Marco Melandri off to WSBK

[denill]

MotoGP contracts – Riders
2011 season:
Valentino Rossi - Ducati Marlboro until the end of 2012.
Nicky Hayden - Ducati Marlboro until end of 2012.
Casey Stoner - "A factory Honda rider in next year’s (2011) MotoGP World Championship".
Dani Pedrosa - Factory Honda rider until the end of 2012.
Ben Spies - Factory Yamaha rider until the end of 2011.
Alvaro Bautista - Rizla Suzuki until the end of 2011.
Marco Simoncelli - Thought to have a contract with HRC until end of 2011.
Karel Abraham - Will ride a Ducati for his father's new Cardion AB MotoGP team.
Cal Crutchlow - Tech 3 Yamaha until the end of 2012.
Marco Melandri - Sterilgarda Yamaha in WSBK in 2011.

2010 season:
Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha until end of 2010.
Jorge Lorenzo - Fiat Yamaha until end of 2010.
Casey Stoner - Ducati Marlboro until end of 2010.
Nicky Hayden - Ducati Marlboro until end of 2010.
Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Honda until end of 2010.
Andrea Dovizioso - Repsol Honda until end of 2010 "with options to extend for 2011".
Colin Edwards - Tech 3 until end of 2010.
Ben Spies - Yamaha for 2010 and 2011.
Loris Capirossi - Rizla Suzuki until end of 2010.
Alvaro Bautista - Rizla Suzuki for 2010 and 2011.
Marco Melandri - Honda Gresini until end of 2010.
Marco Simoncelli - Honda Gresini until end of 2010 (but thought to have a contract with Honda until end of 2011).
Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing until end of 2010.
Aleix Espargaro - Pramac Racing until end of 2010.
Randy de Puniet - LCR Honda MotoGP until end of 2010.
Hiroshi Aoyama - Interwetten Honda MotoGP until end of 2010.
Hector Barbera - Paginas Amarillas Aspar until end of 2010.

MotoGP contracts - Team title sponsors
Fiat - Signed with the Factory Yamaha MotoGP team until the end of 2010.
Marlboro - Signed with the Factory Ducati MotoGP team until end of 2011 (extended until end of 2012 - source GPWeek).
Repsol - Signed with the Factory Honda MotoGP team until the end of 2010.
Rizla - Signed with the Factory Suzuki MotoGP team for 2010 and 2011.
Monster - Signed with Tech 3 Yamaha until the end of 2010.
San Carlo - Signed with Honda Gresini until the end of 2010.
Paginas Amarillas - Signed with Aspar Ducati until the end of 2010.

[denill]

Pedrosa will be team-mate to Casey Stoner next year, but HRC's aim of a three-rider 'super team' in 2011 seems to have been forgotten and Pedrosa's team-mate for the last two seasons, Andrea Dovizioso, is likely to be demoted to the Honda Gresini squad next season.

[denill]

Massimo Meregalli & Jeremy Burgess?

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2010/Sep/100930c.htm

[denill]

Around The Paddock: Updates On 2011

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2010/Sep/100930b.htm

[roogazza]

Pedrosa will be team-mate to Casey Stoner next year, but HRC's aim of a three-rider 'super team' in 2011 seems to have been forgotten and Pedrosa's team-mate for the last two seasons, Andrea Dovizioso, is likely to be demoted to the Honda Gresini squad next season.

I read somewhere Dovi had something in his contract that ensured works bikes if he finished in a certain position, but yeah probably to Gresini but with the good stuff. Bill ?

Oh and tracy will be Pedrosas No. 2 ? haha whatd'ya reckon huh , huh ? Sorry couldn't resist that. G

[denill]

I read somewhere Dovi had something in his contract that ensured works bikes if he finished in a certain position, but yeah probably to Gresini but with the good stuff. Bill ?

Yeah, I read his minimum target to keep his seat was 5th.

Oh and tracy will be Pedrosas No. 2 ? haha whatd'ya reckon huh , huh ? Sorry couldn't resist that. G

Well, we'll wait and see how it pans. The match up of the dacade would have been - Rossi & Stoner on the same bikes..................

[roogazza]

Well, we'll wait and see how it pans. The match up of the dacade would have been - Rossi & Stoner on the same bikes..................

Nah, Rossis all washed up, haven't you heard Crasher ? lol
Just making tentative plans for my next trip, I must buy a red T shirt ! G.

[Mental Trousers]

Tom Sykes needs a new manager. He's been getting bum rushed the last couple of years. He got over shadowed by Ben Spies at Yamaha, they ditched him and now it's looking like he's going to lose his ride with Paul Bird and end up in satelitte Pedecini team after helping Kawasaki develop the new weapon. Such a shame cos he's one of the smoothest riders on the grid and a real pleasure to watch.

[NZsarge]

Tom Sykes needs a new manager. He's been getting bum rushed the last couple of years. He got over shadowed by Ben Spies at Yamaha, they ditched him and now it's looking like he's going to lose his ride with Paul Bird and end up in satelitte Pedecini team after helping Kawasaki develop the new weapon. Such a shame cos he's one of the smoothest riders on the grid and a real pleasure to watch.

Sykes was on fire that last round of WSBK, was awesome watching him crest the hill mid corner and watching the bike drift sideways, he was really ringing the tits off that Kwaka.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Nah, Rossis all washed up, haven't you heard Crasher ? lol

Hahaha...I wouldn't say washed up. Just badly beaten up. By the ground AND his own team mate. Oh...and the odd satelite rider along the way. Something Stoner has NEVER had happen.

[denill]

German magazine Speed Week is reporting that BMW's World Superbike team manager Davide Tardozzi has been sacked ahead of this weekend's Magny-Cours season finale!

The Italian, who made a shock split from Ducati at the end of last season, has overseen BMW's first podiums and pole, but Speed Week says he was sacked after Imola and has been banned from this weekend's race.

The reason for such drastic action is not given, but Tardozzi has been linked with Yamaha's WSBK team for 2011, since present Sterilgarda team manager Massimo meregalli is expected to head the Ben Spies side of the factory Yamaha MotoGP team next year.

But there is more...

The non-German BMW mechanics are threatening to strike this weekend over a lack of pay - apparently withheld because they have not visited the BMW team HQ often enough - and the fact that at present they have no firm word on contracts for 2011.

BMW recently announced that 2010 WSBK runner-up Leon Haslam will join Troy Corser at the team next season, in place of Ruben Xaus.

[slowpoke]

German magazine Speed Week is reporting that BMW's World Superbike team manager Davide Tardozzi has been sacked ahead of this weekend's Magny-Cours season finale!

The Italian, who made a shock split from Ducati at the end of last season, has overseen BMW's first podiums and pole, but Speed Week says he was sacked after Imola and has been banned from this weekend's race.

The reason for such drastic action is not given, but Tardozzi has been linked with Yamaha's WSBK team for 2011, since present Sterilgarda team manager Massimo meregalli is expected to head the Ben Spies side of the factory Yamaha MotoGP team next year.

But there is more...

The non-German BMW mechanics are threatening to strike this weekend over a lack of pay - apparently withheld because they have not visited the BMW team HQ often enough - and the fact that at present they have no firm word on contracts for 2011.

BMW recently announced that 2010 WSBK runner-up Leon Haslam will join Troy Corser at the team next season, in place of Ruben Xaus.

Hmmmm, ya gotta wonder at the smarts within the BMW camp. Tardozzi has got probably the most successful record in WSB and Ducati seem to have gone backwards without him. From another article I read it sounds like BMW want to do things their way rather than Tardozzi's way hence the split. It's a big call for BMW to ignore Tradozzi's advice.

[denill]

Valentino Rossi has finally been given the go-ahead to test for Ducati immediately after the final round at Valencia.

Reports in the Italian press state that Ducati will present Rossi with one screamer engine and one big-bang engine to try at Valencia – just as Yamaha did when he moved from Honda.

Ducati switched its 800cc Desmosedici from screamer to big-bang at the start of this season.

Air Asia will replace FIAT as Yamaha's 2011 title sponsor, when Ben Spies will ride alongside new MotoGP champ Jorge Lorenzo.

[javawocky]

Air Asia will replace FIAT as Yamaha's 2011 title sponsor, when Ben Spies will ride alongside new MotoGP champ Jorge Lorenzo.

Mmm, Air Asia seam to have Red colours so its a colour swap.

[slowpoke]

The biggest suprise to me is Crutchlow off to MotoGP. He's had his moments but I don't think he was anywhere near good/consistent enough to justify a MotoGP seat.