If you had Rossi's bank balance, his houses, his cars, his boat and his future earning potential in whatever he choses to do, rallying, car racing, WSB would you even consider going back to Yamaha? Why does he need it? He could have stayed at Ducati and got more money for midfield results, he could retire. Rossi is risking his legacy here, people will forget or blame Ducati for the last two years but if he comes back and cant win on the Yamaha a lot of the gloss will go off his career in Moto GP.

This is Rossi's biggest and last gamble, bigger than his move to Yamaha for 2004 and bigger than his move to Ducati. Be in no doubt that Rossi believes he can win races next year, he may even believe he can win the championship. Personally I dont think he is as interested in another Moto GP crown as in beating Agostini's win record. If he can achieve that in the next two years I suspect he really will retire, another championship would just be the icing on the cake.

I think Michael Scott makes a lot of sense. Rossi is out to win and I believe 100% that he can do it. Whoregay never had to race Rossi at his best in 2010. I am certain that Whoregay will be fast and consistant and a far stronger challenger than Stoner or Pedrosa ever could be but he doesnt have the experience, class or talent of Rossi and those things dont diminish with age.

Nope.. he's ready.

What people forget is that in his last race on a Yamaha he stuck it on the podium when injured. He's a long way from finished.

My bet is that on race 1 of 2013 he throws it on the podium.

Not so sure about this....

A wise man once pointed out that racers crash a lot when starting out, get past it and then start crashing a lot towards the end of their careers which is what Rossi has been doing as of late.

I see him winning a race or three but doubt he'll win the champiopnship. Should make for better racing anyway.

I can see him at least putting a challenge in for the championship. Winning it might be a little beyond him but it would be fooking incredible if he could pull it off. Stoner retiring has certainly helped him anyway.

Done has both a physical and mental aspect. Rossi had a bad accident and suffered a horrific injury. Physically he may be healed (or maybe not?). My question has always been about his mental state. If he can forget about that crash and the injuries, he can probably still win. If he can't, he's done. Time will tell.

IMO if thing's go right with the bike "he" developed,,san's any crashes that could imobiilise him,,in 2013 he will at least be in the top three in the standing's,,fast reliable bike,,fast reliable Rossi,,,,

Fuggin ave it. Rossi wasnt done at San Marino today

That was a pretty good ride. Can't wait for next season and Marquez could be the new Super Sic??

Positions from attrition is not a man on a mission.
See how excited he was, youd a thunked he won.
Poor Dani, that kid was going to make a season out of 2012 and for the love of a hot tyre he now retyres the championship to mr consistant.
Get another podium and you can hear the press next year
Rossi develops winning machine.

This is his and Ducati's home GP, plus the track is now named after Super Sic. I can completely understand why he reacted the way he did.

I am very happy that Ducati has found a way to improvement on the bike. I also believe that Rossi had a deeper drive due to home field advantage.
It is very easy to cheer Rossi's success in this household.
Maddog, you need to look at the results that Mr. Hayden had in 06 and the latter part of 05 to get a clear understanding of how well and at what path Nickey was on to win that championship. There are many that say he was gifted his place. Danny Pedrosa, not being one of them.
One could suppose that Toni Elias is the person who most affected that season of you could say that Keeny Roberts lack of knowing what lap he was on was the winning ticket for Nicky.
I walk away from this race with a season that feels over and the end of this race brings out from the dusty woodwork great backslapping-clapping silly as a schoolgirl gesticulating fervor frought with forgotten failure from forty-five seconds back fancy-boy.
Poor Dani

A great ride no doubt.

Much of practice was spoiled by poor conditions apparently.
Ducati tested at Misano recently while Honda and Yamaha were testing in Spain.

Ducati's front end saved Rossi this time...

rossi only got the podium because stoner is out injured and pedrossa got shafted at the start, simple as that, and the ducati was a bike that won races so he will not have built a race winning ducati, just like he didnt develop the yamaha it was a lready built for him when he got there.
Jorge will be very hard to beat, but rossi struggled to beat riders on the ducati when he was riding the yamaha so not sure how he will go with a rider like lorenzo who is riding like a pro now.

Rossi finished 4 secs behind the leader, that in any world we live in is a vast improvement.

Well, I know 2 front runners where out, so this second place could have been a lousy 4th.

And I also agree that Lorenzo is now cool enough to control the pace in front of a Ducati runner Rossi lol

But no matter what it's still a second place in front of his home crowd in the dry, keeping a nice pace start to finish. And that didn't happen a lot in the past year and a half.

Just seen Rossi lose the front in qualifying for Aaragon while circulating 1.5 seconds off the pace. Looks like front end gremlins not sorted yet.

It was the "meh" wave of the hand at the bike as he walked away that said it all to me. I bet he can't wait to jump back on the Yam