NEWS

MOTOGP: GOSSIP, RUMOUR AND INTRIGUE FROM SEPANG

10/02/2010

Rossi with his new chicken livery lid. Nothing so daft for Mr Edwards...

By Edgar Jessop
Image by Yamaha Racing

It would appear that the current crop of 800cc MotoGP bikes could be joined, not replaced, by production-based litre bikes in 2010, or even 2011 if some sources are to be believed.

Because the big manufacturers have spent so much time and money in developing the 800s they are not willing to lob them in a skip and start all over again, so the 1000cc bikes could well end up on a split grid. It won't be the first time this has been mooted as in the early 90s, the FIM suggested using TTF1 bikes (race chassis with a heavily-modified road-based motor) to fill up a dwindling grid.

The was much wailing and gnashing of teeth from the pursists and Yamaha finally produced a small run of low-cost YZR motors on which people like Jeremy McWilliams did ok.

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BMW and Aprilia are both, apparently, keeping schtum about their plans to enter MotoGP. The new engine rules, which state the bore must be 81mm or less, would be perfect for the S1000RR as it already has a bore of 80mm. The new regulations are set for further discussion in Barcelona this time next week.

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At the Fiat Yamaha pre-test press conference, Valentino Rossi stated that he would no longer be giving his great mate Marco Simoncelli riding tips. Fair play, but how about the number of a hairdresser?

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Monster Yamaha's Colin Edwards reckons he is pleased with the new engine he was given in Malaysia. At the end of last year, the Texan complained that engineers had tuned it to a standstill in order to make it last the season. Now, he says, the accleration is a strong point, not a week one. Still got duffed up by his rookie team-mate though.

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Over at Repsol Honda, there has been a bit of musical chairs and the installation of a new technical director in the shape of Shinichi Kokubu, who was the RC212V team leader. Dovizioso gets Gianni Bert as his boss on one side of garage while Dani Pedrosa keeps mentalist Alberto Puig.

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Speaking of Repsol Honda Pete Benson, who used work there and now doesn't, has been given the job of Scott Redding's crew chief in the Marc VDS Moto2 outfit. Be nice for the youngster to have an English-speaking technician...

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Veteran and legendary designer Troy Lee has been at work in the Rizla Suzuki garage, sorting out the team livery, bikes, leathers and all the other stuff. There are going to be some 'surprises' during the course of the season, says team boss Paul Denning... what, getting in the top ten?

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