Tommy Hill starts the process of rumour quashing...
Tommy Hill has put paid to the end of season rumour-machine by signing for Virgin Mobile Yamaha for 2007.
Paddock pundits had hotly tipped Hill for a berth at Stobart Honda for the coming season and his reputed pay packet at Paul Bird's Stobart squad was suggested to be twice that of his current purse.
But as an indication of the high regard the Virgin team hold for Hill, he's staying put. The development process for the team's brand new '07 spec R1 and new Pirellis begins in earnest at the close of this season.
Hill's team mate is as yet unconfirmed but Brendan Roberts' name has been mentioned more than once.
For the winner of the Virgin Mobile R6 Cup, Tom Grant, this could possibly mean that rather than run a three man Superbike team, Rob MacElnea may just run a Supersport 600 team to include the hard-charging Grant. Surely a more logical stepping stone for such a young and inexperienced rider?
