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Is there a bomb going on in the MotoGP World Championship? Is a top driver getting out? Maybe Valentino Rossi? Andrea Dovizioso has fueled speculation.
Since yesterday, the three-time MotoGP vice world champion Andrea Dovizioso announced that he will also fight for the world title in 2021, events have been precipitating. This morning it was leaked that an important "announcement" in the premier class will be announced soon.
One thing is clear: the announcement must be in connection with a top driver and a top team in the “premier class”. Somewhere a place has to be free for the 15-time MotoGP winner and current World Championship runner-up Andrea Dovizioso. And with a winning team - that is, with Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki or KTM. Because Ducati is no longer an option for the 34-year-old Italian. And with an Aprilia RS-GP, even Dovizioso couldn't figure out any title chances.
But Red Bull-KTM is not about to resign. Marc Márquez has signed a new contract with Repsol-Honda until the end of 2024. Suzuki Ecstar has two promising young drivers under contract with Alex Rins and Joan Mir, so no one will step down there.
On the other hand, Rossi wanted to sign his new works contract with Yamaha before the start of the season, the deal has been delayed further and further for flimsy reasons. "There are a lot of details to be clarified with Petronas," said Yamaha race director Lin Jarvis in August. "The lawyers in Japan and Malaysia have many aspects to consider."
Rossi should be deported to the Petronas customer team instead of Quartararo. The team has already sold replica models based on the R1 superbike ....
Research by SPEEDWEEK.com leads to the assumption that Valentino Rossi (407 Grands Prix so far, nine World Championship titles, 115 victories, 235 podium places) will soon announce his retirement.
There are many reasons. He has been chasing the tenth world title in vain since 2009, he has not won a world championship round in Assen since June 25, 2017, the Yamaha is not powerful enough for him in 2020 either, he cannot cope with the new Michelin tires, since 2017 at Yamaha it has been dismantled again and again by the younger riders from Zarco to Folger to Quartararo and Viñales. Another crew chief change to Davide Munoz did not bring about any improvement.
Yamaha has made progress in its search for more engine power. But three engine failures were reported in Jerez. Nobody knows whether the five engines per driver will be enough for the season. To be on the safe side, the maximum speed according to Jerez has been reduced by approx. 500 rpm. Since then, Yamaha has been lost again in terms of top speed values.
In any case, the three Yamaha riders who remained after the Viñales crash only scored eleven points in the second Spielberg GP for ranks 9, 13 and 15.
At the same time, Rossi's friend Andrea Dovizioso is looking for a top team.
It would therefore no longer be a surprise if Rossi announced his resignation in the foreseeable future. Although he always emphasized: "As soon as I can fight for podium places, I will continue."
But Rossi was only just missed by Franco's M1-Yamaha at the Austrian GP after the devastating collision between Zarco and Morbidelli. "Today I can pray to God because I got off lightly," he sighed, clearly impressed.
Andrea Dovizioso could land at Petronas-Yamaha in 2021 and take over from Rossi. "Dovi" already sat on an M1-YZR-Yamaha in 2012 - in Hervé Poncharal's Tech3 team alongside Cal Crutchlow.
Rossi (41) will not suffer from a lack of employment even after his motorcycle career. He runs the Sky VR46 teams in the Moto3 and Moto2 World Championships, he manages the VR46 Riders Academy, he runs the flourishing merchandising company VR46 Apparel, and he also wants to compete in sports car races and a few rallies.
