Valentino Rossi is one of those who is happy to take the reins again this weekend for a unique Austrian Grand Prix. Refreshed by a summer break that he spent with his acolytes united under the VR46 label, he was able to take stock of his first part of the season to better plan for the second. Which will begin with a reunion with Austria, an event he experienced in 1997. He was then in 125cc and finished second in the Grand Prix…
But here we are in 2016 with this frustrating campaign made up of great performances but also marked by three abandonments. Overall, a third place in the championship with 59 points behind Márquez and 11 on his teammate Lorenzo. There is an urgent need to address these liabilities. Except that the Red Bull Ring is not the best for the Yamaha: “ it’s a special circuit, very fast with only ten turns” analyzes the Doctor. “The average speed is high and we often keep the throttle wide open. ».
« Now it's an interesting circuit and I really like the corners. Especially those on the hill, the sequence 5,6 and 7 and the last two curves too. Alas, there are not enough ! » A deficit which was revealed during the first tests in July and which positioned Vale in fifth place, one second behind Iannone's best time: " This is not our lead. We suffer in a straight line and there are quite a few. This is not ideal for our M1 ».
« Now the race is always a different story, but at the moment, on paper, the two official Ducatis are too strong for us. It will also be necessary to identify the potential of the Hondas. See if they are like us, better or worse ". Because the HRC was not preliminary tests at the end of July. And then there is also the question of safety on this unique route for motorcycles: “ the press is really good and it's not particularly dangerous. However, there are two or three points where it would be better not to fall. Because if that were the case, it would be a big problem... »
