I think he means he was lucky because everything that went wrong at Mercedes that year happened to Rosbergs much more talented teammate.
I think he means he was lucky because everything that went wrong at Mercedes that year happened to Rosbergs much more talented teammate.
Joined Feb 2018
681 Posts | 535+
Italy
I see it more like, you don't win 3 races with the 2010 Ducati if you're not one of the most talented and brave riders in the history of the sport.
Keep the 2007 Ducati title out of the equation. 2010 was when Stoner showed what he is made of. That bike was shaking like a wild bull even on the straight and sent every other rider who tried to tame it straight to the shrink.
Just remind me, who has more wins on control tyres? Is it the guy who spent 4 seasons on them or the guy that has spent 9.5 seasons on them?
Joined Jun 2007
10K Posts | 1K+
Norah Head
The same guy who ...... around for a more than a decade in the world championship to win a paltry 2 championships, which gods outnumbered before they could legally drink in the US?
Whoopty friggin dooooo!!!!
You don't think its a big deal that once a distinct advantage was taken away a 'God' lost all dominance and struggled to win races?
I mean it's not like Stoner, Lorenzo or Marquez were able to dominate seasons on a control tyre either....
Even the 'useless' Dani Pedrosa was able to win more races on a control tyre in a single season than a 'god'
Swap their careers around. Give Stoner factory bikes from 125s - the premierclass plus all tyre advantages that Rossi and others received while Stoner never did. Put Rossi on privateer bikes with second rate machinery and tyres, I wonder who will do a better job of emulating the other? I would've thought the Ducati adventure taught you dumb ..... who was the better rider.
None of them on a Ducati, or on a Honda with non-SNS tires.
You are a child of a lesser god anyway. How many world titles did Valentino have before he turned 25. Marcy Marc had 6.
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Given the how everything has panned out this year and last it would be a brave man who bets against him to not win the next 2 while everyone stays where they are and will be until the end of 2020.
The thing with guys like Rossi and Marquez is they're "Golden Boys" who had big sponsorship and top equipment from a very early age, a luxury a lot of riders never get. I'm not knocking them but when you're riding top notch equipment as a teenager you're going to get more of a chance at racking up more race wins and championships than most of your rivals.
Joined Nov 2015
2K Posts | 582+
A caravan on an island
Rossi's first racebike was a run down PoS that Graziano bought for a bargain and fixed up for him. He actually wanted to go into Karting, but they had no money for it. He had no big sponsors in 125 when he started in the italian nationals and the joke about the chicken shop sponsoring came from that.
If he is a golden boy, it's because he earned it.
Joined Nov 2015
872 Posts | 420+
Stratosphere
Even one World Championship is of great value and cannot be diminished by couch racers. Stats can be used to "prove" whatever's on your menu. I say Rossi will never have the stature of Freddie Spencer who won a 500GP and 250GP championship in the same season. And that was on two strokes.
Following your father into the business is usually not a disadvantage in most sports, but I have absolutely no problem acknowledging Valentino as a teenage prodigy, or that he earnt his pre-eminent status including preferred Michelin status like his predecessors as the top rider, nor that he earnt all his titles. Complaints that other riders had advantages over him were and are extremely hollow however.
My objection is to him still hanging around 10 years past his peak to no particular purpose that I can divine, and while doing so blighting the careers of the current top riders and those who aspire to that status by using his influence for off track manipulations.
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Rossi Single handedly took Morbidelli, a kid with a broken family and no hope of even competing even on national level and developed his career to the point where he got a MotoGP ride. Ditto Bagnaia. And many more to come.
What has Stoner done since retiring? Teach upcoming OZ racers fly fishing?
Rossi single handedly has done and is doing more for the sport than many past and present racers have ever done. I am sorry if this uncomfortable truth offends some.
Also, Rossi didn't really receive much help from Graziano other than in the very early years of his career. His career in the world scene was pretty much driven all by himself and not his dad. That is a sharp contrast to Marquez, who is living the Tennis parent fantasies of dadmom Julia and uncle Emilio (That's not a knock on MM's talent).
Joined Feb 2018
681 Posts | 535+
Italy
Mate, you got it all a bit wrong. With all due respect.
What you know is the "face" of Rossi's VR46, people picture him as some kind of angel who picks up homeless kids from the street and turns them into Grand Prix racers...it ain't like that. Each VR46 rider has to pay a hefty sum for being a VR46 rider. Something around 300k € per year. It is of course kinda fair, as you pay to get the service of a team that trains you, manages you and puts you in touch with several premium-level sponsors. All you have to do is open the throttle.
VR46 is a company and like all companies thinks about its revenue and does its marketing. Given that their main marketing tool is one of the most famous sportsmen in the world, they are really succesful at it.
Morbidelli got a MotoGP ride because he won a World Title, not because he was "raised" by VR46...
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I didn’t say his career was down to his father, just that it helps to have some sort of entree, particularly since you started this whole thread to attack Casey Stoner whose family literally bet the farm, moved 12,000 miles, and lived in Alberto Puig’s back yard in a caravan. He remains grateful to Puig as he should be, whatever else the guy had an eye for talent and has done a great deal himself in that regard.
I have no problem with what Rossi has done to help riders starting off, although having Uccio in charge of anything is not something I personally would regard as a good management strategy, but rather with the blighting of the careers of almost any rival he has had in the premier class with which I have a problem as you are well aware, hence your resort to one of your hackneyed stratagems, the red herring logical fallacy.
He got the MotoGP seat because he won a Moto2 title. How did he end up in Moto2?
Morbidelli was going to rot in superstock 600s until his now dead father begged Rossi to give this kid a shot. They certainly didn't have the kind of money to pay for his ride.
And yes, of course the Academy riders have to pay a fee. But just because you have 300k in your back pocket doesn't mean you get in. The riders are hand picked based on their potential. And personal endorsements subsidize their cost of entry, sometimes completely.
Simple question, you can provide a simple answer.
What has Casey Stoner done for young OZ riders since retirement?
Double red herring.
If that is Valentino’s passion, good luck to him, good on him and let him get on with that full time, rather than as a sideline to his main endeavour which seems to be screwing over established riders he can’t beat on the track any more by off -track means.
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