English
Italiano
Yamaha’s suspension of Vinales was the news of the day and in the Red Bull Ring paddock it is the only thing everyone is talking about. It is also logical that Valentino, who knows both that box and Maverick very well, was asked for his opinion on what happened.
“I'm very sad for both of them - said Rossi - Maverick is a friend and Yamaha my team, what happened is a shame for everyone, even for the championship. I hope they make peace, that they can sort things out. Vinales is a fast rider, capable of achieving good results ”.
Did you expect it to come to this point?
“It surprised me too, because in Yamaha we feel good, in the team they are all experts and good people. Furthermore, relations with Maverick were good, last year, after the arrival of Quartararo, they had to decide who to keep between me and him and they had bet on him. However, I am not the right person to say anything more, you would have to be inside the team to know what happened. I can only add that I’m very sorry about it ”.
Could having a strong teammate like Quartararo have influenced matters?
“For sure sharing the garage with Fabio would be difficult for everyone. We knew he was strong, but this year he took another step forward, bigger than what I expected. He is not only fast, he is always fast: he and his team have understood how to make the Yamaha go fast, then Quartararo puts some of his on the track. But also Maverick is very fast ”.
In certain situations, how important is it to have people around who support you?
“I went through very difficult times in the course of my career, 3 or 4 times I was really desperate, the results were not coming and I wanted to stop, stay at home. I told my entourage, Albi, Uccio, Carlo, my mom, but they told me that I couldn't do it, that I didn't understand it from the inside, but if I stopped things would only get worse, and even a lot. I have to thank them, because they were right, I realized it would go as they said. The people close to you are important”.
Yamaha said Vinales tried to break the engine, is that possible with a MotoGP bike?
“It works like a road bike, just don't shift gears and keep the throttle open. There is a rev limiter, but if you stay on it for a long time, it's not good for the engine. "
Let's move on to you, what effect did racing last Sunday have on you after announcing your retirement?
"I was also curious to understand if something would change in my mind, but I didn't feel any difference. In fact, I remembered saying that I would only stop 20 minutes after the race was over (laughs). When you are on the bike you are 100% concentrated, you have fun and you don't think about it ”.
What do you expect from this weekend?
“My goal is to improve my overall performance, starting from the start and trying to find more grip. It is not the best track for us, but we will work hard ”.
