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MotoGP
MOTOGP: Noyes’ Notebook - Rossi’s Choice
Dennis Noyes reports on Valentino Rossi's options for 2013 and how the subsequent dominoes could impact American GP pilots Nicky Hayden and Ben Spies.
Ducati Team's Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi, and Monster Yamaha Tech3's Cal Crutchlow (Photo: Ducati Corse)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: The Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix from Laguna Seca will air on SPEED on Sunday, July 29th at 6:00pm ET. Qualifying will air on SPEED on Saturday, July 28 at 11:00pm ET and free practice will air on SPEED2 Friday, July 27 at 5:10pm ET. #MotoGPonSPEED
In spite of a 30-race losing streak that began after his last win in Sepang, Malaysia, October 10, 2010, Valentino Rossi is looking at two very attractive options, and his choice could impact either of America’s top two GP riders.
If Rossi chooses to stay with Ducati, convinced by Audi promises to overcome the Italian factory’s technical problems with a combination of German cash and engine technology, America’s only MotoGP World Champion from the four-stroke era, Nicky Hayden, could be off the factory team -- that is if Britain’s Cal Cruthlow, currently fifth in the series with the satellite Tech3 Yamaha team, accepts the Ducati offer that he has been studying for a month. However, it seems that negotiations have gone quiet between Crutchlow and Ducati. Everything is on hold until the Rossi question is settled.
But why would Ducati, especially if Rossi is leaving, even think of replacing the rider who has consistently been quicker than Rossi in 80% of the official practice sessions? If Rossi goes, a Hayden-Crutchlow team would make sense and if Rossi stays, it would seem wise to keep the band together.
However, if Rossi opts to put together a sponsorship package with, perhaps, Monster, (or is subsidized by Dorna) to enter the factory Yamaha team, the odd man out would be America’s most recent Superbike World Champion, Ben Spies.
Spies' season has been severely disappointing. Some races have been spoiled by bad luck (a broken sub-frame on one occasion and, in the most recent race at Mugello, food poisoning) but, after nine Grands Prix, the Texan is ranked just tenth, 119 points back of teammate Jorge Lorenzo and last among the four Yamaha riders, consistently beaten by satellite Tech3 Yamaha riders Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow.
Yamaha’s Lin Jarvis has recently seemed supportive of Ben, but prior to the season he said that Yamaha expected Spies to win races and be on the podium consistently. Ben has, for whatever reasons, underperformed.
But letting a young talent like Spies go or trying to send him back to the Tech3 team would be the sort of move that could come back to haunt Yamaha for many years, because if Spies were suddenly on the market, some very imaginative 'satellite' teams could be formed with Ben on full factory equipment.
In spite of a 30-race losing streak that began after his last win in Sepang, Malaysia, October 10, 2010, Valentino Rossi is looking at two very attractive options, and his choice could impact either of America’s top two GP riders.
If Rossi chooses to stay with Ducati, convinced by Audi promises to overcome the Italian factory’s technical problems with a combination of German cash and engine technology, America’s only MotoGP World Champion from the four-stroke era, Nicky Hayden, could be off the factory team -- that is if Britain’s Cal Cruthlow, currently fifth in the series with the satellite Tech3 Yamaha team, accepts the Ducati offer that he has been studying for a month. However, it seems that negotiations have gone quiet between Crutchlow and Ducati. Everything is on hold until the Rossi question is settled.
But why would Ducati, especially if Rossi is leaving, even think of replacing the rider who has consistently been quicker than Rossi in 80% of the official practice sessions? If Rossi goes, a Hayden-Crutchlow team would make sense and if Rossi stays, it would seem wise to keep the band together.
However, if Rossi opts to put together a sponsorship package with, perhaps, Monster, (or is subsidized by Dorna) to enter the factory Yamaha team, the odd man out would be America’s most recent Superbike World Champion, Ben Spies.
Spies' season has been severely disappointing. Some races have been spoiled by bad luck (a broken sub-frame on one occasion and, in the most recent race at Mugello, food poisoning) but, after nine Grands Prix, the Texan is ranked just tenth, 119 points back of teammate Jorge Lorenzo and last among the four Yamaha riders, consistently beaten by satellite Tech3 Yamaha riders Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow.
Yamaha’s Lin Jarvis has recently seemed supportive of Ben, but prior to the season he said that Yamaha expected Spies to win races and be on the podium consistently. Ben has, for whatever reasons, underperformed.
But letting a young talent like Spies go or trying to send him back to the Tech3 team would be the sort of move that could come back to haunt Yamaha for many years, because if Spies were suddenly on the market, some very imaginative 'satellite' teams could be formed with Ben on full factory equipment.
Grand Prix of The France
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