This first post-GP press conference of the 2018 season today brought together Andrea Dovizioso, Marc Márquez and Valentino Rossi, at the end of a Grand Prix fought until the last corner.
As usual, we report here our translation of the entirety of Valentino Rossi's remarks, without any journalistic formatting or distortion.
Taking into account that there were maybe 10 drivers able to get on the podium today, you must be very happy…
Valentino Rossi : " Yes I agree. It's a great way to start the season. For me, personally, it's a little different from last year, because last year getting on the podium was really a surprise. I didn't expect it after suffering in the warm up. This time I knew I could have a good race. But then the problem was that the top 10 drivers had a very similar race pace, so you have to wait until the race to know if it's enough to make a podium. I'm also happy because in the last period the strongest and fastest drivers on track were Dovizioso and Márquez, so staying with them until the end is a good way to start. I'm happy because when Dovi took the lead, I knew they were going to be able to change the pace. And that moment was the key moment for the podium for me, because I had to pass Zarco and give my all to try to escape with them. I knew there were a few places on the circuit where I was fast. So in the end, finishing on the podium is a very good way to start. »
When you tried to overtake Zarco the first time, was that the key moment that then prevented you from fighting with Dovizioso and Márquez?
“I think I drove very well throughout the race, because I started from the 3rd row but I was able to gain a lot of positions during the first lap. But I made a mistake with Zarco. It was a mistake because I didn't want to overtake, but when you're going very fast and you're close, the slipstream makes it difficult to control the braking, and we both went wide. At that moment, Márquez doubled, then Dovi doubled. I tried to fight with Dovi but at that moment, all the wolves behind... (gesture to catch him) (laughs). They wanted to tear my arm off like that (laughs) and we entered the corner with Petrucci maybe 2 km/h faster to try not to lose too much. I knew I could get the pace so I didn't want to waste too much time. Without this mistake, I could have fought more with them, it's possible, yes. But I don't know if I could have won. »
What's it like when you're fighting for the lead with 6 or 7 of the best #MotoGP riders in the world? @ValeYellow46 explains… 🐺 pic.twitter.com/HlO08EAkP2
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) March 20, 2018
What did you think when you saw Marc's attack on Dovi?
“Above all, when Dovi was riding in a small 1'55, I tried to go with them for the podium. Then I saw that my advantage over Zarco, then over Crutchlow, increased, because they couldn't go as fast. So the podium was OK. But afterwards, my second idea was to stay as close as possible because I knew that Márquez was going to try in the last corner. What if they had gone offshore... but in any case, I was too far away, and they didn't waste too much time. It was a good show, seen from behind, yes. »
You were very fast tonight, as was Maverick. Does that mean you solved something on the bike with the electronics, or is it just the layout of this circuit?
“During qualifying I wasn't very happy with the balance because we tried some modifications to save the front tire. And yes, we could save the front tire, but we lost speed. So today I said “we’re trying everything to go quickly”. And then, if the tire resists, it resists, otherwise, ciao! We have taken a good step forward. This morning we improved the traction out of corners, so I think we are also working well with the electronics. Yes. But you know, the good and the bad is that from one track to another, the differences in balance of the bike will also be big this year. So no one knows what will happen in Argentina. »
Usually you choose a hard front tire. Today, a medium. Can you tell us why?
“In my opinion, with Michelin tires, the bike is now more important than the rider. Dani and Marc pushed hard because it's the best for the Hondas. All Yamahas have chosen the medium because it is the best tire for our motorcycles. So it depends more on the manufacturer than on the driving style. Here. Maybe next time it will be different. I tried hard a lot, but I was too slow. »
Do you remember your first Grand Prix in MotoGP, and if so, what was the most difficult for you in this category?
“My first race was in South Africa in 500cc. I have a good memory of it because I got off to a pretty bad start, but then I did the fastest lap in the race with the Honda 500cc 2-stroke. And I got to the group in front and I said to myself “but why are they going so slowly?” ". And I fell (laughs)! So from that moment, I understood that perhaps with experience they had the right speed and that I was going a little too fast. »
What was the most difficult part of this first race?
“For me it was managing the power under acceleration. There were many more than 250 cc. But also, to understand the limit of the front because the bike was much heavier. So it was hard to understand how hard you could attack. »
Do you consider this 3rd place as a response to all those who expressed doubts because of your age when you renewed your contract with Yamaha for 2 years?
“You know, in our sport as in other sports, there is only one thing that is important: the results. You can talk a lot, but in the end the only important thing is what happens on the track. I don't run to show people that I'm not old, I run to prove to myself that I can stay at the top (laughs). And I think that's the right way to do it. »
MotoGP #QatarGP Losail J.3: Ranking
| 1 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | 42'34.654 |
| 2 | 93 | Marc Márquez | Honda | + 0.027 |
| 3 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | + 0.797 |
| 4 | 35 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | + 2.881 |
| 5 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | + 3.821 |
| 6 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | + 3.888 |
| 7 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | Honda | + 4.621 |
| 8 | 5 | johann zarco | Yamaha | + 7.112 |
| 9 | 29 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | + 12.957 |
| 10 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati | + 14.594 |
| 11 | 53 | Tito RABAT | Ducati | + 15.181 |
| 12 | 21 | Frank MORBIDELLI | Honda | + 16.274 |
| 13 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | Ducati | + 19.788 |
| 14 | 55 | Hafiz Syahrin | Yamaha | + 20.299 |
| 15 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | Ducati | + 23.287 |
| 16 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | Honda | + 24.189 |
| 17 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | + 24.554 |
| 18 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | KTM | + 31.704 |
| 19 | 41 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | + 34.712 |
| 20 | 45 | Scott REDDING | Aprilia | + 37.641 |
| 21 | 10 | Xavier SIMEON | Ducati | + 46.706 |
| Unclassified | ||||
| 44 | Pol Espargaró | KTM | 7 Tours | |
| 42 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | 10 Tours | |
| 99 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | 10 Tours |
Photo credit: MotoGP.com
