Rossi and Ducati

[awwwnuts]

Interesting article in an Italian paper. Only speculation, but still interesting.

Valentino Rossi and Ducati Rumors - A Separate Team for Rossi?

Italian daily Repubblica.it is reporting that Valentino Rossi is getting closer to Ducati, citing another Italian paper Il Riformista, reporting that the 14th of September at 18:30 an Audi S6 driven by Uccio Saletti (they could at least check the spelling, his name is Saluzzi) Rossi’s childhood friend, with Jeremy Burgess, the legendary crewchief, sitting in the passenger seat were seen entering Via Antonio Cavalieri Ducati at Borgo Panigale, which as everyone knows it the home of Ducati Motor Holding and that Valentino Rossi may have been sitting in the back seat.

The article goes on insisting that there’s a pre-contract with Ducati and that Fiat wants to keep the Italian superstar, who can move more than his worth and Marlboro wants someone who is much more marketable than Casey Stoner in MotoGP and Felipe Massa in F1 and that Rossi has gotten over his “I’ll never sponsor a cigarette company” (what was Camel?)

Now it seems that Rossi is getting closer to Ducati, wanting to bring with him Yamaha team manager Davide Brivio, who brought the Italian to Yamaha team back in 2004, along with Jeremy Burgess, who recently announced that he isn’t retiring until Rossi does, and the rest of his team to form a separate satellite team, a sort of Ducati 2, naturally with full factory backing, just like his old Honda Nastro Azzurro Team.

Stay tuned because this story is just begining and if Rossi should lose the title this year to his team mate Jorge Lorenzo, silly season is going to start after the final race at Valencia

[techno]

He did state that he wanted to be remembered as a yamaha man!

[awwwnuts]

Even if Rossi wasn't in the car you have to wonder why JB was visiting Ducati HQ. Don't think Yamaha would be chuffed with that.

I can't help thinking that Rossi is destined for the Ducati. Is goal is Ago's record wins. Ago is rememberd for riding the MV. Would Rossi like to take that record riding another Italian icon?

[Netmeister]

This is interesting

He snubbs out a move to Ducati next year, but not for the year after.

[DutchMick]

Burgess "Lets break it down to what it is. It's a bunch of dickhead Italian journalists trying to out-scandal each other,"

I like that man, when he stops so will Rossi

[awwwnuts]

"I have the ticket to prove it"

However this pans out, until Rossi either announces he's retiring or resigned, these rumours are going to continue, and it's part of the Rossi circus. Its all good fun and part of what makes this sport so brilliant. I have it on good authority Rossi really wants to ride for Triumph

[DutchMick]

Thats funny, I heard Norton, but it wouldn't surprise me if he was on a Triton next year

[Keithg24]

Rossi on a Norton..........dreams are made of this eh Mick!!

Stick a fairing, some clip ons, rearsets and a lovely 7 gallon alloy tank to the new Commando ..........woo hoo

Probably still get top ten...lol

[Guest akey]

erm just a couple of issues with this typical italian hype and guess work.

Rossi has clearly stated that he will not race for a team with tobbacco sponsorship, this is one of the reasons camel went from the yamaha team.

If Rossi was there why wasn't his management team?

[awwwnuts]

Actually camel left because it pulled all Motorcycle sponsorship. Nothing to do with Rossi. They also pulled Winston from WSBK at the same time. They are both owned by the JTI corporation. JTI's sponsorship was based around Max Biaggi, who was desperate for the Factory Honda ride, but Honda didn't need is sponsor. So that year they went with Yamaha.

Rossi also seemed quite happy to ride the Gauloises sponsored livery !