Ben Spies reveals Massimo Meregalli’s excitement after 2009 deal with Yamaha – MotoGP news
Ben Spies the former World Superbike champion expressed team manager Massimo Meregalli’s excitement about the 2009 deal with Yamaha.
The Texan MotoGP rider, who just bagged his third title of AMA Superbike championship for the Suzuki team, was in full swing to be a full time MotoGP rider in 2009. It all happened after his sixth place finish in a wild-card entry run for the Rizla
Suzuki team at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
However, due to some reasons, a MotoGP deal could not be inked and instead Yamaha derived his attentions to the World Superbike Championship.
It proved to be a successful deal and Massimo Meregalli’s excitement was fruitful, when Spies took victory in 14 races and gave Yamaha its first ever title of WSBK in his rookie year.
“When I flew over to sign for Yamaha World Superbike [for 2009], I thought team manager Massimo Meregalli was going to faint! He was so excited about the possibility to work with me. It was an honour to give him the championship,” Spies said.
The success in World Superbike Championship propelled him for a MotoGP seat initially at the Yamaha satellite team, which was Monster Yamaha Tech3 for the 2010 season. His capabilities were not unknown and when the several-time MotoGP champion Valentino
Rossi made a move to Ducati team for the 2011 season, Spies was immediately brought in to the Yamaha Factory Racing team.
This was when the Texan once again teamed up with Massimo Meregalli. Meregalli became the Team Director for the Yamaha Factory team from the 2011 season.
Ben Spies has made a great duo at the Yamaha Factory garage with reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo. Spies is known to have the potential for being a contender for the MotoGP World title.
The new kid of the Yamaha Factory made a sixth place finish at the season opener round in Qatar. The second round was less fortunate for him as he was not able to complete the Gran Premio bwin de Espana at the Jerez circuit.
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