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Yamaha Could Spoil Rossi's Switch to Ducati

Valentino Rossi's departure from Yamaha might not happen on amicable terms, as initially believed. And that's because the Japanese bike manufacturer is rumored to prevent Rossi from testing with his new team Ducati as soon as the 2010 season ends, in Valencia.

As you all know, each season finale is followed by a two- or three-day testing session which includes all MotoGP teams. This is the first time they get to test their machines for the upcoming year and, with the current testing limitations, we don't have to tell you how important that is for the development of those bikes.

However, according to current regulations, a rider is legally allowed to leave his team and join his new employer at the end of the calendar year, rather than the season (which ends on November 7). A sporting gesture from Yamaha would be to let Rossi go immediately after the Valencia race, as Ducati will do, as confirmed, in the case of their soon-to-be-ex rider Casey Stoner (who'll join Honda for next year).

Nevertheless, according to the official MotoGP website, there are some doubts that Yamaha will agree to release Rossi that soon, especially since the Italian will leave for a rival team next season.

Rossi hopes to test the Ducati Desmosedici for the first time, but a decision on whether he will be able to due to contractual commitments is yet to be made,” says a paragraph in MotoGP.com's story.

If that happens, this would be the second time Rossi would have to wait until the end of the calendar year to join his new team, as a similar situation happened when he switched to Yamaha, from Honda. However, as Rossi revealed, his relationship with Honda was bad to begin with, and he'd be very disappointed if something like that would happen again.

If Yamaha say no I’ll be very upset and sad. Only Honda have said no to me in the past and that relationship was very different to the one between me and Yamaha. If I can’t do it then I don’t understand the relationship between me and Yamaha!” said Rossi.
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