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MotoGP, Rossi: You have to be competitive to continue, otherwise, you shouldn't.

The 9-time world champion confesses for the first time: "It's a luxury for a rider to decide to quit. They usually leave you stranded."

MotoGP: Rossi: You have to be competitive to continue, otherwise, you shouldn't.

Is he going to retire or not? At the end of 2020, of course. There is no need to add who we're talking about. It's Valentino Rossi, who gave the Gazzetta dello Sport a long interview today that should be read... between the lines.

For the first time, in fact, we heard the rider Pesaro very doubtful about his future.

"I'd like to have a bit more time. Unfortunately, today everything in the MotoGP is decided at the beginning of the year. I'll need some time to understand, like mid-season. I'll talk to Lin Jarvis and Yamaha to find out what they think."

What should we read in this sentence? In our opinion, the meaning is simple: as we wrote in recent days, Vale will probably make the decision before the Mugello Grand Prix. Which means he'll only have six Grand Prixs to understand if the Yamaha M1 2020 is what he needs to start winning again.

But Vale doesn't seem to be suffering too much because of this impending decision. What he said is right: "It's a great luxury for a rider to be able to decide to quit when he wants. They usually leave you stranded."

But if we were to bet on a possible yes/no, how much longer would we give to the contract between Rossi and Yamaha?

"My dad and mom want me to continue, but so do others," said the rider from Pesaro, who added: "But, come on, we have to be realistic. I'd like to, but we have to be more competitive than last year, otherwise, it's best if I don't. And that would still be alright."

 

Translated by Leila Myftija

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