Yamaha to Delay Rossi's Ducati Debut? | FerrariChat

Yamaha to Delay Rossi's Ducati Debut?

Discussion in 'Other Racing' started by SpeedLimit?, Aug 18, 2010.

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  1. SpeedLimit?

    SpeedLimit? Karting

    May 19, 2009
    115
    #1 SpeedLimit?, Aug 18, 2010
    Hopes of an amiable conclusion to Valentino Rossi's Yamaha MotoGP career are in jeopardy, after doubts were raised over the Italian being allowed to test for Ducati immediately after the Valencia season finale.

    Contracts usually run until the end of the calendar year, but as a sporting gesture most departing riders are given permission to test for their new teams - albeit in plain livery and sometimes without making any public comments - in the time between the end of the racing season and the end of the year.

    Under the new cost-cutting testing restrictions, there is only one MotoGP test during that time period, at Valencia in the days immediately after the race - and with winter testing now reduced to a minimum it is more important than ever that a 'new' rider can take part.

    Ducati has already given Casey Stoner permission to test for Honda at Valencia, but the final line in a story on the official MotoGP website casts doubt on whether Yamaha will - as had been expected - allow Rossi to ride the Ducati.

    It says: "[Rossi hopes] to be able to ride the Ducati for the first time at the end-of-season Valencia test. Masao Furusawa, Executive Officer of Engineering Operations at Yamaha, indicated however that this was unlikely due to contractual agreements."

    Honda had prevented Rossi from testing for Yamaha at the end of 2003 - the last time he changed teams - although Rossi was able to make up for lost time in early 2004, due to few testing restrictions at that time.

    Regarding the possibility that Yamaha wouldn't let him test for Ducati at Valencia, Rossi reacted as follows:

    "If Yamaha say no I'll be very upset and sad," the reigning seven time world champion told motogp.com.

    "All the other riders in history try the bike and now we don't have many tests.

    "Only Honda have said no to me in the past and that relationship was very different to the one between me and Yamaha. I hope!

    "If I can't do it then I don't understand the relationship between me and Yamaha."
     
  2. Modeler

    Modeler F1 Veteran

    May 19, 2008
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    a.n.other
    #2 Modeler, Aug 18, 2010
    I believe common sense will prevail at yamaha.
    They don't want the bad publicity that'd follow if Rossi started lamenting with the Italian press.
     
  3. Merak1974

    Merak1974 Formula 3

    Aug 31, 2009
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    Oslo, Norway
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    Gabriel R.G. Benito
    #3 Merak1974, Aug 20, 2010
    Totally agree. Such a move would surely be very bad PR for Yamaha - and could hit Yamaha hard if Rossi does miracles with the Ducari...

    Cheers,
    Gabriel
     
  4. kizdan

    kizdan F1 Veteran

    Dec 31, 2003
    5,505
    #4 kizdan, Aug 20, 2010
    On one hand, I don't know what etiquette between teams are - seems like it is normal practice to allow the rider to join their new team right after the season.

    On the other hand, if I were Yamaha, why would I want to give any kind of edge to my competition?

    I think Rossi will develop the Ducati into a WC winner regardless, if not 1st year on it, then definitely the second.
     
  5. 2000YELLOW360

    2000YELLOW360 F1 World Champ

    Jun 5, 2001
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    Art
    #5 2000YELLOW360, Aug 20, 2010
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2010
    Yamaha is waiting to see if Rossi takes Burgess with him, I suspect. If he does, then I suspect that they aren't going to release him until the end of the year. However, Ducati has requested more practice days, to cover just that eventuality, so that might not be an issue. Additionally, there are many tracks that can be run without cameras so he could easiy get more seat time, if he wished. The transcript of Ducati's interview is at Roadracingworld.com if you want to see the entire interview where this is covered.

    BTW: don't be shocked if FIAT switches to Ducati also. Their deal with Yamaha is up this year also.

    Art
     
  6. tundraphile

    tundraphile F1 Veteran

    May 16, 2007
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    Missouri
    #6 tundraphile, Aug 20, 2010
    There are many rumors floating around. Some seem very far-fetched, some entirely plausible.

    1) Fiat will be leaving MotoGP altogether instead of following Rossi.
    2) Monster will have a larger precense on the Ducati team with Rossi.
    3) Jorge is holding out re-signing with Yamaha to put pressure on Yamaha to prevent Rossi from testing at Valencia.
    4) I have read logical arguments that place Burgess at Yamaha, Ducati, and even Honda with Stoner. Everywhere but Suzuki, which appears to be radioactive to successful riders in MotoGP.
    5) Speaking of Suzuki, possibly only one bike next year until they pull out at the end of 2011.

    One thing that isn't rumor is that Yamaha would be pretty chicken **** if they did prevent Rossi from testing. After Honda prevented him in 2003, they cried like little girls how unfair it was.
     
  7. 2000YELLOW360

    2000YELLOW360 F1 World Champ

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    Art
    #7 2000YELLOW360, Aug 21, 2010
    Monster isn't going to Ducati. Period. Spies is tied into Monster, and they will stay with him.

    Fiat is going to Ducati, 80%, maybe firm. President and chief operating officer of Fiat is who? (Hint: first name begins with an L, last name M.) Aren't those two friends?

    Art
     
  8. 4rePhill

    4rePhill F1 Veteran

    Oct 18, 2009
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    Phill J
    #8 4rePhill, Aug 22, 2010
    Can't see this one happening. The Fiat/Yamaha link in MotoGP never really made much sense to me, apart from the Italian association with Rossi, and yet they still went ahead with it.

    Now though, Rossi, Ducati and FIAT makes a lot more sense, especially when you take into account Fiat's ties to Ducati via Ferrari and their mutual sponsor Marlboro, their tie to Rossi with their MotoGP sponsorship and Rossi's close links to Ferrari, combined the obvious Italian link. It's a dream situation for Fiat that I can't see them baling out on TBH!.

    I doubt this one, Ducati already have a big sponsor in Marlboro and don't really need Monster. My money would be on Monster taking over from Fiat at Yamaha. They will want to keep their personal sponsorship of Rossi though if possible.

    Version I've heard is that Rossi won't be testing at Valencia for Yamaha anyway and that he won't be getting any of the 2011 development parts on his bike for the rest of the 2010 season, so there's no point Lorenzo going down that road.

    Word has it that Rossi is hoping Burgess will join him at Ducati but Burgess has hinted that he is happy at Yamaha and doesn't want to leave the team, even with Rossi going. Forget Burgess to Suzuki, or him joining Stoner at Honda, not going to happen!. Where Burgess ends up (as in Ducati or Yamaha), is hard to call but both parties seem to have no problem with going their seperate ways, despite all their years together.

    Sounds feasible, Suzuki have been struggling for a number of years now, despite having some good riders on board the bikes. It's the same story as Kawasaki had and looks to be going the same way.

    Totally agree on this one, it wouldn't show Yamaha in a good light, especially if all the other teams allow their riders who are leaving at the end of the season to test for their 2011 teams at Valencia, as Ducati are doing for Stoner and Honda.

    (I wouldn't be surprised to see Yamaha prevent him testing though!).
     

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