Rossi on Bridgestone

[Maido]

Rossi On Bridgestones & In Separate Garage In '08
by staff
Sunday, November 04, 2007
This just in from Yamaha:

Sunday, 4th November 2007
Valencia, Spain

FIAT YAMAHA TEAM FINALISES 2008 LINE-UP


Following the conclusion of the 2007 season, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd and Yamaha Motor Racing Srl are pleased to be able to confirm the final line-up of their 2008 Factory Team.

Seven-time World Champion Valentino Rossi and two-time 250cc World Champion Jorge Lorenzo will contest the 2008 MotoGP World Championship as team-mates in the Fiat Yamaha Team.

Yamaha can also confirm its plan to run Valentino Rossi on Bridgestone tyres in 2008, while Jorge Lorenzo will be racing with Michelin tyres.

In order to facilitate the use of both Michelin tyres and Bridgestone tyres within the Yamaha Factory Team and to ensure confidentiality of data for each tyre company, Yamaha will organize separate rider pit boxes, but the Fiat Yamaha Team will continue to operate and race as one team.

ENDS


This is very sad
The Michelin have one bad season after DOMINATING motogp since the 4 stroke era and he gets all sad, shows how much loyalty is around. I hope Michelin pull out a super compound next year!

[Cajun]

hahaha yeah would really screw him up, if the michelins come on strong next year, only time will tell.

[onearmedbandit]

Sad? Loyalty? It's about money and winning.

[quallman1234]

Sad? Loyalty? It's about money and winning.

+1
If the tyres are not performing up to standard why would you race on them for another season?
Rossi Needs the best tools because he is a top runner.

[Maido]

+1
If the tyres are not performing up to standard why would you race on them for another season?
Rossi Needs the best tools because he is a top runner.

true, but I was looking at the angle that michelin have consistantly delivered great tyres to him up until this year, I think it would be funny if next year Pedrosa walked all over the top of both rossi and stoner! and even funnier if Rossi's next year team mate, Lorenzo, beat Rossi in the championship as he will still be running Michelins!! Time will tell.

[jahrasti]

One would think that Rossi would know if michelin had made any improvements coming into next year, so would be on a position to decide if he would stay on that rubber or jump ship and obviously he jumped ship.

[NZsarge]

Sad? Loyalty? It's about money and winning.

This is true but for Fiat Yamaha it surely must be anti productive in the end...

[speed63]

Go Vale

[MVnut]

Go Vale

Damn straight Vale

[pritch]

The Michelin have one bad season after DOMINATING motogp since the 4 stroke era and he gets all sad, shows how much loyalty is around. I hope Michelin pull out a super compound next year!

That's pretty tough. The boy only has a year or two left so he can't wait around.

Events have moved on though, the tyre rule has changed again. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a level playing field, we could get lots of close racing.

[Cleve]

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a level playing field, we could get lots of close racing.

ummm weren't other riders also on Bridgestones but Stoner still wasted them? There was closer racing in the mid field...

[steved]

Vale is coming across as a whining baby IMO.

The Michelins are not that bad and are improving and will at least equal the Bridgestones next year. For him to demand to jump ship and split a garage (literally) down tyre lines is ludicrous.

[BarBender]

Go Vale Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[onearmedbandit]

Vale is coming across as a whining baby IMO.

The Michelins are not that bad and are improving and will at least equal the Bridgestones next year. For him to demand to jump ship and split a garage (literally) down tyre lines is ludicrous.

Was it solely a 'Rossi' decision though? Did Yamaha themselves play a part? Burgess? Rossi's manager?

[steved]

Was it solely a 'Rossi' decision though? Did Yamaha themselves play a part? Burgess? Rossi's manager?

I don't know. Jorge is going to be on Michelins, as is the pilot team. For Rossi to think that he'll do better on Bridgestones is a big risk, and a pretty impetuous decision. He'll be the only rider on the bike/tyre combination, first season with the combination, no data for any track, twice as much testing for Yamaha etc. Lots and lots of unknowns.

Chance of victory = lower. I would say this is a stupid decision by a great rider.