MotoGP News
Date: 16/August/2012
Indianapolis on Thursday saw MotoGP hero Valentino Rossi face the media for the first time since announcing he will split from Ducati and return to Yamaha next season.
Trumpeted as an all-Italian dream team, the Rossi-Ducati partnership has been troubled from the start, leaving MotoGP’s most successful rider with just two podiums in 27 races.
At 33 years old, and with no clear signs of progress, Rossi has decided to cut his losses and return to Yamaha, the manufacturer whose MotoGP fortunes he helped transform from 2004 to 2010.
Rossi said: “This is a great pity for me, for Ducati and for all of our fans. An Italian rider with an Italian bike - unfortunately it didn’t happen.
“These two seasons have been very difficult and we are struggling very much. We were not able to improve our speed, our performance and fight for a good position.
“I chose [to go back to Yamaha] because I want a more competitive bike for the next two years, which may be the end of my career, or the last part anyway.
“I need a bike to enjoy racing, I have to try to fight and to arrive happy at the racetrack.”
Reflecting on his time at Ducati, Rossi admitted that same problems have existed since day one.
“The reality is that I was never fast from the first test to now. Unfortunately, together with Ducati, we were not able to improve the bike and to fix the problems that the bike has.”
One of the greatest riders in the history of motorcycle grand prix, and certainly the most popular, the nine time world champion is now openly questioning his own ability as he prepares to re-join Jorge Lorenzo at Yamaha.
Rossi said: “The next two seasons will be hard, especially trying to beat Jorge, because now he's very, very fast.
“Jorge has become stronger than when I was with him at Yamaha from 2008-2010. And he is riding the M1 at an incredible level, without any mistakes. So it's a question mark for me, I don't know if I will be at Lorenzo’s level.
“For now, another world title is a dream. First we have to understand if I'm still a top rider, if I'm still fast, and if I can still fight for the podium. Because after two seasons like this, nobody knows.”
Lorenzo, currently leading the 2012 championship, insisted he is pleased to have Rossi back - despite a tense relationship between them during their earlier Yamaha partnership.
Lorenzo, who won the 2010 title for Yamaha, said: “It's a big pleasure to be team-mate with Valentino again. I have a lot of respect for him. For me, everything is positive.
“Maybe one of my challenges will be to beat Valentino next year, but it's not the main one. The main one is to again be world champion this year and for the next two years.”
But Rossi’s decision received a more critical review from Ducati’s former champion Casey Stoner.
Stoner said: “I’m not surprised Rossi’s going back to Yamaha. After two years like this it must be difficult, must be a little bit embarrassing. Rossi needs to understand if he's still competitive, so it makes sense to go back to a bike that he knows he was last fast with.”
Stoner, the reigning champion for Honda, is the only person to achieve real success with Ducati since 2006.
It what will be seen as a further dig at Rossi, the Australian stated that the key to mastering the Italian bike is to put pride to one side.
Stoner said: “I think it's nothing to do with riding style. It's pride. No matter how you think a bike should be ridden, you basically have to give the pride up and ride it how it wants to be ridden.”
Rossi is expected to be replaced at Ducati by countryman Andrea Dovizioso and, despite his departure, insists the factory has a bright future following its recent acquisition by Audi.
Rossi said: “I think that in the future things will change a lot in Ducati, because Audi will arrive with a lot of money, but especially a lot of experience, a lot of technical help.
“So good luck to Dovizioso and especially to Ducati, to achieve better results than during these last two seasons.”
Practice for the Indianapolis Grand Prix takes place on Friday.
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