Rossi laughs at Honda rumours, Ducati in 2012

Valentino Rossi has confirmed he will remain with Ducati for the second year of his existing MotoGP contract, in 2012.

Highly-unlikely rumours of an early Ducati split in order to switch back to Honda, the manufacturer Rossi left under something of a cloud at the end of 2003, emerged during the MotoGP summer break.

Those rumours, which seem to have been fuelled by comments from former MotoGP rider Marco Melandri, were rejected by nine-time world champion Rossi at Brno on Thursday.

"I read about something from my new manager, the Superbike rider Marco Melandri, who knows everything about my decision for next year!" laughed Rossi.

"Joking aside, I will race for Ducati next year for sure. It is not in doubt. The contract is signed and the situation is 100 percent fixed. 

"So for sure I will race with Ducati - if Melandri agrees!"

Melandri meanwhile claims he was only joking: 

"Kidding I said Rossi was looking for a Honda and everyone write it all over… Why I have to always [look] like a bad boy? Let me just race," the factory Yamaha WSBK rider wrote on Twitter.

Rossi has taken just one podium from his first ten races as a Ducati rider and is currently fifth in the world championship heading into this weekend's Czech Republic round.

Rossi's team-mate Nicky Hayden also has a Ducati contract for 2012.

'Recharged' Rossi ready for Brno

Valentino Rossi has modest expectations heading into this weekend's Czech Republic MotoGP - a special event for the Italian.

It was at Brno that Rossi took his first ever grand prix win, from his first pole, in the 125cc class in 1996 - then wrapped up the first of his nine world titles at the same circuit the following year.

A five-time Brno winner in the premier-class, Rossi heads for the 2011 event with the simple aim of getting his Ducati closer to the front of the field.

The Doctor finished 30 seconds from victory at the previous US GP.

“After Laguna I took a few days of vacation, at the beach close to home. It was a short break but enough to recharge the batteries following an intense period," said Rossi, whose fifth place in the standings is starting to come under pressure from Yamaha replacement Ben Spies. 

"Now we'll spend a nice mid-August at Brno - classic! Seriously, I'm always happy to go there. I like the track not only because it's very nice, wide and fast, and I've always gone well there, but also because it's a special place for me since it's where I earned my first pole, my first win and my first world championship. 

"During both the race weekend and the Monday test, we'll continue concentrating on the bike's setup, with the goal of reducing the gap to the lead group," concluded the #46, who has taken one podium from his first ten races for Ducati.

Team-mate Nicky Hayden spent part of his summer break at Indy, splitting his time between promotional activities for the upcoming Grand Prix and trying out the new track surface aboard a Ducati 1198 SP.

“It's been a bit of a break, but fortunately not all of it was away from bikes!" said Hayden, who also has one podium so far this year. "On August 5 I had an opportunity to ride a Ducati 1198 SP at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the entire infield section has been resurfaced, from Turn 5 to 16, in order to eliminate the bumps that used to limit our line options. 

"Indy was already a great track, but now it's safer and even more fun. A big thanks to Ducati North America and IMS for all the hard work to make the test possible. 

"I'm ready to get to Brno now. It's a very different circuit to what we've been to for the last two races at the Sachsenring and Laguna Seca. Those are tight with short lap times, and Brno is definitely a big, open track. We know it won't be easy, but we've just got to keep chipping away. 

"It's clear that everybody at Ducati is doing the maximum, so we'll go there and try to get a good result. Obviously the test on Monday will be really important for us. I'll probably just ride the GP11 on the race weekend and then test the new bike on Monday.”

source: crash.net

Valentino Rossi didn’t underestimate Ducati challenge

Valentino Rossi didn't underestimate the size of the challenge to win MotoGP races at Ducati.

But Ducati did underestimate the extent to which rivals Honda would improve in 2011, according to Rossi’s Aussie crew chief Jerry Burgess.

Rossi has struggled to make a major impact at Ducati since he quit Yamaha at the end of 2010 and has managed just one podium finish in the opening 10 races.

Honda meanwhile is enjoying its best season in the 800cc era and it has already won more races in 2011 after 10 rounds than it did in any other season since 2007.

Speaking to MCN, Burgess said: "I think we underestimated what sort of improvement the others could make. Casey has lifted the potential of all the riders on the Honda. Casey has clearly stood up as the fastest and the top rider out there. Barring misfortune he’s going to be very unlucky not to win the championship."

Burgess said Ducati's main difficulty surrounded understanding its innovative carbon fibre chassis concept.

Loris Capirossi told MCN recently that Ducati was already working on a radical future revamp, and he said requests had been submitted for the Desmosedici to feature a conventional aluminium frame.

Burgess added: "You never expect it to be easy and Ducati has gone out on a limb and built a bike that is quite different to everybody else’s in terms of the chassis. There is not a lot of experience and information out there and how it should it work, so we’re getting our head around a lot of that now and without anything from Ducati to compare it with, we’re sort of an in a neutral position. In the past they’ve gone down an avenue that has delivered inconsistent results but it has perhaps not been the ideal way of where it should be.

"I think if you looked at Ducati’s results in its earlier years in MotoGP, there were two guys in Loris and Troy (Bayliss) who were both capable of finishing in the top four. The bike was perhaps closer to the mark then that it is now in terms of relevance to the competition of the day. That was a bike to me that was more rideable. As time went on, somehow we’ve drifted away from the way how I like to go racing and make it so everybody can ride the bike and it is not rider specific."

source: MCN

Valentino Rossi has asked for a Gresini Honda says Marco Melandri

The rumors that the once considered fairy tale marriage between Valentino Rossi and Ducati is heading towards an annulment are growing stronger; especially considering all his struggles in trying to tame the GP11 and 11.1 and despite the Italian saying “Will I stay with Ducati in 2012? I said I think so, meaning that I reckon that staying here is the logical choice.”

The latest gossip was that Rossi was thinking returning to the Honda fold or run his own MotoGP team with the Japanese manufacturer’s bike, but that was more or less pooh-poohed away, but now the soon-to-be-out of a job Marco Melandri has just lent some credibility to that rumor.

“I know that Valentino Rossi has contacted Gresini for a Honda in 2012: all this confirms what I’ve been saying for some time, that the marriage between the” Doctor “and Ducati have the months counted, said Melandri, who had his own personal stormy relationship with Ducati, that included sessions on a psychologist’s couch.

Whether this is just some summer gossip to fill websites remains to be seen, but that second year option in Rossi’s contract may allow him bow out and count his blessings, and try to forget a nightmare season where for the first time since 1996, he hasn’t had a win to add to his legendary statistics.

source : theracingtribune.it

video: Ducati Island Laguna Seca 2011 Pre-race Show

Ducati Island Laguna Seca 2011 Pre-race Show featuring Valentino Rossi

video: My First Valentino Rossi 2011

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Rossi to compare GP11 and GP11.1 in USA

Rossi has made public is frustration with the revised machine and has suggested he would benefit from returning to the original GP11.

Valentino Rossi's wish to return to the Ducati GP11 could be granted as early as this weekend's United States Grand Prix after the team announced it would be taking both it and the revised GP11.1 to Laguna Seca.

The Italian declared his dissatisfaction with the GP11.1, introduced from the Dutch TT as an attempt to advance the original GP11 package with features that will be used on next year's 1000cc GP12, after qualifying a lowly 16th for the German Grand Prix.

Suggesting he was ready to return to the GP11 in an effort to improve an average run of form, the former champion will possibly have the chance to ride the two machines back-to-back during free practice for this weekend's United States Grand Prix.

Though Ducati has not made a final decision on this matter, Rossi feels it will be a benefit in the longer term, even if it will likely affect his race performance come Sunday.

“I think that we'll try to use both versions of the Desmosedici on Friday so that we can compare them and do some work for both the near term and the future, because we want to learn as much as possible. We're aware that it could be difficult because we'll also have to be preparing for the race, but we think that in order to improve our bike, it's important to try everything possible. 

A legendary circuit for Rossi, not least as regard to his epic tussle with Casey Stoner in 2008, he will also have the benefit of Jerry Burgess's presence following an absence of two races.

“For me, Laguna represents a great corner, the Corkscrew, and many nice memories, including one of the best races of my career, in 2008. In any case, it's always a pleasure to race in the United States because the motorcycle world here is really nice. Of course I'm even happier that Jerry has returned and I look forward to seeing him in the garage again with all the guys.”

Rossi remains fourth in the overall standings, despite finishing down in ninth at the Sachsenring, while he has also failed to qualify inside the top ten over the last four rounds.

source: crash

Rossi staying with Ducati for 2012

All we need now is some time, to develop a Ducati the way I want it.

DESPITE difficulties with his transfer to Ducati, Valentino Rossi has committed to the Italian manufacturer for 2012.

Speaking after an off-par qualifying and race finish at Sachsenring, when asked whether he will continue with Ducati in 2012 Rossi said: “Will I stay with Ducati in 2012? I said ‘I think so’, meaning that I reckon that staying here is the logical choice.”

The reasoning behind the question was in regards to the two-year contract between the nine-time champion and the Bologna manufacturer, the second year being an option for Rossi to continue giving him room for movement if the partnership did not go to plan.

The issue should he leave would be, where would Rossi and his entourage go? He won't return to Yamaha to ride alongside Jorge Lorenzo again and he burnt the bridge with Honda at the end of 2003 - however, HRC did extend the olive branch saying they would take Rossi back.

At Sachsenring the 31-year-old Italian found himself embroiled in a battle with teammate Nicky Hayden and Alvaro Bautista after working his way into the top ten from a poor qualifying position. Ultimately Rossi would finish the second best of the Ducatista in ninth, and both would lose out to the sterling work of Bautista in an inspiring ride on the lone Suzuki GSV-R.

Finding improvements with the bike from languishing down at the back of the grid, Rossi discussed the race: "After the opening laps, I realized that my pace was the same as that of Nicky and Bautista’s group, maybe even a little faster, but I had small glitches with the gearbox in the second half of the race.

"It was mainly hurting me in the last corner, when I changed to third, because the bike wheelied and it took me half the straightaway before I could put it back down. 

"At the end of the race, I wanted to pass Nicky on the brakes into the first corner, where I was pretty strong, but instead even Bautista passed me on the straight. Anyway, that’s not where we want to be. 

"We definitely improved today compared to Saturday, but we’re still too far back." he finished, revealing that the improvements were a in part from adjusting the weight balancing of the Desmosedici GP11.1.

Moving to Ducati, Rossi found the Desmosedici unlike anything he was accustomed to, "Our performances are disappointing, because I don’t seem to be able to make the difference on this motorbike. We must figure out how to solve the problems, we must be focussed and carry on working hard, with optimism.

Rossi

“This motorbike requires slightly different adjustments and a different riding style. We must understand which lead we should follow. Such a situation is a bit risky, because we might end up getting confused,” continued Valentino, “This motorbike was ready, it had been developed previously. All we need now is some time, to develop a Ducati the way I want it. Let’s hope for the best.

“I want to race, otherwise I’d stay home. Last year, here at the Sachsenring, I was walking on crutches and my shoulder was falling to pieces, but I lapped in 1’22”, the lap time of today’s winner. I don’t think I’ve suddenly become an idiot.”

Rossi will now decide whether to continue with the GP11.1, which can be developed further, or step back to the Desmosedici GP11.

'Upset' Rossi ready to ditch new Ducati

Valentino Rossi's struggle to turn around his Ducati fortunes hit a new low on Saturday at Sachsenring, when the MotoGP superstar qualified just 16th out of the 17 riders.

Rossi's best lap time, of 1min 23.320sec came on only his sixth of 30 laps and was 1.639sec behind pole sitter Casey Stoner.

The Italian - without crew chief Jerry Burgess for the second event in a row - also lapped 0.925sec slower than he had managed on his return from a broken leg at last year's event, when he qualified fifth on a Factory Yamaha.

Rossi, the only Ducati rider using the latest GP11.1 motorcycle - which features an 800cc engine attached to next year's (1000cc) chassis and a new seamless transmission gearbox - was almost one-second behind the 'standard' Desmosedici of his team-mate Nicky Hayden (eighth).

As such, Rossi has now revealed that he could ditch the GP11.1 and go back to the previous version.

"We are very upset, because we are struggling very much this weekend. I am very slow and close to last," Rossi told the official MotoGP website.

"For three races now we've used the new [GP11.1] bike to try to improve on the performance of the old one. 

"I tried this bike with the 1000 engine and it was not so bad, but with the 800 engine the bike became very difficult to ride and I cannot load the front of the bike.

"So our performance at the last three races has been very, very bad. Especially in practice. And here it has been worse.

"So now we think maybe to come back to the normal, standard, bike. I don't know when. Maybe after Brno [mid-August]. We will decide after tomorrow. 

"We've tried changing more or less everything on the bike [here] and, at the end, the lap time and our performance does not improve. 

"So I don't know what we can do for tomorrow's race, but we won't give up and will keep trying to improve."

Saturday marked Rossi's worst qualifying performance since he was 17th, out of 19 riders, for the 2007 Valencia Grand Prix - when he only completed five qualifying laps due to a massive accident.

Rossi claimed one of his most memorable wins with an eleventh to first charge in the 2006 German Grand Prix, when he held off three Hondas by just 0.307sec.

Despite his problems, Rossi is fourth in the world championship after eight of 18 rounds.

source: crash.net

Valentino Rossi GP11

Valentino Rossi Dainese 2011 On Ducati

Video: Valentino Rossi First Look At Vroom

Valentino Rossi First Look At Vroom

Ducati Desmosedici 46 Valentino Rossi

This is a new fresh appearance of Valentino Rossi's Ducati Desmosedici bike. This bike will used at Valencia MotoGP test today.



Source: twowheelsblog
also thanks to Alex Briggs

Here's some picture shot from our streaming page of Valentino Rossi activities at Ducati's garage