MCN are reporting that Rossi to Ducati is a done deal

frostie500

The front cover of todays MCN reports that Valentino Rossi will ride for Ducati next season replacing Casey Stoner who has long been linked with a return to Honda.

I am absolutely shocked that Yamaha would let the greatest rider of all time leave them when he only has a few years left of racing. Yamaha had the chance to get Vale to replace Ago as their global ambassador for the next 50 years but with Rossi moving to Ducati(and presumably ending his career in Bologna) he will be remembered as a Ducati rider and his Yamaha days will just be part of a magnificent career.

By all accounts Rossi was offered a deal of 9 million by Yamaha, due to financial constraints from Japan they claimed to be unable to pay him the 14 million he currently earns. Rossi was happy to accept this deal according to paddock insiders until he found out that Yamaha had offered Lorenzo 8 million (a 5 million increase, coincidently the same amount that Yamaha wanted Rossi to leave on the table.) Vale has never been one to appear to make cash his sole objective from racing-he hasnt lived in a tax haven(although there was the massive fine in Italy!) and rightly would have wanted his deal to reflect his position in the sports history.

For Yamaha to lose Rossi for the next 50 years because of 10 million over two or three years is crazy. The deal could see Rossi become the first rider to win titles on three different makes of bikes

De Hipster

I imagine monetary amounts went 'off the scale' in this deal.

frostie500

De Hipster wrote: »

I imagine monetary amounts went 'off the scale' in this deal.

I wouldn't be surprised if Vale took a similar offer of flat cash from Ducati but the deal will have incentive related clauses-titles, race wins etc. Rossi is a historian of the sport and has always been very keen to be unique as shown by his move to the then struggling Yamaha in 04.

It also wouldn't be too surprising to see Rossi doing a lot more rallying in FIAT's (possibly the IRC) and there was talk in the past of a Le Mans deal so with Ducati's close links to Ferrari he could be racing at La Sarthe in the next few years.

Rossi didn't tolerate HRC slapping him across the face and saying that it was the bike that won titles not the rider, HRC have only won one title since Vale left in 03 and it will be interesting to see how Yamaha do without Rossi developing the bike. Lorenzo is an incredible rider but he has never had to develop a bike-Derbi in 125, Honda(same bike as Pedrosa) and Aprilia in 250s-so I'm intrigued to see how he does the next few years.

battycow

I thought the fact that Ducati are Italian that Rossi would love to finish his career with them, and getting away from Lorenzo who he has made quite clear he doesn't like is a bonus.

EvilMonkey

Casey Stoner to join Honda in 2011 confirmed

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/85093