Wednesday 04 June 2008The hottest news around the paddock after the Mugello race is not about whether Honda will run their Pneumatic Valve in Catalunya, but where the 'free riders' will end up in 2009. I found it to be interesting because the current teams have already showed their true potential in fighting for the championship, some are loser! s like Kawasaki, Alice Ducati, and even Suzuki. One point that people seem unnoticed is Yamaha Tech3, many people complained about James Toseland's decision to join Yamaha Tech 3, but look now, who is laughing...:) He has handed his pen to extend his contract in 2009. Contrary to his teammate, Colin Edwards, he is yet to meet Herve Poncharal to talk about the new deal.. But before that happen, Kawasaki is rumored to have come to him to persuade him to go to Kawasaki, He (Edwards) said that he is free to talk to anyone he wants to about his future, but he is seems has to think a lot about moving to Kawasaki, because Colin rides for Michelin in his career in MotoGP, he never rides Bridgestone tires that Kawasaki currently using, or maybe Kawasaki will do the same like Fiat Yamaha now? one team in 2 garages? who knows. Valentino Rossi for sure will stay at Yamaha and the only thing ! that matters is his salary, currently he is paid around € 7m ! per year by Yamaha, Yamaha actually wants him to stay for 2009 badly, but by lowering his salary by just € 5m, but by his straight winning in Shanghai, Le Mans, and Mugello, then Yamaha will have to think it over. Close resource said Rossi wants € 10m per year, Yamaha pays 6 millions and the four millions from the sponsor. They must sit on the same table to solve this matter...
Ni! cky Hayden? Everybody seems think that he is over, and his 13th in Mugello is becoming clearer that his time to go has come. Ducati in 2009? by sacking Marco Melandri to Honda Gresini? only time will tell, Honda wants him in, in order to make a good sales in North America, that's for sure.Andrea Dovizioso will for sure take a vacant seat if Hayden goes to Ducati in 2009.. his contract allows him to do so.
Chris Vermeulen? I bet he is still in Suzuki with his current team mate Loris Capirossi, both of them are helping Suzuki to develop a new bike to replace the current bike which prove sucks and just a hybrid of 2007 and new chassis.
Ant West is still in the darkness, he needs to prove more to Kawasaki factory even the bike is really crap, Hopper's complaining is the same with Ant, the bike is just spinning all the time and the latest trouble he can't down shift the gear after the straight lane, so no wonder he crashed, luckily he is uninjur! ed.
The season will still far a way to go, but it w! on't cha nge a lot to the end.
