The last time Valentino Rossi failed to score a win in the first 10 races of a season was when he made his debut in 1996 on a 125cc Aprilia. (Rossi took a win in the 11th race that season.) Since then, Rossi has never taken more than 9 races to claim his first race win of the season. Until this year.
Rossi hasn't been on the top of the box since Malaysia last year. The Doctor thought he had a winning combination when he signed with Ducati for 2011, but that plan hasn't exactly panned out. Rossi hasn't won in 2011, and it doesn't look like he'll be putting his Ducati on top anytime soon.
But Rossi isn't a quitter, right?
A story from Italian newspaper The Racing Tribune says that Rossi is currently talking with Honda for a competitive machine in 2012. The Racing Tribune says that it heard the rumor from a pretty reliable source; Marco Melandri.
"I know that Valentino Rossi has contacted Gresini for a Honda in 2012: all this confirms what I've been saying for some time, that the marriage between the" Doctor "and Ducati have the months counted," Melandri allegedly told the paper.
Rossi and the Ducati team have both expressed disappointment with the 2011 season, but neither have given any indication that they were giving up.
Ducati Team Boss, Alessandro Cicognani said:
"The first people that are not satisfied with the results are Ducati, Valentino and Nicky. All the partners are really supporting us. They know we are working hard and this is the only way we know how - working hard and solving problems to get better."
After the Laguna Seca round, Rossi was dissapointed with his sixth place finish, but said that it was important to stay focused and positive.
"We worked well this weekend. We started from a better position than we have in recent races, and I got a good launch on the start and tried to stay with the leaders. We obviously don't want to be fighting for sixth place, but we're having some problems at the moment and we have to try and do our best with what we have.
"We're losing too much on corner entry, where I'm very slow because I don't have enough feeling, but Ducati is working and we must stay focused and positive, making progress step by step. In the short term, we have to make up those missing tenths in order to stay with the group with Spies, Sic and Dovizioso. Then we'll think about the others."
At this point, Rossi on a Honda in 2012 is just silly speculation. But would Rossi be better off with Yamaha or Honda?
Comments
Funny, I seem to remember everyone saying the same thing about him winning this year. I feel sorry for the guy. I can't see him winning on the Ducati.
please don't tell me you just compared your tennis racket to a MotoGP bike. That makes you look pretty idiotic.
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