Valentino Rossi at Yamaha Petronas, it's inevitable and yet it's complicated to make official. The team clearly does not want to give free rein to the Doctor who would like to set up his team with him. Razlan Razali is still at home and wants to stay there, even if Yamaha will pay the bill. The Malaysian's man on the ground, Johan Stigefelt, tries to explain the squaring of the circle in an exclusive interview given to the GPOne site…
We thought the deal was done and the Italian media were with us. The latter announced a two-year contract signed between Valentino Rossi and the Petronas team, with such insistence that it is difficult to imagine that they did not have a reliable source within the environment of his illustrious compatriot…
Still, the denial quickly arrived from Malaysia and the boss Razlan Razali. A grotesque situation that Johan Stigefelt details as follows: “ there will be no announcement before the start of the championship. Not because we don't want to do it, but just because there are really a lot of points in the contract that we are discussing and it is really difficult to continue the negotiation when you are not all together in the same room ».
« Each of us sits behind a screen in our office, some in Malaysia, some in Italy, some in Holland. We certainly understand that these are not normal conditions to discuss such an important contract, especially with a rider like Valentino. For us, Valentino is undoubtedly a huge star and although negotiating with him and his collaborators is a kind of honor for us, it will still take time ».
“We believe a lot in our current configuration”
Stigefelt confirm on GP One that the stumbling block is indeed the constitution of the team in the box hit by 46: “ this is one of the really important points. Valentino has great respect for our team and for the work we have accomplished, even if until now he has only been able to observe us from the outside. But he has a lot of esteem and firmly believes in our work. The important job is that of Wilco Zeelenberg, who ensures that the entire team works in perfect harmony. From that point of view, I think we're really good and I think Valentino really appreciates that about our team ».
« One of the first points of discussion with Valentino was that we did not want to change our entire team in order to reach an agreement, because we believe a lot in our current setup and we are convinced that we can also do a good job with him. Maybe we are not perfect in every way and for every person, so I think we will have to find some kind of compromise between different needs and that is the topic we discuss the most ».
Stigefelt, at the end of the subject, does not confirm the two-year lease also announced: “ this is information that we prefer to keep confidential. This is part of the discussions we are continuing. I'm sorry I can't talk about it, but I think people will understand when we make the announcement ". The season will begin this Sunday July 19 with the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez...
