Before launching his Thai Grand Prix, Valentino Rossi surprised everyone by announcing a major reorganization in his box. Its chief mechanic, who until then had been defended against Yamaha by the Doctor, was identified as leaving for the Japanese brand's European test team. Instead, David Muñoz, who works for the Sky VR46 Moto2 team, will arrive. A waltz of the chief mechanics that Ramon Forcada knows well since he danced it last year, moving from the Yamaha factory structure to the Petronas satellite, under pressure from Maverick Viñales. What does he think of Valentino Rossi's decisions on the same theme? Here is his opinion…
The Yamaha environment is known to a Ramón Forcada who worked for nine seasons with a Jorge Lorenzo who built his career on the M1. Next to it, there was a Valentino Rossi which he therefore observed closely. Now at Petronas alongside Franco Morbidelli, he has his opinion on the Doctor's latest decisions regarding the holder of a position he knows well: that of chief engineer.
« I think Valentino is looking for motivation » he told Motogp.com. “ Technically, I think David is very good. For me what he is looking for is motivation. I think that's what he was already looking for when he replaced Jeremy Burgess with Silvano Galbusera... I don't know if he will retire next year or not, but the change is not due to technical issues. »
This would therefore be an initiative by Vale to give a boost to its environment, so that it returns to the top. But Forked warns: “ it will be difficult to win a race in the dry, with the young people there and their speed. I think winning under normal conditions will be difficult for him. We need to see if the change in motivation is really happening and if it will be enough. »
It remains that for Forked, what the now quadra does is already an achievement in itself: “ I spoke to Mick Doohan in Australia. He said he didn't understand where he could find the motivation. He stopped for that, not because he wasn't faster. Rossi hasn't won a championship in ten years, but he's still number one, he's history and he continues to fight with boys who could be his children. »
