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SBK, Melandri says it all has to be redone: "I'm back at the starting point"

Yamaha's old problems are back at Misano: "I expected more, I don't feel the tires working, and I'm not confident."

SBK: Melandri says it all has to be redone: "I'm back at the starting point"

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A sixth place, more than 40 seconds from the winner, Rea, is not a result that satisfies Melandri. Just two weeks ago in Spain he seemed to have found the right direction on his Yamaha, but Misano was a cold shower, in every sense.

If we want to see the glass half-full at all costs, we could observe that his was the second best R1 at the finish line. "I was the best among the Italians. It was a great race! Slow and steady wins the race," joked Marco, trying to downplay a situation he had not foreseen.

What kind of race did you have?
"The track conditions weren't the simplest, but I definitely expected more in wet conditions."

What happened instead?
"I had the same difficulties that I found in dry conditions. I've had these problems since the beginning of the year and only in Jerez did I manage not to have them."

Can you be more specific?
"I have no confidence because I don't feel like the tires work, and so I can't get the Yamaha to do what I want. I expect the bike to lean in a certain way but it doesn't. This messes everything up."

How is such a change possible in such a short time?
"Jerez is a circuit where the asphalt has a lot of grip, and this helps you feel the bike. Misano, on the other hand, is the track with less grip of the season for now, and the sensations have been the opposite."

Do you have to redo it all?
"I was convinced of having taken a big step forward. I thought I was close to the best. Instead, I'm back at the starting point."

Do you need to revolutionize?
"I don't think I need a huge change, but that change will help me become familiar with the bike."

What do you expect from tomorrow's races?
"I'll start by clinging to the Safety Car (ed. Melandri will have 6 penalty positions on the grid for the incident with Davies in Jerez). It would be important to finish the Superpole Race in the first 9, but I need a great start and a good pace. I'll try. I have to move a step forward."

Audio recorded by Riccardo Guglielmetti

Translated by Leila Myftija

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