Very happy about this. Rossi just looks uncomfortable on the Ducati. Hope he can go back to winning races!
Let's assume that Rossi gets back to his winning ways right from the start. Then it will not change a lot at the front: instead of a fight between Lorenzo and Stoner and an occasional Pedroza, we get a fight between Lorenzo and Rossi, and sometimes Pedroza. Behind these three I think nothing will change much. Crutchlow possibly taking Rossi's place might turn out to be a big mistake, or he could do another "Stoner" and tame the Italian beast, who knows. Dovisioso is the eternal #4. Is Spies confirmed for WSB? I don't think Bradl can do much in his second year, maybe a surprise here and there. But a podium?
Pretty much saw this coming. I knew VR wouldn't tolerate a losing bike for too long.. Let's hope he can get back to his winning ways on the Yammy.. I love both teams, and products. So, no hard feelings here! Greg
For about 10% of what he was making. Mary thought Yamaha was sabotaging his bikes. I'm not going to comment about that, but in my humble opinion he was crazy to quit. Art
It's a bit like comparing a pedigree race horse to a wild mustang, both are incredibly fast, but just because you can ride the race horse fast doesn't automatically mean you can jump on the mustang and go fast! Rossi has been used to a career of smooth, predictable bikes with well balanced chassis and smooth power deliveries (pretty much the opposite of a Ducati!). Despite all of his abilities, he simply cannot tame the Ducati and he cannot adapt to it or get it to work. The bike has beaten him! Rossi isn't the only one though, look at how many of Stoner's team mates couldn't ride it either! Stoner was still pretty wet behind the ears (comparatively speaking), when he arrived at Ducati, so the wildness of the Ducati wasn't something that came as a big shock to him compared to other bikes he'd ridden (for other bikes read: the Honda!). So he found it easier to adapt to the bikes wild nature and he found he could get it to work. It's a bit like a dog My uncle had when I was @ 5 years old. He used to kick and hit that poor dog all the time and it became nasty and vicious. If people went anywhere near the dog, they were nervous, and that made the him nervous and so he would snap at them and try to bite them. Now I'd come along with no idea that he could be nasty, so I was never nervous of him - he was just a pet to be pampered as far as I was concerned, so I'd just wander over to him, pet him, stroke him and he'd sleep on My lap. Never once did he try to bite Me. Anyone else though - ouch! You watch some of the old races and watch the Ducati coming out of corners. As the power is wound on, the bike starts wiggling and bucking around, trying to throw the rider off, making them nervous. At this point, every rider knows to back the power off and let the bike settle itself down again. But you watch Stoner on the Ducati. When the bike starts bucking around, he doesn't get nervous and back off the power as you should, he simply stands on the pedals and winds on more power, forcing the bike to drive on! It was as if he just knew that it wouldn't get any worse and he could hang on to it. As Charlie cox says on the BBC's MotoGP coverage: "He's riding that thing like Tonto!" Ducati couldn't adapt the bike to Rossi and Rossi couldn't adapt to the bike. I suspect this has hurt Rossi on a personal level for a couple of reasons: 1) His personal pride will be dented as history will show he failed to make the Ducati into a winning bike. 2) He's failed to do what Stoner did and he probably can't understand why. (And if he goes back to winning races on the Yamaha, this will only enhance Stoner's legend as the only rider who could win on the Ducati). 3) The dream of being Italian and winning on an Italian bike never came true. TBH, I'm not convinced that there's any established rider currently in MotoGP other than Stoner who could ride that bike and make it win races. The one rider I think could have done it though was Marco Simoncelli! He was wild and crazy enough not to care what that bike would have been doing underneath him! Sadly, we'll never know!
Let's not get greedy. If he is fortunate enough to get one more, we should wish him a fond farewell. He would retire at the high water mark as the greatest motorcycle racer of all time!!
Rossi is going to have his hands full with Lorenzo. Not a big Jorge fan, but the guy is one hell of a motorcycle racer these days. With Stoner gone, the title comes down to Lorenzo vs Rossi. Pedrosa has always been right there and a threat to win races but always comes up short. 2012 actually is probably his best year, but his window for a championship seems to be closing. IMO Rossi can win another championship, but it will take a mistake or injury from Lorenzo to do it. If Rossi can become a constant thorn in Jorge's side, ready to capitalize on any mistake without making any himself, Jorge might make a few mistakes like what we saw in 2009. But I doubt it, Lorenzo has matured since then.
Rossi is used to having his team develop a bike to how Rossi wants it and typically achieves great success because of it . Ducati is a team being managed by a moron who thinks he knows better than everyone else . Many riders have had tremendous issues with him , including Stoner . Why Ducati chooses to continue with him is mind boggling . I wouldn't be surprised if Audi cans his ass - something that should have been done a long time ago .
Agreed. I was watching a race last weekend or the previous weekend and the commentators were discussing VR's dismay with the Ducati chassis aswell as the 'prima donna' attitude and approach of Ducati, typical EF attitude in that it is NOT the machine it is the driver. I knew that VR would not stay with Ducati for even one more race and Yamaha will reap the benefits of Ducati's arrogance. Just my opinion of course. +1M !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The incidents at Laguna Seca and Indianapolis would make anyone paranoid and agree with that version! Very spooky to me ...
I'm not going to comment. Wait until the season is done. If Houseworth is no longer with them, you'll get an answer, maybe, if he's willing to talk. Art Well, two races in a row with technical failure, maybe Mary was right...[/QUOTE]
