It happened the last time he jumped ship, and it looks like it could happen again: Motorcycle News is reporting that
Valentino Rossi could be prevented from taking part in any MotoGP tests until the end of the year, this time with Michelin stopping Rossi from testing on Bridgestone tires until the contract between Yamaha and Michelin expires at the end of November. As the FIM enforce a winter test ban which starts on December 1st and runs until mid-January, Rossi may not get to ride the new M1 until the January 22nd test at Sepang.
The Doctor has been here before, of course, as Honda held Rossi to the terms of his contract at the end of the 2003 season, banning him from riding the Yamaha M1 until January 1st 2004. Despite having a lot less testing under his belt than the competition, and starting on a clearly inferior bike, Rossi went on to win the first race of that season, and take the championship, establishing his reputation once and for all. So the question is, would a test ban slow him up at all?
posted on Thursday, November 01, 2007 9:47 PM