Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Rossi Staying Put \}'aIentIno RossI Isn't &dna ~wheo e y not to Formula One, not to Ferrari. On thls. he _ unequivocal. Nor will he be testlna the Ferrari once a month. And he has no plans to make the move to four wheels in 2007. To underscore his positlon, he emphatJcally c0ntradicted Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn, who said at the italian F-I GP that Rossi would test often, beginnlna this winter. "When I ' - this Int8lMli. from Rou Brawn, for me It's vwy funny, becauM I don't Icmw," the 26-J8II'-dd italian saki at a pre-rK8 pres con.... a In Motltai. "I know from me. For me, is a lot of bulhhit, because If I decide... I aIr-'Y decide to anocher J8II' of MotoGP, for sure. And for sure, If I do anocher yeIt, is for try to win, 10 I think It's aIreIlCIy a bill effort to try for the champIenshlp. And 1lI'fWIlI' It's the main _ for me. "For sure, I don't ' - time to do a lot of tests for the car. And especIIIIy at this point, I don't IllIke my decision. So this .. at the encl. the molt ~ So I don't Icmw _If lID to the car. Ha,be y8I, but rn¥- no. ~ aIreIdy about_ for me is 1Ib ....... 1n 10~ I don't Icmw whit hIppens ~ __ In my . . For sure, In two ~ I don't know." Brawn, who conceIYabIy could be Rossi's boa one dar, Aiel • Mona: "It is a question of him now aeatnI used to the braIdn& In the hl&IHP-I comers, 10 this . . - - and ~ ~ he'n do a few more -wxa - . It's a IdncI of open-ended ......-It.toT1-. .'.some JOInI try and He's objectNw. more time ~ J8II' to devole to this, and I would expect he would be In the car once a month or once fN«y six weeIcs." Rossi's cIomInaJKe has been 10 complete • nine wins out of II - that he came to .Japan neecIna to Ilnlsh only second or better to dlnch his fifth premier dass tide and join GIacomo AaostInI and Mick Doohan as the only men to have won the WorkI tltIe In the top dass of Grand PrIx raclna fNe or more times. But the corwenatlon shifted to Formula Brawn's One since ~ two -.Ics lIIO. "When I hear this 1nterYlew, I Iau&h, becauM for sure Ross Brawn is make another type of work, not cleclde the future, " Rossi saki, "and maybe he speak under his poIntofYlewto become comp.ltI"e." RoaI wwot on to .... that the time Constnlnts of ~ and testlna In MotoGP would preducle - . . . the Ferrari once a month, as Brawn had -a u ted. "For sure is ImposslbIe MXt ~ I try the Fwrarl one time a month, becauIe is ~lipOIIIble about time," he said. 'lWllliso If I _ to try 10 times the Ferrari, but _ six, 1maU 811C1t1.-1pOIt and not more MotoGP. If 1 _ to try a lot In Formula One, I decide to IIlIIp • the end of this ~ and ~ yew to cI-.. aport. But If I am here, I am here towlll.Thou&" he'd . - l a 132-po1nt '-I prior to Mot8II, he insists that It Isn't as easy at It Ioolcs. "To win,' need to persorIIlly be 100 percent at this sport,. he saki. "is not easy win for me. is not .-sJbIe. So I IllIke another J8II' with the bike just to walt and will Nke thIslls not ....." And he InsIstecI that IIOtI*'I had been decided. "Maybe Ferrari need to speak also with me, because the very Important thl." Is I don't make a clecislon for the future," he Said. "So maybe also I never race with Formula One. And If I decide yes, for sure next year I don't do a lot of tuts, because I race with MotoGP. In all my life, I am a motorcycle rider for 100 Kawasaki Back To Superbikes After weeks of speculation, Kawasaki announced at its dealer show in Orlando, Florida, last week that it will indeed return to AMA Superbike racing, with Tommy Hayden and Roger Lee Hayden riding brand-new ZXIDRs in the series. Tommy Hayden will focus his effort entirely on the AMA Superbike class and won't defend his AMA Supersport title. Roger Lee Hayden, however, will be on a ZX-6RR in the Supersport Series next year, in addition to making his AMA Superbike Series debut. It is likely. however, that Tommy will make some guest rides in the Supersport Series in some of the more important events. "I'm excited to be back for another season with Kawasaki," Tommy Hayden said in a Kawasaki release. "The guys on the team are great, and I had a great bike to ride last year. It's going to be a challenge to return to Superbike, but it's something I've wanted to do for a long time." Team manager Mike Preston is happy to have both brothers back on the team. "Most of all, I'm excited to have the opportunity to work with both brothers again," he said. "The connection that these two have both on and off the track is important to the consistency of the team. Obviously, we're thrilled that Tommy won his second Supersport Championship, because that was our goal right from the beginning of last season. For 2006, we're 8 SEPTEMBER 28, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS Welcome to Malaysi percent. SometImes I make some tllltl, maybe In the future. I don't know. If next year and next year for sure I race here for Yamaha, my effort Is 100 percent of this championIhIp." If he elMs decide to maU the move to four wheels, It won't be without extensive --.. "If In the future I decide to 1", I need to do a lot of tests and to UIldei_K1 the car and to make a lot of ~, but I don't have time to do together with the bike," he said. Thole klloli_s won't be done In 2006, he insisted. "Four tests is one story, 12 tests is anoth.. one; he saki. "I prefer to do together with ferrari some other tests next J8II', If I decide It's possible that I race with Formula One. If not, It's useless. Maybe I try to do anocher aport." Throuah two separate sessions with the media, Rossi _ ruled out a move to car racln&, but saki the cIecIsion would be made on his timetable. going to continue our focus on the Supersport Championship with Roger while giving both riders our best effort In Superbike as well." Preston also expressed confidence in Roger's abilities. "Roger is a rider who has really come into his own while racing for Kawasaki," said Preston. "He's had a few years of experience now and is a perfect fit for our program and its future. By putting him on a championshipwinning team, with the best equipment Kawasaki has to offer, we believe he has an excellent opportunity to succeed in both categories." Last season, Roger Lee finished second to his older brother Tommy in Supersport and also earned fourth place in the Superstock Championship. He capped off his season by "I think a lot [about] my future. for sure," he saki. "But.-lously, I don't decide what's happenIna. Because this tactic aIwaya work In the I*l for me: I aIwaya think for ~ month, not In two ~ So _ don't speIk about next ~ about 2007. For me, I don't know." Another _ of the FerrarI • their Fiorano _ track won't be indicative of anyth.... he Aiel. "I have time; he saki. "I have time, and FerrarI knows this because this Int8l .'Iew of Rou Brawn forgets one important thinI my decIslon, because I don't decide. And FerrarI knows this." He _ said he WMI!'t ~ . . ested In wortcIna his way throu&h less« championships to Formula One, the most cornmon path of most driven. Rossi believes he's eamecI the opportunity to move strai&ht to the premier class. "So I am ValentIno Rossi. I win six championships, and maybe I have this opportunity. So this is my advantage, nor Ray Abrams We'" He""" winning both the final Superstock and the final Supersport race of the year at Road Atlanta. "I'm really excited to be back riding for Kawasaki, and I am definitely looking forward to riding the new ZX-IOR in Superblke," Roger Lee said. "Tommy's one of the best teammates to have, and I'm hoping both of us will have some close battles. I'm just looking forward to going out there, trying to learn as much as I can and hopefully bring home a trophy or two." The Attack Kawasaki team will also be returning for the 2006 season, with Australian Ben Attard competing in Supersport aboard a ZX-6RR and Superstock on the new ZX-I OR There's no word yet on who will be the team's second rider.

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