“Unfortunately this wasn't possible because Yamaha is working on the new R1 motorbike, and there are not many spare parts available yet. Setting up the bike for Valentino Rossi was technically impossible. Furthermore, because he is Valentino Rossi, we wanted to do things well and eventually we had to come to the conclusion that this wasn't going to be possible,” said Brivio.
“The idea of going to Qatar and racing in Superbike was very exciting. We'd have done it with great respect and with the idea to have fun, this was our attitude. Valentino belongs to the MotoGP Championship, but he would have tried Superbike just to test himself against those riders, whom he always follows them because they, too, are very good,” added Brivio.
However, neither Brivio nor Rossi have excluded the possibility of the former joining the World Superbike pack in the near future – for a one-off, of course. The plan is for Rossi to try again next year, when Yamaha will hopefully be better prepared for such a project.
“Valentino was very sad when we had to cancel this experience, but we might consider it again in the future. I believe he could be competitive, but we didn't intend to win the race. We'd have gone with the idea of doing our best to see what level we could reach in one race. It would have been interesting, like a challenge of the past. I hope we consider it again in the future, I will keep dreaming of it,” concluded Brivio.
“It was a fun idea, and I would have been very happy. I would still like to do a race in superbike and I would like to battle with Bayliss, because he is the world champion. Unfortunately it is a bit of a difficult period and I didn't have the chance, but I hope that in the future, maybe next year, we can do it,” added Rossi.
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