May you live in interesting times, runs an apocryphal Chinese curse. The first Grand Prix of 2016 certainly provided us…
The pieces are coming together for next year’s rider lineup in the MotoGP Championship. First, it was Valentino Rossi signing…
Practice, like testing, doesn’t really count for much, riders will tell you. When you talk to the afterwards, they will…
So the first shoe has dropped. Valentino Rossi is to remain at Yamaha for two more seasons, signing on to compete for 2017 and 2018. That Rossi would renew his contract with Yamaha is hardly a surprise. Rossi has been racing for glory and the chance to win another title for the past few years, rather than financial compensation. Ironically, the most financially valuable of the four MotoGP aliens is probably on the lowest salary. What is a surprise is the timing of Rossi’s announcement. The general expectation was that Rossi would stay on at Yamaha for another two years, but that the announcement would come some time in May or June. Instead, the deal has been announced ahead of the first race of the season. The question everyone is asking now is, why the hurry?