But we may be about to see the best of
Colin Edwards in
MotoGP, now that he, Yamaha and Michelin appear to have solved the handling problems that plagued his early season.
"We have the tyres that I want, and top speed won't be an issue here," he said. "I have traction now. After Le Mans, Valentino and I went in different directions in tyre development, and it didn't help me. He sets his bike up very different to mine: he likes his bike a lot more rigid, it's got more agility.
"But I've ridden Superbikes all my life, so I like to have a bit more feel, to absorb things a bit. A Superbike is big and heavy, and no matter how much you spring it, it's going to move around a bit."
A test session after the recent Barcelona race helped Edwards to find the setup that he likes. Now he wants to continue with Yamaha, the make that he started his career with in motocross in 1986.
"My heart is to stay with Yamaha some way," he said. "I owe them a lot."
But if the two factory Fiat Yamahas are taken next year, the only other Yamaha team is Hervé Poncharal's Tech 3 squad. "That's definitely an idea, if Yamaha can step up the effort to him and he has a tyre that can win," Edwards mused.
Saturday 12.10pm - Third Suzuki is Coming - But Maybe in 2009
Rizla Suzuki manager Paul Denning confirms that there
will be a third GSV-R in MotoGP soon - but it could arrive in 2009 rather than next year. Spain's racing legend Jorge Martinez Aspar, who has achieved success as both a rider and a team owner, would expand from his operations in the 125 and 250cc classes and run the team.
"2009 could be easier in terms of logistics, but it's not necessarily the case that it won't happen until then," Denning said. "We would like to work with Aspar and the Suzuki factory really want to do this."
