Valentino Rossi has another year on his Yamaha contract, but that didn’t stop some speculation that after such a tough, and ultimately hard year.
He might decide that there are other things he might want to do with his time that might be more fun.
Rossi raced his heart out all year, seemingly defying his age. His regular training sessions on his dirt track at his ranch in Italy have kept him sharp and his race craft kept him at or near the front for most of the year. He was the one who came out fighting right at the start of the year, and until the press conference in Sepang he was on target to win an amazing 10th title.
Then it all went wrong.
Was Marquez deliberately messing up his races? May be or maybe not. Everyone’s views seem to depend on who they support.
What is certain however is that Marquez has got under Rossi’s skin in the same way that Valentino has for years attacked his opposition. 2016 isn’t going to be any easier. Or is it?
Let’s just look at this from a technical point of view. The main changes being made this year are to the tyres, and therefore the design of the bike and to the electronics.
Rossi’s age counts against him, but on these two points his age is in his favour. He was a regular Michelin rider from 2001 to the end of 2007, and he is from the era before electronic controls.
Rossi can say it is like going back to 2008, because he was there. Rossi was one of few riders in the first test not to crash, he knows what a Michelin feels like just before it says enough and casts you down the road.
To be fair, two of his biggest rivals, Pedrosa and Lorenzo have the same memories, and notably also didn’t crash.
So the question then becomes how fast will the other new young guns learn the same skills? Only Rossi knows the effort he put in.