MotoGP, Rossi: Misano is the most important race of the championship

We cannot pretend that Misano is just a race like any other, not for Valentino Rossi, who will be racing just a shout from home and who knows that the circuit will be overflowing with the colour yellow this weekend. “This is the first track where I saw a Grand Prix motorcycle race. It was 1992. Everything was different, but it was something unforgettable”, he recalls.

More than twenty years later, the Doctor would like to put on a great show for his fans. And he makes no bones about it: “Here the race is the most important of the championship. I need to think only about finishing at the front. Last year I did not make it to the podium to celebrate with my fans.”

Are you ready for battle?
“I can’t wait to begin. It will be a special weekend and attendance is expected to be higher than last year, so we will need to give a little something extra. Compared to Silverstone everything will be different, both in terms of track layout and the weather.”

Misano is the centre of motorcycling passion…
“There are many riders who were born or grew up in this area and lately they are increasing. There are also those who move here to train. There are many structures and an atmosphere of great passion.”

And it is a circuit that favours you and the Yamaha…
“I like it and I am coming from a good moment. It will be very important to get off on the right foot, because last year I struggled. The sunny weather will help me because I have a lot of things to test and it has been since Assen that we haven’t had a completely dry weekend.”

Finishing ahead of Marquez is also important for the overall standings…
“Fifty points are a lot to make up in six races and Marc is not only fast, but he does not make mistakes.”

Who will be the guys to beat?
“Here I think that Marquez and Lorenzo will be back. Then we’ll have to see how competitive Suzuki will be and Viñales is always fast: I see those three as the main rivals. Ducati also did well recently in a test here, but at Silverstone the two Andreas had some problems. In any case, they could be fast.”

With 7 different winners in the last races, this season is quite peculiar…
“It would have been more fun if I had won them all (he laughs). But I understand that from the fans’ perspective it is more entertaining like this. On one hand the weather and on the other the electronics and tyres have given us so many different winners.”