Photo: motogp.com
Valentino Rossi is rumored to take part in the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race on July 26th. Now, we're completely in rumor territory, and no official position has been heard of from either Rossi or Yamaha, but still, if any of this is true, we're already dreaming about the Doctor battling Casey Stoner.
Honda already confirmed that the Australian rider will be in the endurance team for Suzuka. His teammates will be MFJ All Japan Road Race JSB1000 Championship racer and HRC test rider Takumi Takahashi and the WSBK pilot Michael van der Mark.
Rossi and Stoner will meet at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in late June. Rossi will help Yamaha introduce the all-new YZF-R1 and will ride his own M1 MotoGP prototype in the Hillclimb race.
Stoner has not confirmed yet any races at the Festival of Speed, but we can expect him to. Other big names in motorcycling will also attend the FoS this year, including Freddie Spencer, Kenny Roberts, John Surtees, Giacomo Agostini, and more stars from World Superbike and Isle of Man TT.
Honda has won at Suzuka over the past five rounds, and Yamaha is more than eager to put an end to this winning streak. The new R1 has caused quite a lot of stir in the superbike segment, and its high-tech trim has upped the game quite a lot.
Presales for the R1 and R1M are great and the tests this year reveal that we are looking at the next superbike hero. And if Iwata wins at Suzuka with the R1, this model will be forever coined as THE liter class sports bike.
Having the two factory riders as part of the endurance team at Suzuka would truly be smashing, especially as Rossi has some expertise in this type of racing. He participated in the event in 2000 and 2001 with... Honda. In 2001, having Colin Edwards as a colleague, he even won the race aboard the Honda VTR1000SPW.
However, even in the (unlikely) case of Yamaha considering having one or both factory riders at Suzuka, the decision will most likely be a tactical one. That is if Rossi or Lorenzo (or both) were leading (or close to this) halfway through the MotoGP season, Lin Jarvis might have second thoughts when it comes to risking everything for the sake of R1 publicity.
An injury could jeopardize the title chances for the two, and this is the last thing Jarvis and Yamaha want. Seeing how strong both Rossi and Lorenzo looked in Qatar (skip the helmet incident), we can believe that both riders' claims for the title are backed by real facts.
Until then, however, this weekend we're getting another glimpse of how the 2015 MotoGP season will be, as premier class action is getting underway at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
Rossi and Stoner will meet at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in late June. Rossi will help Yamaha introduce the all-new YZF-R1 and will ride his own M1 MotoGP prototype in the Hillclimb race.
Stoner has not confirmed yet any races at the Festival of Speed, but we can expect him to. Other big names in motorcycling will also attend the FoS this year, including Freddie Spencer, Kenny Roberts, John Surtees, Giacomo Agostini, and more stars from World Superbike and Isle of Man TT.
Yamaha celebrates 60 years, a great way to introduce the new YZF-R1
Having Valentino Rossi as part of the Endurance team at Suzuka would be a very neat move for Yamaha, as the house of Iwata celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Even more, the Suzuka race is a most important one for the Japanese houses because of its traditional character and the fact that is a home round for them.Honda has won at Suzuka over the past five rounds, and Yamaha is more than eager to put an end to this winning streak. The new R1 has caused quite a lot of stir in the superbike segment, and its high-tech trim has upped the game quite a lot.
Presales for the R1 and R1M are great and the tests this year reveal that we are looking at the next superbike hero. And if Iwata wins at Suzuka with the R1, this model will be forever coined as THE liter class sports bike.
The rumors also include Jorge Lorenzo
Such a rumor would be only incomplete in the absence of the "wild factor". However, Rossi's teammate Jorge Lorenzo is the other name which appears in this affair.Having the two factory riders as part of the endurance team at Suzuka would truly be smashing, especially as Rossi has some expertise in this type of racing. He participated in the event in 2000 and 2001 with... Honda. In 2001, having Colin Edwards as a colleague, he even won the race aboard the Honda VTR1000SPW.
However, even in the (unlikely) case of Yamaha considering having one or both factory riders at Suzuka, the decision will most likely be a tactical one. That is if Rossi or Lorenzo (or both) were leading (or close to this) halfway through the MotoGP season, Lin Jarvis might have second thoughts when it comes to risking everything for the sake of R1 publicity.
An injury could jeopardize the title chances for the two, and this is the last thing Jarvis and Yamaha want. Seeing how strong both Rossi and Lorenzo looked in Qatar (skip the helmet incident), we can believe that both riders' claims for the title are backed by real facts.
Until then, however, this weekend we're getting another glimpse of how the 2015 MotoGP season will be, as premier class action is getting underway at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
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