Ducati to cooperate with AMG, possible takeover mooted?

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Well I would never have said this would happen, but here its.
http://www.ducati.com/news/ducati_to_co ... 6/index.do

There is also much speculation about AMG taking the company over, with Autocar citing Ducati insiders as very keen for this to happen.
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArtic ... ?AR=254241

The relevance?
A retiring Schumacher in 2012 would hand over the reins to a certain Valentino Rossi who will by then be 33. Just enough time for him to get some practice in for an assault on a newly regulated turbo F1 in 2013.

Pinch me please, [-o<

[andrew]

Rossi to F1? Pah!! It'll never happen.

The reason? Because Rossi has stated that he doesn't get the same excitement driving an F1 car as he does racing in MotoGP. It won't happen. If anything, I suspect Rossi will race in the WRC or retire, only making the odd public appearance.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Andrew,

He is veritably itching to drive in F1, and has been since the first test for Ferrari. To say he doesnt get the same kick maybe valid, but he gets a different kick in F1.

Over a decade at the top in the premier bike category, and a couple of years at Ducati, the time will be right for him to have a stint in F1.
Right for him, right for F1, right for MotoGP and right for Mercedes or even Ferrari.

He is a showman, he loves to perform, and the F1 show as a platform is far bigger for him to showcase himself. I love the GOAT but he does have an ego!

His Ducati deal is for 2 years, bringing him nicely free for an F1 drive in 2013 when Schumacher will definatly be gone.
Not saying it will happen, but there is a little smoke to this.

[andrew]

Smoke or steam? Only time will tell.

Either way, he is an Italian and those guys are pretty fond of the reds. If anything I guess Rossi wuld end up in a Ferrari but I doubt it will happen.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Honda then Yamaha for 11 years Andrew. Ducati come over in 2005, and he stayed with Yamaha even though duke had the better bike~(with Stoner on it anyway).

Rossi will no doubt prefer Ferrari to Mercedes, but its no game breaker. The more you look into this the more the takeover makes sense for both companies.
He may go to DTM instead.....

[lolzi]

Honda then Yamaha for 11 years Andrew. Ducati come over in 2005, and he stayed with Yamaha even though duke had the better bike~(with Stoner on it anyway).

Rossi will no doubt prefer Ferrari to Mercedes, but its no game breaker. The more you look into this the more the takeover makes sense for both companies.
He may go to DTM instead.....

He may go rallying, racing, stay with bikes, break both legs and never recover. It seems a bit pointless to discuss something that might happen in 3 years.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

He may go rallying, racing, stay with bikes, break both legs and never recover. It seems a bit pointless to discuss something that might happen in 3 years.

With all due respect, I dont think so.

Its no reason whatsoever not to discuss it because it hasnt happened. To some, its already started to happen. Ducati and AMG will have a mutual cooperation, and Rossi will ride AMG monikered dukes next year.

To say its pointless because it hasnt happened, is the same as saying its pointless discussing 2011 cars as we havent seen them.
Of course we can discuss it. Its called speculating

[lolzi]

He may go rallying, racing, stay with bikes, break both legs and never recover. It seems a bit pointless to discuss something that might happen in 3 years.

With all due respect, I dont think so.

Its no reason whatsoever not to discuss it because it hasnt happened. To some, its already started to happen. Ducati and AMG will have a mutual cooperation, and Rossi will ride AMG monikered dukes next year.

To say its pointless because it hasnt happened, is the same as saying its pointless discussing 2011 cars as we havent seen them.
Of course we can discuss it. Its called speculating

Yeah, it's just speculating. I could also speculate that this partnership is actually because Schumacher wants to ride bikes at the DTM events. Or that Ross Brawn wants to be head of Ducati's racing team.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Yeah, it's just speculating. I could also speculate that this partnership is actually because Schumacher wants to ride bikes at the DTM events. Or that Ross Brawn wants to be head of Ducati's racing team.

You could speculate that Lolzi. But Schumacher nearly having his head removed from his shoulders on a bike would probably count him out racing competitively again.
As for Brawn to Ducati, why?
I ask because what you are proposing seems pretty baseless. I mean that with respect and not in an antagonistic way.

Rossi has been in an F1 car and lapped very closley to people who do it as a day job. He maintains his interest in the sport to this very day, and will not rule out racing in F1. He has ruled it out for the next 2 years but after that?

If Mercedes buys Ducati, there will be more common ground than you think. The desmodromic valve was used by both as first in racing I believe, so common technical heritage(my thanks Donskar ). And I would not rule out Mercedes offering Rossi a seat, if only for the media coverage alone, come 2013.

[ESPImperium]

The more and more things like this happen the more and more they look like the start of a takeover, whitch this is sort of one.

Rossi in F1, i just dont see it. As for this being a back door to F1 for Rossi, also dont think so, reason being that i think Mercedes are going for Hulkenberg for the test and reserve slot for 2011 with him getting a drive in 2012. Giving them a young vibrant team for the new formula that is settled in 2013.

Personally i think this is Mercedes starting what will [eventually] be a takeover of Ducatti, as i think that they have seen that the brand exposure that BMW have in bike and car forms of Motorsport is leading to what they have now, a good brand exposure catalogue that will give them better returns in years to come.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

I too think the "partnership" to be the preamble to a wider scale takeover of Ducati by Daimler.
Ducati are openly happy for themselves to be linked to a Daimler takeover, and Ducati "insiders"(sourced by Autocar) are mentioning how Ducati would then instantaneously become global players with serious technical credentials too(more so after the takeover).

You rightly point to BMW with their bike division, in what Daimler may be looking to emulate.

However on Rossi, Mercedes would get huge exposure for a very small amount of risk. If he fails he is still a legend because he did his thing on two wheels and was brave enough to do it on 4. People will expect him to fail, and why the risk is less for Mercedes.

Its unlikely, but not unforseeable. Put it this way, if it does happen the seeds will have been sown from this.

[lolzi]

I don't remember where I read it, but not very long ago, Rossi was asked about the future - and I seem to remember that his answer had more to with rallying, not F1 - I don't think Rossi will go to F1. That is based on the fact that his personality doesn't (in my opinion, of course) match F1's "image". Another reason could be that he won't want to go to a new sport just to be slower than the rest.

[ESPImperium]

I don't remember where I read it, but not very long ago, Rossi was asked about the future - and I seem to remember that his answer had more to with rallying, not F1 - I don't think Rossi will go to F1. That is based on the fact that his personality doesn't (in my opinion, of course) match F1's "image". Another reason could be that he won't want to go to a new sport just to be slower than the rest.

I have a feeling that he will go Rallying in a a Fiat owned brand. There was a rumor floating about that Fiat were looking at reviving Lancia and going rallying again, using the Arbath brand in WTCC and then going back to DTM with Alfa as they already have their brand in F1 in Ferrari.

However, Fiat wernt saying anything beyond 2012 for anything like this. I have a feeling that You could see Rossi in either a Lancia or Arbath branded rally car from 2013 as anything else beyond that isnt in bikes for him i feel.

But once people thought that you would only see Rossi on a Honda, then Yamaha came for him, people said no he wond and dont be daft, he went to Yamaha and won. Now hes a Ducatti rider after people said that he wont leave Yamaha. Whos knows that that little smiling assasin has in his plans for the medium to long term.

As for the topic, its just another way of saying takeover in coprerate speak. Anything less would mean they are deciving someone between the lines. its what Mercedes wanted for a long run, a bike devision to rivial BMW their oldest and arguably greatest rivals.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Mercedes and BMW arent as fierce rivals as they once were, they are now sharing certain non differentiating parts. unthinkable in the 70s 80s and 90s. The problem they face is a common one, Audi.
Mercedes will look at Ducati as a brand with huge marketing potential. Not just in bikes either, but possibly a foray into the fourwheeled market? Some purists would argue against it, but Ducati is renowned as the Ferrari of 2 wheels, there is room for it to move into 4.

Both BMW and Mercedes are looking at sub brands to help it against the huge powerhouse of VWAG.
VWAG can afford to develop at breakneck speed because their platforms can be shared by the various brands Skoda, VW, Audi, Seat, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley. And also Scania and MAN in the commercial sector. It is a Goliath and still has yet to crack the States!


As for Rossi's future plans, well I wouldnt put anything past him, nor would I discount him being in F1.