{"id":15242,"date":"2014-07-07T18:38:24","date_gmt":"2014-07-07T17:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/issue_content\/ducati-welcomes-rossi\/"},"modified":"2020-12-04T10:40:34","modified_gmt":"2020-12-04T10:40:34","slug":"ducati-welcomes-rossi","status":"publish","type":"issue_content","link":"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/archive\/article\/october-2010\/24\/ducati-welcomes-rossi\/","title":{"rendered":"Ducati welcomes Rossi"},"content":{"rendered":"
Valentino Rossi will join Ducati in 2011, creating an Italian MotoGP \u2018dream team\u2019 that has been a much talked-about possibility for several years. Rossi\u2019s departure from Yamaha was of\ufb01cially announced at the Czech Grand Prix on August 15.<\/p>\n
Next year the reigning MotoGP World Champion will join 2006 title winner Nicky Hayden at the Marlboro-backed factory Ducati team.<\/p>\n
Rossi had his first dalliance with the so-called \u2018Ferrari of motorcycling\u2019 towards the end of 2003, when he was on his way to winning a third MotoGP crown with Honda. That deal never came to pass and instead the Italian went to Yamaha, where he won another four MotoGP titles. Although rumours of a Ducati switch have been a regular talking point in recent years, it was only earlier this season that the move became a serious proposition.<\/p>\n
Several factors allowed Ducati and Rossi to put together a deal. At the end of last season Rossi backed himself into a corner when he announced that Yamaha must choose between him and his fast young team-mate Jorge Lorenzo. Yamaha\u2019s mind seemed made up when Rossi broke his right leg at Mugello earlier this year, while already trailing Lorenzo in the points chase. Soon after that Honda announced that it had mounted a successful swoop on Ducati\u2019s star rider, 2007 MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner, leaving the way clear for Rossi and Ducati to join forces.<\/p>\n