Rossi to call it a day?

Are they only rumours or is it true that Rossi is considering hanging up his leathers? After last season without a win or a spot on the podium has he come to terms with the fact that younger hungrier riders are coming along who are willing to take the odd risk to make a name for themselves? Granted on a good day Rossi is still a force to be reckoned with but I don't think he will be satisfied with being a constant runner up. It will be interesting to see what he decides to do.

Well they're definitely more than rumours.

Both Yamaha and the man himself have issued statements, saying that its definitely a consideration. But Rossi basically gave the usual racer's statement, that he wants to continue (into 2021) but wants a few races this year to see if he can still be competitive.

Yamaha said they're happy to continue to support him and if he does retire from the track, they'd love to have him as an ambassador.

https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/motogp-valentino-rossi-may-continue-on-yamaha-satellite-team-in-2021/

Think time passed on 'The Doctor' when he kicked Marquez and subsequently lost the championship to Lorenzo. Has he won that championship, 2015 iirc, I'm pretty certain he would've retired.

As great as Rossi has been, he's held the team back post 2015. His riding style and Vinales are polar opposites. Causing a wide array of issues for the Japanese marquee.

The signing of the brilliant Fabio Quartararo will help Yamaha realign itself as both have similar riding styles.

I see no worth in Rossi joining the satellite team - especially as he's over 40 and it's not going to add anything to his resume.

Also Jorge Lorenzo is very interested in that seat and it's a more beneficial move

No discussion for the 2020 season so I thought I’d add this on here. 
6 times World Champion Marc Marquez suffered a broken elbow in the season opener at Jerez. It was a massive accident. Marquez will have surgery and will miss round 2 also at Jerez. 
Cal Crutchlow also went under the knife after breaking his wrist. 
French superstar in waiting Fabio Quartararo won the season opener in Jerez. If he doubles up Marquez could be 50pts behind with only a further 11 races left.
Quartararo was the first French winner in MotoGP in over 20 years

‘El Diablo’ Fabio Quartararo won the Andalucia GP at Jerez. The French superstar cruised to victory. Viñales and Rossi also made the podium. A rare Yamaha 1-2-3.

Marc Márquez missed the race, the first time in his career he’s missed a MotoGP race. 50pts behind Quartararo with 13-15 races left.

Yamaha’s main issue is engine reliability. All 4 riders are already on their fifth and final units. Rossi and Morbidelli both have one that expired.

Alex Rins finished a remarkable 10th despite a broken upper arm and shoulder.

Yes Marquez has an uphill struggle to retain the Title, if Quartararo continues to ride like he has in the first two races.But as you know anything can happen in racing and the reliability of the Yamahas is an unknown factor. Marquez wont go down without a fight, though 50 pts are a lot to claw back in this shortened season.

Marc Marquez has undergone a second operation on his broken elbow after the plate insert became damaged from the stress exerted during the ill advised attempt to race at Jerez 2. Marquez likely to miss Brno as well.

Additionally all non European races are cancelled

Former Moto2 champion Stefan Bradl will replace Marc Marquez for this weekend’s Czech GP.

Johann Zarco takes a sensational pole position at Brno on the 2019 Ducati bike.

Pecco Bagnaia misses Brno and Austria with a broken leg.

The world gets turned upside down at Brno as South Africa’s Brad Binder secures historic maiden MotoGP race win - first South African to ever win in the premier class. Factory KTM team’s maiden win in the premier class. Franco Morbidelli career best second place and Johann Zarco third on the 2019 Ducati.

Terrible day for the title contenders: Quartararo P7, Dovizioso P11 and Viñales P14.

Marc Márquez might be returning for the Austrian double header to boot

Andrea Dovizioso has decided to quit the factory Ducati team, with no other top rides available, the Italian will miss 2021 season.
Ducati will promote either Pramac’s Pecco Bagnaia or Avintia’s Johann Zarco.

Monumental crash between Zarco and Morbidelli at the Red Bull ring. Both riders fortunate not to be killed.

Out going factory Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso wins the Austrian GP for the third time in four years to reignite his title hopes. Suzuki’s Joan Mir took a career best second and Pramac’s Jack Miller took third.
Championship leader Fabio Quartararo suffered another lacklustre race coming home in P7.

Jeff Navarro wrote:Monumental crash between Zarco and Morbidelli at the Red Bull ring. Both riders fortunate not to be killed.

Rossi lucky to be alive too. Scary crash

Just John wrote:

Jeff Navarro wrote:Monumental crash between Zarco and Morbidelli at the Red Bull ring. Both riders fortunate not to be killed.

Rossi lucky to be alive too. Scary crash

Yes very much so. Morbidelli’s bike just missed his head. And Zarco’s just missed the front of his bike. The great man was shock during the red flag.

Just a couple of updates regarding that monstrous accident from last weekend. Johann Zarco suffered a broken wrist, I felt it was odd at the time when they declared him ok despite blood pouring down his arm. The Frenchman has surgery and is hoping to race this weekend.

Second Zarco has received a penalty after Rossi, Morbidelli, Dovizioso and the Espargaro brothers continued to call for ‘bigger penalty’.

I think the penalty was ridiculous it was nothing more that a racing incident. Does anyone really believe a rider would brake test someone at over 200mph?

Marc Marquez’s faint hopes of a 7th MotoGP title are over after Repsol Honda announced his arm injury hasn’t not responded as hoped for after surgery. Marquez rules out for 2-3 months

A brilliant qualifying session at the Red Bull Ring as KTM’s Pol Espargaro gave the Austrian manufacture their maiden pole position in the premier class on their own circuit. LCR Honda’s Takaaki Nakagami took second. Johann Zarco stuck his 2019 Ducati on third, broken wrist and all - unfortunately for the Frenchman he starts from pit-lane.
Miller p4, Vinales p5, Rins p6, Dovizioso p8, quartararo p9 and Rossi way down in p14.

Another brilliant race in MotoGP ad Portugal’s Miguel Oliveira becomes first Portuguese rider to win in the premier class. Tech 3 KTM gives KTM the win they wanted at their home circuit. Pramac’s Jack Miller took second and factory KTM’s Pol Espargaro took third.

Poor Joan Mir was left to wonder what might’ve been, cruising to victory when the race was stopped after Viñales suffered brake failure at over 200mph.

Factory Ducati rider Dovizioso closing in on Quartararo as Yamaha continue to struggle with engine issues.

Ducati beaten in Austria for the first time.

Yes Jeff, Moto GP has definitely provided plenty of excitement since it's long awaited return. Who would have thought Miguel Oliveira would have won at the weekend. I do feel sorry for Mir and Suzuki when it looked like they were going to get the top spot on the podium only to be denied because of Vinales' horrific crash. Who is going to finish up Champion is anyone's guess but I would like Dovi to get the title after all he has given to the sport over the years.

I do would like Dovizioso to win the championship, he certainly deserves a championship, but as a Ducati fan we’ve been waiting for so long for someone to join Casey Stoner as the next champion in red.
I find it pretty difficult for Yamaha to win the championship which their engine issues - if they use a 6th unit it’s a pit lane start.
Following on from Vinales crash, brembo brought new brakes as they thought it could be an issue - Vinales refused to use them. In hindsight it was a terrible decision as he could’ve been killed.

Franco Morbidelli wins the San Marino GP, maiden win for the Italian. Really pleased for him. Pecco Bagnaia a remarkable second coming back from his broken leg. Joan Mir nipped in to grab third. Terrible weekend for Quartararo has be binned it twice and DNF’d. Not much better for Dovizioso as he trailed home 8th but takes championship lead.
This could be a big mistake by Quartararo as Misano is very much a Yamaha circuit.

Yes another exciting finish. You can't say that Moto GP is boring with different riders standing on the top spot nearly every race. There is a chance of Dovi going out on a high and winning the title.

Ducati has signed Enea Bastianini to a factory contract and the Italian will move up to MotoGP. Bastianini will replace Johann Zarco at the Avintia Ducati team.
Ducati still deciding on whether Zarco or Bagnaia will replace Dovizioso on the factory bike.

Maverick Vinales won the Emilia Romagna GP(Misano 2) after Pramac’s Pecco Bagnaia binned if 7 laps from the end. Suzuki’s Joan Mir took second and KTM’s Pol Espargaro took third after Fabio Quatararo received a 3 second lap for track limits. Valentino Rossi also binned it. Andrea Dovizioso retains championship lead by 1pt after another lacklustre 8th place finish.

Championship standings:
Dovizioso 84pts
Quartararo 83pts
Viñales 83pts
Mir 80pts

Valentino Rossi’s deal to join Petronas Yamaha SRT is complete. Announcement will be in the coming days.

It gets harder every week to pick who is going to win. It looked like Bagnaia had it in the bag until he slid off, I still think he deserves a factory ride next year though Zarco shouldn't be forgotten. Dovi leading the charge even though he only finished 8th, he has finished every race this year and that's made the difference.

Jeff Navarro wrote:Valentino Rossi’s deal to join Petronas Yamaha SRT is complete. Announcement will be in the coming days.

This was confirmed today

Franco Morbidelli continues to rise as he storms to Catalan GP pole position, his maiden pole in the premier class. Fabio Quartararo and Valentino Rossi completed a Yamaha front row lockout. Miller led the Ducati charge with 4th and Vinales 5th. Zarco with a fantastic 6th on the 2019 Ducati. Dovizioso languishing in 17th and it’s seems like his championship dreams are wilting.

Fabio Quartararo won the Catalan GP to retake championship lead. Suzuki duo Joan Mir and Alex Rins completed the podium. Valentino Rossi binned it late on to lose potential 200th premier class podium. Andrea Dovizioso crashed out and it seems like his championship hopes are all but over.

Quartararo 108pts - 3 wins
Mir 100pts - 0 wins
Vinales 90pts - 1 win
Dovizioso 84pts - 1 win
Morbidelli 77pts - 1 win

Ducati has finally confirmed its lineups for 2021. Pecco Bagnaia will partner Jack Miller at the factory team. Johann Zarco will step up from Avintia to Pramac and will be partnered by Jorge Martin.

Another amazing race in the Moto GP with yet another different winner. Petrucci on the Ducati taking the number one spot and new comer Alex Marquez a well deserved second place with Espargo on the KTM third. Dovi suffering from tyre failure in the final stages in fourth. Bad luck again for Jack Miller who looked set for a podium finish at one stage, only to have engine trouble with a couple of laps to go. Quartararo increased his lead in the title race.

Really happy for Danilo, feel like he’s been made a scapegoat for Ducati’s failed title attempts. At least he can tell the grandchildren he won two GPs on the red bikes.

Valentino Rossi has covid19 and is out of this weekends race ar Aragon. He’s potentially going to miss the following race at Aragon 2 as well. Jorge Lorenzo may get a go at Aragon 2.

Alex Rins held off Alex Marquez to win at Aragon 1, fellow Suzuki rider Joan Mir completed a Spanish 1-2-3. Mir takes the lead in the championship after a badly bruised Fabio Quartararo could only finish 18th. Rather ominously Andrea Dovizioso is now only 15pts behind Mir.
Four races to go and it’s anyone's championship.
Mir 121pts
Quartararo 115pts
Vinales 109pts
Dovizioso 106pts

Just when you think you've seen all the excitement for the season, Moto GP throws us another nail biting finish with yet another winner. Rins taking the top spot and a brilliant ride from Alex Marquez splitting the two Suzukis and Mir to finish third and move to top of the title race. I wouldn't like to try and pick whose going to finish #1 but I'll be glued to the screen for the last few races.

Japanese star Takaaki Nakagami signs new multiple year deal with LCR Honda, very well deserved extension as he’s been outstanding this season.
Looks like Cal Crutchlow could be out of MotoGP as a result.

Franco Morbidelli won Aragon 2 ahead of Suzuki duo Alex Rins and Joan Mir. Pol Espagaro and Johann Zarco rounded out the top 5.
Another poor day for Fabio Quartararo trialling home in 6th. Even worse for Andrea Dovizioso who’s championship died with 17th place.
3 rounds to go: Valencia 1, Valencia 2 and Portimao

Standings:
1. Joan Mir 137pts
2. Fabio Quartararo 123pts
3. Maverick Vinales 118pts
4. Franco Morbidelli 112pts
5. Andrea Dovizioso 109pts

Valentino Rossi has tested positive for covid19 again will miss Valencia 1 and it’s getting to the point where his factory Yamaha career is over.

Tech 3’s Iker Lecuona will also miss Valencia 1 after his brother tested positive for covid19.

Rossi recovered from covid19 and subsequently passed two tests so was able to return this weekend.

In other news, Rossi’s brother Luca Marini, will race for Avintia Ducati in 2021. Tito Rabat lost his seat after being outclassed by Zarco.

Joan Mir powered to victory at Valencia 1 to all but seal the championship. Mir’s maiden win in the premier class coupled with yet more woes for Yamaha - Morbidelli 11th, Vinales 13th after pit lane start and Quartararo 14th after crashing and remounting. Yamaha luck with their engine runs out, supposedly running on reduced capacity.
Alex Rins and Pol Espargaro completed the podium.

Standings:
1. Joan Mir 162pts
2. Fabio Quartararo 125pts
3. Alex Rins 125pts
4. Maverick Vinales 121pts
5. Franco Morbidelli 117pts

Who would have picked Suzuki to be so dominant in the title race at the beginning of the season? I wonder if it would have been a different story if Marquez had been competing? Somehow I don't think so. With Suzuki and KTM improving all the time Honda Yamaha and Ducati will be hard at work during the off season trying to improve their bikes. Good luck to Joan Mir he deserves to win.

Suzuki’s bike handles beautifully, literally the dream bike. Marquez would’ve got everything possible from the 2020 Honda but it wasn’t a stable bike.
Quartararo was in near tears after another woeful race - Yamaha engines are terrible and they’ve been running very much on low regs.

Finally tale of two Italians - Dovizioso takes a sabbatical in 2021. Iannone failed with his appeal against doping ban, CAS upgraded ban from 18 months to 4 years. Career effectively over.

Joan Mir duly won his maiden MotoGP title with a measured 7th place finish at Valencia 2. Mir smartly did what was necessary and at 23 years old could go on to win multiple championships. This is Suzuki’s first championship since Kenny Roberts Jr way back in 2000.

As for the rest of the race, Franco Morbidelli beat Jack Miller in a thrilling battle. Pol Espagaro completed the podium.

Fabio Quartararo once again crashed out and the French youngster looked a broken man, the talent is undeniable but it remains to be seen how he comes back in 2021.

Standings:
Champion Joan Mir 171pts
2. Franco Morbidelli 142pts
3. Alex Rins 138pts
4. Maverick Vinales 127pts
5. Fabio Quartararo 125pts
6. Andrea Dovizioso 125pts

Well Jack Miller did his best to add his name to the list of winners for this season but Morbidelli was at his brilliant best and got his well deserved win. Congratulations to Joan Mir and Suzuki, next season is shaping up to be full of the younger ones taking over. Rossi must be worried about next season when he will be on this years bike which wasn't as good as last years bike.

With regards to Rossi, he made a promise to his mother that he’d try and stay around to do a season with his brother Luca Marini. All things being equal I think Marini replaces Rossi at Petronas Yamaha in 2022.

Joan Mir was 100% the deserving winner as he was the most consistent and additionally he’s a great ambassador for the sport.

Looking for to 2021 my favourite for the championship is Alex Rins, has he not broken his shoulder in Austria he would probably have won the championship IMO.

Furthermore I think those that predicted that Marc Márquez would win 10 MotoGP titles might want to revise their expectations. Márquez lost a year in his prime and we don’t know how his arm will react under the strain of a full tank of fuel. Additionally the Honda was a rough ride in 2020 and with the regulations keeping the same bikes for 2021 - I’d be wanting that Suzuki.

Finally we’ve got a fabulous field for 2021:
Mir
Márquez
Morbidelli
Quartararo
Vinales
Zarco
Miller
Bagnaia
Rins
Nakagami
Don’t discount the old man Rossi either
Literally anyone could land the championship

Miguel Oliveira won the Portuguese GP at Portimao, a day after becoming the first Portuguese man to get a premier class pole position. Jack Miller ended stay at Pramac with second place and Franco Morbidelli ended a very good campaign with third place.
P Espagaro, Nakagami, Dovizioso, Bradl, A Espagaro, A Marquez, Zarco, Vinales, Rossi, Crutchlow, Quartararo and Rins completed 4 through to 15.

World champion Mir DNF, meaning Ducati won the team title.

Pretty sad day for me as Andrea Dovizioso potentially had his last race. Also going to miss Cal Crutchlow genuinely top guy.

A very significant update on Marc Marquez:
The 6 time MotoGP champion has undergone a third operation on his broken arm. Surgery was 8hrs long where bone graft from his hip was used to try repair his arm.
Marquez’s recovery period is around 6 months - whereby he could miss at least 6 races in 2021.
I’m feeling like Marquez’s career is on the line.

Honda has contacted Andrea Dovizioso to replace Marquez for however long is required.

Marc Marquez has an infection in the fracture of his elbow. Some whispers suggest he’ll miss entire 2021 championship.