Analysis – Spanish GP – Rossi (5th): “It’s like working on the tip of the iceberg …” –

Posted on by admin

Spanish GP – Rossi (5th): "It’s like working on the tip of the iceberg …"

Analysis - Spanish GP - Rossi (5th): & quot; It's like working on the tip of the iceberg ... & quot; -

The seasons follow one another and are alas alas for the official Yamaha clan, which encountered the same grip concerns as last year during the Spanish GP this weekend…. Valentino Rossi finished fifth and Maverick Viñales seventh, well helped by the falls that occurred far ahead of them at the head of the race … Debriefing.

Valentino Rossi, Yamaha-Movistar (10th in qualifying and 5th in race) : "Finishing fifth with my pace this weekend is not so bad. I was also lucky because three guys in front of me fell (four actually including Crutchlow who preceded the Italian before his crash , Editor’s note). We gave the maximum, but unfortunately it is all our potential now "…

  • Spanish GP :
  • Spanish GP :
  • Spanish GP :
  • MNC file : 

“I was much faster than last year, but it’s not enough to fight for the podium. If we want to try to get to the podium and win, we have to speed up our development process. that it will soon be the case "…

Site analysis: Last year, after a successful start to the season in which Maverick Viñales won two of the first three races while Valentino Rossi lined up three successive podiums, the return to Europe brutally cut the legs off Yamaha officials….

Analysis - Spanish GP - Rossi (5th): & quot; It's like working on the tip of the iceberg ... & quot; -

The fourth Grand Prix 2017 organized in Jerez (Spain) had indeed turned to berezina: Viñales had finished sixth at 24.5 sec behind the winner, while Rossi rallied 10th position at 38.7 sec. This was the starting point of the insoluble traction problems that will plague the factory Yamaha as soon as the asphalt is hot and / or slippery….

One year later, same circuit, same drivers … and same difficulties! Rossi and Viñales once again "skated" in Jerez, lacking grip under acceleration. The Italian, never able to reach the outposts, finished 5th at 8.7 sec while the Spaniard finished 7th at 13.5 sec. And again, the two officials took advantage of the and error of Cal Cruthlow, 4th before his fall !

"We have improved, but the others have improved more!"

"I’m not saying that after a year we are at the same point with the same problems", tempers the Doctor, held in check by the Ducati satellite of Danilo Petrucci (4th). "We have improved … but the others have improved more! As a result, we are still there, settling for a fifth place – which could have been an eighth. That is our current situation".

Analysis - Spanish GP - Rossi (5th): & quot; It's like working on the tip of the iceberg ... & quot; -

"Tomorrow (today, Editor’s note), we will test new mechanical parts in Jerez, but it’s like working on the tip of the iceberg: below, there is a lot of work to be done", considers Valentino Rossi who keeps asking Yamaha to hire an electronic engineer from Magnetti-Marelli. In vain, until now…

However, the n ° 46 and his teammate are convinced of it: the M1 is fishing at the level of its electronic management, not fine enough compared to that of Honda and Ducati. "The bike does not accelerate, so that does not mean that the electronics do not work", assures Viñales who went through the draft to qualify for 11th place.

Analysis - Spanish GP - Rossi (5th): & quot; It's like working on the tip of the iceberg ... & quot; -

For the two teammates, the salvation lies in the recruitment of a specialist from the Italian brand, which provides the unique box for all MotoGP. This approach was followed in particular by the HRC, which hired a Magnetti-Marelli engineer recruited by Ducati to develop the unique software on the Honda..

The process took a long time – about a season – before managing to channel the ardor of the Japanese V4 through the right encoding lines. But the result is there: the RC213V has once again become the category scarecrow in the hands of Marc Marquez! Yamaha must follow this path according to its official riders, who mostly seem to get lost on multiple tracks…

Remember that a certain Johann Zarco regularly sticks a suitcase with a previous Yamaha: the French pilot a private M1 equipped with an improved 2016 chassis and engine (+ 500 rpm) and 2018 aerodynamics. Rossi and Viñales have the choice between all the specifications and their 4-cylinder has even more extension. !

Analysis - Spanish GP - Rossi (5th): & quot; It's like working on the tip of the iceberg ... & quot; -

The Tech3 rider thus crossed the finish line in second position, 5.241 sec from the winner, with a 3.5 sec lead over Rossi and 8.3 sec over Viñales! Jorge Lorenzo, former Yamaha rider, testifies: "one would think that Johann is riding another bike than the official ones"! Or maybe he’s piloting it some other way? Without asking too many questions, for example ?

Still, in the provisional classification, "Zarco-corico" occupies second place 12 points behind Marquez … and with 8 lengths ahead of "Mack" (3rd with 50 points) and 18 over the Doctor ( 6th at 40 points). At this rate, it is not excluded to consider that Johann finishes first Yamaha rider of the world championship with his private motorcycle: a shame for the future rider … KTM !

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *