to feel a little left out. And some of you guys say Casey has sand in his .......

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Talpa @ Oct 9 2009, 11:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>My theory is, VR certainly won't sign with Ducati, too old and by the looks of it couldn't be bothered, however I think we may see some serious changes for 2010 for Rossi, I believe he might not be there at all, and his contract will be bought out by a team/sponsor from another class of Motorsport. I'm hoping for Aprilia in WSBK, but WRC is also a serious threat.

If Dorna stays with the 800cc format they are driving more nails into their own coffin, and I feel VR doesn't want to stick around on a sinking ship any longer, the rule changes that were hinted have not yet come to be, so you have to ask why would VR hang around in a class which is drowning in turmoil-technically, politically and integrally?
I don't disagree with most of this post, but I don't think valentino is all that likely to go to wsbk, particularly after pretty well dismissing it as a serious racing series as recently as last week. He would also be trashing his legacy, which I agree will soon be at least 9 gp racing titles; I don't think even he at age 30 odd has enough time for 9 or more wsbk titles.

The main thing motogp has on wsbk is nearly all the best riders; as valentino opined last week this will become all the best riders when ben spies joins motogp. God knows they need to change the formula though as you say.

Burgess interview from Motogp.com

“I couldn’t go into Yamaha and scream and yell and change the way they did things, it was necessary to work together with Valentino and the Yamaha Engineers to solve the problems they had. We had to take a step back and analyse why we at that time, or they at that time, had not been as competitive as their opposition. We had to diplomatically change the direction without making anybody look as if they had been making mistakes.”

Hmmm….they now know they were making mistakes, don’t they? If Rossi and Burgess are that good, they have nothing to fear for moving to Ducati.

Burgess continued, “Certainly, my objective from an engineering perspective is to make a bike that all riders can ride. It’s a very well tuned bike which has been developed by Valentino Rossi, and any rider coming in to ride this bike doesn’t have to worry about development. They have the ability and the information that we have put together over many years, combined with the settings we have from the last two especially – and particularly with the Bridgestone tyres – so it’s not as easy to develop the bike as it is to ride the bike. We have a rider in Valentino who develops the bike and we have on the other side of the garage one guy who just has to ride.”

So.. if Rossi and Burgess developed the bike that all rider can ride, why did not Edwards win single race while he was Rossi’s teammate?

Frig fishing you guys in is like fishin' for catfish with dynamite... suckers...

Read my lips - Rossi/Ducati two thousand eleven - bet they sold a lot of papers though... can you say MCN?