As seems to be increasingly the case, the MotoGp “silly season” (that time of year when speculation about who’s doing what next year starts to surface) has already well and truly begun and we’re not even half way through the season yet.
Here’s the latest one, from crash.net last night.
The critical point here is the statement that Casey Stoner’s crew “have been warned that they may have to seek new employment for next season.” If this is so, it not only indicates that Stoner will be leaving Ducati for Honda next season (a rumour that’s been circulating for a while) but also that his replacement at the team will be bringing his own crew with him. Now that really only seems to fit one rider and that’s Rossi. Couple that with some comments on this speculation by JB on the MotoGp broadcast the other night and it starts to look more than just a little likely.
If this comes off, the MotoGp organisers would be rubbing their hands together in glee. It would be a promoter’s dream to have the two best riders on opposing teams.
And Casey? Well, sad to say, but I think Casey’s had his 15 minutes of fame. I can’t see him winning another title with Ducati and I certainly can’t see him, or anyone else for that matter, winning another title with Honda who seem to have completely lost their way since the 800cc formula was adopted. Far from denigrating his performance, but I think that Casey is finding that the harsh realities of living on the road and the daily grind of MotoGp just doesn’t suit him.
So, at the moment it looks like this (potentially)
Ducati: Rossi and Hayden
Honda: Stoner and Dovizioso
Yamaha: Lorenzo and Spies (talk on Sunday night is that Edwards will retire at year’s end)
Quite where this leaves Pedrobot is another matter entirely. 🙂
In other news, Australia’s Josh Brookes certainly did his international reputation no harm at all in the support races for the British MotoGp.
“Josh Brookes geared up for the remainder of the British Superbike Championship by winning both National Superstock MotoGP support races at Silverstone.
The Australian swapped his Superbike Honda for a Superstock-specification machine as he took the position of the injured Steve Plater in the HM Plant team, Brookes not disappointing as he stormed to success in the double-header.
Brookes prevailed in an entertaining first race as he fended off a series of attempts by Glen Richards, Howie Mainwaring, Richard Cooper, Jon Kirkham and Simon Andrews to the finish line.
Indeed, Brookes, Mainwaring and Richards would all share the lead at some stage in the race, but it was Brookes who would come out ahead after an entertaining dual with former team-mate Richards on the final lap.
Mainwaring completed the podium on the MSS Colchester Kawasaki, ahead of Kirkham and Andrews, the latter showing no ill effects from his time out with a competitive run to fifth.
Race two was similarly frantic as Brookes was once again forced to battle his way to the front at the expense of Kirkham, who led initially, and Richards.
Eventually, he make it to the head of the field, where he proceeded to cruise home to the chequered flag, more than three seconds ahead of Michael Rutter, the experienced racer doing a good job on the Ridersmotorcyles.com BMW to finish second, ahead of Kirkham, pole sitter Sam Warren and Andrews in fifth once again.
Brookes, whose one-off success actually moves him to fifth in the Superstock standings, now turns his attentions to the next round of the British Superbike Championship at Mallory Park.
Kirkham continues to lead the way in the Superstock reckoning, ahead of Mainwaring and the out-of-action Plater.”
