When we posted the rumor that Valentino Rossi was looking to leave Ducati and hook up with Honda for the 2012 season last Thursday, which was based on a statement from Marco Melandri on Italian website The Racing Tribune.
it it must of have been a slow day in the office for everyone, because the rumor as all rumors do, spread like brushfire across the internet.
Most said that since it was the MotoGP summer hiatus, Italian journos as usual tended to exaggerate and/or fabbricate a story just to generate more web traffic, however Marco Melandri via Twitter backtracked on his statement, “Kidding i said Rossi was looking for an honda and everyone write it all over.
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Why i have to be always like a bad boy? Let me just race”Melandri isn’t a ‘bad boy,’ but he should know how rumors work and anything said about Valentino Rossi, in any context, but especially in this period where his old and former childhood friend and MotoGP rival is struggling to make the Ducati work (check out motomatters.
com excellent analysis on the troubles of the D16) will be picked up faster than anyone can say supercalafragalisticexpialadoshus.
The above video is where Melandri straightfaced tells Superbike TV interviewer Fabio Di Palma, that he’s heard that Valentino was looking for a Honda.
The entire interview (in Italian) can be found here.
