Lorenzo: Yamaha eager to beat Rossi

Jorge Lorenzo says Valentino Rossi's move to Ducati gives him and Yamaha "great motivation" to beat his current team-mate in 2011.

Rossi has signed a two-year deal with the Italian manufacturer and Lorenzo is eager to show that he can defeat the seven-time MotoGP world champion.

"Yamaha will do its maximum to beat him; more speed and engine power will be needed but we will work harder than ever," said Lorenzo. "Next season will be a very interesting championship."

The Spaniard has shared a difficult relationship with the Rossi as team-mates, with a wall separating the riders in the Yamaha garage.

"I didn't like the wall," Lorenzo said. "I would have expected more of the Rossi from the human side, rather than a bigger exchange of technical information. He unintentionally made me a favour, however, because he has made my team even closer together, and I now go even better since I don't have access to his telemetry.

"I've never felt nervous about the idea of fighting against Rossi. I knew I had to learn, improve and work hard. I've watched the races on TV since I was 10 and have learnt something from riders in every class. From Valentino I've learnt how to manage the race on and off the track much better."

Rossi will be replaced at the factory Yamaha team by current Tech 3 rider Ben Spies next year, and Lorenzo predicts that his relationship with the American will be less volatile.

"I can feel we will have a good relationship with Ben," he said. "Perhaps we won't be best friends, but there won't be a wall in the garage and we won't keep our telemetries secret."

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APRILIA: "NO INTENTION" OF JOINING MOTOGP

EVER since it was announced that the MotoGP class would go to 1000cc engines in 2012, there have been rumours - perhaps wishful thinking is a better term - that Aprilia would join the party in 2012 with a racer based on the RSV4.

It is no secret that Dorna, the commercial rights holders for the MotoGP series, is desparate to attract more than the four is currently has. Ducati will be propping up the class to a major extent in 2011, with six riders on its 80cc V4s, while Honda will have five riders, Yamaha four and Suzuki two (or perhaps just one if rumours are to be believed).

Meantime there are six manufacturers represented in the Superbike class and with suggestions that this year's championship-winning V4 Aprilia is a MotoGP bike in disguise, there has been talk of the Italian manufacturer switching to MotoGP.

Evern former World 500 Champion Wayne Gardner in his regular column has said: "I'll bet my bottom dollar on it."

However, if anyone has taken Wayne up on this, they could be soon in the position of extracting a few dollars from the notoriously tight-fisted Aussie.

That's because Piaggi Group CEO Roberto Colaninno said, "at this moment, we have no intention of doing that," when asked at a presentation to financial analysts if Aprilia had any plans to return to MotoGP.

Of course, the key words here are "at this moment."

Aprilia has a distinguished record in grand prix racing, and recently overtook the legendary MV Agusta in race wins. However those wins were in the 125 and 250cc classes. Its efforts in the 500 class, and the MotoGP class that followed it, are not nearly so impressive. It fielded a 400cc V-twin, that while nimble, was outgunned by the four-cylinder 500cc two-strokes. It also tried its hand with what came to be known as the ill-fated RS3 Cube, a motorcycle powered by a three-cylinder Cosworth developed engine that proved unrideable.

But that was under Ivano Beggio's leadership. And it was in this period the company ran into financial difficulties and was eventually bought by the Piaggio Group.

There can be no doubt that there will be plenty of personnel at Aprilia who would love to go back to MotoGP, but the management will be very wary of the collosal costs involved.

And when a company with the resources of Suzuki is questioning its involvement in MotoGP, and cutting its Superbike involvement, it seems unlikely Aprilia could afford it.

No doubt Colaninno's comments eased the fears of financial analysts, who will be worried about the effect a MotoGP foray would have on the company's finances.

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