Yamaha/Rossi deal blows up into a suit with Cigarette company | FerrariChat

Yamaha/Rossi deal blows up into a suit with Cigarette company

Discussion in 'Motorcycles & Boats' started by 2000YELLOW360, Jan 9, 2006.

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  1. 2000YELLOW360

    2000YELLOW360 F1 World Champ

    Jun 5, 2001
    19,800
    Full Name:
    Art
  2. UroTrash

    UroTrash Three Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Jan 20, 2004
    38,860
    Purgatory
    Full Name:
    Clifford Gunboat
    Art, can you translate the legalese?
     
  3. 2000YELLOW360

    2000YELLOW360 F1 World Champ

    Jun 5, 2001
    19,800
    Full Name:
    Art
    Clifford:

    Galouises had a deal to sponsor Yamaha, with the understanding that they'd be running Valentina Rossi on their team. However, the contract didn't specify Rossi as their rider. Rossi decided that he didn't want a cigarette sponsor for 06, and went with an Italian software company, who just happens to have the same colors as Ferrari. Yamaha will supply his new team with works equipment, etc., so it's basically a ploy to avoid running the blue, so he can run red and white, same as Ferrari.

    Galouises believes this to be a shame, and is suing over these issues. They may be right, but the question is: can they prove it?
     
  4. Dan Ciezniewzky

    Dan Ciezniewzky Formula 3
    BANNED

    Sep 6, 2004
    1,351
    Indianapolis
    how can one go from motorcycles to F1??

    I imagine it takes more skill to ride a bike at his level then a F1 car, but still they have very little in common
     
  5. 2000YELLOW360

    2000YELLOW360 F1 World Champ

    Jun 5, 2001
    19,800
    Full Name:
    Art
    Dan:

    The skills are similar, but not the same. It's been done before, but not for a while. Last person who was world champ on bikes who became world champ in cars was John Surtess from England. Mike Hailwood also made the transition, but never was as good in cars as he was on bikes.

    Art
     
  6. larryg

    larryg Karting

    Jun 30, 2004
    232
    Louisville, KY
    Full Name:
    Larryg
  7. 2000YELLOW360

    2000YELLOW360 F1 World Champ

    Jun 5, 2001
    19,800
    Full Name:
    Art
    Yamaha now claims there was no deal, and threatens to sue them back.

    This is going to get interesting.

    Art
     
  8. WILLIAM H

    WILLIAM H Three Time F1 World Champ

    Nov 1, 2003
    35,532
    Victory Circle
    Full Name:
    HUBBSTER
    Back in the 60s or 70s there was a motorcycle racer who went to F1 & won the Championship. I think it was Jochen Rindt
     
  9. 2000YELLOW360

    2000YELLOW360 F1 World Champ

    Jun 5, 2001
    19,800
    Full Name:
    Art
    William:

    I don't think that Rindt was ever at the championship level in motorcycles. I don't recall how he did in cars, but I remember the name.

    I was going to post an aside about Yamaha and law suits. In the early 80s, I represented the "pig farmer", Dale Singelton, who won the Daytona 200 two times. The first time he did so, Yamaha put out a poster celebrating his win. He was paid $500.00 for the rights to his name and likeness for that poster. At the time the Daytona 200 was the world's largest motorcycle racing event and the publicity rights were valuable.

    A year or two later he won the same race again. He was not sponsored by Yamaha, and had to purchase his own vehicles, etc. When Yamaha came to him for the second poster, they offered him $500.00. He declined, and asked for the price of the TZ750, he'd had to buy to run the race, about 10k, which was pretty pricey .

    Well, Yamaha blew him off, and did the poster without his permission. We sued them. They cross-complained for trade mark violation because he'd repainted the bike. End result: he got more than a TZ750 out of the deal. He ended up buying a plane, and later crashed it, dying in the process. I've still got the poster in my garage. As you may be able to tell, I don't think much of Yamaha.

    Art
     

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