Valentino Rossi - Will he or Wont he?

[jhansen]

Valentino Rossi has lost a second consecutive world title. In 2006 it was a very determined and consistent Nicky Hayden that took the title while Rossi and Yamaha made several miscues. This year Casey Stoner rode like a champion and made good use of the Ducati-Bridgestone combination. Meanwhile, Rossi again made a few errors and suffered through the Yamaha-Michelin package.

The situation somewhat reminds me of one Michael Schumacher, who lost consecutive titles to a much younger and hungrier Fernando Alonso. Yes, TGF did make a valiant effort in 2006, but ultimately never won another championship and is now retired.

So the question is, will Valentino Rossi win another title, or are his days of winning titles now over? There is a poll set up, but please give us your reasoning if you would please.

[GTRMagic]

The problem with the current results of Mr Rossi was the history before it...

Taking the previously unloved Yamaha, with all its fleas, to 2 world titles was amazing... when it clearly wasnt the best bike out there, only operated by the best rider/engineering group...

When the competition hotted up, and Yamaha were forced to lift their development game to suit... the bike failed... or the rider had to push like blazes to keep up... and miscued from overriding.

All the while the Bridgestone competitiveness became stronger and stronger.

With Mr Rossi's alleged impending switch to Bridgestone... one more factor has been commonised across the hot bikes... a pseudo control tyre of sorts.

Lets see what will happen.... but to discount Mr Rossi is doing him a disservice...

[Knowlesy]

Rallying. Cos Toby Moody sed so.


Seriously, he may as well go and do it. He has nothing left to prove in MotoGP save for getting his butt kicked by superior bikes.

[Gerben24]

This poll is unfair!!! He will become champion again on a Yamaha .

Let's hope Yamaha do not build a superior bike, as Honda had when VR was riding with them. THAT was boring!

Seriously tho, when he leaves Motogp he will leave a big void. Let's hope Lorenzo will get the chance to continue his post-race performances (although I hope he'll lose his arrogant side). I want riders like Hayden, Elias and West at the front, cause they are exciting on AND off the track (which can not be said off current frontrunners ). It has to be said, West has been behaving well since he's riding the Kwakker.

[agosling]

I think it is only going to get worse for Rossi, he has had a fairly easy run for most of his 500/MotoGP career, in fact to me he has never proven himself against consistently strong competition or against adversity. Compare him to Mick Doohan for instance who had to fight back from injuries that would have seen a lesser rider retire. Yes by the end of his career he had mentally destroyed everyone who raced against him, but that was part of what made him so great.

Rossi came into the top class and stepped onto a bike developed by Mick and Jerry to be the best there was. He went to Yamaha when the view of the bike was that it was only a good rider away from winning, it certainly wasn't the dog that alot of people like to portray it as.

Now that there is serious competition that won't be pushed around mentally by him, he is struggling, finding faults with the bike, with the tyres, with whatever else. The Honda was a far worse bike than the Yamaha this year and there were plenty of times that other teams on Bridgestones had problems. The simple fact was that this year, it was Ducati and the way they worked with the Bridgestone that worked the best, and Stoner fitted the way the package worked. Instead of constantly complaining about how bad things were Rossi should have been working to fix things.

Next year Rossi is going to have a teammate who has no respect for him, and will take great pleasure in beating him, Stoner will be strong, Honda will fight back, Suzuki and Kawasaki will continue to develop. Add to that a whole list of new, top quality riders coming up from the 250's. All I can say is that my feeling is that Rossi's glory days are over and I think it is very unlikely, though not impossible, that he will win another championship.

[chunder]

Now comparing Mick with Vale is comparing like for like, the part of Mick's career when he was dominaant he never really had many people to race against!!
You can even argue that he could have won just about every racde from 94 to 98, he pretty much did anyway! The only guy that really put pressure on him was Daryl in 95 and to a lesser extent Criville, but to be honest Mick never really had a rival in those years. However he did have many in the early years, he rode against Kevin the two Waynes, Lawson etc so had to prove himself against those guys, and before his crash was caning them all with a definate bike advantage, but only aafter HRC finally gave in and let Jerry and Mick build the bike instead of letting Digger call the shots still.

Vale inherited Micks team and also after the first year was the HRC number 1 after proving himself in 2000 on a bike that was equal teh Alexs and Taddy.
Again though Vale has not really had a rival since this year. in 96 the bike let hime down too many times, most would agree he was the fastest that year, and this year the Duke and Casey have been a step ahead of everyone. But Vale has still been the ONLY guy to really get near him consistently tiol midseason. OK Dani has done but Dani strikes me as being a Luca or Max, not consistent, all corner speed men are like that.

Dont think Vale will ride a Duke, why would they want to pay him 10mill a year when they can win with Stoner, coz he aint gonna go anywhere!

[jhansen]

I voted no.

It's not that I doubt Rossi's ability, I still think that all things being equal Rossi would come out on top. However, he aint gonna get it done on the Yamaha. The tuning fork seem to think that they can continue on with the inline 4 despite Rossi and Burgess saying otherwise. So that leaves him on the outside looking in till 2009 at which point he'll be hunting for a ride. But would Ducati want him at that point? Maybe, maybe not. Honda again? Couple that uncertainty with another trying year and he may truly be ready for four wheels. Time will tell I suppose.

[FPV GTHO]

I dont know. He's still got plenty of years left if he wants to stick around, but its obvious he wants to move on to something else before its too late. Its also obvious alot of fans still regard him as the best rider on the grid, some see it as a clear distinction.

[williamsf1]

when asked directly " Vale, do you think its possible to ride with Ducati before you retire?" ....

Answer " 100% yes I think it is possible, why not!"


There you go...

2009 3 bike team with Ducati (Stoner,Melandri,Rossi)

[Pro Racer]

yes i think he can do it again he just needs the bike, if thats a Ducati great if not great also, but he hasn't lost the ability at all.

[Gerben24]

Pro Racer!!! How much damage was done during the pictures that you show as your avatar??????????

[Gerben24]

Originally Posted by agosling

Rossi came into the top class and stepped onto a bike developed by Mick and Jerry to be the best there was. He went to Yamaha when the view of the bike was that it was only a good rider away from winning, it certainly wasn't the dog that alot of people like to portray it as.

Have you ridden the bike? Cause I know somebody who has ridden both the 2003 Yamaha Checa rode and the 2004 Yamaha Rossi won the championship with. And trust me the 2003 Yamaha wasn’t the dog you think it was, it was worse. What Burgess and Rossi did during the winter between the 2003 and 2004 was just short of a miracle. The person who rode the 2003 Yamaha didn’t even think Rossi would win ONE race in 2004.

Originally Posted by jhansen

The tuning fork seem to think that they can continue on with the inline 4 despite Rossi and Burgess saying otherwise.

That is where a lot of people are wrong. Rossi has said that indeed, but Burgess doesn’t agree with him. He has said that Rossi and himself have not enough engineering knowledge to make that call. Don’t forget that once Yamaha sorted their bike in 2006 Rossi was able to overtake on pure speed.

There are also a lot of people that think Burgess doesn’t support Rossi to switch to Bridgestone tyres. This is also not true. During the pre show for the Malaysian GP Burgess said that he was looking forward to the challenge, if it going to happen. He said that in 2004 they didn’t have any knowledge either (with the new bike etc) and they also got the job done. So, he doesn’t think it is impossible to be the only Yamaha rider on the Bridgestone tyres.

Personally I don’t care if Rossi becomes champion again or not. As long as he’s able to fight for the title, cause that usually means an entertaining season!

[Pro Racer]

Originally Posted by Gerben24

Pro Racer!!! How much damage was done during the pictures that you show as your avatar??????????

the car on the top of the front craddle just a rear bar, the one on the top rear just a bonnet and front splitter, the one on the bottom front front splitter, bonnet, radiator support and rear bar and maybe a few things behind it aswell, bottom rear car ditto bottom front except for the rear.

[BootsOntheSide]

MotoGP has probably never seen such equality between so many brands of bike. Ducati have finally reached the top. Suzuki are on the up, although a lot now depends on Capirossi adapting to the bike and remaining motivated. Kawasaki are coming on strong, my feeling is that de Puniet did not get the best out of the machine. The performances of Pedrosa and Melandri (especially Marco's, on a poorly-funded under-developed customer bike) show that the Honda wasn't a total dog by mid-season. It could be that the Yamaha/Michelin combination was the worst of the five, although Guintoli did a good job with it on Dunlops.

All things equal, Rossi can probably still be champion, but his peak time might have passed. Stoner, Pedrosa and Lorenzo show little sign of being as over-awed by him as Biaggi and Gibernau were. Rossi wanting to switch to Bridgestone could be a psychological move to unhinge Lorenzo (and leave him having to do more development on his own), rather than necessarily improving his own equipment.

[f1manoz]

These young kids out there nowadays have no fear of Rossi and will certainly not falter at bashing bikes with him.

While there is no doubting Rossi wants another title, is it the case that there are just too many younger, hungrier riders around nowadays?

Is Rossi capable? Of course, with the right equipment, and right now the Yamaha just isn't good enough. Ducati is an option, but now that they have Stoner and Melandri, would they really need to pay Rossi millions to get results they are already getting.

I voted no, he won't win another title. He's already talked of retirement, and if he has a miserable 2008, may just pack up and walk away. He has nothing left to prove.

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

Stoner, Pedrosa and Lorenzo show little sign of being as over-awed by him as Biaggi and Gibernau were.

Stoner I would agree, although it is hard to tell for 100% certainty. Pedrosa, hardly, because as soon as Rossi gets close to him he dives out of the way as if being chased by a nuclear missile. Not sure how you worked Lorenzo out, barring his decision to race in the same team. But we shall see, personally I feel it won't be long until Lorenzo is crying into his leathers next year.

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

Rossi wanting to switch to Bridgestone could be a psychological move to unhinge Lorenzo (and leave him having to do more development on his own), rather than necessarily improving his own equipment.

I suspect it is more to do with wanting a faster bike to compete with. Albeit a bit hysterical, because Michelin look to have improved over the year and should be fighting fit next season.

[mmciau]

Yeah, all you would need for a real buzz in pit row is for Stoner/Ducati to announce they will evaluate the latest Michelin in the off-season!!

Mike