Valentino Rossi says the return to 1000cc engines in 2012 could persuade him to extend his career in MotoGP.
Nine-time champion Rossi has hinted his long-term future lies in rallying but speaking at 2010's first test session, he said he was still hungry for MotoGP.
"I am very happy to go back to the 1000cc because I like it more than 800cc and it is more fun," he said.
"It's an important challenge as far as my motivation is concerned and may convince me to stay in MotoGP longer."
But Rossi, 30, who has one year left on his current contract with the Fiat Yamaha team, revealed he was less enthusiastic about the rules on the number of engines riders are allowed to use.
606: DEBATE What are your thoughts about the 2010 season? From 2010 onwards, riders are restricted to six engines per season as a cost-cutting measure, similar to those introduced in Formula One.
"I think it will be a difficult rule for everybody because just six engines for one season is not enough, it is very tight," said Rossi.
"If we have eight or 10 it is easier and less risky."
Rossi tries his hand at F1 with FerrariThe Italian was speaking at the first MotoGP testing session of 2010, at Sepang in Malaysia.
And he showed his title-winning form of last year has not deserted him as he topped the time sheets with a fastest lap of two minutes 01.411 seconds, just one second off the time which earned him pole position in the Malaysian Grand Prix last year.
Ducati rider Casey Stoner, who finished third behind Rossi last season after an illness-wrecked year, was just 0.491 seconds slower, with Tech 3 Yamaha rider Colin Edwards third fastest.
As the number of engines required is a "finger in the air" job I would expect most teams & riders will be cautious & take it easy towards the beginning of the season thus giving themselves the ability to wind it up a notch or two should they need to in the final rounds.
Hope it doesn't make it processional with nobody wishing to commit too early and regret it later on!
Wonder if this means anything as well ..............
There will be no sharing of data this season between the two teams that make up the Yamaha factory MotoGP set-up.
The competition for the MotoGP World Championship title this season between Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo will have an added edge.
On Thursday it was confirmed by Masahiko Nakajima, MotoGP Group Leader and Fiat Yamaha Team Director, that there will be no sharing of data between the two riders this year as they do battle for the crown which the Italian won in 2009.
Commenting on the issue at a press conference in Malaysia to mark the first official MotoGP test of the year, Rossi said that he thought the new method of operating was the correct one.
“Speaking with Yamaha I think Jorge, especially last year and already in 2008, demonstrated great speed and a good attitude to fix and set the bike,” said the 30 year-old. “Now he has been in the team for two years, so everyone agrees that it’s possible for everyone to make their own way.”
Rossi continued: “Also, Jorge wants to work more on the development, so I think it’s right that everyone does his job alone. But at the end it doesn’t change a lot because all the comments between me and Jorge are quite similar, so it’s not a big change.”
When asked for his opinion on the matter, Lorenzo – who finished runner-up to Rossi in last year’s Championship – replied: “I don’t have anything to comment about this.
On the engines issue I belive it to to right decision, take development into it, all the team can produce machines that have excelent proformance so let's see them take engine life into account.
Think that we all agree that it benifits all in the long run,
you may end up getting a Suzuki engine to last as thing filter down to the man / girl in the street.
"There will be no sharing of data this season"
"Rossi said that he thought the new method of operating was the correct one"
" Lorenzo – who finished runner-up to Rossi in last year’s Championship – replied: “I don’t have anything to comment about this."
Or in short, Rossi is fed up of Lorenzo pinching his hard earned data, and has put a stop to it for the coming season
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