Valentino Rossi heads to Japan after a strong and unexpected performance at the first Thai Grand Prix.
Currently 3rd in the championship with 22 points behind Andrea Dovizioso, the Italian champion would like to take part in the duel which recently pits the latter against Marc Márquez, as he did for a moment in Buriram by temporarily seizing the leading the race after qualifying in 2nd place.
Only for this, and moreover on a circuit where its past results are not really extraordinary, the Yamaha M1 will have to confirm its Thai revival of form, which, to date, no one is really able to do. to say with certainty, especially on this Honda circuit which does not give pride of place to the speed of passing curves.
It is therefore with this question whose Japanese response will probably set the tone for the end of his season that the doctor, in great shape, went to Japan in advance to participate in various media activities before joining the Motegi circuit where he climbed the top step of the premier category podium in 2001 and 2008, obtained second place in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2015, as well as third place in 2010 and 2014.
Last year's race was memorable with an epic duel in the final laps between Marc Márquez and Andrea Dovizioso, the latest winner. Qualified in a modest 12th place in the rain, Valentino Rossi fell in the race with the same precarious grip conditions.
The Twin Ring Motegi circuit was built in 1997 for testing purposes. It was first visited by the MotoGP circus in 1999 for the Japanese Grand Prix. A year later it hosted the Pacific Grand Prix and has remained a major attraction for motorsport fans ever since. Its 4,8 km route has six left turns and eight right turns, as well as various areas of heavy braking and muscular acceleration. In 2004, Motegi replaced Suzuka on the MotoGP calendar, once again becoming the host of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Valentino Rossi : “After the Thai Grand Prix, I returned to Italy, because I did not want to stay away for five consecutive weeks. So I went back to Italy for a week and stayed at home to prepare for the three consecutive races. I came to Japan feeling pretty optimistic that I can be strong here too. Usually Motegi is a good circuit for me, I like it. I hope it will be dry, because last year was a nightmare, it was always wet. We'll see what happens in the next three races, not just the one in Japan. If we really improved the bike last time, we should be competitive in the next three GPs.”
Massimo Meregalli : “It's always nice to go to Motegi, because it's like a home race for us, as a Yamaha team. But the three races in a row also mean that the end of the season is approaching and that we must remain 100% focused. These next few weeks will be very demanding for our drivers and their teams. Both of our riders are in great shape, so I am confident we can put in some exciting races in front of the Asian and Oceanian fans, who always make this part of the MotoGP calendar very special. Although the stop-and-go nature of the Motegi doesn't traditionally work in our favor, Vale and Maverick really like the track, so we can't wait to get to work on Friday in the first practice sessions.”
