And your hatred of Rossi has what relevance in the "Ducati doesn't have a viable bike" discussion? LOL
Without Rossi the Bike would have become more viable......He wrecked those chances, now Ducati have effectively to start again the good news is Dovi I'm sure will be more open minded and not so intent on turning the bike into a Yamaha
Well changing it from the pig in knickers it was to anything would be a good thing but you can hardly blame Rossi even in your world. It's well documented in the press that Rossi asked for the more Yamaha like delivery thats true and Preziosi just went for more power. The failure of the Ducati MotoGp venture lies with one person only, the singly accountable project manager because that's where the buck stops whoever is riding the bike. With Preziosi gone there is a chance fresh eyes will move things along but sadly for Dovi's career, he isn't the magic bullet, open minded or not. However, the proof is in the pudding and we'll see next season....if I was a betting man I'd wager now that Dovi will not do as well a he did on the Tech3 taking the whole season into account.
There is so much ' to the point' in the most conflicting views or analyses: if you add it all up, then there is: Whether Rossi is the most raw-talented rider ever is hard to define as talent is difficult to quantify. I'm sure if it would be, we may be surpirsed of how many would come close or even better him. Stoner coming to mind immediatly. What he indoubtedly is, is the most professional. How he has played and still plays the system has probably never been seen before. Now: It is a fact that the most professional/talented, complete packages are those who will get on the best bikes and have the best people around them. not one year, but for many years.. I remember in my yachtracing days that it was always the best skipper that had the best teams and thus the best gear and funding. So they had boatspeed. this boatspeed made them also very clever. They were always first on the right side of the course and if they were on the wrong side, they were back very quickly.. So we can't blame Rossi for being able to create these circumstances because of the way he handled things. And even given these circumstances, he did manage to get 9 (!) worldtitles out of them. And even in the best of years, this still has to be done! Does this make him god? No, are his years showing? Probably yes. Are there guys out there capable to beat him? are there guys out there that are more hungry? Defintialy. Is he, like all older elephant bulls, a force to be recokened with? I'm sure he can still kick like a mule.. Is there something to say against his jestor attitude? well, taste for anyone to decide. Personally, it feel it had it's best days..What's funny at your 25 makes you look like an idiot at 32... Did it spook a lot of riders? yes... and it shouldn't.. does it still spook a lot of riders, probably no... so that has changed.. he's a mere mortal amongst them and it will show on the tracks.. As to his stint at Ducati... I fully agree with moonpie that was the job of Prezio to make it work and it didn't. So his removal is rigth. It says a lot that a racing team of a racingcompany like our beloved Ducati has to depend on a rider and entourage to make a bike work. Prezi has been held responsible for allowing VR and co to lead them astray into unknown alu frame swampland and get bogged down... The problem with blamin VR for this is that he could anly bring what he knows and what is still relevant: and that is how and a Yamaha works! You can't blame him for not being able to tune something noone has found out yet and where even the inventors don't know how to get it right.. Casey incredible talent to 'ride around a problem' says it all. Being congratulated for winning even on a pig says a lot on the pig itself. This does not change the conlusion that Rossi has been bad for Ducati as they have wasted 2 very important years trying to use a non frame engine into a frame. Frames that they know nothing about. They should have stuck with the non frame or should have gone back from scratch...If you look at their skill base, even going back to scratch will be the same uphill battle as to Suzuki or Kawasaki or whoever would to have a go at motogp... How to beat you wizzardy / uberknowledgable competition when you still have to learn everything by playing their game? Playing the same game will make finding something different that works better impossible. And to ducati: hasn't 'different' been their true core asset? What probably harmed him most from his stay with Ducati is that even if he leads Niccky in the points, on many occasions it was nicky that gave us the best showings and seemed to fight the hardest. VR did not outshine Nicky as he should have.. To next year : Will DOVI make the difference? i hope he just will have to ride the bike, not develop it... can he ride : yes? this one? eeuhhhh... what is the Audi / Corse combo up to? nobody knows.. Could it be another VR year? it will be hard... from the last 6 races, JL and DP were very well up there... with JL probably riding not at full full pace given his tactical position leading the show.. It's a crying shame Casey's announcement / dropping out took much of the pressure off the kettle... There will be joy for the VR devotees... but is is very likely that the awaiting of the coming of the lord will, in the end, lead to the realisation that reminnicense will be most of what remains.. that the old bull has met his bests... and if it does not happen in 2013, 2014 will be even much harder with the likes of Marquezez coming up... So there will probably be much enjoyment for those who cannot apreciate the showmanship that VR represents and the godlike aura many of his uberdevoted fans, press and the Motogp tend to give him... Now doesn't that make for an interesting year? let the show begin
My thoughts are that Ducati has a lot of work to do! I reckon it's currently around the second group behind the leaders, that's where I think Checa would be finishing if they were racing today. Troy was quick on it! I reckon they'll get it there, but it will take time. The 999 had a terrible front end when it was introduced, if you remember? I don't like saying it the year Hodgson won the title on it there wasn't much competition for it, Xaus was busy chucking it up the road... Dark horse for the tile this year - Eugene Laverty
I read Burgess saying in the latest MCN Sport that he doesn't think that the 90degree V is the issue. It would seem from what he has said that Ducati were not great at keeping and analysing any data they have gleaned in recent years.
I really don't believe Dovi will do anything on the Ducati, as many have pointed out....his style just isn't suited to the Ducati. I'm soo glad that Cal didn't go there......I still maintain Scott Redding has a style that could just work on the Ducati and buy them time to make a proper bike.
I don't know how Dovi will go on the Ducati, but, lets face it, it can't be much worse than the last 2 years eh ! :wink:
