MotoGP: Jerry Burgess welcomes Jorge Lorenzo signing

Valentino Rossi’s crew chief, Jerry Burgess may have conceded the 2007 MotoGP world title fight is already over, but reckons one good piece of news for Yamaha is next year’s arrival of Jorge Lorenzo.

The reigning world 250 champion will partner Valentino Rossi in the Fiat Yamaha squad next season, although the Japanese factory has yet to make its 2008 rider structure official.

Jorge Lorenzo will join Valentino Rossi with Colin Edwards agreeing a switch to the Tech 3 Yamaha squad to partner James Toseland next season.

Jerry Burgess, who admitted the world title is already going to Casey Stoner before the Aussie extended his series lead to a massive 60-points after an emphatic victory in Brno last Sunday, said: “Yamaha signing Lorenzo is the next logical step because we have seen how fast that Stoner and Dani Pedrosa have been coming from 250s, and we need more youth in MotoGP.

“Valentino Rossi came from 250s, as did Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa, and by the end of this year Lorenzo hopefully will be double world champion in 250s.”

Jerry Burgess said he wasn’t concerned about endless speculation that Valentino Rossi was opposed to partner Jorge Lorenzo in 2008. He said more important was securing the signature of the Spaniard, with Yamaha missing out on Casey Stoner in 2006 and ’07.

“What is important is that Yamaha have signed Jorge Lorenzo and he will help take us into the future, Valentino Rossi will not race forever.

“The main thing for Jorge Lorenzo is to start testing a Yamaha MotoGP bike at the end of the year and let’s see how he goes. He’s young, there’s plenty of time, “said Burgess.