It was a Rossi in ambush but also cautious who finished his first day in Malaysia. Fifth in the dry in the morning, he concluded the wet afternoon in thirteenth position with the certainty that racing in the rain on the new surface of the Sepang track would not be an easy task.
The Yamahas have started their Malaysian Grand Prix timidly. A Red fifth to more than four tenths of one Márquez leader and sick and behind two Ducatis, a Lorenzo who is just saving his lead in a top 10 missed by the two other M1 satellites of the Tech3 team, there is nothing to brag about too much under the awning of the three tuning forks.
In conclusion, the Doctor diagnoses that if the weather were to really get involved, it would have to choose sides. Sun or a good rinse. But not between two: “ we were able to ride in both conditions today, dry and wet. In the morning, however, there were still traces of humidity. Where we suffered the most was in the mixed conditions. So I hope it's completely dry or soggy ».
« The new route has a lot to do with it. The new surface is good and there are fewer bumps. But it also dries more slowly and is very dark so that it is difficult to identify areas of remaining moisture. It's hard to assess the situation, whether it's dry, wet or somewhere in between. This morning the rain stopped at around 07:30 and during our FP1 around 10:00 it was still wet. And after 45 minutes, it wasn't completely dry ».
« In other words, despite the high temperatures, the track cannot dry in three hours. But it should rain every day. It's difficult to know if we can attack or not. This morning, I had a good pace in the dry and I was not bad in the afternoon with the rain. But mixed conditions do not suit us ". The proof with Lorenzo, only sixteenth in the afternoon.
