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MotoGP, Rossi: race? difficult to predict

"We put in a few kilometres with the Michelin rain tyres, the balance would change, but not drastically"

Rossi: race? difficult to predict

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He missed out on first place by just 4 thousandths of a second, but that won’t get Valentino Rossi down at Assen. On this beloved track, he started out a bit stealthily in the morning, coming back in the afternoon. The only thing in his way was Iannone, not a concrete threat because in any case he will have to start from the back of the grid.

“It’s true. In the first session I struggled and had a few problems – the Doctor confirms – but for the second session we changed the bike’s balance and took a step.”

Are you already satisfied?
There is still work to do, because on this track you need a good balance in the fast corners. In the last part of the session I put on the soft tyre, because we are all worried about the weather tomorrow, and the M1 worked very well.

What is the pace situation?
With the hard tyre everything is a bit more difficult, but I’m able to maintain a fairly good and consistent pace. However, there are 4 or 5 riders who are fast and some are faster than I am. We still need to find a few tenths to have a little more peace of mind.

Who are your rivals?
Marquez and Iannone are the ones who, along with me, have the best pace, but Andrea will start from last place. It is still early to make predictions, but I feel competitive enough.

Do the forecasts for rain worry you?
At Assen it’s always a gamble. I prefer racing in the dry. We haven’t ridden many kilometres up to now with the Michelin rain tyres, so I’m not sure how competitive I could be. I’m sure the balance would change, although not radically.”

Couldn’t a wet race work in your favour to recover points in the championship?
Only if you manage to put other riders between yourself and Marquez and Lorenzo (he laughs). I have 22 points to make up. The important thing is to be fast and we’ll draw up the sums at the end.

Have you decided on the tyres?
On the front, most likely the medium, but on the rear I’d say the hard solution, although the choices are still open. It will depend on the weather. If it doesn’t rain the circuit could rubberise and at that point the soft could also be an option.

In the Barcelona tests you had tried a new frame. Which one are you using?
I made a comparison today and I chose the standard one because it gives me a better feeling on the front. The new frame is better in a few respects, but it is not as stable.

In this beginning stage of the season, how important is Cadalora’s help?
At the beginning I didn’t know how much he would have helped me. It was something new for me. Luca seemed like the right person and I wanted to try it out. He has a lot of experience. His advice on trajectories is useful for me and he is also able to compare notes with Galbusera and Flamigni.

Translated by Jonathan Blosser
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