Valentino Rossi will start from ninth position in this French Grand Prix and therefore from the third row. A performance that he had not achieved since the first meeting in Qatar where he qualified fourth. The Doctor could therefore not be disappointed with his performance, even if he expressed regret for having been too cautious, having lost his confidence after a heat event on the wet Bugatti track...
The best can be the enemy of the good and this approach certainly consoles Valentino Rossi to have to settle for ninth place on Grid at Le Mans. Because he feels like he could do better. Or end up on the ground. The pilot Petronas indeed comments: “ it's definitely better than in the first races. I'm starting from the third row. This is progress. But my race pace isn't that bad either and is definitely better than in previous races, especially in the dry ».
He also congratulates his team for a daring strategy consisting of bringing out its two entry drivers on slicks, when the track was not yet very welcoming… “ We made the right decision in the Petronas team and relied on the right strategy ", said Red. " It was a small advantage for us” But this initiative also had its limits… “Unfortunately, on the second lap I hit a wet patch in the last corner and I almost fell. This made me lose a little feeling, especially in the fourth sector ».
Hence the famous regret: “ I drove a little too carefully, otherwise I could have done better ", explain Red, who went through the session on a single set of tires. “ I don't think a new rear tire would have helped much. It was better to continue to improve the sensations. We were faster lap by lap ».
Rossi: “la course durera 45 minutes, les conditions ont changé trois fois en 45 minutes”
Now, what about Sunday with the race? “ In the wet, we had some problems in the morning. I wasn't really fast. It seems like all the Yamaha riders were struggling », Analyzes the Doctor. “ In the afternoon the conditions were incredible. It rained, it stopped again, it rained and it stopped again. This happened at least six times in 15 minutes. It was very difficult ».
« Tomorrow's weather forecast looks exactly like today's. It will be very difficult », he worries. “ Tomorrow's race will last 45 minutes. Today the conditions changed three times in 45 minutes: from wet to dry to wet. It's going to be a tough ride if that's the case, because it's really scary. We are quite fast. Then the first part of the route may be dry and you suddenly come to a wet area. It's very dangerous and scary ", ended Red.
MotoGP France Le Mans J2: qualifying
Credit classification motogp.com
