I know there are many Rossi fans who are unwilling to face the day when the fluorescent yellow No. 46 no longer appears in the stadium, but this day must be faced, that is, It all depends on the Yamaha team and how Rossi handles the problem satisfactorily. Thinking about it from another angle, the key factor in Yamaha's difficulties is actually Rossi, because the nine-time world champion will be an absolute key factor for Yamaha's rider lineup in the next 2021 season. The team's Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo, all of the rising stars who are favored by the outside world, will face the expiration of their contracts.

Even though he is very reluctant to give up, Rossi still has to face the problem of fading out of the track.

The point is that Rossi’s popularity around the world has not diminished at all, and he is also an important brand spokesperson for Yamaha and many of its endorsed brands. Yamaha has already shown that Rossi will have a role in Yamaha. His position means that before the 2021 season, Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo, who are still in the lineup, are bound to have some competition with the Italian drivers, although the two young drivers have better overall results in 2019. Rossi will be better, but Rossi will still have a certain degree of influence on the position of the "factory team" driver in 2021.

It is true that Yamaha certainly hopes to keep these three top riders in its own garage, but if it cannot ensure that these riders have positions in the factory team, then the future result may be to lose one of the important riders. Not even one left.

Maverick Vinales will also face the expiration of his contract before the 2021 season.

Rossi was the first to express his willingness to solve this problem, that is, he could step back and join SRT Petronas Yamaha, which is also currently very competitive. "I don't think there's a big difference between the two (factory team and SRT). Of course I'd like to be where I am, but like I said, there are only two places in the team and three drivers, so you have to Think about how to solve the third position."

"Even if it is Petronas, it is very good for me. Maybe Vinales will leave in the future, and Quartararo may also ride his car. I can't tell you what they really think," Rossi said. "I also hope to have more time to think, but unfortunately everything about MotoGP has to be decided at the beginning of this year. I need some time, maybe. I will talk to Lin Jarvis in the middle of the season to understand the team's current position."

This idea is not an option that most people would like, but Rossi is willing to exclude himself from competing for the factory team. The idea of ??switching to a fleet of satellites is basically a very possible and feasible option.

Does Rossi’s own VR46 team also have a chance to enter MotoGP?

Rossi has been one of the keys to Yamaha's success for many years, but even if the 40-year-old veteran continues to play in MotoGP for two years, it will not be a long-term solution for the Yamaha team. By choosing to let the nine-time world champion retire, the Japanese car manufacturer also lost the business opportunity of a world-renowned "best-selling brand spokesperson".

The factory team is getting younger, and he has retreated to the satellite car factory to provide support and ensure the team's work. From this point of view, as Rossi said, joining Petronas is not necessarily a good thing for him. bad thing. Even if Rossi will not have much influence on major changes to the team in the future, he will still be involved in the development of YZR-M1, and at the same time Petronas will definitely be extremely excited about Rossi's "arrival" , because this also officially ties F1's Lewis Hamilton and MotoGP's Rossi together in terms of brand marketing (if Rossi transfers to Petronas, the main sponsors of both drivers will be unified as Petronas and Monster Energy) .

If Rossi chooses to join Petronas, he will have more opportunities to communicate with the F1 Mercedes-Benz team!

So I say that the so-called "retreating to the second line" choice is a strategy. First, as long as Rossi remains on the court, MotoGP's box office will still have a certain degree of stability. Compared with retiring directly, It can also allow "monkey fans" around the world to see him continue to race on the field - even if he knows that his M1 may no longer be the best version of Yamaha, but with the mentality of 46 fans, it is definitely better than letting him retire. There are many benefits to come.

Secondly, with Rossi supporting Yamaha’s development at Petronas, and with the aura of its own VR46 brand, Yamaha’s future operations in the satellite fleet will also have great potential.

We all know that after Movistar withdrew its title sponsorship, Monster Energy, which took over, only temporarily blocked it. Therefore, in the future, the probability of Petronas "righting up" from the satellite team to the official title sponsor of the factory team is actually quite high. ?This also represents the road for the VR46 team to enter the MotoGP? Yamaha satellite team in the future. It is possible that Boss Luo will pave the way first in 2021.

As for the future of cultivating many drivers in his own VR46 academy, will Rossi pave the way first in the satellite team?

As for switching to a test driver position, I personally don’t think this is Rossi’s primary consideration in the future. Of course, development will still be involved, but compared to the premise that Lorenzo’s return is more likely Under the circumstances, Rossi's role in running the team seems to be more reasonable, and he will have a direct and comprehensive influence on Yamaha's overall bike health.

As for the test driver, Lorenzo is more likely to return. It would be better to give this job to Lorenzo.

This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.