Bryan's Blog

Two races into MotoGP and the silly season has already begun. Rumors out of the Italian media source SportMediaset.it propose that Marlboro Ducati’s ace rider, Casey Stoner, has signed on to race for the Honda factory team in MotoGP for 2011. It’s claimed that the Australian rider has been swayed by former Ducati MotoGP manager, Livio Suppo, who already made the jump to the HRC. Stoner also has history with the Japanese manufacturer as he made his MotoGP debut racing for LCR Honda.

There’s speculation that Stoner also didn’t like that Ducati reportedly offered Fiat Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo almost twice as much to race for the Italian factory squad in 2010. Stoner’s mysterious illness last year, which eliminated him from title contention, couldn’t bode well with the Ducati hierarchy either.

So has Stoner made the jump to HRC? Only a handful of people really know, and they’re going to be tight-lipped about the situation. It’s only the second race of the season after all. Why would Honda want to alienate their current riders who sit in third and fourth place currently in the Championship standings? Honda wants its riders to compete at the best of their abilities without distractions, but even the unsubstantiated news of this rumor can’t sit well with Dani Pedrosa, whose contract with Repsol Honda expires this year.

It does point out one fact, though. With Pedrosa, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner all coming to the end of their current contracts, there’s going to be more rumors and more behind-the-scenes wheeling-and dealing than ever this year. So here’s some food for thought – how about the Italian Dream Team of Rossi and Ducati, Stoner to Honda, Lorenzo as the Number 1 Yamaha man with Dani P. as Number 2. But first, let fans enjoy the 2010 MotoGP season without all the silliness.