Valentino Rossi to launch 'VR46' Moto3 team in 2014

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Valentino Rossi to start 'VR46' Moto3 team with sponsorship from Sky Italia, running KTM machinery and Romano Fenati as one of the riders.

Valentino Rossi-backed Moto3 team now confirmed as having filed an entry for the 2014 World Championship.

Valentino Rossi is to start a Moto3 team, running Romano Fenati and possibly half-brother Luca Marini on KTM machinery in 2014.

Rumours that Rossi would become involved in a Moto3 team have been circling for months.

But in August the seven time MotoGP champion insisted the plan was just to start a 'VR46 Riders Academy', to help support young Italian racers, rather than an actual team.

However Italy's SportMediaset reports that the Italian Federation will no longer field the San Carlo-backed Team Italia squad next year, leaving 2012 race winner Fenati in need of a team.

Italy's Sky TV will sponsor the new VR46 project, while KTM machines are also confirmed - and an obvious choice, having won every Moto3 grand prix so far this year.

"We have joined forces with Sky in order to give the Italian riders the opportunity to be competitive and reach the highest levels," said Rossi.

The identity of Fenati's team-mate is not yet known, but Rossi's half-brother Marini is unsurprisingly being tipped as a possibility. Marini - currently second in the Italian Moto3 championship - made his grand prix debut as a wild-card last time at Misano, but fell at the first turn.

Teams wishing to enter next year's Moto2 or Moto3 World Championships submitted their requests at the San Marino Grand Prix. Further details on the 2014 entries will be made available after the next selection meeting at the Malaysian Grand Prix, in October.

However the official MotoGP website has confirmed that the new VR46/Sky team "has already forwarded an official entry application to MotoGP governing body the FIM and commercial rights holder Dorna Sports in order to participate in the Moto3 class."

Original post found on: http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/196127/1/valentino-rossi-to-launch-vr46-moto3-team-in-2014.html

Valentino Rossi Rides The Yamaha

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Valentino Rossi had his first laps on the factory Yamaha today at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, Spain, with the first official test of the year for the MotoGP men hampered by wet conditions. And Yamaha has just announced they are packing up and heading to Motorland Circuit in Aragon, Spain, in search of better weather. They will test there tomorrow.

With lap times mostly meaningless, Rossi's best thus far is a 1:43.736, which puts him fifth. The fastest time of the day has been set by Alvaro Bautista, but the Spaniard did his 1:35.936 early when conditions were dry.

Nicky Hayden is seventh with his best lap, like Rossi's, also coming in the wet conditions.

Not everyone has taken to the track with Moto2 World Champion Marc Marquez opting to wait for drier weather before making his debut on the ex-Casey Stoner Honda RC213V. The Honda team has a private test scheduled for later in the month at Sepang in Malaysia. Bradley Smith, the other MotoGP rookie, has also stayed in the garage thus far. Smith will ride the Monster Energy Tech 3 Yamaha vacated by Andrea Dovizisio, the Italian making his factory Ducati debut today.

MotoGP Star of the Year vote - 6th: Valentino Rossi

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6th – Valentino Rossi 

Average score out of ten: 6.91 

Team: Yamaha Factory Racing 

Bike: YZR-M1 (Factory) 

Wins: 1 

Podiums: 6 

Poles: 0 

Fastest Laps: 1 

Championship points: 237 (13.2 points per start average) 

Championship position: 4th out of 27 

Valentino Rossi's return to Yamaha netted his first MotoGP race victory since 2010 and his highest Crash.net Star of the Year ranking since that same season - but the Italian legend was still voted two places below his championship position.

The only double winner of the Crash.net vote, in 2008 and 2009, Rossi didn't even make the top ten last year, with viewers awarding an average ranking of just 5.11 out of 10 for his final season at Ducati. That improved to 6.91 and sixth place in this year's poll, after a season of highs and lows for the seven time MotoGP champion.

A feisty ride to the podium during the Qatar season opener proved Rossi had lost none of his fighting spirit, but thereafter he often struggled to get on terms with the 'top three'. Indeed, the number four summed up Rossi's season - The Doctor finished in fourth place on no less than eight occasions, on his way to fourth in the world championship.

An emotional victory at Assen - a race you voted as the most entertaining of the season - proved the high point of Rossi's year, while six podiums doubled his total rostrum score at Ducati and the #46 showed he had lost none of his racecraft by regularly thwarting his nearest opponents in final lap battles.

But more ultimate pace was needed and the lowest point arguably came at the Valencia finale, when - even with his race leading team-mate Jorge Lorenzo attempting to slow down the field - Rossi was unable to join the victory fight.

By then, news had already broken that Rossi had decided to split from crew chief Jerry Burgess as the 34-year-old seeks to get on terms with Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa and Lorenzo in 2014.

Never previously beaten by a MotoGP team-mate in the world championship standings, barring his 2010 leg breaking injury, Rossi finished this season 93 points shy of title runner-up Lorenzo.

About the vote:
Over 30,000 votes were cast for the 2013 Crash.net MotoGP Star of the Year poll, where viewers were asked to award each of this year's full-time participants - only Ben Spies and Karel Abraham, injured for large parts of the season, were not included - with a mark out of ten.

The average score for each rider was then used to determine the final ranking, which will be revealed in full once the winner is announced.

Orignal post: http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/199155/1/motogp-star-of-the-year-vote-6th.html

Five-time World Champion Mick Doohan is convinced Valentino Rossi still has a lot to offer in MotoGP.

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Nine-times Champion Rossi is coming off a disappointing 2013 season where he finished third in the standings behind Marc Marques, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa.

While his Yamaha team-mate Lorenzo won eight races despite battling injury midway through the season, the Italian's victory at Assen was his only one of the campaign. It has naturally led to question marks over his future not only at Yamaha, especially with his contract running out at the end of 2014, but also in MotoGP.

Doohan is confident Rossi can return to the front if he gets the right machinery, but he concede that the 34-year-old is probably no longer prepared to push himself too hard.

"He can't like not winning although the sport needs him and he has still got as many fans as ever. The sport will be a poorer place without him. I'm sure fourth is not good enough in Valentino's mind, but it is a hell of a lot better than where he was last year," Doohan told motorcyclenews.com.

"I think his experience is against him in terms of how far he is prepared to push himself and how long he wants to stay in the sport. But you never doubt Valentino. I have no doubt if they could get the bike to exactly his liking he could push more but he knows if he pushes any further he will go down the road.

"Valentino's experience though may mean he is not prepared to push as hard as those top three guys. They are still in the 'want and need' part of their careers rather than in the 'it would be great to do that again' part of their careers."

Valentino Rossi Promises Roma Captain Motorcycle Ride If He Delivers Scudetto

Italian motorcycling hero Valentino Rossi has given Roma legendFrancesco Totti extra motivation to win the league title by promising to take him on his bike if he can do it.

The nine time MotoGP world champion, and a well-known fan of Serie A giants Inter, reached out to Totti when giving an interview about football in which he also spokes about the fortunes of his beloved Nerazzurri.

Speaking to Sky Italia, Rossi said: “Totti is great and always continues to make the difference for his team, he is like [Roger] Federer in tennis. He gives confidence and inspiration to all of my generation.

“Should he win the Scudetto this season then I will I would definitely invite him to take a ride with me.

“Inter? I think the new owner must prove he is the right man for the Nerazzurri,” continued Rossi. “I hope Thohir will bring in the money to again become a great side.

“I liked him straight away as he seems kind and smart so we will see. It would be nice for him to sign a top player like [Lionel] Messi.”

Rossi out to help Lorenzo in Valencia

Valentino Rossi stresses that he will be trying his upmost to assist Jorge Lorenzo at this weekend’s Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana, as his Yamaha Factory Racing teammate vies for the title against Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez.

Following consecutive race victories at Phillip Island and Twin Ring Motegi, Lorenzo sits second in the riders’ standings and the reduced margin of 13 points behind Marquez. Lorenzo may have been a chief rival of Rossi’s in past seasons, but the Italian insists that he will be doing all he can to help the Spaniard on this occasion.

"Usually Valencia is not one of my best tracks but I have had some good podiums there and some wins," Rossi begins. "As always, we have to try and do the maximum for the weekend. If I am strong enough, I want to try and help Jorge as much as possible on Sunday and also to be on the podium."

2013 marks the first time since 2006 that MotoGP™ has witnessed a last-race title decider; it was Yamaha versus Honda on that occasion as well, as Rossi lost out to American Nicky Hayden.

Rossi celebrates first flag-to-flag podium

Valentino Rossi converted a front row start into his sixth podium of the 2013 MotoGP season at the shortened Australian MotoGP.

The race became a 19-lap dash with mandated pit stops at half distance because of severe tyre blistering due to the new, high grip, track surface at Philip Island.

Rossi was delighted to have finished third after a stirring battle with Cal Crutchlow and Alvaro Bautista - the trio crossing the line covered by just 0.169s!

"I liked that race," said Rossi. "I'm happy because we managed to do good work in the pits and it's my first podium in a flag-to-flag race."

Changing bikes can be tricky for riders, but having struggled with handling problems on his first bike Rossi was glad to be able to jump on his second YZR-M1.

The Doctor then rode aggressively for the final nine laps as he fought with Crutchlow and Bautista.

"With the first bike I had problems with the rear, I had a big moment at the last corner, and lost two positions with Cal and Alvaro. At the change of bike I was able to overtake them another time. The second part of the race I enjoyed more because I was faster and I had a big battle with Cal on the last laps.

"On the last lap I pushed a lot with him and it started to rain, you see streaks on the visor but don't understand how much rain, but it was the last lap for the podium so I had to try for the maximum and it was OK.

"I'm so happy to be back on the podium at Philip Island because it's always a great atmosphere and for me I'm so proud. Now we have to continue to work and I look forward to Motegi next Sunday."

With Marc Marquez having missed the pit window and been disqualified by Race Direction it was interesting to hear how each rider knew when they were required to stop.

Asked how he had made his decision, Rossi admitted that accidentally stopped later than expected:

"In the race I decided to stop on the first lap available [lap 9] to have less confusion in the pits with Jorge. But on that lap I was battling with Bautista and I couldn't see the pit board.

"Then when I was exiting turn 11 I saw Bautista pull into the pits and I thought 'f**k!' So I stopped on the next lap!"

Sky form Moto3™ team

From the start of next year, Valentino Rossi will be working alongside Sky Italia - the Italian MotoGP™ broadcaster from 2014 - in order to nurture new talents in the Moto3™ category of the World Championship.

Starting with 2014, Rossi will contribute towards a project which will focus on propelling the careers of young riders on international circuits. This comes after a deal was struck between Sky and VR46, the company owned by the nine-time World Champion.

The team, of which Sky will be the principal sponsor, will race with KTM machinery and has already forwarded an official entry application to MotoGP™ governing body the FIM and commercial rights holder Dorna Sports in order to participate in the Moto3™ class.

Romano Fenati will be a rider as he continues his quest of attempting to climb to the top of the World Championship. "We have joined forces with Sky in order to give the Italian riders the opportunity to be competitive and reach the highest levels," says Rossi.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Sky Italia had acquired television rights to the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship starting with the 2014 season, offering coverage across all Sky platforms including FTA TV, pay TV, internet, mobile and Sky Go.