Julian Bond wrote:
> Fwoar
>> Ducati - 4 seats
>> Stoner
>> Melandri
>>
>> Guintoli
> - De Angelis?
> Gresini
> - Dovizioso?
>> Roberts - 1 Seat
> - If he finds the money. And an engine
He apparently has the money, and certainly has an engine deal. What he
wants is two engine deals, though...
> So. Checa to WSB?
Don't count him out until all the seats are gone - he's got that "magic"...
Barros retires?
Can he afford that yet? Has he paid off the Butt Boys?
Tamada back to JSB?
Or WSB?
What about
> Hoffman?
Ask Dorna...
Where's Elias go?
Kawasaki? Fortuna Yamaha, whatever that is? Or back to Gresini?
How come
> Gresini haven't managed to sign anybody at all?
No sponsorship. So far silly season has mostly been about the factory
seats, and once those are gone the losers will scramble for what's left.
Last year Gresini got Melandri back by exercising the option in his
contract, and Elias wasn't re-signed until after he'd won at Estoril.
Lot's of time left.
Will Kawasaki run 3/4
> bikes? Will Suzuki run 3/4 bikes?
No one is seriously suggesting either will run 4 machines. My guess is
that both will run numerous wildcards but not a steady 3rd bike.
Kawasaki is most likely, though.
I think Minolta have pulled their
> sponsorship. Will that team keep going?
If not, there are plenty of others who want that slot, starting with
Roberts and Pons.
> 3 riders come in from 250GP. That'll annoy MN.
Let's see, de Angelis has been in 250 for four seasons now, and has won
one race. That's one race, not one championship, and he's been one of
those few guys who's had a bike good enough to win. Dovisioso is much
better - 3 seasons, the last two as Honda's top rider, 4 race wins, no
championships. Great. At least they're likely to end up on lease teams.
Btw, in the last four years Spies has won 26 races...
Meanwhile de Puniet, who has done very little this year as Kawi's #1,
the bike that most people say is the most-improved and on the year's
best tires, lands a two-year deal to ride a Honda. Who gets two-year
contracts on lease teams?
The more things change...
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