Oh Max...

[DogBoy]

Max Biaggi parts ways with Alstare Suzuki... clicky


...and is immediately connected to every (real or imagined) open seat in WSBK or MotoGP. clicky

[Capirex]

I don't understand why Alstare can't come up with another sponsor.  There has got to be a euro brand out there that would love to replace Modelo.  

Everyone loves to hate Max but the fact of the matter is that WSBK and MotoGP are both better with him than without him.  He certainly has proven himself this year so you can bank on him having a ride somewhere next year.  I'd love to see him mix it up in GP again.  

[Jeff N]

Let us not worry about Max's future. He'll find a lucrative ride somewhere. He's a great racer.

Let us postulate something outrageous.

Eraldo, King of the pasta

Max Biaggi, multi-time world champion in the lesser classes, has announced that he will ride for "Fast by Ferraci MV Augusta" in the 2008 AMA Superbike (sponsor to be determined) series.

Who wouldn't want to see Max and Mat try to chase Ben?

[veefer800canuck]

Let us not worry about Max's future. He'll find a lucrative ride somewhere. He's a great racer.

Let us postulate something outrageous.

Eraldo, King of the pasta


Who wouldn't want to see Max and Mat try to chase Ben?

I was just thinking the same thing.

Actually, I was bummed to hear that Edwards was going to Tech 3.

I was hoping that he'd get Zemke's seat at AmHon on the new CBR1k.  

[DogBoy]

I don't understand why Alstare can't come up with another sponsor.  There has got to be a euro brand out there that would love to replace Modelo.  

Everyone loves to hate Max but the fact of the matter is that WSBK and MotoGP are both better with him than without him.  He certainly has proven himself this year so you can bank on him having a ride somewhere next year.  I'd love to see him mix it up in GP again.  

Supposedly Max wanted a HUGE salary increase that was beyond the budget of the Alstare team or most (all?) other teams in WSBK. He had been trading insults in the media before the Vallelunga round.

I like watching him ride but I would hate be on the team that has to put up with him the other 99% of the time.

[steve.ski]

From what I understand, he's always been a bit challenging to work with. Whether techs or bean counters.

[phoenix]

Supposedly Max wanted a HUGE salary increase that was beyond the budget of the Alstare team or most (all?) other teams in WSBK.

well, that was what the article said -

Alstare's title sponsor Corona Extra is withdrawing from motorsportand Francis Batta's team says it is unable to find the finance required to re-sign the triple 2007 race winner.

It wasn't Max quitting the team, it was the team saying they could not meet his demands so he was released.

[heinee]

well, that was what the article said -


It wasn't Max quitting the team, it was the team saying they could not meet his demands so he was released.

= money?

[DogBoy]

Semantics. The team chose not to renew according to the nice words in the press release - which are usually just one side of the story. Some reports on Crash.net or SPEEDTV.com say Biaggi wanted two or three times his current salary, others say he wanted more involvement from the Suzuki Factory. Either way, it would appear that once again Biaggi made demands beyond what even a successful team could offer.

There is no questioning his talent, but its fair to question some of his decisions. Biaggi's Yamaha factory MotoGP team wasn't good enough so he switches to a major Honda MotoGP team. Then that Honda team isn't good enough so he demands to be on the Factory Honda team. During a season on the Honda factory team, he complains he isn't beiing given the right support so Honda doesn't renew. For 2006, no one in MotoGP will sign him despite obvious talent and his ability to bring sponsorship $$$'s. in 2007, Biaggi goes to WSBK and performs well but again demands more support. His WSBK team does not renew his contract. There seems to be a pattern here.

All the while Biaggi's results are good but no better than several other riders who make less demands.

[Yamadog]

And apparently he burned bridges so badly with Honda that HRC are blocking Gresini's desire to sign Max. Dumb sh!t. (I think the other riders are happier to not have him and his overly ambitious moves on track anyway. Dude flat out is dangerous! It's a wonder Troy Corser didn't flatten his nose after the last WSBK race at Magny Cours.)

[spinmaster]

I heard a rumor that Max is in talks with Yamaha to ride AMA SBK next year.  I swear, realy, I heard that.  It's got to be real.

[veefer800canuck]

Nope, he's signed with the Sterilgarda WSBK team, riding a Ducati next year.

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2007/Oct/071030a.htm

[Orson]

Nope, he's signed with the Sterilgarda WSBK team, riding a Ducati next year.

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2007/Oct/071030a.htm

after he burns this bridge to Ducati, that'll leave Kawasaki left as the only unburned bridge...unless he goes back to racing 250s and signs with KTM  

or BMW in 2009  

wait...there's still Gilera in the 125 class.

[bizarro]

after he burns this bridge to Ducati, that'll leave Kawasaki left as the only unburned bridge...unless he goes back to racing 250s and signs with KTM  

or BMW in 2009  

wait...there's still Gilera in the 125 class.

[atypical1]

Holy crap! I did not expect that one. Max might be an ass but he is a great racer and it will be fun to watch him is WSBK. I really wish he ended up in AMA though...I don't like the AMA series but would watch it if Max were involved.

james

[Mookie]

Nope, he's signed with the Sterilgarda WSBK team, riding a Ducati next year.

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2007/Oct/071030a.htm

I'm gonna love watching Max and Reuben fight each other for every corner.  

[DogBoy]

I'm gonna love watching Max and Reuben fight each other for every corner.  

I think that will only last one corner. Hope that team has a lot of spares*.



*More than just "Ruben Xaus is our rider" level of spares.

[highside]

after he burns this bridge to Ducati, that'll leave Kawasaki left as the only unburned bridge...unless he goes back to racing 250s and signs with KTM  

or BMW in 2009  

wait...there's still Gilera in the 125 class.

He actually tried to get on with the Kawasaki GP team in 06 but Bridgestone apparantly refused to make tires for him. So if you exclude HRC and Bridgestone (and maybe Suzuki and Yamaha) there aren't a whole lot of GP rides left.

http://www.crash.net/news_view.asp?cid=6&id=123001

[Jeff N]

There are rumors of Illmor's return. If Max got a ride there and Jeremy McWilliams was his team mate the fireworks would be magnificent.

[DogBoy]

WSBK is going to even more f*cking awesome this year.

2008 Testing - Biaggi lowers Phillip Island record
Eurosport - Thu, 17 Jan 14:54:00 2008
Max Biaggi lowered the unofficial lap record at Phillip Island as his Sterilgarda Ducati team returned to the track for two extra days of pre-season testing.
The 36-year-old Italian and his Spanish team-mate Ruben Xaus both remained at the circuit while most of the rest of the field headed back to Europe, in a bid to get some extra development work done on their new 1098 bikes.
The result was stunning. Over the two days, Biaggi found 1.8 seconds on-track to lap in 1:31.700 - a tenth of a second quicker than the official lap record that Troy Corser set on his Yamaha during race one at the track last year.

link to entire story


Note at the end of the video where he appears to looking for a teammate to collide with in Pit Lane.