About Luigi Ciamburro / Corsedimoto.com
After the podium at Mugello, Valentino Rossi arrives galvanized at the next round in Barcelona. During the last qualifying sessions, he observed the Honda: “It was very interesting”.
Next Sunday the MotoGP will land in Catalonia, then two weeks later it will be Assen's turn and, after another two weeks, it will land at the Sachsenring, the last stop before the summer break. There will be around three weeks of rest, but not for the technicians, especially at Yamaha, where they are looking for solutions to provide a winning M1 to Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales. Both riders are starting to close this gap with Honda and Ducati, and sending clear messages to the Iwata factory, which takes time, and does not excuse winter delays.
AN EYE ON MARQUEZ – At Mugello, the Tavullia champion used all his experience and the best strategy to snatch a third place with his teeth. An injection of confidence which is good for his personal morale and that of his team, forced to chase the ideal configuration every weekend to stay behind the opponents. “I think about those who call me old or outdated, especially when I'm wrong, because I think maybe they're right. But when I am well, I am happy and my thoughts are positive”, admitted Valentino Rossi. During the qualifying session he managed to get a lap in the wake of Marc Marquez, he observed and stole some useful secrets. “He did the same to me a while ago…. I saw a little bit of how he drove, how the Honda was going, and it was very interesting.”
PROBLEMS AT THE END OF THE RACE – The Italian GP gave him pole position, the podium, the circuit record. A godsend in a period of deep crisis in the Yamaha box. “It was a great weekend, a special podium. Saturday was a great emotion, with pole, then a great race. Being on the podium at Mugello always makes the difference, a great moment “ he admitted on Radio Dee-Jay, "There are a lot of people, the atmosphere is fantastic, lots of fans and, as always, great joy". The next meeting will be in Catalonia, where during a recent test Yamaha found solutions in terms of balance, but most of the problems came to light at the end of the race. “We improved a little bit, but in the race, especially in the second half of the race, we are not fast. I am second in the championship but we are still missing something, but we are working,” added Valentino Rossi. “This weekend there is nothing, next Sunday we go to Barcelona, another legendary weekend, another beautiful track, two of the most beautiful races of the year back to back and we'll see how it goes. Then there is Holland, Germany and finally a little break”. It is at this point that the Japanese technicians will have to prove that they are able to make the necessary modifications to the ECU and find the much vaunted grip at the rear which hurts like a thorn in the heel of 'Achille.
