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A one-year contract, but with the theoretical possibility of continuing until 2022. On Thursday, on the eve of the Catalunya GP, Valentino Rossi had already explained the main points of the agreement with the Petronas-Yamaha team, an agreement made official today. Now, Rossi can go into more detail.
“I am very happy and proud of this agreement, because I want to continue competing. This is sadly a strange season – my intention was to understand if he was still competitive, but we had to decide first. I spoke with Jarvis, Yamaha and Petronas and we reached this agreement: I want to thank everyone, because I will have a full-blown factory bike at my disposal. Not much will change from now on. In a normal situation, I would have asked Yamaha to wait until the Italian GP in Mugello, because 2019 was difficult, I did not feel comfortable with the bike and at my age it is correct to ask questions, especially when you are so many years apart from everyone others. But I felt that I was still competitive, I felt it in my heart: of course, not to win 10 races a year, as I used to do, but still fast, yes ”.
When did you realize that there was no longer a place for you in the official team?
“Around January, Lin called me and said she wanted to come to VR46. I thought: this is not good news … But already from Thailand I realized that something could change, because Viñales won some races and Quartararo proved to be very fast. But this is normal. “But I’d like to continue” I told Lin and asked him about the possibility of having an official M1. I tried to pressure him… He said yes and from that moment we started working on the contract, until the definition. I think that with Petronas it will be a good experience ”.
Who will you take with you?
“I fought to have my entire team with me, for me it has always been important, also because inside the garage I feel like home. But at this point in my career, not everything can be perfect: David Muñoz, Matteo Flamigni and Idalio Gavira will accompany me, while, unfortunately, there is no place for Alex and Brent ”.
What effect does running with Morbidelli have on you?
“When we started the adventure of the Academy, I never thought that I would compete with one of my boys, I would have said it was impossible. Instead, I will be with Franco, who is a very good driver. I think it will be a good experience ”.
There is talk of a VR46 team in MotoGP in 2022.
“If there is an opportunity to create a team, maybe we will try it, why not with Yamaha … We also discussed it with Lin, but it is too early: at the moment we are structured to do Moto3 and Moto2, but MotoGP is something else” .
Why did the official announcement only come today?
“I had already said in one of the first races, I don’t remember which one, that 99% would ride with Yamaha in the Petronas team. From that moment on, for me it was no longer a problem, we were in no rush. There were three parties, us, Yamaha and Petronas, to agree, it is not that simple ”.
Can you win with a satellite team?
“When I made my debut at the 500, I was with the Nastro Azzurro team, a full-fledged satellite team like the Petronas team can be now. In 2001 I won the world championship: I am the only one who has achieved it with an unofficial team. We hope this is a good omen… I know the Petronas team very well, I know Wilco Zeelmberg, Ramon Forcada, Roger (the logistician who has been working at Honda for many years): it’s a bit like being at home.
What is the secret of this eternal youth?
“It’s true that many riders quit long before my age, but I think we can continue even at 41 years old. I think it all comes from my dad, from Grazia: he got me on the bike very early, it was a pleasure for him to let me compete. I think it all depends on passion: ours is a good life, but it is also difficult, you have to handle a lot of pressure, train every day more and more. It’s a complicated life: when you get on the track you have to be happy ”.
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