On this Friday, May 28, 2021, Valentino Rossi answered questions from journalists from the Mugello circuit at the end of the first day of the Italian Grand Prix.
We went to listen (via teleconferencing software) to the Italian pilot's words.
As usual, we report here the words of Valentino Rossi without the slightest formatting.
Valentino Rossi : " A difficult day for me, especially in the afternoon, also because we started with the hard tire and it was not the right choice since I didn't have enough grip. But in the end, I did two or three laps with the rear tensioner and I improved my time but my position remained bad. I don't have a very good feeling on the bike because I have problems braking, slowing down the bike, and I'm slow when changing direction. Here it is very important and we must work. We must try to improve our speed compared to today. »
Are you using the Le Mans settings or the Mugello 2019 settings?
« I don't know very precisely but I think we continue with the settings from Le Mans, with small modifications for Mugello, but the basis remains that of Le Mans. We tried different tires, also the hard front tire and the medium, but it's difficult with the hard. I still have difficulty braking so we have to improve that because I'm not very fast. But I think the settings are very similar to those at Le Mans. »
We saw you go out at turn 1: What exactly is the problem?
« You know, here, braking in turn 1 is always very critical. For me it is very difficult to slow down the bike, especially in the first part of braking. I'm struggling and that's why we have to work on the balance of the bike and the engine braking. »
Have you tried the new holeshot device before?
« Yes, I tried the start device before and it's better. This is a good step forward. We have to work because it's a bit critical and we still have problems. But we can use it as soon as possible. »
FP1/FP2 classification of the Italian MotoGP Grand Prix at Mugello:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
