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Indeed. A private Yamaha should suit him, he and his entourage have plenty connections. The moment you sign for teams like Beta, Ducati,.. you know your best days have passed. I know they're labeled as "factoryteams", but only in name. The moment you lose your status of factoryrider, the last years of your career have come.
Ducati not a factory team? Really??
Like I said, only in name. Do you honestly think they can compete with any factoryteam from Japan or the KTM-group? Or even Fantic or Triumph?
Many came, many failed. Aprilia, CCM, WRM, VOR,.. They were all labeled as "factoryteam", and they all disappeared through the backdoor. Beta is a factoryteam for how long now? Four, five years? Have you noticed any progress at all? As in riders, results, setup, R&D? Those bikes still can't get properly around a sand track. Those kind of teams are the last bus stop for former factoryriders, so to speak.
Ducati will go the same way, despite all the effort. Gajser and Renaux tested the bike and said they didn't want to ride a tractor. It's cool for an Italian brand to have Cairoli as your ambassador, but that's just company propaganda, something Italian brands are very good at. Triumph had Carmichael, Cervantes, Desalle and Tedesco as ambassadors and test riders, and they've worked on that bike for four years before putting it in the world championship. What pays off almost immediately, by signing young promising riders like Haarup, McLellan and Farrés.
Take a look at the riders from Beta and Ducati:
Van Horebeek: factory Kawasaki > factory Yamaha > private Honda > "factory" Beta
Watson: private KTM > factory Yamaha > factory Kawasaki > "factory" Beta
Lupino: semi-factory Kawasaki > semi-factory Yamaha > private KTM > "factory" Beta
Seewer: factory Suzuki > factory Yamaha > factory Kawasaki > "factory" Ducati
Guadagnini: factory KTM > factory GasGas > factory Husqvarna > "factory" Ducati
Those are all riders a) during the twilight of their career or b) riders like Guadagnini who's been a factory rider for many years but is showing signs that he has reached his ceiling and will not perform any better anymore. Those are just simple facts.
I'm not so sure about Ducati though. Wilvo is not a guy that will step into a project thinking it's a last resort for riders
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Well, that's a huge positive item for anyone involved, indeed. Vosters seems to make it work every time, no matter the brand of the bike. I hope he can make it work with Ducati aswell, but I have my doubts. I would be glad to eat humble pie if he proves me wrong. The more succesfull brands, the better.
Difficult to put Ducati in the same bag than Beta...
But presently, I hope Renaux will choose to stay with Yamaha for next year...
Lets just say that as of today the Ducati bike is a career killer. I cant see Seewer with his results being able to demand a big payday if he wanted to move to a different factory team when his contract is up.
A guy like Geerts going to Beta or to Ducati with its current bike makes it impossible to improve his stock at all imo
I don't know. The Ducati seemed solid at the start of the season but it's tanked ever since. But maybe that was because the brand is switching teams for next season so there's not much point in the current team continuing to develop it.
It was Yamaha choice, i read somewhere
I dont think that Mikula is a free agent. In 2024 he signed 1+1 year deal, TM seems happy with him, so there is no reason to not continue.
None of those earlier "failures" had Ducati's capital or their racing pedigree. They may need more time but I'm betting they'll be competitive soon.
I dunno but that seems also logic, they can choose between a lot of riders.
Not sure I agree with this. Seewer is on his way out anyways. He did podium on the Ducati already, Vosters will get the bike to Factory Team capabilities, I believe that. There is going to be a lot more money behind Ducati than lets say, Beta. I think the biggest problem for Ducati is that they signed Seewer thinking he is a championship contender, which he has not been in quite a while now. Give it another year of building the bike with Vosters and team, then in 2027 I think you will see a Ducati with a real championship contender.
Good for Elzinga, not sure why Beta would want that though.
I understand the optimism with Vosters being involved, and with the trackrecord of Ducati in Motogp some optimism for MXGP should be there as well. I also dont think Seewer is a championshp contender, but fighting for a point in the sand as they currently are doing is way below what Seewer can do. That bike currently is a dog, and it is a very risky ride to accept when its a short term deal. At least that is my take on it
I don’t think Seewet forgot how to ride a bike, he’s not clicking with the Ducati at all. He should never be out of the top 10 on a bike he’s comfortable on, and closer to top 5 when guys are missing. It seems they went backward since the opening rounds when you look at their performances. Something aint right in the Maddi/Ducati camp and I guess everybody is looking ahead for 2026 and a fresh start. Vosters did wonder with Fantic, hopefully Ducati let’s him ”run it his way” mxgp is not motogp.
Didnt sound promising when Cairoli went to US and told Factory Connection got chassis what he wanted all year but factory team didnt get it done. Seems bike has too much motor paired with chassis taken from old Honda that works only some tracks that are open and smooth. Lets see if their 250f works better.
Seewer was a race winner on the Yamaha, , went to Kawasaki and died along with all the others on the green bike, and now is at Ducati and cant get things done.
He would have been 3rd in the series this year on the blue bike.
He hasnt forgotten how to ride .
Pit Row
Their 250 is behind schedule, even Lupino admitted so at the last italian championship this weekend. I actually think it lacks power which is a weird sentence combined with Ducati. Well, Rome wasn’t built in one day so hopefully they come around. Is it still Beddini who’s supposed to run the 250 team? Strange choice, they don’t have a great track record?
if that was on yamaha advice.....then it would be nice if they would also support him in mx2
People really need to stop with the Seewer/Kawi thing.
He still got 4th in the championship behind the 3 big dogs, won a moto and a couple off podium finishers.
Thats amazing and beyond great for a guy like Jeremy.
Im willing to bet he would love to go back to that Kawi, because it was not that bad.
Jeremy is 31 yo this year, so bike must not be issue.
Valid point, but I think it's a bit naive to assume Ducati would put as much effort (and money) in MXGP as they do in MotoGP. To begin with, they are two very different sports, so bike development and racing pedigree as you call it are in no way comparable. MotoGP is the flagship of motorsports, so that branch will always get the preference over MXGP when push comes to shove. Look at Suzuki. They pulled out all sponsorship and development of MXGP to get the struggling MotoGP team out of the slump, only to pull the plug out of MotoGP aswell a few years later. Now both sports don't have a factory team anymore.
Aprilia is a successfull OEM in MotoGP aswell, and they meant nothing during those few years they had a "factory team" in MXGP.
Maxime Renaux to Ducati stamp it!
100% ?
Yes
Gonna be couple crashes and unhappy rider.
I really don't know if I must be "happy" for Renaux with this news, or not...
He could not wait to get off it.
He will be the second best earning rider in MXGP, Ducati bike ain't competitive but they are going to test everything from new frame to electronics. Only the desmo engine needs to stay a desmo engine.
If you ask yourself why didn't Louis Vosters went for Lucas Coenen. Uhm simple answer Renaux is Corvers pride and stealing them away out a running yamaha contract is some kind of kick in the nuts he wants to give.
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