Kevin Schwantz backs Valentino Rossi to come good

 Kevin Schwantz is in no doubt that Valentino Rossi will be a force to be reckoned with in the 2011 MotoGP world championship.

But the Texan legend doubts the 32-year-old will be in a position to win on the new Ducati GP11 until the second half of the season.

Rossi’s pre-season preparations have been hindered by the slow recovery of the right shoulder injury he carried for almost the entire 2010 campaign.

And the nine-times world champion has failed to gel immediately with the Ducati GP11 and Rossi hasn’t yet finished a pre-season test inside the top ten.

Schwantz, who won the 1993 500cc crown for Suzuki, says it will hard to make a judgement on Rossi’s potential until he is 100 per cent fit again.

Speaking to MCN from the home of Ben Spies in Texas, Schwantz said: “I think Ducati are just going to wait until he gets comfortable with his shoulder so they can find out exactly what he needs to get that confidence back in his riding. You always hear him talking about how much time he’s leaving out on track in himself. But you can’t get the information you need to make the bike better if your guy is not 100 per cent on it. They are going to have to wait until Valentino says he’s ready and he’s riding the thing as hard as he possibly can. We know he and Jerry Burgess are capable of doing that but I think JB is gun shy at making changes to a bike when he knows his guy is not at 100 per cent. But I see him winning races just after mid-season. I think they’ll lose enough early on with Valentino’s fitness and the development direction of the Ducati. But once they get comfortable and confident I think they will start making progress on the Yamaha and Honda. I know Valentino is not at Ducati just to collect a pay cheque. He wants to win and I think he’s still got world championship winning ability left in him.”

See more of Schwantz’s thoughts in a special 16-page preview on the 2011 season in the March 16 issue of MCN.