VALENCIA, SPAIN, NOV 8 â€" Valentino Rossi has four Yamaha YZR-M1s in his house in Tavullia, one for each championship, including one in the bedroom which is sometimes adorned with socks.
Rossi and Yamaha’s senior management discussed his seven years with the brand following his third place finish in the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix. Despite rumors of disharmony, the trio was genial throughout, with nothing but praise for each other and a bit of sadness that their journey had come to an end. Masao Furusawa, who not only engineered the M1, but also helped engineer Rossi’s move to Yamaha, is leaving the racing department after 18 years. Rossi is off to Ducati. Only race boss Lin Jarvis is staying put to lead the new team of Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies into the 2011 MotoGP World Championship.
Lorenzo was unstoppable this year, winning his first MotoGP title with a record 383 points for an 18 race season. Presumably he’ll get the title-winning bike, whether it ends up in his bedroom or not.
“I have four M1s in my house,†Rossi said. “I have all the M1s that I won the championship on and Yamaha in this point of view is a lot more fair and give to me all of the bikes. I have the 2004 M1 in my, er bathroom? (realizes he meant the bedroom) Oh sorry, no, in my bedroom! It is not in the toilet (laughs). Every morning when I wake up I see my bike and sometimes I have some socks on it. But it is a great memory.â€
download photoshop
No comments:
Post a Comment