Yamaha extends Rossi contract to 2018

#22 · Mar 19, 2016

xx CURVE xx said:
For those talking .... on how ...... up and stupid it is that Yamaha is choosing old man Rossi over Jlo.. Yamaha handed BOTH riders contracts, Jlo is the one who is holding out.

In my defence, I didn't know this when I posted the article nor did I know what type of offer Lorenzo had vs Rossi. They may have offered Lorenzo 50 pence and Rossi $20 million and an electric .... massage, in which case of course he'd sign.

kurre · Mar 19, 2016

J4rn0 said:
Relax. There will be an entire season's time to complain about Rossi's political sweep over the series, his "totally undeserved" continuing appreciation by Yamaha and others, etc. etc. :happy:

The word "appreciation" is not entirely accurate. Some substitute words might be:
fixation
obsession
infatuation

To be even more accurate, adding any of the following adjective to any of the previous nouns would be suitable:

hysterical
delusional
belligerent

That's not so much a reference to Yamaha as it is to the "others" you refer to....people who feel most comfortable when in the company of hordes of others wearing yellow t-shirts showing off their matching VR46 tattoos.

JPSLotus · Mar 19, 2016

I'd posit those who are saying Yamaha made the right choice in keeping Rossi based upon the two consecutive 2nd place title finishes in the last 2 years, don't really know their ... from a hole in the ground if they actually believe that is a good reason. Last year would have been an easy 3rd had MM not done Yamaha a favor and crashed out numerous times before settling down far too late in the season.

As has been pointed out by Jum, myself, and others, being given a M1 or RCV assured you no worst than a 4th place finish in the championship. Over the past several years. 2016 might see this change, but as Honda and Yamaha's legion of computer techs come to grips with the Magneti Marelli ECU, this will be the same in the 2nd half of the season most likely. The Suzuki/Ducati threat is not going to last the full season.

Rossi's 2nd place title finishes appear impressive on the surface till you consider no one outside of Yamaha and Honda have any real chance.

There's enough talent in GP to replace Rossi now, and replacing him with oh say, Vinales for '17 would be a wise move.

Cool Blue · Mar 19, 2016

Lorenzo is in a stronger position than Rossi so he's holding out for more money. The perceived credibility of this position is enhanced by the negative vibes coming from Rossi. Meanwhile, the conflict is interesting to the media and therefore beneficial to all concerned because it generates more column inches for the tv show.

michaelm · Mar 19, 2016

JPSLotus said:
I'd posit those who are saying Yamaha made the right choice in keeping Rossi based upon the two consecutive 2nd place title finishes in the last 2 years, don't really know their ... from a hole in the ground if they actually believe that is a good reason. Last year would have been an easy 3rd had MM not done Yamaha a favor and crashed out numerous times before settling down far too late in the season.

As has been pointed out by Jum, myself, and others, being given a M1 or RCV assured you no worst than a 4th place finish in the championship. Over the past several years. 2016 might see this change, but as Honda and Yamaha's legion of computer techs come to grips with the Magneti Marelli ECU, this will be the same in the 2nd half of the season most likely. The Suzuki/Ducati threat is not going to last the full season.

Rossi's 2nd place title finishes appear impressive on the surface till you consider no one outside of Yamaha and Honda have any real chance.

There's enough talent in GP to replace Rossi now, and replacing him with oh say, Vinales for '17 would be a wise move.

Vinales and Iannone in terms of prospects for long term competitive speed, probably. People were saying the same of Asparagus Junior in regard to 2013 though.

I am not particularly disposed to be fair to Valentino these days, but he probably does offer them something in regard to getting their bike right, and if MM should have relegated him to 3rd then he probably should have relegated Lorenzo to second last year; Lorenzo still only beat VR by 5 points last year regardless of what MM did, and VR was faster than him in the wet and even in some dry races. I think Lorenzo is rather good, and am not sure Iannone and Vinales were up to beating him on equal terms last year; we are about to find out how they stack up this year.

As Povol says Yamaha have Rossi all lined up to be their iconic brand ambassador in his retirement, and we all know him leaving the Yamaha race team this time will be entirely by his choice; I don't think he will stretch the friendship by running around midfield for a season or seasons should that ever be in prospect anyway.

JPSLotus · Mar 19, 2016

michaelm said:
Vinales and Iannone in terms of prospects for long term competitive speed, probably. People were saying the same of Asparagus Junior in regard to 2013 though.

I am not particularly disposed to be fair to Valentino these days, but he probably does offer them something in regard to getting their bike right, and if MM should have relegated him to 3rd then he probably should have relegated Lorenzo to second last year; Lorenzo still only beat VR by 5 points last year regardless of what MM did, and was faster than him in the wet and even in some dry races. I think Lorenzo is rather good, and am not sure Iannone and Vinales were up to beating him on equal terms last year; we are about to find out how they stack up this year.

As Povol says Yamaha have Rossi all lined up to be their iconic brand ambassador in his retirement, and we all know him leaving the Yamaha race team this time will be entirely by his choice; I don't think he will stretch the friendship by running around midfield for a season or seasons should that ever be in prospect anyway.

I ran a bunch of calculations about what the possible season outcome would have been had MM held position instead of crashing out in all of those races when he was trying to run at an unsustainable pace on the RCV. He would have actually won the title had he understood the virtue of not trying to hold on to untenable positions.

I wasn't thinking about it when I made the post, but were I Yamaha, what I would have done in the case of Rossi is wait till season's end to sign him. I would have been keeping an eye on Michael van der Mark in SBK to see how he holds up on the CBR1000RR. Through 4 races he has been punching far above his weight and I think he deserves a satellite GP ride at the bare minimum. If things go well enough, putting him into consideration for the other M1 seat wouldn't be outrageous imo.

Either way, the re-signing of Rossi for another two years is sickening. And I get there are those who think it is hyperbole, but after what he did at Sepang last year, having him lined up as a brand ambassador is far too much for me. He's essentially been rewarded for everything he has done including all of the .... behavior since just last October. Great message to send kids. Crime pays.

Cool Blue · Mar 19, 2016

JPSLotus said:
I ran a bunch of calculations about what the possible season outcome would have been had MM held position instead of crashing out in all of those races when he was trying to run at an unsustainable pace on the RCV. He would have actually won the title had he understood the virtue of not trying to hold on to untenable positions.

I wasn't thinking about it when I made the post, but were I Yamaha, what I would have done in the case of Rossi is wait till season's end to sign him. I would have been keeping an eye on Michael van der Mark in SBK to see how he holds up on the CBR1000RR. Through 4 races he has been punching far above his weight and I think he deserves a satellite GP ride at the bare minimum. If things go well enough, putting him into consideration for the other M1 seat wouldn't be outrageous imo.

Either way, the re-signing of Rossi for another two years is sickening. And I get there are those who think it is hyperbole, but after what he did at Sepang last year, having him lined up as a brand ambassador is far too much for me. He's essentially been rewarded for everything he has done including all of the .... behavior since just last October. Great message to send kids. Crime pays.

The lesson is that working all the angles to establish yourself and build support pays. Understanding the reality that you're in a tv show first and foremost is also a productive insight. And to be honest, I was more or less ok with all that up until kickgate ...

Keshav · Mar 20, 2016

xx CURVE xx said:
For those talking .... on how ...... up and stupid it is that Yamaha is choosing old man Rossi over Jlo.. Yamaha handed BOTH riders contracts, Jlo is the one who is holding out.

Fact is Rossi doesn't need more money. He's happy to close out his career on a Yamaha. Lorenzo - has more options, tho I don't see him getting substantially more money or perks - but just for the sake of ego he's gotta get hold out for some kind of contract sweetner as acknowledgment for winning the last championship.

michaelm · Mar 20, 2016

Cool Blue said:
The lesson is that working all the angles to establish yourself and build support pays. Understanding the reality that you're in a tv show first and foremost is also a productive insight. And to be honest, I was more or less ok with all that up until kickgate ...

Believing his own publicity, particularly at age 36 or 37, is what has become problematic for Rossi imo. I thought he was smarter than that, and like you also give him credit for a clever career long schtick in addition to the obvious innate ability as a rider which backed it up, but it emerges I was mistaken.

propagandhi · Mar 20, 2016

And if marcs mum would've swallowed....

I wonder when and why everyone started paying attention to sbk. I am the established conductor of the vdm hype train but please lets not pretend he actually won .... already. He does whats expected of a young hot prospect on a so so bike.

As long as there are underbones and scooters to be shoveled rossi has his seat. That he's still very easily in the top 5 riders and in terms of consistency and dedication probably the best ensures his future in gp and justifies his contract, regardless of "the yellow horde "

michaelm · Mar 20, 2016

Keshav said:
Fact is Rossi doesn't need more money. He's happy to close out his career on a Yamaha. Lorenzo - has more options, tho I don't see him getting substantially more money or perks - but just for the sake of ego he's gotta get hold out for some kind of contract sweetner as acknowledgment for winning the last championship.

I think the best thing he could do for his career or even his ego is to stay at Yamaha and beat Rossi. He shouldn't need any more money either, and as a fan I really hope he is smart enough not to go to a worse ride for reasons of ego or money, particularly with the example of Rossi's Ducati adventure. Him believing he faces 3 years with Rossi getting favoured treatment/better equipment is imo the only sensible reason to leave, and there doesn't seem to be any evidence of that so far. Waiting to sign might actually be a stratagem, to ensure that he has Yamaha's full support and see whether Yamaha might consider Rossi to be still good enough that they don't need Jorge; once they are both signed for 3 years he has basically zero bargaining position as far as I can see.

Keshav · Mar 20, 2016

michaelm said:
I think the best thing he could do for his career or even his ego is to stay at Yamaha and beat Rossi. He shouldn't need any more money either, and as a fan I really hope he is smart enough not to go to a worse ride for reasons of ego or money, particularly with the example of Rossi's Ducati adventure. Him believing he faces 3 years with Rossi getting favoured treatment/better equipment is imo the only sensible reason to leave, and there doesn't seem to be any evidence of that so far. Waiting to sign might actually be a stratagem, to ensure that he has Yamaha's full support and see whether Yamaha might consider Rossi to be still good enough that they don't need Jorge; once they are both signed for 3 years he has basically zero bargaining position as far as I can see.

Agree. Lorenzo for all his silly antics and his capacity to take himself too seriously - is IMHO - a very pragmatic guy. Was flicking through the channels last night looking fo something not in Vietnamese and lo and behold I chanced on an hour long special on last season all told from Lorenzo's perspective. They showed a lot of him in training and him being treated for injuries and you got a very clear sense in the interviews of how invested he is in continuing to beat Rossi. In the hour long program he barely referenced Marquez at all.

Now if only Rossi can beat Rossi - at least enough to keep it interesting. Was talking with the desk clerk here and he told me Rossi has a ginormous fan base here. He said sports bars all around Saigon will be packed to overflowing tonight to watch the race.

J4rn0 · Mar 20, 2016

povol said:
You make it sound as if Lorenzo has no option to stay at Yamaha, like Rossi has spoken and picked his successor . Well that's not so. Lorenzo has a contract in hand and its up to him if he stays at Yamaha. Personally if I were him, I would stay just to spite Rossi and probably cause Yamaha to lose Vinales. That is unless Ducati's offer is off the charts like 17 to 20 million. Staying at Yamaha to be a Yamaha man at retirement is a fools errand. Yamaha has placed their eggs in the Rossi retirement basket, apparel, the Academy etc etc. Lorenzo would be nothing in retirement with them.

Yes of course, Lorenzo has been offered a contract and it's up to him signing it. So far he has declined, and Lin Jarvis is on record saying that it's the best contract they can offer him. Sound like negotiations, yes -- but a little like negotiations that can easily fail. We'll see.

michaelm · Mar 20, 2016

J4rn0 said:
Yes of course, Lorenzo has been offered a contract and it's up to him signing it. So far he has declined, and Lin Jarvis is on record saying that it's the best contract they can offer him. Sound like negotiations, yes -- but a little like negotiations that can easily fail. We'll see.

If he chooses to take the same attitude Rossi took in 2010 then he is not as smart as I thought he was and has not learnt from history. I think he also annoyed Yamaha who had pretty much committed to him for the long term back then by talking to Ducati for the first time if he is now engaged in doing so again.

I catch vague intimations that you are perhaps not a Lorenzo fan these days, btw.

MdubSTYLIE · Mar 20, 2016

Where you guys read Rossi extends his contract through 2018, I read Yamaha extends it sponsorship contracts through 2018.

MigsAngel · Mar 20, 2016

MdubSTYLIE said:
Where you guys read Rossi extends his contract through 2018, I read Yamaha extends it sponsorship contracts through 2018.

Best analysis of this situation yet.

The nonRossi years at Yamaha seemed very lean vs now....

kurre · Mar 20, 2016

I don't really see why people would be surprised by this. I can see why it is controversial, but not surprising. Yamaha is a business. Rossi is extremely popular. Keeping Rossi at Yamaha ensures that they will make huge amounts of money. The End.

Gaz · Mar 20, 2016

kurre said:
I don't really see why people would be surprised by this. I can see why it is controversial, but not surprising. Yamaha is a business. Rossi is extremely popular. Keeping Rossi at Yamaha ensures that they will make huge amounts of money. The End.

Absolutely it is about the all might dollar for Yamaha

What would be interesting however from my own curiousity is to see where the funds are coming from within Yamaha and who is/was behind which contract

By this I mean I wonder if Yamaha Marketing are more funding Rossi as it will repay itself many times over whilst racing may be more behind Lorenzo

povol · Mar 20, 2016

Lorenzo now needs to hold out as long as he can, (I'm assuming summer break is the deadline) for a couple of reasons. One, if he is the only Yamaha in serious title contention and the other is sitting in 4-5th position 50 points down, he can demand more money . Jarvis saying this is your deal, it's the best we can do is .........
Two, if by the mid season point ,Honda has figured it out and is beating Yamaha on a regular basis, he may want to consider the huge paycheck Ducati is sure to offer. I would rather get paid 15 -17 million a year to lose to Marquez than 10-11 million to lose to Marquez and have to put up with an insufferable prick for a team mate.

Aw Mang · Mar 20, 2016

kurre said:
I don't really see why people would be surprised by this. I can see why it is controversial, but not surprising. Yamaha is a business. Rossi is extremely popular. Keeping Rossi at Yamaha ensures that they will make huge amounts of money. The End.

I think the surprise is the timing of the announcement and the length of the contract. Yamaha probably knew Rossi isn't going anywhere except signing with them. They could have waited till the end of 2016 to see how Rossi does and then sign him. During 2016, Yamaha can try to sign Maverick or any young talent for the future. By offering Rossi and Lorenzo at the same time, and if Lorenzo had signed right away like Rossi, Yamaha would basically have no young guns to replace Rossi once he retires. Maybe they can grab someone from the Tech3 team? Seems to me that the marketing department called the shot instead of the racing department? Maybe Yamaha expects Lorenzo will sign with Ducati anyway, so they can go out and pursue Maverick? I can be totally wrong though.

Anyway that's just my wild arse guess thrown in for the sake of discussion.

Yamaha extends Rossi contract to 2018

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