Yamaha right not to have moved Ben Spies to factory team

Yamaha would have made a mistake had it seconded Ben Spies to its factory squad as injury cover for reigning world champion Valentino Rossi.

Spies was never seriously considered as a replacement for Rossi for at least three races with the Texan using 2010 as a learning year in the satellite Monster Tech 3 squad. 

A move to Rossi’s bike would have put Spies under immense pressure and scrutiny and Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal said: “He’s a rookie and also he’s got his own crew, so I think it would have been a big mistake to disturb that organisation. Ben is in a learning year and he would do better in our team for the time being.

“He’s already got a tough mission to learn the bike and some of the tracks. And being on Rossi’s bike it would have put a lot of attention on him and a lot of pressure. I think it was a good decision not to move him.”

It seems likely now that Yamaha will draft in a Japanese test rider to partner current world championship leader Jorge Lorenzo for the Catalunya, Sachsenring and Laguna Seca races.

Spies’ team-mate Colin Edwards had been favourite, but he will now stay with Poncharal’s Monster Yamaha Tech 3 squad, with the French team boss finding it hard to find a stand-in for the double World Superbike champion.

British rider Cal Crutchlow turned down a temporary Tech 3 move while current factory Yamaha World Superbike rider James Toseland wasn’t even offered the chance to make a dramatic premier class return.