Freezing. This is undoubtedly the adjective that would best characterize this pre-event press conference at Termas de Rio Hondo. Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez, Andrea Dovizioso and Yonny Hernandez, the only South American representative in the MotoGP category, were the guests.
A heavy atmosphere, therefore, between a Valentino Rossi who waits until the last second before entering the press room to greet no one except Dovizioso and Hernandez, a Marc Marquez visibly tired by his 60-hour journey, as evidenced by his look in the empty space and his yawns, and between a self-confident Jorge Lorenzo wearing a slight smirk during his teammate's remarks.
In the end, what have we learned, other than that certain journalists like to come back again and again and again to the incidents of last season between Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez?
– That Lorenzo will make his decision regarding the rest of his career in the coming weeks, but not before Austin…
– That he doesn’t understand why the public whistles at him, other than that he beats a pilot…
– Let Marc Marquez get used to these whistles…
– That the two do not experience a feeling of insecurity, contrary to what some media had suggested…
– That Marc Marquez was only afraid when one of the planes he took to come to Argentina lost one of its engines…
– That, says Dovizioso, Casey Stoner does not want to be satisfied with the GP15 of the Pramac team to make a wildcard…
– That Pol Espargaro loves football and would like to stay at Yamaha…
And everyone will do their best to try to win the race on Sunday!
Under these conditions, we do not consider it essential to offer you the full translation of the words of the pilots present, contrary to our usual practice, but only the following few extracts.
The floor was first given to Jorge Lorenzo. The Mallorcan arrives in a strong position in Argentina: Reigning Champion and leader in the provisional ranking, “The first Grand Prix was preceded by the test. Here, you will have to quickly find the rhythm."
Note that the Termas de Rio Hondo track is one of the 5 tracks on the calendar on which the Mallorcan has never won in the premier category.
It is towards the reigning Champion that all eyes are turning for the “Silly Season” (2017 transfers). If he has an offer for a limited period from Yamaha on the table, Lorenzo seems to be at the heart of the desires of Ducati whose offer is estimated at several million euros, “For now, I want to keep this private from my loved ones. We have to focus on these first two races and we will decide in the coming weeks."
Valentino Rossi failed to reach the podium in Qatar. The nine-time world champion does not hide his disappointment, “I was happy to be able to stay with the leading group, but my goal was to get on the podium,” says the Italian. “I like this track and I had a good result last year, but this season, a lot of drivers are going very fast. My extension with Yamaha allows me to concentrate solely on racing.” He briefly returned to last season's incident with Marquez, “It's a shame he fell, we could have fought until the end. "
Andrea Dovizioso reached the podium for the 30th time in his career in Qatar, one podium less than Freddy Spencer. Riding the powerful new D16 GP, the Italian showed that he had to count on the Borgo Panigale firm, “We had a good result in Qatar. We have completed the winter tests. For Argentina, I don't want to focus only on the result. We have a good package to achieve good results. "
After difficult winter tests, Marc Marquez managed to get on the podium in Qatar. By climbing onto the third step of the podium, he reached the milestone of 2000 points, “After 60 hours of travel, I can't wait to ride and confirm my feeling of Qatar,” explains the Spaniard. “We're not 100% yet, but we know what to work on."
Pol Espargaro finished 7th in Qatar and best representative of the Yamaha Tech3 team, “We were all nervous in Qatar,” he explains. “I didn't start really well, but it was important to score points. Ducati had tested the new software, so we need time to understand it."
After signing his teammate Bradley Smith for two seasons with KTM, the Spaniard maintains his chances of staying with Hervé Poncharal's team, “My contract ends at the end of the season, but it is still too early to talk about it."
Yonny Hernandez, the only South American representative in the category, rides a Ducati GP14.2 in the team colors, “For me, it's a bit like riding at home,” he confides. “It's amazing to represent my country here.” Victim of a mechanical problem last season (and a burst tire), the Colombian hopes to shine in front of his home crowd.
A question was asked about the importance of the driver with the use of single software. Lorenzo responds, “This is important, even more so with fewer electronics. Everyone is regular.” For his part, Marquez responds, “With a good compromise between bike and team, the last difference remains the rider."
When asked about the boos that were heard during the podium ceremonies, Marquez seemed unaffected, “If it's against me, obviously, I don't like it. That said, I'm not an idiot and I know it will continue this season. We are risking our lives.” For Lorenzo, the answer is simple, “I don't understand, I drove faster and beat drivers. We are risking our lives.” For his part, Rossi hits the mark with a laconic response, “I don't know.” Exactly the same answer to the question of whether last season's incident in Argentina had changed his relationship with Marquez.
A press conference to quickly forget…
Photo credit : Box Repsol
