Crivile To Aprilia !!!!!!!!

[f2001]

Former 125cc and 500cc world champ has signed for the Aprilia 4-stoke squad, he will be partnered by McWilliams !!!

[Winther]

CriWilliams
Great hope they will get a good team.
And best of wishes.

[pink69]

Hopefully Criville will get back to winning races now. Good breack for McWilliams too. Who will take Alex's seat at Honda?

[gomick]

think the rossi team and repsol team will merge and become one - repsol possibly pulling out - dont know about ukawa's future - think katoh is coming to 500's aboard new honda.....

[gomick]

good news for criville and mcwilliams - does that mean that harada is riding 250's again.....thought i heard 250 aprilia factory support being withdrawn , where would that leave melandri - or maybe it was factory honda....

[f1manoz]

IMO it was time for Criville to leave. Being at Honda post-Doohan was like being at Benetton post-TGF, a good bike/car but the driver/rider is that finishing ingredient and the Repsol Honda team just haven't done a good job of it lately. And with Criville leaving, Repsol will probably lose interest and pull out unless another Spaniard is put on that bike. Perhaps Ukawa and Katoh will be the riders there next year?

Good news for McWilliams. Perenially under-rated and I can't believe how old the guy is and he's still as quick as those young guys? Shows that when it comes down to it, age means nothing. Although he'd better not fall as much next year as he has this year.

[f2001]

right to simplify things...

Crivile- Aprilia
McWilliams- Aprilia
Katho- Honda (unfortunatly on the NSR)
Harada- Aprilia 250
Melandri- Aprilia 250

Its the Telefonica Honda team that are pulling out from 250s (works squad)

[f2001]

oh and Ukawa i think will be Rossi's team mate plus the Resol sponcership will go to Aprilia...

[gomick]

just heard that harada is in line for a shell advance v4 , what the hell did they ever get rid of ant west for

[asha]

I have never heard such utter nonsense!!!!
McWilliams is not going to be on the 4 stroke next year!!!
Where are you getting your info from????
I was at the track today (saturday 13 Phillip Island)
And during a autograph session J McWilliams was asked what he was doing next year, and he said "sure I'd like too (be on the 4)..I dont know.. nothing is decided"


stick that in your pipe!

[Winther]

And I cannot find any confirmation on Criville either?!
Is he not going to the Antenna3 team??
They need as Spanish rider to keep their sponsor.

[f2001]

errr....obviously mcwilliams would say that to the press and ****, and criville to aprilia is in the MCN sport, dunno if they sell it in Oz.

[Gerrit]

Latest is that Criville will NOT be on an Aprilia. There have been negotiations between Repsol and Aprilia, but these have apparently been ended. Aprilia demanded 12 million Marks from Repsol, but Repsol's final offer of 3 million Marks was rejected as totally insufficient. Repsol's prior negotiations with HRC collapsed for a similar reason, HRC's greed. HRC got $4 million this year for sponsoring Ukawa, Criville and Rossi, on NSRs, but for next year HRC demanded no less than $12 million from Repsol. So what would Repsol be getting for those extra 8 million? Guess what- ONE rider on the RC211V. For those extra 8 million one could get SIX NSRs. Which is a better deal for a sponsor- six NSRs or one RC? And not only that, but Repsol would no longer have ANY say in who got an HRC ride. No sponsor will accept that arrogant treatment. It looks like both HRC and Aprilia are trying to get sponsors to subsidize their new four-stroke habit. But will spending three to four times as much suddenly increase Repsol's sales of motorcycle oils threefold or even fourfold? How likely is that? Sponsors are businessmen first and foremost, and they quite rightly expect a return on their investment. All that extra money won't get them that return.

[asha]

My only real objection is that the lack of references and sources, if its just a rumour say so or else tell us when this info comes from!
That way nobody will blame anyone for being wrong.
I like talking rubbish as much as the next person, but we got to admitt it if what we say is a bit questionable.

As far as J McWilliams future is concerned, i can understand why you may think that he may just be "press-talking"
but I SAW HIS EYES when he said it!! He didn't look to hopeful
J McWilliams knows that he only has one or two seasons left, that's a pretty tough reality to face for any sportsman.

[Gerrit]

Asha, the figures I quoted above for the Repsol/Honda and Repsol/Aprilia deals come from Günter Wiesinger, editor of the Swiss/German magazine "Motor Sport Aktuell", a usually very well-informed source. They are not in dispute. Criville is out, period, except for a small possibility that he might join Antenna 3 next year. But HRC are threatening that if he rides for somebody else, he won't get his championship winning NSR. For whatever reason, HRC are treating him like dirt, not even providing transport for him to and from Motegi circuit. He had to ride with the Suzuki squad. Pretty shabby treatment, wouldn't you agree?

[Winther]

What is wrong with them??
He won a championship for them.
He has ridden for Honda for a long time and up until now done a quite good job under the circumstances he is under.
Damm Honda, the name MotoGP does not aply, it is called the Honda Championship.
A monopoly in many respects, sometimes it stinks.

[Gerrit]

All the manufacturers and Dorna agreed to the four-stroke rules before presenting them to the FIM, but there is little doubt that HRC are the driving force behind them. Honda have always been anti two-stroke, and they only build (and race) them if there is no alternative. Incidentally, has any of you noticed that the 10 kg weight penalty which was originally to be awarded to oval-piston engined bikes has been dropped at HRC's insistence? And guess who are the only ones with oval piston experience......

[asha]

Oh I totally agree!! Criville has been treated being treated "Pretty shabby" (understatement!!) to say the least!

And I can believe what has been said about him getting a lift to the track from Suzuki becuase on Australian TV we saw a holiday interview (on a boat on Sydney Harbour just before the Aust.GP) with the Suzuki team and Criville tagged along with them. Which I thought was kinda strange at the time.

Criville was SO depressed then (now), as he has been for the last 18 months, I really think he can't ride anymore. I personally think if he keeps going he will hurt himself! Maybe he need not retire but just have a year off, and come back for one more season???

As far as Antenna3 goes?? they are going to be looking for a new rider? But Alex C seems to have his heart on a 4 stoke next season. So I really think its over for him. Maybe the question will be asked of Abe at the end of the year too (or the next).

If I was a team manager I wouldn't hire Criville, I'd get one of the fast young guys like Ant West! or some of the Japanese guys...
But I guess they want a spanish rider..Nieto??

Speaking of spanish riders Sete has such a good attitude at the moment. He is talking to everyone, never a bad word about the bike, a sponsors dream...if only he could do the business??! But I reckon if he keeps his attitude in the right frame he could do real well.

[f1manoz]

Originally posted by asha
Speaking of spanish riders Sete has such a good attitude at the moment. He is talking to everyone, never a bad word about the bike, a sponsors dream...if only he could do the business??! But I reckon if he keeps his attitude in the right frame he could do real well.

It's amazing what a little thing called confidence gives a person.

[moto1]

You must be mad believing what you read in more **** news (mcn)!!!!
The whole paper is made up of lies and hear-say!

[3M_chix]

So does anyone really know where Criville is riding next year?

~Sarah

[f2001]

if u think about it Honda wasted all them millions on the RC211V, and they probably will not use it, Grand Prix's are history...

seems Superbikes are the way now

[Gerrit]

There is no way HRC and Yamaha will NOT race the RC211V and M1. Honda especially have put everything they could in getting the rules twisted to allow valved horrors double displacement, and they desperately want to win with it. There is too much prestige at stake here. Rossi has so far refused to commit to the RC, stating that HE will decide and only after testing proves it to be superior to the NSR. HRC could, and no doubt will, rig those tests.
Goto, the designer of the Sauber, is convinced that a four-stroke will win the title next year, but I'm not so sure. Next season, I will be supporting everybody on two-strokes, even Il Mafioso Capirossi (how low can one sink to support HIM?) if it means a two-stroke will win.
As for Criville, there is still a VERY slim chance that he will join Antenna 3, but I think he will retire.

[Alan Jones]

On the subject of Criville, he should call it a day and get out while he still has a little respect in the paddock. Let's be honest here, the only time he really looked like a threat was when he followed Mick around anyway

[Winther]

Well he followed him.
And sometimes even won.
Was a Champ leader until Phillip Island in 97 or 98??
Cannot remember which it was
He is a very very fast rider if everything clicks for him.
And I would hate if he should retire on a such low end, somehow I think he deserves better than that.