Valentino Rossi has made his mark in his new Petronas team aboard a Yamaha M1 which is the latest generation. An opportunity that his teammate Franco Morbidelli does not have, who is also an accomplice outside the paddock, since he is a brilliant student from a VR46 academy which supplies the grid with three of his students. Which makes four with the master. Out of six Italian drivers involved, it's not so bad... That being said, the Doctor's installation in his new quarters has not gone unnoticed.
And first of all because when Valentino Rossi enter box, you can hear it in every corner... Morbidely comments as follows: you still hear screams from Vale's side. He speaks very loudly to his team. I laughed a lot about this “, said the 2020 world vice-champion with a smile. “ I like to hear it in the box ". The Doctor recognizes the situation and explains it like this: “ the problem is that you still have the earplugs in the box. I generally don't remove them during testing. And unfortunately, you then scream because you can't hear your own voice properly "Vale said. “ Sometimes I take them out and realize I'm actually screaming. I have to pay attention », he finishes, amused by the subject.
Valentino Rossi mentions Zeelenberg twice
Another response was made to Wilco Zeelenberg who had ventured into his working method which was considered too theoretical because it was based on the study of data. The nine-time World Champion commented: “ Last year I spent less time analyzing data and focused more on my driving style. Wilco and I have never worked together, but I welcome advice. I like to work hard and always find the right balance ».
A response which is also a message, as is this reminder about the side of the box where Red had to settle down: “ that's right, I'm on the right side and I was actually always on the left », recalls Vale on speedweek : " Wilco Zeelenberg came to me and said, 'I have something important to tell you. I think Franco has to stay on the left, so you have to go to the other side. And I just said, 'Yeah, okay, it's good.' I mean, it doesn't matter if you are right or left, it doesn't change much. Franco has been part of the team for two years, and if he is happy on the left side I am happy on the right side. This is not a problem ».
Valentino Rossi finished : " Franco is the best teammate I could have imagined. Because we know each other well, we are friends, we train together and we compete at home on all kinds of motorcycles, at the ranch, in motocross, on the R1... I am very happy that we are in a team because we will have a special relationship. We're a great lineup, and I hope we'll both be competitive ».
At the end of the MotoGP off-season tests, Franco Morbidelli finished third in the combined standings and Valentino Rossi eleventh.
MotoGP Tests Qatar 2: combined ranking
Credit rankings: MotoGP.com
