Valentino Rossi had to settle for sixth place in a Czech Republic Grand Prix which exacerbated the weaknesses of his Yamaha. A machine sensitive to changing conditions and whose engine is too weak. Says the Doctor who thus establishes the manufacturer's roadmap for 2020. Precisely, from Monday, there will be a test which should lift the veil on the next M1...
Valentino Rossi started seventh in his race in Brno and he finished by gaining a place. This without ever having been able to invite himself into the leading group to hope for better. He is nevertheless the best Yamaha rider in the standings for this tenth meeting of the season since Quarterly follows him while his teammate Casa Particular in Viñales is only tenth. Suffice to say that the M1s were not at the party. However, they were expected at the turn of this entry into the second part of the season…
So what ? The Doctor explains: “ we are certainly not satisfied with a sixth place " begin Valentino Rossi. " There were very strange circumstances at 14 p.m. The first corner and the last corner were completely wet with the grid directly in between. But everyone had to start with slicks, because the rest of the track was completely dry. So you could have started on slicks, but it would have been very dangerous if we had all arrived on slicks at the first corner on wet lines. That would have been the most dangerous thing I could imagine. This is why I asked to delay the start of the race. I think it was the right decision. This is how we experienced a real race, it was completely dry ».
« Sixth place does not inspire enthusiasm but it was better than during the last Grand Prix. I could ride the bike better, but the five opponents in front of me were faster than me. After all, I have improved, that's positive. We now have to test a new engine specification for the Monday test, namely for 2020 ».
Red lost in 20 laps nine seconds to the Honda of Marc Márquez. So where does Yamaha need to technically catch up? “ This year, the biggest difference in engine performance is our biggest problem. We waste too much time on the best straight-line bikes. So we need to improve the performance of the engine, but also in the electronics and other areas. Above all, Yamaha must deal with the engine because the competitors have made great progress. Their engines are not only fast, their bikes are also better to handle. It looks like we need a significant step forward in engines if we want to close the gap to the competition ».
« Our motorcycle is very sensitive to all weather conditions », adds the Italian. “ If we had a dry weekend for three days, then we would have been faster. When it rains or the temperature changes, we suffer more.” He elaborates: “I felt very bad in the warm-up after the rain yesterday. It doesn't work when it lacks grip ».
Valentino Rossi came within one point of fifth place in championnat de Casa Particular in Viñales.
MotoGP Czech Republic Brno J3: classification
