MotoGP Gossip: 'Disappointing to see Rossi demoted'

- Casey Stoner has been asked for his opinion on the rumours that fellow MotoGP champion and former rival Valentino Rossi will extend his career by switching to Petronas Yamaha next season.

"I believe if he left the sport a little earlier he would have left a legacy, which he still always will," ESPN.com.au quotes Stoner as saying during an interview on the 2 Wheels show. "But now he's showing himself to be very beatable... It's disappointing to see someone, who anyone would have wanted to be in their team and paid an absolute fortune to have him, now [likely] demoted to a satellite team."

Rossi won seven premier-class titles between 2001 and 2009, but hasn’t won a race since 2017 and spent much of last season off the podium. He then lost his factory Yamaha place to Fabio Quartararo for 2021, but with Yamaha guaranteeing a satellite seat if the 41-year-old chooses to race on next year.

"I think Valentino still has potential to get some great results and maybe push to some victories in the future, without a doubt," Stoner said. "You don't just lose it. It is sad to see him not necessarily threatening for the podium as much as he used to." (ESPN.com.au)

- MotoGP champion Marc Marquez is confident that his shoulder is now "fully healed" following major surgery at the end of last season. The Repsol Honda star's right shoulder had been less than fully fit during pre-season testing at Sepang and Losail, but after emerging from the coronavirus lockdown and resuming motocross training Marquez declared the shoulder is now working "normally." [AS.com]

- Former Moto3 racer Efren Vazquez has revealed the financial penalty faced if he was unable to reach the minimum class weight for the 2014 season with Racing Team Germany.

"When I signed the contract with him (Dirk Heidolf), I had a penalty that was 500 euros per day and per kilo that was outside the weight that he stipulated for me. The weight stipulated was the minimum weight that I had to carry as a rider so that the bike didn't have to carry ballast. It was 57 kilos… Given that we lost seven or eight kilos, I didn't care about losing nine. And I stayed at 55 kilos throughout the year."

The Spaniard went on to enjoy his best grand prix season with two wins from seven podiums and is sure the weight made a difference.

"With the slipstream and everything, it made a difference… This was the secret we really had. And a small fairing. Because we didn't even have the official [Honda] bike."[DAZN via AS.com]