Thursday, 4 November 2010
After four years with the Bologna factory the Australian rides his final race with the Ducati Team in this weekend’s season-ending GP.
After four years, 41 podiums and 23 victories (so far) and a World Championship title the Ducati Team bids farewell to Casey Stoner this weekend in the final round of the 2010 season at Valencia.
The 25 year-old will be aiming to sign off with one more victory and having won at Valencia in 2008 on the Desmosedici, Stoner is confident of finding a good set-up on his machine for Round 18.
“After the awful weather we had to put up with in Portugal I hope that Valencia is a bit better and we get chance to work well and get a good set-up for my final race on the Ducati,” said Stoner.
“I have always liked the circuit and I had my first ever win here in 125cc. It is a tight but flowing circuit and even though there are a lot of second and third gear corners they are banked and you can let the bike run, keeping some good speed up. This also helps you to find a gearbox setting quite quickly because apart from the straight, obviously, you only really need two gears. In the past we have always been able to find a good set-up so I we are confident. I really want to have a good race this weekend.”
Team Manager Vittoriano Guareschi said: “I really hope that at Valencia we get the conditions that allow everybody to work properly in all four sessions so that we can give Casey a bike and a setting that can give him the best possible chance to end our fantastic time together in positive fashion on Sunday. Our bike tends to work really well at this circuit and on Friday we'll be starting out with a setting that we know has worked well for us and been competitive in the last few races. Both Casey and Nicky (Hayden) love the track and have had some great results there in the past so I think there's a chance they could both be on the podium.”
Rossi, Furusawa and Jarvis look back on seven years of success
Monday, 8 November 2010
The final race of the 2010 season at Valencia brought to a close a success-filled partnership between the Italian rider and Japanese factory. The 31 year-old, Masao Furusawa and Lin Jarvis all gave their reactions to the end of an era following the race.
The last race of the 2010 campaign was also Valentino Rossi’s final in the colours of the Fiat Yamaha team after seven years, 46 race victories and four World Championship titles. Following third place in the GP Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana – his 84th podium with Yamaha – the Italian and Yamaha’s Masao Furusawa and Lin Jarvis looked back on an incredible time together.
In the attached video you can watch a special press conference with the trio, whilst the second video sees Rossi review his evolution and development with the Japanese factory throughout their time together.
Valentino Rossi:
"This is a very emotional day but I'm very happy as well because I don't have any regrets and there have been no bad moments or thoughts throughout these seven seasons together with Yamaha. From the beginning it was something great and we worked very well together. Like in life, in sport the results are crucial but just as important is the enjoyment and we had this at Yamaha. We had a great fusion in my team - the Australians, the Italians, the Japanese, the English and many more...a lot of people all together having fun. If in 2004 somebody had told me that I would win four world championships with Yamaha and 46 Grand Prix I would have signed in blood! I am happy. I have to thank first of all Masao Furusawa because we went through some difficult moments but we were able to improve the bike and make it the best machine, then I just have to say a big thank you to everybody who helped me in these seven seasons, and wish everyone good luck."
Masao Furusawa, Yamaha Engineering Operations Executive Officer:
"I would like to thank Valentino very much, I started in MotoGP in 2003 and it was a terrible year, it was almost like I was in hell! I really wanted to make the YZR-M1 a better bike but the more investigated it, the more I realised I needed something else, more than the bike. So we found Valentino Rossi. First of all I didn't believe Valentino would come to Yamaha because the bike wasn't great but somehow it worked. After South Africa in 2004 I felt like I was in heaven, it was a very exciting and memorable year. In 2004 Valentino was the only one who could win on the YZR-M1 so he contributed a lot to developing the bike. This year not only Valentino but also three other riders were fast so it's clear that our YZR-M1 is a pretty good bike. This is mainly because of Valentino's contributions over the years so I really appreciate that an d I want to wish him all the best in the future."
Lin Jarvis, Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing:
"In 2003 when we had our worst year ever in GP racing and finally we said that whatever we were going to do, without Valentino Rossi on the seat it wasn't going to work! That was the point where we decided that we needed him. There were some exciting and secretive negotiations with Valentino and it was a very important decision but, with the backing of Masao Furusawa and the President of Yamaha Motor Company, we made it happen. It was ‘do or die'. With a huge commitment from Yamaha, the engineers and everybody in the team we made it work. We are very, very grateful because Valentino's arrival really turned things around for Yamaha and we came back to victorious ways. We are incredibly thankful and grateful to him for that. We've had so many exciting and enjoyable moments with him and with the crew that he brought with him, who are great guys. Today we will be saying goodbye to a great number of people including Davide Brivio, Jerry Burgess and the whole crew. We've had a super time, it's been a really excellent team and we will miss them tomorrow, it will be a strange day."
motogp.comi wonder how a new Rossi's bike gonna look? Red n lime 
(Official color of Rossi)
Bye Bye Yamaha...Pronto Ducati ??? ALL HAIL ROSSI