With the opening round of the 2005 MotoGP championship this weekend at Jerez, one has to wonder whether Valentino Rossi has yet another championship coming his way. He is clearly the overwhelming favorite to take the 2005 crown.
Face it, Rossi has beaten all of the experienced riders on similar equipment. With crew chief Jeremy Burgess and the Yamaha factory anxious for yet another championship, Rossi has all the support he needs.
Rossi clearly has the measure of the old guard; but what about the younger riders who are still getting faster each year, such as Nicky Hayden (Honda), John Hopkins (Suzuki) and Marco Melandri (Honda)? Each of these riders was very quick during pre-season testing. Could one of them possibly rise to Rossi’s level this year? Again, it is hardly likely.
In our opinion, barring some serious development problems with his Yamaha, or an unforeseen huge step forward by a rival manufacturer, Valentino Rossi and Yamaha will again be very difficult to beat this year.
