Cost cuts get vote from Rossi
Added on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
Cost cuts get vote from Rossi
MotoGP must make its bikes more low-tech and affordable if the sport is to survive the economic downturn, according to World Champion Valentino Rossi.
Following Kawasaki’s recent withdrawal from MotoGP over cost concerns, manufacturers and championship promoters Dorna have been seeking to reduce costs in the sport to prevent another team pulling out in the near future.
Speaking as Yamaha launched their new Yamaha M1 yesterday, Rossi admitted that he had concerns over the sport’s immediate future without Kawasaki and conceded that costs need to be cut to keep Grand Prix racing alive.
“I am very worried about the number of bikes on the MotoGP grid because in 2008 there were only 19, which was already not many,” the Italian said during Yamaha’s online press launch.
“I hope that Kawasaki stay. We have to find a way to have more bikes on the track. I think that we need a bike that is a little less sophisticated and a little cheaper,” added Rossi, who has long bemoaned the overuse of electronics in MotoGP.
Yamaha’s new bike, the YZR-M1, was unveiled online yesterday for the first time, rather than the usual high-profile presentation that took place last year in Turin – a cost cutting measure also implemented by Toyota F1 this year.
Despite a few technical glitches in Yamaha’s unveiling Rossi believes that the bike itself is shaping up well ahead of the season-opening grand prix in Qatar.
“I had the chance to try the 2009 prototype briefly when I was very fast. The bike seems better and I was faster than I was with the 2008 version,” the 29-year-old said.
But the bike will need to be faster if Rossi’s pre-season prediction is correct, with a stronger challenge expected from the likes of Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa, Nicky Hayden and 2007 champion Casey Stoner.
“In 2009 it will be even more difficult because my adversaries, who suffered in 2008, are now out for payback and will be looking to beat me,” he said.
