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(Motorsport-Total.com) – MotoGP icon Valentino Rossi will start the race at the Catalan Grand Prix in Barcelona from third place on the grid. For the first time this season, Rossi took the front row of the grid in Q2. In Barcelona, the Yamaha rider is not only fast on one lap. Running speed is convincing too. Rossi posted decent lap times in all practice sessions.
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Valentino Rossi is one of the favorites in Barcelona Focus
“It was a good Saturday,” Rossi said happily. “It has been going well since Friday. The bike was competitive from the beginning. It gave me a good feeling. Today we were able to work well. I liked the changes I made. I was able to improve my lines and my riding style.”
“In the FT4 I was also fast on the used tires. It is very important to start from the front row. The first corner is a long way off. We have to give everything from the start and try to have a good race,” explains number 46.
Valentino Rossi does not think about the championship
The World Cup hides Rossi for the moment. The Italian wants to attack fully in the race: “I am not lagging behind in points, but I lost some points due to Misano’s error. I am in ninth position. That means I have a lot of drivers ahead of me. We have to do it tomorrow.” make the most of it and try our best. “
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Valentino Rossi tends towards the soft front tire, but still not sure about the rear Focus
“It’s difficult to plan something in the World Cup when you are ninth in the World Cup. You have to give it your all and score as many points as possible,” Rossi said. It is unclear which tires he will choose for the race. “I was fast on the soft tire in the afternoon. But Franco (Morbidelli), Fabio (Quartararo) and Maverick (Viñales) are also very fast,” he analyzes.
“They were able to do more laps in a row. It depends on how many laps you have driven on one tire. But our race pace is very similar at the moment,” assumes Rossi. The final decision must be made after the warm-up on Sunday morning.
Final tire selection after Sunday’s warm-up
“Tomorrow we still have the warm-up. We will make comparisons. We also have to wait and see what happens tonight in terms of weather. The weather forecast is not particularly good. I hope it stays dry because the field was outside during the day.” Better every day “, this is how he evaluates the grip conditions.
“The choice of tires will be decisive. The soft tire is always better at the beginning, but then you suffer at the end of the race. With the medium tire you have less grip, but it is more stable at the end. It will be a difficult choice”, Rossi reflects .
“At the front, the soft tire is better than the medium tire, even if it becomes difficult for 24 laps. But the soft tire has more grip. The choice is completely open at the rear wheel. The soft tire is an option, but the medium tire. The tire is not bad either, “says Rossi, adding:” The difference is not that big.
