MOTOGP » Capirossi: The best choice I could have made!

Barros explained they also lacked a spare suspension, I get the strong impression that people like seeing them as a
'works' outfit when one of their riders performs well and as 'satellite team' when they underperform.
But maybe the name 'Alice' will do miracles next year, you never know...

Capirossi was offered all of the "whatever" package but without his current race engineer. If he couldn't even get this one same engineer with him, he surely won't get the rest of his team. And previously somebody said that D'antin doesn't even have a suspension specialist.

Thanks PhilW, why not run three red Ducatis then?
He probably saw it as humiliation or loss of face ending up in a satellite team (look at Edwards)
and I can understand that.

No Morgue, the Ducati offer was to have a full factory bike with factory mechanics, suspension specialists etc, but run under D'Antin colours within their team framework. He would then have identical equipment and support to Stoner / Melandri. Effectively, this was equivalent to running a three man factory team. Loris was not just being offered a 'standard' D'Antin ride.
Loris tried to trivialise the offer, as he had already decided to jump ship to another team, and it suited his agenda to try and focus the 'blame' on Ducati rather than his lack of loyalty.
Frankly, he succeeded because many on this forum incorrectly believe that Ducati treated him badly and that he was forced out.

You are right PhilW about the Melandri bit, he was their first choice.
In 2006 Capirossi was leading untill the big crash at Barcelona, that could have been his year.
After that he chose to ride with cracked ribs in great pain to pick up some points but couldn't come back.
Going to d'Antin is hardly a full factory ride, people very easily think they are the same as the factory outfit,
they are not. Not in material, nor in quality of organisation, nor in funding.
Besides that they even dispose of riders more easily than the works team.
I see Loris going well on the Suzuki next year (maybe one more?) then retire.

The moment that happened (about third way through the season), Loris knew there was no factory ride, so all this talk of not knowing when it was announced was crap. Even then, Loris was offered a full factory bike in the D'Antin team, with official factory technicians and support. How many other teams do you know have supported a poorly performing rider in such fashion?
Personally, I never thought that Loris extracted the maximum of the bike over the 5 years (Bayliss at Valencia 2006 seemed to prove that) yet he was extremely well paid by Ducati, very few riders staying with the same team for so long.

This idea that Capirossi was dumped by Ducati is nonsense - just face-saving on Loris's part.
Ducati signed a letter of intent in 2006 with Melandri and he would have been with the team in 2007 if Gresini hadn't taken up their option, but definitely in 2008.
Stoner was taken on for one year only as a stopgap on a low wage but racewin bonuses.
So Loris would have expected to partner Melandri in 2008.
Except Stoner kept winning and Loris was nowhere.
Right from early in the season, Loris was complaining and saying he was talking with Suzuki and Kawasaki, giving every indication he was about to jump ship. So what can Ducati do? The obvious thing, and extend Stoner's contract. Continued -

Well he was dumped by Ducati, remember? After years of loyal service, in which they called him a 'lion'
for his courage and spirit, they tossed him on the pavement because the new kid handled the new bike better.
That's Ducati for ya.
Why are they so reluctant to bring the 2008 prototype out, afraid it won't work with Stoners riding style?

Actually, the other way round. Vermeulen is testing the new bike, and Loris is playing with the old one.
Certainly does sound like a great choice - leave the best bike/tyre combination in the paddock to go to a different unfamiliar team with a young established rider who is getting quicker and quicker
When Vermeulen has beaten him a couple of times, it will be 2007 all over again.

I knew Loris wasn't suited to the Ducati and thus Casey isn't a 'God' after all.

Go Loris!

Lets have some great racing again like we had in 2005/6