Ducati Getting Ready for Rossi?
One of John “Hannibal” Smith’s favorite sayings in the eighties TV series, The A-Team was “I love it when a plan comes together”. I don’t know if Ducati were a fan of the show but slowly, but surely it looks as if the plan to have 9-time World Champion Valentino Rossi ride for the Italian manufacturer in 2011 is coming together. The latest move in the slow ballet is the replacement of Livio Suppo, said to have a fractious relationship with Rossi, by Vale friendly factory tester Vittoriano Guareschi in the role of Team Manager.
Valentino knows the Guareschi’s well. One of Rossi’s closest friends is endurance racer, Gianfranco Guareschi, brother of Vittoriano (Gianfanco was on hand during Valentino’s bizarre home pre-season accident).
Guareschi will fill a critical role in the garage liasing between the riders and the technical director and he will be able to draw on his substantial experience testing the Ducati MotoGP machines since 2001 to assist him.
“I will be the link between the riders and [technical director] Filippo Preziosi. I will be close to the riders, I’ll go on the track to see what happens and I will be an advisor to them. Finally, I will also manage the work in the garage” said Guareschi.
link: autosport.com
This is the same Fillippo Preziosi, ‘father’ of the Ducati Desmosedici, that Rossi called a phenomenal person and also stated that he is sure that he could tame the D16 if he could set it up the way he likes Who doesn’t like a challenge!!
Ducati News Today has made the case for Why Rossi will Finish his career with Ducati arguing that the Italian is tantalizingly close to becoming the numerical GOAT (Greatest of All Time), something he will achieve if he supplants his idol Giacomo Agostini’s record of 122 GP victories. And Valentino, very much aware of his place in history will want to do that on an Italian bike. Although ‘Ago’ also raced for Yamaha during his career, he is inexorably linked with the famous Italian MV Augusta marque after he won the 500c title 7 years in a row for the factory.
Following his 2009 MotoGP Championship victory at Sepang, Rossi has been freely talking about the GOAT record.
“Maybe I can get close to that record of 122,” The Sun reports Rossi as saying. “It depends what I decide in 2011, if I take a one or two-year contract.
link: Crash.net
A critical player in the game is Rossi’s Crew Chief, Jeremy Burgess. Many see the partnership as critical and Rossi would want Jeremy at his side in any move to Ducati. Despite speculation that Burgess, 56, would want to retire at the end of 2010, he has recently clarified the situation saying he will decide his fate once Rossi decides to stop.
“When Valentino makes the decision that he no longer wants to continue racing that will be the point where I will make my own decision about what I do in the future. But as long as he is competitive he certainly will continue to race, I am sure of that. I am 56 years of age, so if Valentino does four more years I will be 60 and we could make a decision then.”
link: MotoGP.com
For their part, Yamaha are taking the threat seriously. The Japanese concern is trying to secure the Doctor on a lifetime contract with the factory that includes an ambassadorial role once he decides to retire. Yamaha race chief Lin Jarvis remains confident Rossi will stay.
“Our target with Valentino is that he will finish his career with Yamaha and that has never changed and it never will. We would like him to continue with us for as long as he would like to ride. “We would like him to retire with Yamaha, but whether that will be the case depends on him or us.
However Yamaha has a major problem. For all his talent, Rossi’s career is in it’s sunset and it’s second rider, Jorge Lorenzo is the future. The future, but just not yet. The student this year has not been able to surpass the master as was clearly demonstrated at Catanlunya where Rossi passed Lorenzo on the last corner of the last lap.
It is difficult to have two top riders in the same team and this fact alone must play into Rossi’s calculations going forward and Yamaha’s too. Yamaha is all too aware of the issue and it results in clumsy language like the comments Yamaha’s Racing Managing Director Masao Furusawa made speaking about Rossi’s place with Yamaha:-
“Valentino is a very, very important rider for Yamaha, and also Jorge is, but especially Valentino.”
link: MotoMatters
So much will depend on performance next year of Rossi, Lorenzo and Ducati’s Casey Stoner. All these riders’ contract expire in 2010.
link: MCN
Rossi needs 20 more victories to surpass ‘Ago’. This achievement would likely take at least 3 more seasons. Valentino has said he will decide about 2011 by the middle of next year.
“I haven’t decided yet about my future, I will decide in the next year. I have a contract signed already with Yamaha (for 2010). For sure it is a great dream for everybody, to see Valentino with Ducati. We will see, I don’t know.”
link: MotoGP.com
What do you think? Will Rossi sign for Ducati in 2011? Chime in with your views in the comments section below.
Want More?
Read Why Rossi will Finish his Career on a Ducati
Read Rossi Claims his 7th MotoGP Crown
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Lorenzo to Ducati in 2011. Yamaha won’t let Rossi go, and will figure it will be easier to tempt Lorenzo back into the fold once Rossi’s gone, rather than lose the marketing value which Rossi represents into the future. Rossi will be selling bikes (of whatever make) in 2029, just as many as in 2009. Yamaha want to keep hold of that marketing power.
David, good point but if Rossi wants to end his career on an Italian machine then Yamaha won’t be able to stop him. Of course the safest option is for him to stay with Yamaha unless Casey and he Duke go next year like they did in 2007 or Lorenzo is even more competitive on the Yamaha next year. IN that case the balance begins to shift to the Ducati making sense for Rossi independent of his own desires