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MotoGP, Rossi: M1 in difficulty? Iannone and Vinales impressive

"All the bikes pffer similar performance, what counts is the work in the garage and the riders' condition. I'll use the new frame, not the swing-arm"

Rossi: M1 in difficulty? Iannone and Vinales impressive

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One eye on the sky, one on the bike and both on the timesheets. The first day at Silverstone saw the top riders close behind the so-called outsiders, with Iannone, Vinales and Crutchlow ahead of Lorenzo, Marquez and Rossi. Valentino is lying 6th, chasing his closest rivals in the championship but more than 8 tenths from Andrea who's showing great form.

“It's been a difficult day for everyone - comments the Doctor - Temperatures were low and the track was dirty, but we were lucky because we had two totally dry sessions. That was useful as we had to test the new frame and swing-arm”.

Did you like them?
I like the frame, and so am feeling the same about it as I did at Brno, sensation is better going into the corners and while braking and it's also OK over potholes. There are not huge differences but there are differences. But I have more doubts about the swing-arm, it should improve stability in acceleration but I couldn't feel much difference”.

Will you continue to use them?
The frame yes, but not the swing-arm. We'll decide this evening, because it's important to have two identical bikes already tomorrow".

It looks like there's something of a gap…
Today I wasn't so fast, I'm at the levels of Lorenzo and Marquez but Iannone and Vinales are quicker”.

Are Suzuki and Ducati now at the level of Honda and Yamaha?
It's only Friday, but in the afternoon particularly Andrea and Maverick were impressive, also with the hard tyre. I think the riders made more difference than the bike, they're on form while their team-mates are a way off”.

Has the Yamaha lost some of its advantage?
With the new electronics, compared to last year, Honda seems to be having more trouble, while Ducati and Suzuki have made a step forward. Now all the bikes offer similar performance, so the work done over the weekend and the rider's condition are what makes the difference. The M1 isn't going badly, but there are tracks where it is better and other where it's worse”.

Does Silverstone fall into the latter category?
Both Lorenzo and I are struggling a little, though we're not far from the fastest guys. This year Jorge is also suffering in points where he's normally very strong”.

Would he be at a further disadvantage if it were to rain tomorrow…
This year he's not been going well in the wet, but if it's dry on Sunday he'll be able to recover quickly. This is a long, wide track, with many places where you can pass”.

How are you fixed in terms of the tyres?
At the rear there are difficulties with both: the soft is easier to manage but really drops off, the hard offers better durability but less grip. And the situation is more or less the same for the front too”.

Translated by Heather Watson
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