James T to Tech 3

[seppefan]

Is this a good move for him?

I am very pleased that he is making the move but can Tech 3 / Dunlop provide ?

[seppefan]

also I am surprised Honda did not do more to keep him in their camp....

[tha_jackal]

umm, check the rumour mill? :)

[tha_jackal]

oh and its highly likely he wont be on Dunlops, theres no way he would accept that.. They will either be on Michelins or Bridgestones, for sure..

[ChrisS]

also I am surprised Honda did not do more to keep him in their camp....

maybe they weren't happy his crashed their fireblade at Suzuka :D

It seems Honda doesn't really care about promoting their World SBK talent to GP. Edwards patiently waited for years for Honda to bring him to MotoGP before making the jump to Aprilia. It looks like Toseland, like Chris Vermeulen before him learned from Edwards mistake and didn't wait for Honda to call them up.

If he is given a good bike with good support and Michelins I expect he will do well.

[ATF]

I'm not too convinced but we'll just have to wait and see - hope Edwards makes the swap back to WSBK now!!

[seppefan]

I'm not too convinced but we'll just have to wait and see - hope Edwards makes the swap back to WSBK now!!

Edwards vs Bayliss agian, now that would be great although I really would like to see Edwards get one GP win under his belt. Mind you he could do a Bayliss and come back in 08 for a one off and win.....dreams.

[fatman]

My bet is that they will be on Bridgestones and James will be teamed with Lorenzo or someone other than Edwards. Colin will either stay teamed with Rossi or move to AMA. From the gossip I've read a switch to AMA is more likely than a switch back to WSB (i think i read that on MCN).

[patnicholls]

Interesting one really.

Looks like Tech 3 will be getting a leg-up from Yamaha in the same way D'Antin Ducati have done from the factory squad this year (if you remember, in 2006 D'Antin had the Hoff and Cardoso languishing at the back - look how much the Hoff has moved up this year). MotoGP.com also mentions the possibility - probability more like - of a change of tyres to either Michelin or Bridgestone, presumably whichever the factory team(s) are with.

Personally, I'd expect Edwards to partner JT on Michelins in Tech 3. Valentino and Jorge will be pseudo-teammates in that they'll be the Yam factory guys, but with different sponsors and a fairly sized wall down the middle of the garage :p .

As for JT, well, it could work. The grids these days are so close that one slip in terms of rider performance or machine blunders (see: Honda) and you're down in 17th, so it would be foolish to make any predictions just yet. One thing I will say though is that with Valentino and Jorge in the garage, he's taking on some rapid team-mates so if he can get near them that'll be seriously impressive. Mind you, he's currently 40-odd points ahead of Max in WSB, who I seem to recall several people thought would stroll to the title... :)

[ChrisS]

Personally, I'd expect Edwards to partner JT on Michelins in Tech 3. Valentino and Jorge will be pseudo-teammates in that they'll be the Yam factory guys, but with different sponsors and a fairly sized wall down the middle of the garage :p .

Sponsorship will be tricky once again for Yamaha I think. FIAT has one more year in their deal, I think its a given that Rossi must be one of the sponsored riders but what about the 2nd bike? do they sponsor 2 Yamaha bikes or the Yamaha factory team? also will Altadis want to sponsor Yamaha?

BTW a Rossi, Lorenzo, Toseland and Edwards would give Yamaha a lineup with a total of 13 world titles in their names (if Lorenzo and JT win the titles this year, 14 if Rossi also wins it)

[tha_jackal]

Ive read that Toseland and his manager turned down offers from Dantin and Gresini to take this ride. There is NO WAY in hell Tech3 will be on Dunlops next year and its almost guaranteed they will be receiving new heights of factory support.. Im thinking Tose and CE will be paired up @ Tech3 and Rossi will be in the 'official' factory team with Lorenzo.. JT could learn alot from Edwards about SBK adaption etc, etc..

Honestly, there shouldnt be much to choose between all four bikes, like it was with Rossi, Melandri, Checa and Abe back in the day, when they were backed by Gauloises and Fortuna.. Exciting times ahead? I hope so

[jonny hurlock]

Ive read that Toseland and his manager turned down offers from Dantin and Gresini to take this ride. There is NO WAY in hell Tech3 will be on Dunlops next year and its almost guaranteed they will be receiving new heights of factory support.. Im thinking Tose and CE will be paired up @ Tech3 and Rossi will be in the 'official' factory team with Lorenzo.. JT could learn alot from Edwards about SBK adaption etc, etc..

Honestly, there shouldnt be much to choose between all four bikes, like it was with Rossi, Melandri, Checa and Abe back in the day, when they were backed by Gauloises and Fortuna.. Exciting times ahead? I hope so

intresting

could be like the same in 2004 when abe and rossi had go!!!!!! sponcorship and checa + marco got fortuna sponsorship. In 08 rossi + edwards will get Fiat sponsorship and JT and Lorenzo will get Fortuna sponsorship

[jonny hurlock]

a bit of a surprice to see JT at Tech 3 next season, something must be special there for 08 go to Tech 3 next season

[leopard]

Seems people think it wrongly about hierarchy on Honda ;)

[osg]

In short....... Toseland doesn't have what it takes to suceed at the highest level of MotoGP, and he has given himself one hell of a mountian to climb just to break into the top 10 by selecting that POS to jump aboard.

[Mach24]

Whilst I have my doubts about this move for JT I do support the fact he is giving it a go.

Better to have tried and failed than to have never tried!

[ChrisS]

In short....... Toseland doesn't have what it takes to suceed at the highest level of MotoGP, and he has given himself one hell of a mountian to climb just to break into the top 10 by selecting that POS to jump aboard.

Sorry but I find your post ignorant

JT is a proven rider in SBK and I dont see how you can say he hasnt have what it takes, details of the 2008 Tech3 team are unknown with talks of the team getting more support but even if they dont a rider can show his potential even by finishing 10th on a slow bike.

[seppefan]

As it is a one year contract I presume he hopes to learn and impress in 08 and go to a works team in 09...

[NinjaMaster]

In short....... Toseland doesn't have what it takes to suceed at the highest level of MotoGP, and he has given himself one hell of a mountian to climb just to break into the top 10 by selecting that POS to jump aboard.
Not sure why you have to be so negative about Toseland, osg. He is beating Bayliss and Biaggi comfortably in the WSB championship and both of them would be very competitive in MotoGP so I don't see why JT won't. I don't think he'll be a MotoGP world champ or even top 5 but given he will likely conquer WSB for the second time, MotoGP is the next challenge for him. I think Tech3 will also be a much better package next year than this year and thus a good option for him, especially if he is alongside former Superbike man, Colin Edwards.

[maxu05]

I think he will get up to speed after a few races. If he takes a similar aproach to that of Ant West, by improving race by race, he will be fine. I can't see any reason to rubbish the guy (perhaps he dumped your sister or something?) :laugh: I think Tech3 will be on Bridgestones next year IMO.

[osg]

Not sure why you have to be so negative about Toseland, osg. He is beating Bayliss and Biaggi comfortably in the WSB championship and both of them would be very competitive in MotoGP so I don't see why JT won't. I don't think he'll be a MotoGP world champ or even top 5 but given he will likely conquer WSB for the second time, MotoGP is the next challenge for him. I think Tech3 will also be a much better package next year than this year and thus a good option for him, especially if he is alongside former Superbike man, Colin Edwards.

agreed....... although he wouldn't have such a comfy buffer if troy hadn't of cut his pinky off a while back. Biaggi? Who cares.... he's a has been who still thinks he is someone. JT has been the recipient of good fortune and luck IMHO the past few seasons..

Good rider no doubt. Great???? Well........ lets see how he handles being the little fish in the big pond so to speak.

[osg]

Sorry but I find your post ignorant

JT is a proven rider in SBK and I dont see how you can say he hasnt have what it takes, details of the 2008 Tech3 team are unknown with talks of the team getting more support but even if they dont a rider can show his potential even by finishing 10th on a slow bike.

How many WSBK riders have gone on to forge a successful career in MotoGP? Don't tell me you think Edwards has proven himself, that's a joke. Bayliss? 1 win?...... Vermuelen is the only one who has started to show some promise....

As i mentioned above chris..... Is JT a good rider?.. yes he is. I have my doubts that he can be great in MotoGP, thats it.

[ChrisS]

If you look at the top riders from the Golder era of GP (late 80s up to mid 90s) you will find that most came from a superbike background rather than the "tratitional" GP latter. But thats maybe going to far back.

Both Edwards and Bayliss had fairly good MotoGP careers, if anything I believe that the importance of Edwards in Rossi's career the last few years is understated, he does the tyre development and testing, freeing up Rossi to concentrate on set-up

Bayliss 1 win, when you say it like that it doesnt sound like much but if you think about it you will the importance of that win, firstly thats one win more than what Checa and Sete had on the Ducati. Bayliss was riding for Ducati when it was a bike in development and wasn't that off from Loris, he lost his seat simply because Marlboro wanted a Spanish rider, 2 years later he comes back for one race and on a bike that is well developed he dominates.

Also Hayden, came from AMA superbike, Hopkins came from AMA supersport and extreme

[osg]

If you look at the top riders from the Golder era of GP (late 80s up to mid 90s) you will find that most came from a superbike background rather than the "tratitional" GP latter. But thats maybe going to far back.

Both Edwards and Bayliss had fairly good MotoGP careers, if anything I believe that the importance of Edwards in Rossi's career the last few years is understated, he does the tyre development and testing, freeing up Rossi to concentrate on set-up

Bayliss 1 win, when you say it like that it doesnt sound like much but if you think about it you will the importance of that win, firstly thats one win more than what Checa and Sete had on the Ducati. Bayliss was riding for Ducati when it was a bike in development and wasn't that off from Loris, he lost his seat simply because Marlboro wanted a Spanish rider, 2 years later he comes back for one race and on a bike that is well developed he dominates.

Also Hayden, came from AMA superbike, Hopkins came from AMA supersport and extreme

fair points.... you won't find any disagreement for me there mate. I just don't think we'll see James winning often thats all. He's backed the wrong horse IMHO with Tech 3.

[patnicholls]

As said above, the expectation is that Tech 3 are getting a leg-up in the same way that D'Antin Ducati have done this year (look at D'Antin 2007 vs 2006, massive difference). If next year's Tech 3 effort resembles this year's, I'll be utterly amazed.

As for JT's results, well I'm not expecting regular wins, probably not even a win straight away, but over the last two years he's been riding superbly in WSB (he has as many points as all the other Hondas in WSB put together, don't you know? :p ).

BUT - at present no-one should really be expecting regular wins. Near the end of last year we had a count-up of the winners in the MotoGP era (since 2002), and after Valentino it was very slim pickings for everyone. A lot of champions into one grid doesn't go! Casey has redressed the balance slightly, and Sete won a fair few races, but everyone else who's won has really only taken a couple of wins each since 2001. We've also got a very close, open grid - nothing's coming easy for anyone at the minute.

Anyway, we'll see next year!

[ChrisS]

fair points.... you won't find any disagreement for me there mate. I just don't think we'll see James winning often thats all. He's backed the wrong horse IMHO with Tech 3.

I dont see JT win with Tech3 either but if he rides well he may have a chance to ride for a better team

[Allyc85]

james you said youd only move if it was for a competitive ride n look what youve done!

Unless he knows something about next year that we dont he may have made a big mistake!

[Dr. Gellar]

There seems to be a lot of guys out there who are feeling strongly that James Toseland made a bad call going with Tech 3 in MotoGP for 2008. Considering the team's current situation, I guess it may be understandable. But I don't see it that way. First of all, there is no way Tech 3 is going to be the same team they are this year. I don't have any inside info other than the rumors we all hear and read about, but I'm certain the team will have much more factory support next year, at the least. No matter what tire brand they decide to run, Dunlop has to be as good as gone.

Personally I'll be glad to see this, as Yamaha's satellite effort results-wise has been a joke. Ducati finally wised up this year and helped Pramac D'Antin with better support, and it looks like Yamaha will follow suit. Toseland really didn't have many other options out there (Gresini Honda, D'Antin Ducati the most likely options), and if the Tech 3 effort can turn things around, they'll likely be at least on par with those teams in terms of competitiveness.

I'm really happy the Toseland is going to MotoGP. It's been fun watching him race this year in WSBK, and I think it is the first time I've ever wanted to see a Honda rider win a championship.

[osg]

Chris and Doc Gellar..... both good points, i certainly agree that Tech3 will be a far more powerful outfit next year, but the adjustments to be made to get the team and bike working to point that will see them battling for podiums and wins may be more than a 1 year fix......

In the wash up, with the moves in the paddock so far, it's gonna be a cracking season next year!!!

[Dr. Gellar]

Chris and Doc Gellar..... both good points, i certainly agree that Tech3 will be a far more powerful outfit next year, but the adjustments to be made to get the team and bike working to point that will see them battling for podiums and wins may be more than a 1 year fix......

In the wash up, with the moves in the paddock so far, it's gonna be a cracking season next year!!!

You could be right osg, and that is to be expected to some degree. But if Tech 3's bikes (Toseland's anyway) are indeed factory bikes next season, then I think Toseland will have as good a shot as anyone to be a consistent top 10 finisher right from the beginning.

You never know. I mean, who really thought Casey Stoner would be wiping the floor with the competition on a Ducati before the season began? Or that the Honda RC212v would turn out to be a crap machine?? I certainly didn't...

You're right...next season is going to be a hell of a lot of fun to watch! I'm already excited about it!

[Rudedawg]

agreed....... although he wouldn't have such a comfy buffer if troy hadn't of cut his pinky off a while back. Biaggi? Who cares.... he's a has been who still thinks he is someone. JT has been the recipient of good fortune and luck IMHO the past few seasons..

Good rider no doubt. Great???? Well........ lets see how he handles being the little fish in the big pond so to speak.

The tech 3 team in its current form must be a poor choice to be part of but I think JT would have done his homework and as he has often stated that he would not join a non factory team. I think JT and Lorenzo will share a garage. Jt certainly has talent. I must admit after his double at Brands he definetly has got fight. I guess 2008 will see how great he truly is.

[The Phantom]

Looks like Tech 3 will be getting a leg-up from Yamaha in the same way D'Antin Ducati have done from the factory squad this year (if you remember, in 2006 D'Antin had the Hoff and Cardoso languishing at the back - look how much the Hoff has moved up this year).

Don't forget there's no 2006 customer bike for the D'Antin squad (990 ineligible, although half the grid probably wishes they had it to stop Stoner :p )

I guess JT going to Tech 3 is a bit like Vermeulen going to Suzuki - if he puts in the hard yards it will be good for him.

The GP vs SBK apprenticeship is a tough question, though. But hey, Dorna wants a successful English rider in MotoGP and atm they don't come more successful than JT.

[AndyRAC]

There was a discussion this morning on Talksport, F1 vs Superbikes, as I only heard briefly, but a few callers are still convinced that Superbikes are superior to GP's. Of more importance it was weather Bikes should get more coverage, and should Superbikes be on terrestrial TV. While I'm more of a Moto GP fan, I'd rather watch WSBK than F1, as there is no racing in F1.

[leopard]

I guess JT going to Tech 3 is a bit like Vermeulen going to Suzuki - if he puts in the hard yards it will be good for him.

as of this stage I'd rather call this worse than it :D , unless Yamaha would want to supply the same bike toTech3 and Dunlop can give better needed grip at the track.

That's good move for JT, but not for Tech3 :D
However the show must go on, let him ride there before another top teams want him.