Ducati to kill SBK for Valentino Rossi contract?

As the Rossi to Ducati rumours really take off, the Italian press is reporting that Ducati will cut its SBK team to acquire the world champion Italian rider.
If Valentino Rossi moves to Ducati it will be under a Marlboro contract and to finance the move, a total re-organisation of Ducati Corse would take place in which the superbike team would be scratched.

With money tight and motorsports looking to cut costs, Ducati’s move to kill its historic superbike team could be motivated by other than its desire to purchase Rossi, although the move provides a neat excuse.

If Ducati were to take this drastic decision, it would also find itself with a whole lot of new money in its coffers – something other teams either can’t or would be unwilling to do.
The rumours of Rossi to Ducati are more persistant every day and if the Italian rider is looking for big money somewhere, he won’t find it at Yamaha despite his repeated desire to remain with the team and finish his career there.

As reported by MotoMatters, Rossi was looking at a salary cut which he was apparently comfortable with, until that cut meant financing Jorge Lorenzo’s new contract.

Lorenzo himself said yesterday he is keeping his options open as well, and we’re wondering if we could see a total desertion of the Fiat Yamaha team by both its top riders.
While Rossi on a red bike would be a marketing coup like no other, from our experience here in the Yamaha box, we learned that Fiat would like to follow Rossi if he were to make a move.
Something which is obviously excluded by a Marlboro-Rossi contract.
This kind of comment suggests that Fiat is sponsoring a rider and not a team, although it would never match the money Marlboro has to invest.
If we believe all the rumours, it looks like Rossi’s move to Ducati is pretty much sewn up and where that leaves Fiat Yamaha and Jorge Lorenzo is anyone’s guess.
That the Italians would love Valentino even more dressed in Ducati red, is nigh guaranteed.
Maybe our pics of Valentino’s M1 could be the last we see before he swaps colour….