Stoner to Honda, it's offical......

[X-Man]

Link to Soup article.....Soup Linky... (http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2010/Jul/100709a.htm)

The question is will Pedrosa stay?

[JSKeezy]

Yeah next year will be a shake up......I guess that this is going to happen

-Stoner to Honda
-Rossi to Ducati
-Spies to Fiat Yamaha

[wallypiper]

Interesting question about Pedrosa. He has to be a little frustrated. But I don't see any of the satellite teams offering a better opportunity than Honda. What about Dovi? If Stoner's getting his seat, will he move to Tech3 or LCR? He's currently 3rd in the championship.

[Reece]

There's been rumors of a third factory bike much like the days of Sete on the Movie Star.

[TLR67]

Dovi will do good wherever he goes.... He dosent have a fat head like Pedrobot or Stoner...

[wallypiper]

There's "do good" and there's "become a contender for the championship". I don't think any non factory team will contend for the championship. On a factory Honda, Dovicioso has shot. At LCR or Tech 3, he'll be competing for best of the rest. Better than no ride but I think he's shown he belongs on a factory ride.

[Reece]

Honda's press release which mentions having a three rider factory effort:



HRC press release:
CASEY STONER TO JOIN HONDA IN 2011
HRC is delighted to announce that Casey Stoner will become a factory Honda rider in next year's MotoGP World Championship. The Australian 2007 World Champion, who rode in the Honda LCR Team in his debut MotoGP season in 2006, will rejoin Honda after four seasons with Ducati. Honda's complete factory team line-up for 2011 will be officially presented later in the season.

HRC Vice President Shuhei Nakamoto said:

"We are very pleased that Casey will join Honda again next year. Clearly he is one of the top riders in MotoGP and he will bring valuable speed and experience to our team. In the factory Honda squad we already have two very strong and experienced riders in Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso who are performing very well and currently hold second and third positions in the 2010 World Championship. HRC hopes also to retain these two riders for next year - giving us what would be a truly formidable line-up."

The third bike is rumored to be a Red Bull-sponsored bike with full factory support. Motomatters points out that while Casey's name is being associated with the Red Bull bike, Dovi's history with the energy drink may make a good fit:
http://motomatters.com/news/2010/07/09/official_casey_stoner_joins_three_man_fa.html

[TarzanMan]

Pedrosa doesn't have anywhere to go? I suppose its possible that Yamaha might be interested, but since they already have a winner in the stable (Lorenzo), it would make more sense at this point to try Spies out on a full factory ride.

I could see Suzuki trying to court Pedrosa, but it wouldn't make sense for him to go there unless they threw a LOT of money at him.

So, its going to be Rossi and Hayden on the same team next season? Strange days!

[willr1]

That is messed up, I thought for sure Stoner would be sent packing to another team, but not Honda. I wish Aprilla would come to GP, Rossi would be back to his origins and the way Biaggi and team are doing in WSBK, it would be a contender.

[Reece]

Quite a few folks in the WSBK paddock are thinking the RSV4 belongs in MotoGP. I'd love to see them back in the GP's with Max (who IS Aprilia now) on a fast bike.

It would be an Italian racing wet dream with Max on an Aprilia - and for conversation, say maybe even keeping the Air Italia sponsorship - going head-to-head with Rossi on the Ducati (and one can speculate that Fiat could continue sponsorship with Rossi via a Ferrari-branded Ducati creating even more synergy with the F1/Rossi connection). Lots of "ifs", but geezus, can you imagine Max coming back...briming with confidence after developing the RSV4...Superbike title or two in his back pocket...heart full of revenge...a sea of pirate flags crashing upon florescent yellow cliffs.

[TarzanMan]

Maxi Biaggi would just get SPANKED AGAIN by Ben Spies. Bring him back to MotoGP so that he can learn his place (again) :-)

Aprilia was planning to make a motoGP appearance when the displacement increase takes place... but they have put those plans on hold, I think