The great Misano party has begun, but for now it is not having exactly idyllic contours for Valentino Rossi, who found himself 22nd at the end of the first day of testing of the Made in Italy and Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Which, however, does not seem to have surprised him that much, given that in FP2 the notorious mixed conditions occurred, with the track starting to dry up, which for years have been indigestible at Yamaha.
“In FP1 it was not bad. When it was completely wet I was quite fast and had a good feeling with the bike, so I was not too far from the top 10. Unfortunately, in the afternoon, when we found mixed conditions, we suffered a lot when the track began to dry out, because the bike became very difficult to ride. We can’t get the tires to work well, especially the rear one, so we don’t have a lot of grip and I couldn’t be too fast “, explained the” Doctor”.
Among other things, all the attention they are giving him this weekend, his last in Italy as a MotoGP rider, is making his job a little complicated. To the point that the Pesaro-born would have thought of an imaginative solution …
“It’s a bit difficult, because being a rider I should concentrate on my work on the track, but there are also many other things they ask me and I should do, which are important because they are my last races. I thought that my only chance would be a stunt double: I would concentrate on the bike and the performances, the other one I would send to all the parties in my place. They are mixed sensations then, but in the end it’s nice: let’s hope that Sunday will be sunny, because it will be nice to run in front of my audience for this greeting “.
The fear is that Valentino’s retirement could leave a great void, especially for Italian fans, so he was asked what his compatriots could do to try to “pierce” the hearts of fans.
“I have been so successful, because I work in the media and people like me. That is also important to make those who are not already obsessed with motorcycles, like the 80-year-old ladies, but also small children, become passionate about it. with the 80-year-old grandmothers and this is a great taste (laughs). But all this must also be supported with the results, because if you get behind on Sunday everything is more difficult. You have to find this mix “.
As a consequence of the too many fatal accidents seen this year in the training categories, today an age limit has been introduced that from 2023 will prevent access to the World Cup under the age of 18. A provision that the 9-time world champion shares, but up to a certain point, underlining that 18 years is perhaps a little too high a threshold.
“Especially for Moto3, the transition from 16 to 18 is a big change, because everyone wants to get to the World Championship as soon as possible. Two years is a long time and to reach 18 there will be many riders who will have to wait. Surely it will be better from then on. from a safety point of view, but I don’t know if it will solve all the problems, because it is more important that the riders behave well when they are on the track than their age. It is a rather big step, I myself started at 17 in the World Championship 26 years ago, so maybe 18 is a bit high “.
Staying on the subject of young people, he commented on the choice of his current team to focus as his replacement for next year on a rookie who will make the direct leap from Moto3 like Darryn Binder.
“Binder is someone who goes fast, who has done some good results, but the transition from Moto3 to MotoGP is very complicated, so it won’t be easy. But Yamaha from this point of view is a bike that may not be the most competitive. but it’s natural enough to ride, so it might help him. I’m curious to see how it goes, it will definitely be a good challenge for him. “
Finally, he confirmed that several members of his staff, such as telemetry operator Matteo Flamigni and technical chief David Munoz, will join the structure of the new Team VR46 in MotoGP next year.
“My team, David and Matteo, will work with us. One I think with my brother and the other with Bezzecchi if there are no complications. Furthermore, Idalio Gavira, who is my coach, will be the coach of both boys.”
Valentino Rossi, Petronas Yamaha SRT
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
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