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MotoGP, Rossi: “I wasn’t challenging myself by staying on the track with the slicks”

“I didn’t decided to take risks. When you’re on the bike, you just try to do what you think is best for the result. It’s always an instinctive decision. With two laps to go, I saw P3 on the board. I got scared. I stiffened and went wide.”

MotoGP: Rossi: “I wasn’t challenging myself by staying on the track with the slicks”

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The Austrian Grand Prix was kind of crazy. It rained a bit on the starting grid, but the race started out dry, until it poured six laps from the end, which divided the riders into two categories: those who couldn’t afford to take risks, since they were fighting for the championship, and those who had nothing to lose due to a possible slip, which can always happen when riding with slicks on wet asphalt.
 

And then there was also a representative of a category all its own on the track: Valentino Rossi. A rider who, despite having nothing to prove, preferred to stay inside with the “madmen” until, at some point from the pit wall, he read “P3”.

Ending up on the podium would have been great,” Valentino Rossi teased, after finishing the Grand Prix in eighth place. He continued: “I was riding well when, with two laps to go, I saw P3 on the board. So, at the first upcoming corner, I got scared, I stiffened, and went wide. Then those with the rain tires arrived and overtook us. It was a very flustering finish.

And exciting.

Yes, exactly. It was very exciting, An amazing ride. The point when I changed between the slicks and rain tires was during the last three corners. At that point, I decided not to stop because there were five laps left. And, up to three laps from the end, I'd also be on the podium, in third place. Anyway a last place is good for me and for the team, which is going through a difficult moment.

Why did you decide to continue with the slicks, despite the rain. Isn’t it dangerous?

Normally, we don’t continue with slicks, but the rain started progressively and, at the beginning, there were problems only at turns three and six, the rest was dry, and we were able to keep the tires and brakes warm. But, in the last and second to last, it was very easy to make mistakes. However, not stopping was the right decision.”

Why is that?

In these situations, it’s difficult to have a perfect rule. A situation of this kind would be perfect: If everyone ha slicks and it starts raining, the race stops, and the rankings are given on the first lap. This is the safest thing. But now the rule is different. In this situation, I prefer to keep the slicks rather than return, or make another start. It would be more dangerous. But I wasn’t challenging myself. It’s not that I decided to take risks. When you’re on the bike, you just try to do what you think is best for the result. It’s always an instinctive decision but, with six laps, you lose a minute, and it wasn’t pouring.

You then battled it out with Luca, your brother.

It was a great moment with Luca. I knew we were going to battle it out here at the Red Bull Ring, because we had the same pace, and I also battled it out some with Lecuona. Honestly, we had a great time.The problem is that I’m the same age as the two of them put together! Anyway, we had fun and, in the end, Luca beat me. He slowed me down. We’ll meet again at Silverstone.

What else can you say about your decision to stay out?

When they saw that I wasn’t coming back, those who followed me imitated me. They have to thank me!” He laughed.

At the end, you also got the tribute of the circuit and the KTM.

It was exciting. The helicopter, the banner with KTM’s thank you… Today was a good day. It’s the first time we’ve had spectators. A normal situation, with many fans with yellow shirts and caps. It helped me and also the team because the team received some bad news. And the first part of the season was bad, in Barcelona, in Portugal, in Assen, with falls. That’s not me. Getting beaten is fine, but I can’t knock myself out to be thirteenth!  I felt better on the bike here. I definitely won’t win the world championship, but finishing in the top ten in the last few races would be a bit different. We have to do it until the end… some top ten and get some points. Round down the podiums to two hundred? Look, I haven’t given up yet. I’m training and trying to keep focused. When I get on the bike, it doesn’t seem to me that I’ve decided to retire at the end of the season, but that I have more years to go. I’ll try till the end.

Is there some news from your VR46 team in the MotoGP?

I don’t know my team’s situation very well. We’ll know more next week. The team is already organized, but you have to talk to someone else for the details.”

 

Translated by Leila Myftija
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