[Postseason Test] Valencia, Spain | MotoGP 2013

But a well paid season... So it isn't like he should be surprised

 

SUPPOSEDLY they wanted his feedback for input to help with the direction of the new machine that they will have completed by the Sepang test in February. Of course, this is just a little bit late in the game compared to Honda who had their 2014 machine already completed back during the Aragon round. It's going to be a LONG two years for Crutchlow.

 

Crutchlow will tell them the same things that Hayden, Rossi, Dovi, and others have said.

Will this time make a difference?

 

I'm sure the money will help, but only for so long. Ducati couldn't keep Rossi around for $20MM per year. I'm sure fighting for top ten finishes is going to get really old, really quickly. Especially when you know you can battle for wins and maybe even championships on the right equipment. I sure hope Crutchlow uses this time to set up his retirement account and abandons ship before that bike takes away his competitive edge.

 

Did he sign for 1 year or more? No more than two years to pad the bank account. Then go back to competitive machinery.

 

Crutchlow didn't want to ride the Ducati, but when he dicked around and wouldn't commit to Tech 3 because he wanted the Yamaha Factory seat (yeah right!), they went and signed Pol Espargaro and Cal was shit out of luck with Bradley Smith already locked into 2014. He HATED the idea of riding Duc, but loves the paycheck.

 

In other news, fire is hot.

 

When someone offers you a mega payday in a sport where your career could be over at the next corner and you never earn another cent in your profession, you take that offer. He'd have to be an idiot to have turned it down, even if the bike is shit. If he'd stayed at Tech 3 for 2 more years, what then? Yamaha wouldn't sign a 30+ year old to ride their factory bike no matter how well he did. Cal made the right business decision. As for when the bike will improve? The day not too long from now when Phillip Morris pulls the plug and Ducati disappears from the grid.

 

Cal isnt in the same universe as Lorenzo,Marquez, or Pedrosa. He would be about exactly where Rossi finished if you handed him a factory Yamaha. He may win a race under extreme circumstances, but not straight up against the top 3. He was smart for taking the Ducati ride. 4th or 5th and make 3-400000k, or 7-10th at 2 million = no brainer

 

Two year deal. Rumors say that he can opt out of his second year if he desires.

 

I'm aware he made the right decision financially, but now he has to spend 2 years on the career killer, and smile like a good little puppet.

Point is, all the while he was saying how excited he was to ride it, he was pissing and moaning to people behind the scenes how terrified he was of it, and what a piece of shit it is..

 

Unless their last name was......errr, well all know the rest. But I mean hey, he finished 4th in the final points behind the 3 aliens of the class. Realistically speaking there's not much better Yamaha could have got for their money. Over 30 or not.

 

Compared to spending 2 more years with a guarantee of not winning or competing for a championship with Tech 3, again no brainer. There will not be a ride available that he can win on till 2017, which at that time he will be 31 years old. If he keeps his mouth shut and plays nice, will have banked around 10 million compared to 2 million. If you are locked out, you are locked out. Get what you can and enjoy life. Thats like saying a backup qb to Tom Brady should turn down an offer 8 times more than he is currently making because he can get a ring with New England as a back up. Fuck that.

 

Rossi doesn't count, as he's outside the normal business calculus. He's an icon and a living legend. As long as he isn't embarrassing the brand, where he finishes doesn't matter. That irreverent Rossi grin will be in Yamaha propaganda in 2050 selling electric hover bikes and brainwave controlled pianos. He's a great investment from a total return standpoint.

Cal is a funny and super talented dude, but at the end of the day he's just another easily replaced rider. With anyone not named Valentino, they'd rather take a gamble on a 20 year old nutter than get a known quantity 30 year old. With the advent of El Joker I expect it'll get harder for anyone who's not a boy genius to get a factory ride. Yamaha and Honda will just find 'em young and bring them straight on to the factory rides. Guys like Bradl or Aleix Espargaro are fucked.

 

Isn't in the same universe? On a satellite bike he beat Marquez in Le Mans and Pedrosa in Assen. He might not be as talented but I wouldn't be as dramatic as not "in the same universe".

 

That goes with my Rossi smiles as much as MM post earlier. He knows his place. He's having fun, making fat dollars, cruising around the world. He's the 4h fastest guy on the planet!

 

I think that will depend on:

1) How much stick GiGi has to change things within Ducati?
2) How much money do they (Audi) have to throw at it?
3) What timeframe is Ducati looking at?
4) Are Cal and Dovi astute enough to provide sufficient feedback?

If there's a lot of "Si, Si, Si" but no action as happened with Stoner, Nicky, Rossi, etc.. then Cal's in for a well paid, but very long two years.

 

Except cal has never battled for a win or a championship

 

In typical Ducati fashion they are the last to the party and hell, last in the party. I'm actually suprised they have stayed in GP for this long.

They are so far behind the 8 ball on this they can't even see the table much less the fucking ball. Seems to be the same elitist bullshit that has kept them out of it for so long. Stoner asked for changes got none, Rossi asked for changes, they got none. No different now.

They will just keep getting their asses kicked. Anyone wanna bet Cal crashes himself to pieces and is done after his 2 years?

 

So any word on today's Moto2 times? They were running both Thurs and Fri right or was it just one day yesterday?