MotoGP – D-1: Rossi gives his impressions … –

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D-1: Rossi gives his impressions…

MotoGP - D-1: Rossi gives his impressions ... -

Valentino Rossi will take the handlebars of the Yamaha M1 for the first time, tomorrow at Sepang, for three days of testing within his new team. Interview on the eve of the big day.

How do you apprehend your first turns of the wheel on the Yamaha M1? ?
Valentino Rossi: It’s been a long time since I’ve ridden a motorcycle (over two months) and everything is completely new, so it’s almost like a restart from scratch. I’m going to need a day just to get used to driving again, reassessing speed and braking. And the bike will be very different from what I was used to.

What is the point of bringing members of your former team to Yamaha? ?
Valentino Rossi: this is a huge advantage, because it takes time to understand the changes we might need to make, work on the settings and find out everything about the new machine. My team knows me very well because we have worked together for years and now we are the best team in the world !

Your head mechanic, Jerry Burgess, said you could win the championship this year. What do you think ?
Valentino Rossi: it’s not clear to me because I haven’t ridden the bike yet. Winning the championship in the first year will be difficult. It takes time for us to become competitive and win races. Our goal is to be at the top level by mid-season and then try to win a few races..

Who will be your main opponent this year ?
Valentino Rossi: compared to last year, it will be Biaggi, Gibernau and Hayden. Capirossi will also be very fast on the Ducati.

What is your goal for your first day of testing tomorrow ?
Valentino Rossi: the goal of these three days is to understand the bike and to provide as much information as possible to the engineers on all the problems that we might encounter.

What do you think of the Yamaha M1, after racing against it for two seasons ?
Valentino Rossi: in 2002 the Yamaha was more or less on par with the Honda. Better in some ways, worse in others. But during the winter of 2002 and early 2003 Honda made great strides and Yamaha did not seem able to keep up with such an improvement..

You like the Sepang circuit for the race, but for the tests? Will it give you a good overview of the Yamaha M1??
Valentino Rossi: it is one of the best circuits in the world because it offers all types of curves, from tight hairpin to long, fast corners. It is very wide, with a good coating, it is one of the best layouts for testing.

What made you sign with Yamaha rather than with other manufacturers? ?
Valentino Rossi: first, because Yamaha is the second best factory in MotoGP today. And then because when I spoke to them, I had a very good feeling.

What level of competition do you think you reached for the first race in Welkom, in April ?
Valentino Rossi: it depends on how the testing program is going to unfold, and how quickly the changes can be made. After that, we’ll see. What is certain is that there will be no victory, but we hope to be not too far behind.

If you don’t win a single race with the M1 this year, will that prove that technology has become more important than the driver? ?
Valentino Rossi: Yes.

Eddie Lawson was the last driver to change manufacturer in the premier class. What were your motivations ?
Valentino Rossi: there was nothing to prove, the motivation to ride for Honda was simply gone. We won three world championships in a row, we won on my favorite circuits, we won on the circuits I like the least, we won in all conditions. What remained for me to do ?

What do your Italian fans think of your arrival at Yamaha? ?
Valentino Rossi: they are confident.

Would you rather underestimate yourself to be able to surprise with a victory ?
Valentino Rossi: I don’t mind being the favorite, I have been the favorite in the past and I had problems if I didn’t win a Grand Prize. If I finished second, it was because I had driven poorly or made mistakes, but that wasn’t always the case. Finishing second or third in MotoGP at this level, it’s possible and it’s normal.

Do you still regret the 500 cc 2-stroke ?
Valentino Rossi: Yes always.

Why ?
Valentino Rossi: driving a 500 was a lot more fun. But today’s motorcycles are very good now, with such power !

How do you feel about tomorrow ?
Valentino Rossi: I am very excited, really! I waited for this moment for two months. Tomorrow is not a job, I’m really, really excited !

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