Following an event with Yamaha dealers gathered in Tokyo earlier today, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP riders Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi are now on their way to the Twin Ring Motegi circuit to begin the Japanese Grand Prix.
Valentino Rossi made a stunning comeback during the Aragón race weekend, securing a brilliant fifth place, just 24 days after suffering a leg injury. The nine-time world champion has used the last two weeks to extend the rehabilitation of his right leg and expects things to be easier this weekend.
In recent years, the Italian driver has achieved numerous successes on the Motegi circuit. Since it was added to the MotoGP calendar in 1999, he has won two victories in the premier class (2001 and 2008), reached the second step of the podium seven times (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2015) and achieved two third places (2010 and 2014). This weekend, the objective will once again be to score big points to try to return to fourth position in the world championship standings. To do this, he will need to score at least two points more than Dani Pedrosa…
Valentino Rossi : “After my return to MotoGP in Aragón, the work and my convalescence continued. It was good to have two more weeks after the last race to work on my rehabilitation, because now we are going to have three races in a row and it will be important to be in good physical condition. I did everything I could to be in good shape for the round in Motegi, because it is always a very important Grand Prix for Yamaha. I really like this circuit and I'm happy to be here. We will do everything we can to achieve the best possible result. »
Massimo Meregalli : “Having made it to Japan, we are about to enter the very crucial final part of the season. We start with the three consecutive overseas races before the final round in Valencia. The triplet is demanding, because these Grands Prix require a lot of concentration, but we can't wait to get started. The Japanese Grand Prix is very special for us, because it is the home race for Yamaha and the fans play an important role: their support makes this round a great event for the whole team. Although the Motegi circuit, due to its stop and go nature, can be a really difficult track to find good setups, we have had many successes here in the past and we will push to the limit again this week-end. Maverick really loves this track and, with Valentino's condition improving day by day, we're looking forward to a big, action-packed weekend. »
