Do I hear a wall being built in the Yamaha garage?

[EvilSteve]

In theory yes, let the points speak for themselves but Rossi plays any way he needs to in order to win. This is just one of his tactics.

[Jester]

/snip   Wall wise, now that Rossi is being challenged, I'm sure he feels somewhat disinclined to share any setup information with the other side of the pit. 

According to some return sniping from Yorgie, Rossi was using his race settings the morning of, when he and Burgess were unable to rectify certain issues.

I believe I've seen that Yamaha uses the open door policy with the sharing of setup, and nothing wrong with that at all, but its definately not Rossi getting it completely right all the time.

I think Rossi deserves #1 status due to his history and work with Yamaha, but nobody is perfect.

[EvilSteve]

I agree, I think Rossi should be #1 until Youreghey actually wins the title, then there could be some discussion. Until then, STFU.

[gm2]

I agree, I think Rossi should be #1 until Youreghey actually wins the several titles, then there could be some discussion. Until then, STFU.

[ducpainter]

 

[OT]

 

Rossi may never get used to the cultural oddities of the Japanese (Yamaha and Honda) and how that affects the ways he's treated.....it's a pretty tightly wound culture where they might not see Rossi or Lorenzo as much more than 'highly specialized and talented employees' and can't understand all the ego-driven behavior.

Perhaps Rossi should join forces with KR and Foggy and run his own team...

[EvilSteve]

I don't know that you can do a comparison between what Rossi is and what Youreghey will become or what Rossi has accomplished and what Youreghey might (to put it another way). If Yourghey wins next year (I'm backing Stoner - there's a surprise!) and Rossi isn't close then why would the factory wait? Rossi's nearing the end of his career. What he has done doesn't mean that he'll win again, what he is defines his status in the team. Right now, he's still the best in the world, next year that might not be the case.

Now, go ahead and attack semantics if you want but the team needs to focus on what's best for the team, if Youreghey is getting better results, it serves the team and Yamaha to put him first and not wait until Youreghey has managed to even approach one of the greatest riders of all time.

[Jester]

What's best for Yamaha as a racing team would be to keep Lorenzo and Spies on the factory team next year and let Rossi go.  From a marketing standpoint, its really difficult, but for the long run you keep the young 20 somethings and its time for Rossi to close out his career with the challenge of creating a Ducati everyone can win on.

Who knows.  In the end Rossi may stay a few more years and Lorenzo bolts.  I could see the top four doing a bit of a merry go round next year anyway.

[gm2]

creating a Ducati everyone can win on.

that's the magic bullet right there.  they don't just want the italian superstar GOAT, they want rossi + burgess.  those two are batting a thousand on developing championship winning machines.  and just a few months ago the desmo was being called the 'career killer'; even rookies with a chance to enter the series were turning it down.

so you give one of rossi's buddies suppo's job, turn in an expense request to phillip morris for several gajillion dollars, and go after them with guns blazing hoping... begging.. for them to win you an italian-italian championship but, almost more importantly, turn their disaster of a bike into the next RC211V or M1.

[EvilSteve]

I'm not understanding why you think getting Spies on the factory team & letting Rossi goes makes sense? I mean, right now, Spies is the definition of unproven and Rossi just won the championship. Not to mention that I'm not sure (no one outside the factory is sure I would say) how much Lorenzo contributes to development, sames goes for Spies. In Spies' case, what bike do you end up with if you let the WSBK guy develop it? I really don't think that it follows to exchange Rossi for Spies until Rossi is on a downward trend in terms of results or at least The Ben is on an upward trend. If The Ben is beating CE2 consistently next year in qualifying and results then that would be an upward trend in my mind.

As far as letting Rossi go to Ducati, that really doesn't seem like a great idea for Yamaha. Even if he doesn't win the title next year, letting someone of his talent and skill go to a competitor who already wins a lot of races in favor of Spies seems a little foolhardy to me.

[Cider]

As far as letting Rossi go to Ducati, that really doesn't seem like a great idea for Yamaha.

Agreed.  I think it would be a big mistake for Yamaha.  It would be great for us, though, as Rossi would most likely go on a quest to destroy Yamaha.  I don't have anything against Yamaha, but I think that would make for an exciting season!

[derby]

Agreed.  I think it would be a big mistake for Yamaha.  It would be great for us, though, as Rossi would most likely go on a quest to destroy Yamaha.  I don't have anything against Yamaha, but I think that would make for an exciting season!

rossi sounds like he's actually happy at yamaha. i doubt it'd be like his quest to destroy honda.

[Cider]

rossi sounds like he's actually happy at yamaha. i doubt it'd be like his quest to destroy honda.

If Yamaha dropped him in favor of Spies, you don't think he'd be highly motivated to win on another bike?  I dunno, it just seems like him.

[derby]

If Yamaha dropped him in favor of Spies, you don't think he'd be highly motivated to win on another bike?  I dunno, it just seems like him.

probably, i just don't see that happening*.

i think rossi is going to stay put unless something drastic happens. you just don't let a guy like that go. you definitely don't push him into your rival's garage.

if things go like last time when contract season comes around, i wouldn't at all be surprised to see lorenzo jump ship. he's already played the "i want more money or i'll leave" card**, yamaha has already said "this is what we're going to pay you, take it or leave it," and rossi has already said "him or me."

* then again, it still amazes me that ferrari somehow justified pushing schumacher out the door when he obviously still "had it."

** and he stayed... probably a good move on his part to stay on the m1, but he won't be able to play that card again.

[Speeddog]

Wall is now semi-official?

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/156560/1/rossi_and_lorenzo_stop_sharing_data.html