Jerry Burgess: MotoGP return ‘not what I want to do’

Jerry Burgess says he is too old and too happy in retirement to make a shock return to MotoGP in the future.

A year after being unceremoniously dumped by Valentino Rossi, the legendary Aussie chief engineer rejected the chance to be Scott Redding’s new Marc VDS Honda MotoGP crew chief in 2015.

And he was also linked to a technical role with rising star Jack Miller, who will move into the premier class from Moto3 with LCR Honda next season.

But Burgess, who won seven MotoGP world titles with Valentino Rossi before the Italian fired him at the end of 2013, has no desire to be back in the world championship.

Burgess denied he’d had any contact with Miller or any of his representatives about a crew chief job at LCR. And he was cagey about an offer to work with Redding that came via the British rider’s manager Michael Bartholemy.

He was crystal clear though on the fact that his professional life in MotoGP is over.
Speaking to MCN, Burgess said: “I have drawn a line in the sand and for me to come back into MotoGP as the crew chief of a young rider would be a commitment of a minimum of five years. I’ll be 62 next year and it is not what I want to do and I don’t think it would be in the best interests of a team. Honestly speaking, with Valentino signing a two-year extension, it would have seen me probably checkout. I just don’t like the pressure of it having worked my entire life for riders who are expected to win a championship. I can sit at home now and I don’t want to be there on the start line making the call that could change the championship for the worst for that rider.”