Could Rossi create his own satellite team?

[Cryogeneric]

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2012/Jun/120621c17.htm

I've been thinking about the pros and cons. What do you guys think? Good or bad idea?

[rybo]

Sure - why not? He wouldn't be the first to do it - King Kenny Roberts owned and funded a moto-gp team for several years. I think it's a natural progression for Valentino and could assure that he could lease any equipment he chose in the coming years.

This plus the possibility of "production" racing machines returning to the paddock in the near future and we start talking about interesting GP racing again.

[maddad]

Thing is he needs a lot more media attention first,I think allot of people have forgotten him they are not bike riders they are people with money you aint hot you aint hot.

[ape66]

Mite be a two bike team him and crazy Joe?

[Powerful Pierre]

Unless Japanese attitudes have changed radically in recent years he has painted himself into a corner, very similar to what Barry Sheene did way back when.....yes, he is still very marketable but honour and respect are high on the agenda with the Japanese and he has been very outspoken during his fall-outs with both Honda & Yamaha in the past, they tend not to forgive and forget.

Also they have a pool of younger, cheaper to employ riders to chose from now who are equally as capable of winning on their machinery, his failure to master the Ducati after all the pre-hype when he went there has certainly put a severe dent in his reputation and his capabilities are maybe viewed with a little more suspicion now.

Similar to Sheene if he can come up with the money/sponsorship they will probably lease him bikes but that doesn't guarantee that they will be full up to date works spec, and there is also the added complication of the limit on prototype bikes that a manufacturer can run under existing rules....although given Dorna's habit of being 'flexible' with rules when it suits their/Hondas/major Spanish sponsors requirements I'm sure there would be 'adjustments' made to keep Rossi on the grid on a competitive bike.

From a pure marketing perspective the Ducati experience must also have other manufacturers feeling cautious about taking him on as it could prove to be more harmful than good if, say he got on the current chatter ridden Honda, which is appears is not the easiest bike to ride, and couldn't perform on that either.

But, if he remains in the sport after this season I can't see it being with Ducati, I can't see him being accepted back into a full works Japanese team either so maybe his best and only options are to go satellite with his own team on leased bikes to the best spec they'll give him or link into one of the existing satellite teams.

Casey's exit, Lorenzo early resigning for Yamaha, Rossi's continuing poor performance on the Ducati, Spies lack-lustre season so far, Dovi striving to get back into a works team, Crutchlow, Bautista & Bradl all performing above expectation, Marquez being manipulated onto the Repsol Honda, Pedrosa & Hayden's positions in doubt etc....the paddock is in proper turmoil at the mo!

[ape66]

[Pieman_tm]

Absolutely no reason why he couldn't do it. He could probably afford it out of his own pocket but i reckon sponsors will be falling over themselves to be the title sponsor. Lin Jarvis has said recently that the door at Yamaha isn't completely closed yet for a factory ride so i can't see why they wouldn't supply bikes to him if he had a wheelbarrow full of cash. I go to Motogp races and i know the sport still needs Rossi around it. I think it could be a great venture for him, set up the team, be his own number one rider for a year or two, then take the back seat with fresh riders on the bike and Rossi stays in the paddock.

He's gotta spend all that money somewhere.

[Nonno]

Can I say......+2

[Nonno]

Absolutely no reason why he couldn't do it. He could probably afford it out of his own pocket but i reckon sponsors will be falling over themselves to be the title sponsor. Lin Jarvis has said recently that the door at Yamaha isn't completely closed yet for a factory ride so i can't see why they wouldn't supply bikes to him if he had a wheelbarrow full of cash. I go to Motogp races and i know the sport still needs Rossi around it. I think it could be a great venture for him, set up the team, be his own number one rider for a year or two, then take the back seat with fresh riders on the bike and Rossi stays in the paddock.

He's gotta spend all that money somewhere.

MMM, I'm sure he could do it, BUT, I think the mind set change, ie. pay money to race V get paid money to race is a tough rub, especially for VR! I can't see him doing it. Why would he?

He is an Icon, a legend, no doubt, and some say GOAT, but a team owner/rider...... well, if nothing else it would be a twist in the motogp tail!

[Pieman_tm]

Well he can't ride forever unless he goes to wsb and i don't reckon he'd want to go there. F1 never happened and is too late now. He loves Rallying but would he get a paid full time drive? Is he that good?

So he'll be fully retired from Motogp riding at 35. Does he do a Stoner and just disappear? Or stay involved in something he loves and where he is loved? He's a multi-millionaire with 40 years ahead of him, time will tell what happens next.

In reply to the Op though, I think it is a good idea.

[sburns2421]

When WSBK was for sale ($90M IIRC) I hypothesized that Rossi and Micheal Schumacher (retired back then) should just buy the series. Rossi then would switch to WSBK, and all of his fans would go with him. WSBK would then be bigger and more valuable than MotoGP.

Maybe he should have done that rather than driving some stupid rally car. You can get hurt in those things

[Cryogeneric]

I think it would be an interesting twist and, like pieman mentioned, believe he could easily land a title sponser that would pay most--if not all--of the bills. The burning question in my mind is this: How much support would Yamaha or Honda want to give him? Generally speaking, it doesn't look good when a satellite team is beating your factory outfit. But then again, it's Rossi we're talking about.

[olie]

CRT or WSNK are the only 2 logical options othan than QUIT.

[GuzziV8]

There may be a better option for Rossi. Suzuki are currently testing a 1000cc MotoGP bike. Rossi's desire is still to be the first person to get win MotoGP championships on 3 different makes. Could Suzuki be the new option?

[frogfeaturesFZR]

Already won on Honda, Yamaha, Aprilia.