2018 Italian GP – Rossi (3rd): "With the hard tire at the front, everything becomes more complicated"
Valentino Rossi, author of a record pole position at Mugello, fought until the last lap of the 2018 Italian Grand Prix to be on the podium in front of "his" audience. This third place combined with the difficulties of Viñales and Zarco allow him to move up to second place in the provisional, 23 points behind Marquez who fell! Debriefing.
Valentino Rossi, Yamaha-Movistar (1st in qualifying and 3rd in race): "I think we worked really well. My pole position yesterday was really decisive for this podium. However I knew that in the race we were going to suffer because we had to use the hard tire up front and in this case, everything becomes more complicated … But in the end, I still managed to forge a small lead! "
"At one point I was a little desperate and I told myself that this podium was perhaps going to escape me … Deep inside me, I had a little hope because my opponents had opted for soft tires. the end, it was not easy against Andrea Iannone. He beat me this year in Austin and Jerez… So, I was like "not this time, I made so much effort to arrive on the podium, I can’t let go now! "
"This podium here at Mugello is priceless. It’s an incredible feeling to be facing this yellow tide on the podium. I would like to thank them all. This is my third podium of the season and I am going back second in the championship, which is to say that I’m happy. However, I want to fight for the victory: so we have to improve the bike. On one lap we are now good, but over the duration of a race it is not is not that yet "…
- MNC of June 3, 2018 :
- MNC of 2 June 2018 :
- MotoGP Italian GP 2018 :
- MNC special file :
Site analysis: Valentino Rossi once again made use of his long experience to overcome opponents determined to climb on the podium of the 2018 Italian GP. Starting with his compatriot Andrea Iannone, formidably consistent at the end of the race, just like his youngster teammate Alex Rins !
But the nine-time world champion – the first driver in history to reach 5,000 points in the premier class – managed to thwart all attacks to cross the finish line behind the official Ducatis of Lorenzo and Dovizioso and ahead of the official Suzuki of Iannone. and Rins. A real sandwich, in which the Yamaha is an isolated ingredient !
Because the fact is that the M1s suffered again at Mugello, a worrying finding on this circuit where the Yamaha are usually at ease … Rossi – 3rd at 6.629 sec – is indeed the first representative of the Iwata coat of arms. , far ahead of Maverick Viñales (8th at 11.060 sec) and Johann Zarco (10th at 17.644 sec).
In other words: without Valentino Rossi, Yamaha had no rider in the Top 5 yesterday in Italy. Recall that the last victory of the Japanese manufacturer is also to the credit of its more old experienced driver: it was at, or already 15 unsuccessful races … And at this stage, nothing gives hope for a rapid reversal of this trend.
"I hope that Yamaha can solve these problems, that they receive the message and get to work!", Annoys Viñales, recalling that the crest of Iwata debauched him from Suzuki by promising him "a motorcycle to win, not to finish 7th and fight with Ducati satellites " !
Yamaha skates in semolina !
These problems, what are they? The lack of grip at the rear to begin with, this recurring problem that appeared in 2017 and which continues race after race despite major developments and the return to chassis solutions in 2016, during the Lorenzo era.
This faulty traction is, according to Rossi and Viñales, to be attributed to an electronics set back from the Ducati and Honda. Johann Zarco, until now spared on his M1 satellite, in turn found himself confronted with this problem this weekend: the French could do nothing to eradicate it and suffered a motorcycle throughout the race. deemed "unstable".
"If the rider does not have control of this traction at the rear, he can hardly control anything", specifies the n ° 5 who finished the race by forcing on his motorcycle, which exhausted him. "A race to forget", laments the Tech3 driver who descends to 5th place overall.
Another problem directly linked to this concern for grip: the Yamaha M1 is quite slow in the straights – all things considered! – because its pilots do not manage to put all its power on the ground. Rossi thus remained "stuck" at 345.2 km / h while the Ducati of Dovizioso which preceded him climbed to 356.5 km / h (+11.3 km / h!)…
Even if Viñales and Zarco are doing a little better with 350.8 and 347.3 km / h respectively, the gap remains very large. And the Ducatis are not the only ones to disengage the Yamaha: the Honda of Crutchlow (349.8 km / h), the Suzuki of Iannone (350.0 km / h) and the yet recent KTM of Smith (349.5 km / h) and Espargaro (347.7 km / h) all achieved higher speeds than Zarco and Rossi !
However, all this distance lost to the engine going up the 1,141 m of the Mugello pit straight must be compensated for under braking and in curves, which implies more stress on the front. This is one of the reasons why Rossi started out with a hard tire, while being aware of the limits of this choice..
Rossi in favor of Lorenzo’s return to Yamaha
The possible return of Jorge Lorenzo to the Yamaha clan in 2019 – on a private M1 – will it help the crest of Iwata find the path to success? Rossi thinks so, although he admits it would be "complicated because Lorenzo is going very, very fast".
- MNC Live –
- MNC of June 3, 2018 :
"Jorge is capable of piloting the M1 wonderfully," admits the Doctor sportingly, who is intelligent enough to measure the benefits to be derived from it. Even if it means suffering from the comparison if by chance Jorge Lorenzo would prove to be faster than him on the Yamaha: "we are already in this scenario this year with Johann", recalls the n ° 46 who has passed the age of s ’embarrassing pretenses !
Because at 39 years old, Valentino Rossi knows that time is against him, every year a little more: his dates back to … 2008! Ten years already without success to share with this famous "yellow tide" which covers the Tuscan hills during the GP of Italy. Neither his audience nor he will wait another ten years !
Fans of the Doctor can nevertheless be consoled with his provisional position: Rossi climbs back to 2nd place 23 lengths behind Marc Marquez, less than a race away. The consistency of the Italian hit the mark again, as well as his pugnacity: despite his difficulties, the n ° 46 did not give up an inch of ground in front of his home crowd. In this, the weight of the years is not felt … and that’s good !
MotoGP Italian Grand Prix retrospectives
- Italian GP 2018 :
- Italian GP 2017 :
- 2016 Italian GP : Two engine breakers for Yamaha…
- Italian GP 2015 :
- 2014 Italian GP :
- Italian GP 2013 :
- Italian GP 2012 :
- 2011 Italian GP :
- Italian GP 2010 :
- Italian GP 2009 :
- 2008 Italian GP :
- Italian GP 2007 :
- 2006 Italian GP :
- 2005 Italian GP :
- Italian GP 2004 :
- 2003 Italian GP :
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