Spies to Ducati juniorGP???

[Paul_E_D]

Rumors are getting louder. That's a shocker of a move to me. I hope the bike comes together and he kicks ass. I wonder what his issues were at Yamaha? They obviously are not seeing eye to eye...

[CBR929RE]

what exactly is this Jr team? is it in between a factory and satellite bike? sounds like its a factory team but a slight step below the Dovi/Hayden team

[Paul_E_D]

I assume that your assessment is correct.

[Slowpoke387]

Basically a satellite team. Wow things had to be seriously effed up at Yamaha to go to a satellite team, not to mention on an enigma of a machine...I'm really surprised. If your going to a Ducati why not vie for the factory ride? Maybe timing was bad and Dovi beat him to it? Can't see much positive in that if the rumor mills are accurate.

[Gecko]

Spies and Iannone to ride for new Ducati junior team in 2013:

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2012/Sep/120906a.htm

[Lars]

Visordown is reporting that Spies had originally signed a letter of intent with BMW to race the S1000RR in WSBK, but has decided to stay in MotoGP.

http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-...bmw/21374.html

[Pittenger5]

Julian Ryder ‏@MotoGPJules
Ducati confirm Iannone and Spies will ride for them next season

[RocketPunch]

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2012/D...m+announcement

Kind of feeling this is the way it is going to be once BMW signed Davis. Lets see what BS can do with that bike, at the least he needs to out ride AI.

I kept wondering if Pramac is nothing more than a place holder team for BS to keep himself in in the GP loop until BMW joins MotoGP; it is entriely possible that some form of agreement has been made between him and BMW about that (pure speculation).

[catahoulabuldog]

I seriously doubt ANY BMW involvement at all in MOTOGP. they have 1 engine in 1 bike and to quote Colin... "My bike sucks" they are pulling out of an official effort in WSBK.... They established what they wanted to. BMW can win but apparently see no $$$$ to be made by racing a factory effort other than as Ducati did last year with Checa.

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2012/D...m+announcement

Kind of feeling this is the way it is going to be once BMW signed Davis. Lets see what BS can do with that bike, at the least he needs to out ride AI.

I kept wondering if Pramac is nothing more than a place holder team for BS to keep himself in in the GP loop until BMW joins MotoGP; it is entriely possible that some form of agreement has been made between him and BMW about that (pure speculation).

[CBR929RE]

BMW has stated many times over the last few years that they have no plans to get involved in MotoGP

[oVTo]

Rumors are getting louder. That's a shocker of a move to me. I hope the bike comes together and he kicks ass. I wonder what his issues were at Yamaha? They obviously are not seeing eye to eye...

It sounds like some people at Yamaha felt he wasn't giving it his all. But he sounds a little defensive about giving "100%". And given the mechanical issues he faced, he probably felt the same way about Yamaha.

From SportbikePlanet.com: "There's frustration, but it's kind of almost got to a laughing point for me. I'm really not even upset about it. It's just been so many things, one after another. You don't know how to respond to it. After Mugello, we had food poisoning, and that was a bad experience. I tried everything I could to do what we could, but it was a bad result. I was told by somebody at Yamaha that if I'm not going to ride a hundred percent at Laguna (Seca), don't show up. I came to Laguna, and I tried the best I could. The bike had a malfunction. Then we came here with a hundred percent and did the best we could, and we had another mechanical with the bike. I've given my hundred percent. So to be told what I was told after Mugello and the way it was, and then to give the effort I've given the last two weekends, I just don't think it's been too fair."

[Paul_E_D]

Why all the fuss about "junior team" at Ducati? Pramac has been the satellite team for a while now. So Ben moved to a satellite team from a factory effort. Seems like Yamaha wasn't going to hire him back, and he pre-empted them by stepping down on his own. Here's hoping Ducati takes a big step with the bike... Nicky, Ben, and Dovi could be a pretty strong line up if the bike is competitive.

[tls25rs]

Why all the fuss about "junior team" at Ducati?

I think I read that the "junior team" thing is more about the Pramac bikes being "factory" bikes and not the out of spec hand me downs that Pramac has been using for the last few years.

If true, in theory Spies and Iannone should be on current spec factory equipment just like Hayden and Dovi. Similar to what Honda was doing with Gresini and Simoncelli.