Ducati revival boosts Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi will take great heart from Casey Stoner’s recent Ducati revival, according to the Italian’s legendary crew chief Jerry Burgess.

Ducati’s factory GP10 didn’t win for the opening 12 races of the season before Aussie Stoner dominated at Motorland Aragon and Twin Ring Motegi.

And the 25-year-old continued his purple patch when he stormed to a fourth successive victory on home soil at Phillip Island last weekend.

Those victories have given Rossi plenty of encouragement as he prepares to make his multi-million pound switch to Ducati for 2011.

And Burgess told MCN: “It will probably give Valentino a lot of encouragement. The harder those boys work this year then perhaps the less he’s got to do next year.

Casey’s recent form will give everybody at Ducati some encouragement.”

Burgess will move to Ducati next season with Rossi’s entire crew leaving Yamaha with him.

Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis confirmed to MCN that Burgess and the crew were joining Ducati over a month ago in an interview at the Motorland Aragon race.