So does that mean crutchlow will be riding a works bike next year!?!!?
by dean adams
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
American Ben Spies said this morning that he won’t be riding for Yamaha in MotoGP next season, that he has made the decision to leave the factory Yamaha team at the end of the 2012 season.
Spies said via email this morning:
Yesterday I made a comment on Twitter to cause a stir. (Today) I’ll be more in saying that I have chosen to leave Yamaha after this season for a litany of reasons. I will explain more when I feel it is appropriate. I’m discussing my situation with my sponsors and they are behind me. There are a few people at Yamaha who I hate to leave. And they know who they are. I wish Yamaha the best. I won’t make any further comments until the offical announcement comes out.
Spies won the World Superbike championship for Yamaha in 2009–his rookie season in WSBK. That remains Yamaha’s only WSBK title. Spies also scored rookie of the year honors in Grand Prix in 2010 and also won the Dutch TT last season. He also nearly won the final Grand Prix of the 2011 season at Valencia, but was beaten to the line by World Champion Casey Stoner.
I think I remember reading somewhere that a Yamaha insider said that upper management was deadset on re-signing Spies for another season. If that’s true then I guess Spies really did leave on his own and wasn’t pushed out.
Championship points aren’t the only indicator of a rider’s talent. Data from the bike (like corner speed, lean angle, trail braking, g-force, etc) is a better indicator of the true talent of a rider, and I have no doubt in my mind that Spies has as much talent as Dani and Lorenzo (prob not as much as Stoner or Rossi though). Spies is just really unlucky, and he’s been really hard on the tires this season. Maybe a team-change will turn his career around.
Spies isn’t on the same level as Lorenzo predo bear, lorenzo fought with & beat rossi sometimes when rossi was still on the M1. Lorenzo was the only person fighting with Stoner the past 2 season. Spies had 2 or 3 good races since he as been on the M1.
Honestly spies isn’t cut out for GP. Also Yamaha was dead set on keeping him because Yamaha America is Vital to the factory team. That’s a lot of money spies brought in despite his lack luster run on the factory team.
Spies has already been linked to BMW & Suzuki in WSBK also the Suzuki GP team.
If BS is not cut out fot GP then 70% of the current GP grid is not; Personally I don’t think BS is not cut out got GP and I don’t think he left because of his performance this year so far.
I think something else motivated him, he probably got a sweat deal on something he can’t refuse. I guess we will have to wait and see.
Alright I should say he isn’t cut out to be the American hope everyone wants him to be. He isn’t the kevin swans and wayne rainey everyone wants.
In AMA and WSBK he dominated, in GP he is a mid pack rider. No shame in it what he has done is amazing. but he has reached his limit.
On the subject of Rossi he has been linked to Yamaha tech 3 and Honda on a factory supported ride the one marco had. Odds are Rossi will stick it out with Ducati because i am sure they are paying him out the NOSE!
I’m not even a Rossi fan and I’d like to see him on the Yamaha again, but the odds of him leaving Ducati are slim, BUT than again who thought stoner would retire and spies quit?
I wouldn’t mind seeing Spies back in WSBK, but I don’t think he’s done in Motogp. Maybe he just needs a break. I just hope he doesn’t do something crazy and goes to Ducati motogp.
rofl:rofl