We thought that silly season had died down with Valentino Rossi out of action, and everyone involved was now finally working quietly behind the scenes, but apparently we were wrong, because Spanish website motocuatro.
com citing RTVE MotoGP commentator and journo Ernesto Riveras, has revealed that Ducati is making an aggressive move towards Valentino Rossi and offering a blank cheque to have him on the red bike in 2011.
Naturally we’re taking this rumuor with a bushel of salt (sportmediaset docet) because Marlboro has renewed their contract with Ducati only till the end of 2012 (instead of the usually 4 or 5 years) so money may be tight, but it’s true that Ducati is worried about their star rider, Casey Stoner.
Last year he had “mysterious” health issues and missed three races and this year the Aussie just isn’t gelling with the GP10, he’s been constantly under par with problems that Ducati has so far unable to solve permanently and without forgetting that Stoner may have really signed a pre-contract with Honda.
Valentino Rossi has already announced ad nauseaum that he wants to stay in Yamaha, but his broken leg that ended his championship title hopes has changed the balance not only for viewers, but also inside Yamaha.
Lin Jarvis has insisted that he wants to keep both of his riders, but can Rossi accept another year alongside Lorenzo, that until Rossi’s crash at the Mugello was beating him on the same equipment?Only a few months more and we’ll know where everyone is going, but I’d like to share what Filippo Preziosi said at Fuori Giri post race show on Sunday, the Italian engineer jokingly said that they wouldn’t mind having Jeremy Burgess with them and if he wants to, he can bring Valentino with him.