English
Italiano
More than two weeks later, the ghost of Assen has still not completely left the mind of Valentino, who atoned in his own way. Petrucci had suggested going to the seaside for a few days, but “I preferred staying home to chastise myself. I walked down my 'Via Crucis'”, he jokes, but not entirely.
Do you still feel the disappointment?
“When it is this bitter it takes a few days to recover, a couple are enough, although the awareness that you threw away a great chance is still there.”
You called yourself a dunce…
“It was a serious mistake because I had the potential to win even if I had gone a few tenths slower.”
How did you spend these two weeks?
“I trained and I stayed focused. This year has a bit of an unlucky calendar, with long breaks between races. It isn't easy to stay focused.”
And the Sachsenring is Marquez and Honda territory…
“Unfortunately there is bad weather. It is cold and the forecast does not look very good. Last year I had a good race, but in recent years Honda has been more competitive than Yamaha here. It is also a track that Marquez and Pedrosa like. Both of them are fast.”
But they say that the M1 is superior to the RC213V…
“I think that they are different bikes. They are better on winding tracks with less grip, whereas we are better on faster tracks with more grip. If you calculate the strengths and weaknesses, I think the final score is the same.”
Let's talk about this race. What kind of track is the Sachsenring?
“Different from all the others, not a very MotoGP-style track, with a winding first sector. However, the second sector is fast and interesting, with corners that must be interpreted.”
Will the tyres play an important role?
“This is a complicated circuit for tyres. Even with the Bridgestones we had problems, because there are a lot of turns, only 3 of which are right-handers, and that creates a danger.”
In fact, Michelin has decided to bring an asymmetrical front tyre…
“It is the same idea that Bridgestone had and having a dual compound here is fundamental. Turn 11, to the right, is very fast and one of the most dangerous of the season because you go into it with the tyre cold on that side. On paper, the asymmetrical can help.”
You always say that you are comfortable on the Michelin tyres. Why?
“In a certain sense I grew up as a rider with this tyres. Compared to the Bridgestones, that you just had to trust, you have a better idea of what is happening. I also really like an agile bike and the Michelins have a profile that enhances this characteristic. But the Bridgestones never abandoned you on the front.”
You talked about the weather earlier. If it rains?
“Everything could change. I have been fast in those conditions recently, but at Assen I made a mistake. I would prefer the dry.”
What is the secret to being fast in the wet?
“It's difficult to say. Not even the riders know (he laughs). It depends on various factors: the tyres, the bike, experience and the feeling you have at that moment make the difference. Take Miller, for example. He is usually aggressive on the dray, but in the wet he has a very fluid riding style.”
A ‘technical’ question: what do you think about the winglets being banned for next year?
“Very little will change. The bikes will wheelie a bit more and the electronics will be used more. That is the main point. Then there is the question of aesthetics and I prefer the bikes without them, but it is not a very important consideration.”
