| At 26, Rossi's got plenty of time left racing bikes if he can stay motivated (which another change of bike would bring). At the end of the day, he loves bikes (quite a few GP racers don't seem to) so I'm sure in his head he'd love to win a MotoGP title on an Itallian bike. I'm sure he's got his eye on winning the MotoGP title with a 3rd manufacturer.
I'm in no doubt he could turn the 'sedici into a winner. I'm going to go out on a bit of limb here though, 'cause I reckon he could do it with Ducati Corse, ie. without JB. Don't get me wrong, I'm 100% convinced JB has been instrumental in helping Rossi win with both Honda & Yamaha, but I reckon the passion/ engineering expertise at DC, along with Rossi's genius setup/ riding ability could just pull it off (+ the best tyres available). It just might not happen as quickly as if JB was in the team.
I don't think the desmosedici's that far away right now. If it was on the best Michelin's (developed specifically for the 'sedici) with top class riders I think it'd be a lot closer to the front. At the end of the day, Ducati sold out this year when it picked their rider line-up. It might be the best way to go racing financially, but not to go racing to win.  |