When it came to taking stock of his good qualification for the Spanish Grand Prix, Valentino Rossi was not short of compliments with a Michelin brand that he finds in his career this season. The two names have already coexisted at a time when the single manufacturer rule did not exist and their relationship turned into trouble at the end of a 2007 season which opened the Doctor's box to Bridgestone. But that's all in the past.
As are also forgotten the fears distilled a few weeks ago, about the performance of the Bibendum tires after the incidents with the private Ducati. In Jerez, Vale regained a leading position forgotten since 2005 and, above all, it is the first time since 2009 that it can claim its presence on the front row after three consecutive Grands Prix.
However, the new qualifying format, introduced in 2013, had been attributed to its penchant for places just inside the top 10 on the starting grid. No doubt, but now we discover that there was something else..." I honestly didn't expect to be this strong » comments VR46. “ Jerez is a circuit that I really like and on which I have always been fast during the Michelin era. I suffered more with the Bridgestones with which I also had good races but with which I was also less strong. Last year for example, I got the podium, but in pain ».
« This year I am stronger than last year during the qualifications. I don't know exactly why, maybe because I grew up with Michelins and when I got Bridgestones I was already at an advanced stage in my career. With Michelin, we use soft tires and hard tires for the race, whereas with Bridgestone we only had one choice. But I can't say if that's the reason ". No matter, only the result counts.
