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Valentino Rossi has no plans to retire, but he will not make the official announcement of his move to the Petronas team during these two race weekends at Misano. Not because he's having a rethink, but because some details (i.e.: how many men on his team he can take with him) still need to be sorted.
"It is not true that I will retire - he clarified at the press conference - The situation is exactly the same as two or three weeks ago, next year I will race with Petronas 99% even if the signature is not yet there. We are taking time because I am not in a hurry and we need to sort out the final details. Maybe we can make the announcement in Barcelona. "
So the news of his retirement turned out to be a hoax…
“I think my retirement must be great news, certainly on the internet many fans will click to read it, I think that's why it was written. But I have said so many times that I will continue, I don't know if the person who wrote it really wants me to stop" he smiled.
Then he moved on to talk about Jorge Lorenzo, who on paper is Yamaha's test rider but who has disappeared for months now. Why?
"I would like to ask Yamaha the same question - said the Doctor - I was very happy when I knew that Jorge would be our test rider, because he was one of the best M1 riders in history. It could help us a lot, just see what Pedrosa has managed to do with KTM in one year. Sometimes things happen in Yamaha that are difficult to explain, they should believe more in their programs. So tomorrow we will have to start from scratch with the new asphalt, while the other teams have already done part of the work in the tests ”.
Lorenzo might has disappeared, but Dovizioso would be available…
"I would definitely like Andrea, I would sign now to have him as a test rider - assured Valentino - But I hope he will find a bike to race, he is still young".
Now, however, it's time to think about himself, because 9 races in 11 weeks are awaiting Rossi and the other MotoGP riders…
"We will be very busy, but we will always be in Europe and we will be able to go home for a few days, we will not have to face long journeys - he said - We will have to be careful and also be a little lucky, but in the end nothing much will change. Racing at Misano is always special for me, it is the track I grew up on and also for the first time this year there will be some fans, it's a small step but in the right direction. I have come from two difficult races in Austria, but on paper we should be more competitive. We have to be able to fight for the podium ”.
Also because the championship is more open than ever…
“I'm only 25 points away from Quartararo, but I'm 7th in the standings – he reflected - I have a couple of riders in front and behind a few points away, with these numbers everything is possible. Of course I will try, but what scares me is that we haven’t been fast enough, especially in Austria. I hope things improve on other tracks; we'll see tomorrow if we can fight for the podium at Misano. I think this championship will still have a lot of surprises in store for us and will remain open until the last race. "
This weekend Italy will be the centre of motorsports, with Formula 1 making a stop at Mugello…
"I am very jealous, because we will not go there this year - commented the Doctor - For me it is one of the best tracks in the world, both for motorbikes and for cars. I tested the Ferrari twice there, also in the wet. Maybe the track is a bit narrow for F1, but I'm sure the drivers will have a lot of fun. "
