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Rossi To Switch to Bridgestone Next Year?
Topic Started: Oct 19 2007, 11:33 AM (509 Views)
everythingoes
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Valentino Rossi looks set to switch to Bridgestone tyres for 2008, with paddock sources at Sepang indicating that a deal has been finalised with the Japanese company.

The former champion wanted the same tyres as title winner Stoner for next year after the problems he encountered with Michelins throughout this season.

Finishing 30 seconds behind US GP winner Stoner, and yet still being fourth and the top Michelin finisher at Laguna Seca was believed to be the final straw for the Italian.

Autosport.com understands that the deal is done and that the paperwork just needs to be signed and sealed ready for an announcement next Wednesday.

Rossi's move is likely to avert the possibility of a single tyre rule being implemented in MotoGP. A decision had been due on this matter during the Sepang weekend, although with just 18 days remaining before the end of the season it seemed unlikely to be adopted.

The deal means that Rossi will be the sole Yamaha on Bridgestones and therefore the first-ever Yamaha MotoGP bike to use them, while the other three works Yamahas next year will continue on Michelins.

LINK
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Paul_Murtagh
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Does this mean that Rossi will be on different tyres from his team-mate?
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everythingoes
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The report does suggest that his will be the only Yamaha using B'stones next year.
It can't be great for the team to set up for two different tyres each race <unsure>
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u4coffee
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Now watch as Michelin becomes the tyre to have in 2008 <whistle>
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ppparkinson9
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An interesting thing is that Jorge Lorenzo supposedly has a clause in his contract guaranteeing him the same tyres as Rossi. So how Yamaha work that is up for question.

Vale continues his recent effort to emulate Alonso in the spoiled child category of international motorsport. Michelin won him lots of races and titles, but I guess it's more down to what they've done for him lately.
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safc_fan89
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Maybe he sees Stoner as the guy to beat, so he wants as far as possible to have equal equipment.

Every driver wants to be champion. If you've been given great equipment for several years and then one year you get something rubbish, you're going to question why.
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ELUSIVEJIM
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safc_fan89,Oct 19 2007
01:52 PM
Maybe he sees Stoner as the guy to beat, so he wants as far as possible to have equal equipment.

Every driver wants to be champion. If you've been given great equipment for several years and then one year you get something rubbish, you're going to question why.

This is the reason Rossi is changing tyres and why i STILL feel a one make tyre series is the only fair way to get a Champion
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dcoulthard19
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It would be hilarious if the stones were crap next season and michelins were brilliant <roflmao>

I agree that Rossi has been a bit like Alonso at times next season, thinking that things should revolve around him but this time in terms of the moto GP rules.

This season the Stoner, Ducati, Bridgestone package has been the better one, they have adapted to the rules better and I see well done to them all, its shame that people want recognise this acheivement for what it is just because we haven't seen Rossi at his best due to lacklustre equipment and tyres at times and obviously when its like this you lose a bit of motivation as a rider and thats understandable, we didn't see the real Rossi at a few races this season.

If he has the the same tyres as Stoner then obviously it makes things more even between them and it will be interesting but I reckon Ducati will make a better bike than Yamaha again next year, in terms of bike development Yamaha has lost the plot recently, you had the chattering problems in 2006 and inconsistency in 2007.

That area needs alot of work as well as the simple change of tyre manufacturer, also I am sure that suiting a bike to new tyres won't be that easy like for the F1 cars this year.

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ppparkinson9
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It could be a miscalcuation though, the Yamaha isn't designed around Bridgestones like the Ducati is. Stoners has the data from three other similar bikes to work with, what would Rossi have?
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safc_fan89
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Bridgestones! Which is what he wants.
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dcoulthard19
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What ppparkinson means is that if Rossi is the only Yamaha rider opting to use bridgestones then he won't have much data to go on with the other Yamahas still being on Michelins. Its an exclusive deal for Rossi to be on the stones that is in the air at the moment rather than the whole team and the tech Yamaha team.

Stoner has his team mate on Bridgestones and the factory team on the stones so lots of data for him.

Developing a bike for bridgestones for Rossi on the stones and one for his team mate on michelins has a potential recipe for disaster.

This is a bit of knee-jerk reaction from Rossi in my opinion and one he could rue, there is no reason why Michelin can't up their game next year.

In fact this whole reaction to the tyres after a different season has been a knee jerk reaction.
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safc_fan89
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I'm aware of that, I was just making a half-joking comment.
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flood1
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DC, Soulement les pneus font le contact avec le terre. Il est tres important. Non?
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Norbert
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Surely if Rossi has struggled on his tyres this year, he has every right to bitch about them if they're crap, you don't win 5 titles by being a half arsed idiot...! I think he knows what he's talking about.....
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Paul_Murtagh
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Would it make much sense for Yamaha to have one bike on Bridgestones and the rest of Michelins? It will be a hard job to adapt the same bike to two different types of tyres.

And IF Michelin are the tyre to have next season then Rossi will be in $h1t street because he is contracted to Bridgestone while the other Yamahas are on Michelins and can make better use of the bike
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