Qatar GP – Rossi (3rd): "A good way to start the season"

Valentino Rossi takes a splendid third position to start his 23rd motorcycle Grand Prix season (!) At the 2018 Qatar GP. The Doctor, the first Yamaha rider to arrive, was in the front row to attend the duel between Dovizioso and Marquez, who precede it under the checkered flag. Debriefing.

Valentino Rossi, Yamaha-Movistar (8th in qualifying and 3rd in race):  "I started from the third row, but from the first laps I was able to gain quite a few positions. Last year, I did not particularly expect to be on the podium, whereas this time I knew that I was I had the capacity. However, the top ten drivers were racing in quite similar times. So I had to wait to see if it was enough to aim for a podium ".

• Qatar GP :
• Qatar GP :
• Qata GPr: 

“At one point I made a small mistake against Johann. I didn’t especially want to overtake him, but the suction phenomenon made it harder to brake and in the end we both pulled wide. Marc and Andrea are then passed. I tried to fight in front of them, knowing there were all those wolves behind! "

"I absolutely didn’t want to let Andrea and Marc slip away, especially since I knew I had the rhythm. Without this mistake, I probably could have fought with them, but I don’t know if I would have. I was able to win though. Anyway, I’m happy to have been able to stay until the end with Andrea and Marc who were the strongest this Sunday. It’s a good way to start the season! "

• Qatar GP –
• Qatar GP –
• Qatar GP :

Site analysis : Valentino Rossi celebrates with a podium his precocious two-year contract renewal with Yamaha, like a snub to sorrowful spirits who doubt his ability to stay on top at the start of his 23rd Grand Prix season. Recall that the Italian star will be 41 years and nine months at the end of his final (?) Season in 2020 !

• MNC of March 15, 2018 : 

"I think back to Troy Bayliss and Michael Schumacher who quit their careers, then who reconsidered their decision after a while because they lacked the competition (Ed.). I don’t want to find myself in this scenario, to stop running to finally realize that I could have continued one or two more seasons ", the Doctor justifies himself by assuring that his motivation is intact.

And the least we can say is that Rossi did not miss the inaugural meeting of the 2018 season! Despite this, he immediately went to the forefront when the lights went out before joining Johann Zarco at the head of the race. Fast and fluid on his Yamaha, the n ° 46 easily followed the young Frenchman, even to the point of imagining himself trying his luck for victory….

Alas, a small error in braking on the Tech3 driver will shower his hopes of success, with the added bonus of an immediate loss of two positions behind Marquez and Dovizioso! The level very close to the leaders of this GP of Qatar did not allow any gap: remember that the first five on the grid stood in four tiny tenths during the !

Behind, the competition was pushing just as hard: as Rossi points out with humor, a veritable "pack of wolves" snapped their jaws in its exhausts! But, like an old fox, the n ° 46 kept them at bay to get his … 192nd (!!) podium in the premier category and his 228th all categories combined … Hats off, the artist !

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