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The Yamaha press conference concluded the eve of the Buriram tests, which will begin on Friday morning at 9:30 local time. Around the paddock, rumour had it that the meeting with the Asian dealers would have been a good chance to announce Valentino Rossi’s contract extension with Yamaha. In the end, expectations were disappointed, since no news was forthcoming from the directly involved party. In fact, the Doctor talked about the Thai track instead: “Here in Buriram it will be like starting from scratch – he commented – We’ll have to see how the bike behaves and some other things, such as the asphalt.”
In short, the nine-time world champion prefers to be cautious, although the new M1 has brought a smile back to his face: “After the test in Sepang, I am rather optimistic about the bike – number 46 revealed – In Malaysia I was able to be fast and competitive, plus I found the right confidence. I think these are important aspects when preparing for a season.”
Listening from his left was Johann Zarco, with whom there was also time for an exchange. The MotoGP rookie was greeted by applause from all in attendance: “You want to know what the secret of my 2017 season was? Being fast on the bike and having fun” commented the Frenchman who then focused on the peculiarities of the track: “It is a very interesting track – the Tech3 rider said – Last year we had a good base with the M1, whereas now we need to work on various components like the electronics and the chassis architecture.”
In addition to Rossi and Zarco, Viñales also chimed in: “I was able to explore the track with the scooter and on foot. I must say that it is very nice.” After the Malaysian test, the Spaniard is oozing a certain confidence: “It is still too early to judge, but I am happy – the Yamaha rider said – In the upcoming championship season I’ll need to show that I am fast and consistent, well aware that I will have a lot of work to do.”
