For Yamaha in general and Valentino Rossi in particular, this first day at Misano was the moment needed to get back on the right path. The course of this one had in fact become blurred after two meetings on a Red Bull Ring which were trying for the drivers of the Iwata brand. Here they are invigorated by the sea air coming from the Adriatic. The Doctor admits to having even become younger…
The Yamaha factory rider, Valentino Rossi don't hide it. His reunion with the track of Misano were invigorating after the ordeals suffered in Austria. A fifth place in the second free practice session took the Tavullia man to 6th overall in the combined timesheet this Friday. After difficult weekends at Spielberg, his colleagues at the brand Yamaha also monopolize the first place holes.
« You could explain it this way: in Austria I felt like I was 50 years old. Here in Misano I feel like I'm 30 years old. It's very different », laughs the 41-year-old pilot. “ We were fast at Misano last year too. But first we had to get back on track to understand if we were still good. Because in MotoGP the situation changes very quickly from a technical point of view. Other manufacturers have tested a lot here, Ducati, Aprilia and KTM for example. So you never know, but it looks like the M1 will be competitive here. We still have a lot of work to do, but I definitely feel younger than in Austria ».
“I’m missing three tenths in terms of race pace”
The nine-time world champion is chasing his 200th podium in the “premier category”. How does he see his chances this Sunday? “ My pace is not bad, especially in the afternoon. I still struggled a bit in the morning, but things got better in the afternoon. Even with worn tires, I was constantly moving,” he analyzed. “Quartararo and Maverick are really very strong. There are also a few others, for example Mir or Pol Espargaró. If I want to fight for the podium, I have to improve. I'm missing three tenths in terms of race pace », Estimates the man who is currently seventh in the world championship.
While many riders complain about the uneven track surface on the 4,226km Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, Yamaha riders are making do with the conditions: “ the asphalt is at a very high level, the grip is very good. It's true that there are a few too many bumps, but our bike seems to be very stable, especially in fast corners ", Explain Red. " This is one of our strengths and I think it helps us to be fast here in Misano. But you also have to remember that it's only Friday. We will have to wait and see how things go on Saturday and especially Sunday. But the start was positive » concludes the Doctor…
MotoGP Misano1 J1: classification
