They should still have cooked up a story that Burgess was retiring at the end of the season so that it didn't look as if he was sacked. Or he could have just said (supposing he still wants a job) that he felt like a new challenge and had done all he thought he could for Rossi. Some face-saving sort of gesture thing. Politicians and business people are always asked to resign. Then some face-saving story is announced. There are ways and means of doing it. The way that was chosen was pretty naff.
Again, there wasn't time to cook up a story, the news had been leaked (presumably by a 'friend' of Rossi). And hey, honesty is the best policy.
My thoughts exactly. It amuses me when people call me a Rossi hater when all I do is quote what the likes of Colin Edwards and JB have said. THEY WOULD KNOW WOULD KNOW WOULDN'T THEY!
Nice bit here from Matt Oxley about JB's departure A changing of the guard in MotoGP - MotoGP - Motor Sport Magazine
Another one here on a more personal level by Alex Briggs who worked with JB. All Categories - Wrench Racer
interesting.. Following Valentino Rossi's shocking decision to part ways with his long-term crew chief Jeremy Burgess, there has been much speculation about Rossi's reason for the split. Mick Fialkowski spoke to the experienced Australian earlier this year at the Sachsenring, where Burgess shed some light on the last few seasons of their cooperation. Burgess told Fialkowski about their time at Ducati, the return to Yamaha, and where Rossi has struggled this season. With the benefit of hindsight, this interview makes for a highly illuminating read. Interviewed At The Sachsenring: Jeremy Burgess Speaks About Ducati, And Rossi's Return To The Yamaha | MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks
Nothing more or less than you'd expect from Burgess. He's quite guarded, but also very open, definitely happier to talk about the intricacies of the bike than of the moods of the rider. He hints at retirement in that interview, so maybe there was a general feeling of a parting of the waves starting to percolate - Burgess couldn't do any better in his career than he has already done, and Rossi knows his days at the top are limited - maybe this has been brewing a while and Rossi just added the full stop. Either way, Burgess has reacted exactly as he should, in his usual gracious but curt style. The man's a living legend. Has Rossi made a mistake? No, I don't think so; he still has a lot of belief in himself and wants to keep on battling at the same level. I reckon he's still good for a win or two next season, and a good few podiums. Either way, they both have a wealth of memories to fall back on. Next season we'll find out if Rossi's gamble has paid off.
another snippet.... gossipy gossip..... ...knowledgeable sources suggest that Burgess' 2014 contract will be upheld by Yamaha and that it comes with a non-compete clause. Soup :: Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates. You Never Know When You're Going To Get Sacked :: 11-18-2013
Err, yeah. That's not really a story at all, merely the inane ramblings of an underpaid staffer. It would indeed be tantalizing if they had an actual motorbike to ride...