Rossi criticises 'elitist' MotoGP
By Michele Lostia and Matt Beer
Wednesday, March 11th 2009, 09:45 GMT
Valentino Rossi has called on MotoGP and its manufacturers to supply more bikes to privateer teams to increase the grid size and stop the factory teams dominating.
None of the satellite or privateer teams have won a MotoGP race since Toni Elias's victory for Gresini Honda at Estoril in 2006, and Rossi is concerned that the gap between the factory and private teams has now become too great.
"Our bikes are so sophisticated that only a few manufacturers can do them," the reigning champion told Motosprint. "So the riders are few as well, and there are no privateers anymore.
"Until 2006 a privateer like (Marco) Melandri could fight for the title, but since 2007, with the 800cc bikes, the gap between works teams and privateers has become huge. MotoGP has become too elitist and that's not good."
He urged the manufacturers to make more ex-works bikes available to other teams.
"Why do my bikes get crushed under the presser at the end of the year, instead of being sold to a privateer team that would then be able to field two more riders?" said Rossi.
"We've reached such a high level that Yamaha doesn't want others to see how it makes its bikes, so it would rather crush them. But this way it's difficult to get a nice grid, which in my opinion should have at least 24 riders."
The Italian believes this problem must be addressed as part of the programme of radical cost-cutting that is being planned for 2010 and beyond.
"We must spend less, and make the bikes go slower," Rossi said.
"The situation with the economy is very ugly, the bikes aren't being sold anymore, and we can't pretend nothing is happening."
Link to article: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73666 (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73666)
read that this morning...
"We must spend less, and make the bikes go slower," Rossi said.
the problem with this is what he's describing is WSBK. 10x less money spent for, what, 20-25mph? if you're already doing 190, does 210 really matter? ...yeah, it's not a top speed contest. and there are many other variables that i'm glossing over. but the 10x number is real. and, since the 800s, the racing is a lot better in WSBK. at -10x the cost, ten kate and hm plant and stiggy and whoever can afford to be competitive.
Hmmmm I'm conflicted. On one hand I think more bikes makes better racing. And of course less of a gap in technology would make things better to watch. On the other hand this is a prototype class, and I don't think the privateers would be adding anything technology-wise. I don't really understand whats in it for the current privateer teams. Or am I wrong and they are developing racing bits?
only inasmuchas certain arrangements, like Tech 3 (since last year only), are more fully factory supported.. they theoretically get the same stuff and help the whole factory effort with development.
honda otoh is digging a bigger hole every year. part of elias' new deal with gresini was that he gets a factory-spec RC212V rather than the satellite-spec bike his teammate is riding. before the first race has even been run they are talking about how many more revs toni's bike has than alex's, RDP's, etc.
but if there were no bikes in the series that were there just for the sake of competition (rather than development) it would be an 10 8 bike series... that no worky. rossi is saying that not only do they need those private bikes, they should have a better chance at winning... lest the whole world talk about how much better the racing is in WSBK. which they do.
Quote from: gm2 on March 11, 2009, 03:32:30 PM
snip... lest the whole world talk about how much better the racing is in WSBK. which they do.
'cause it is.....
990's no traction control.
no less than 4 tire manufacturares(sp),.
normal aspiration.