Did Yamaha hit rock bottom in Austria to better start the comeback in Great Britain? It is still far too early to say and draw conclusions after only a test at Misano between the two meetings, but it is clear that the official M1s started their meeting well at Silverstone. So much Casa Particular in Viñales that Rossi are in the top 10 after a Friday day fresh and spent riding on a highly criticized track. Exactly on this subject…
At Yamaha, we took a break this Friday in England. While we are promised worsening weather, the factory drivers are avoiding the perilous Q.1 repechage for the moment. It will nevertheless be necessary to confirm on a poorly resurfaced Silverstone tarmac if we judge by the drivers' criticisms. What does the Doctor think? “ Overall, the grip is better and, at least, we have only one type of coating whereas previously we had four. On the other hand, for bumps, it's worse in certain places ».
On this pitfall, he gives his recipe: “ It's like motocross. You shouldn't think about it otherwise you end up getting trapped! A MotoGP is not made to ride on this type of track. When you go over these bumps, the sensations are not good. And the problem is that our tires grip a lot. This creates a dangerous situation. We have to manage that. It's a shame because Silverstone has characteristics that fit well with our bike ».
Despite everything, Vale focused on his bike. And unlike the track, there was better: “ I tried an electronic adjustment tested in Misano by Vinales and I also validated it. To put it simply, it gives a more linear engine in mid-range revs. It's interesting for the future. Low temperatures also favor us because we tend to heat our tires ».
He finishes : " I would much prefer if the rain avoided us. Otherwise, I hope to have it from the warm-up, otherwise we will go into the unknown ". Note that his new man for electronics Michele Gadda is not at Silverstone: “ because it is also busy in SBK, but we took the right direction, even if the road still remains long » assures Vale.
British Grand Prix, Silverstone, MotoGP J.1: times
| 1 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | 2'01.385 | ||
| 2 | 35 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | 2'01.390 | 0.005 | 0.005 |
| 3 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | 2'01.446 | 0.061 | 0.056 |
| 4 | 93 | Marc Márquez | Honda | 2'01.529 | 0.144 | 0.083 |
| 5 | 99 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | 2'01.782 | 0.397 | 0.253 |
| 6 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati | 2'01.819 | 0.434 | 0.037 |
| 7 | 5 | johann zarco | Yamaha | 2'01.962 | 0.577 | 0.143 |
| 8 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | 2'02.152 | 0.767 | 0.190 |
| 9 | 29 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | 2'02.231 | 0.846 | 0.079 |
| 10 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | Ducati | 2'02.448 | 1.063 | 0.217 |
| 11 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | 2'02.515 | 1.130 | 0.067 |
| 12 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | 2'02.616 | 1.231 | 0.101 |
| 13 | 53 | Tito RABAT | Ducati | 2'02.704 | 1.319 | 0.088 |
| 14 | 21 | Frank MORBIDELLI | Honda | 2'02.759 | 1.374 | 0.055 |
| 15 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | Honda | 2'02.864 | 1.479 | 0.105 |
| 16 | 41 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | 2'02.938 | 1.553 | 0.074 |
| 17 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | KTM | 2'02.974 | 1.589 | 0.036 |
| 18 | 55 | Hafiz Syahrin | Yamaha | 2'03.293 | 1.908 | 0.319 |
| 19 | 42 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | 2'03.591 | 2.206 | 0.298 |
| 20 | 45 | Scott REDDING | Aprilia | 2'03.810 | 2.425 | 0.219 |
| 21 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | Honda | 2'04.178 | 2.793 | 0.368 |
| 22 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | Ducati | 2'04.223 | 2.838 | 0.045 |
| 23 | 76 | Loris BAZ | KTM | 2'04.773 | 3.388 | 0.550 |
| 24 | 10 | Xavier SIMEON | Ducati | 2'05.212 | 3.827 | 0.439 |
