MotoGP Aragon: Valentino Rossi, “It will be an open world championship until Valencia”

MotoGP 2015 Movistar Yamaha Gp Aragon Race – Valentino Rossi finished the Aragon Grand Prix in third position. A podium that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth, given that the Yamaha rider from Pesaro was beaten by Dani Pedrosa after a very heated duel. With Lorenzo's victory, the points advantage over the Majorcan is reduced to 14 from 23 in the pre-race, with four races remaining until the end of the season.

Valentino, tell us about this race that saw you battle for second place with a surprising Pedrosa

“I kind of expected it, because this year he's stronger in hand-to-hand combat. Even in Indianapolis it was hard to beat him and this year his team is pushing to make him be more "bad". I immediately understood when he overtook me that today would be tough, also because our pace was very similar. I tried, I played all my cards, but today he was better, I could have done better, but I can't think of anything else I could have tried. There's a bit of a bitter taste left in the mouth when you lose these matches, but especially for the championship, given that I lost 4 points. In the end I still enjoyed it, it was the best race of my career here in Aragon, one of the tracks I suffer the most. This is a positive thing heading into the season finale.”

Have you thought about passing him first to try to put a gap between you and him?

“I tried to stay in front, but I couldn't do it, then there was Iannone behind who couldn't break away, so I would have liked to pass him and try to get away, but it wasn't possible. I was hoping that Dani would drop a bit, also given Marquez's crash, but instead he was very consistent."

By overtaking him with five laps to go, didn't you alarm him a little?

“It was difficult to overtake him so I decided to try first. He immediately overtook me and then we battled until the last lap. He passed me again on the braking section of the right-hand bend, where among other things I have bad memories, because last year I lay down to avoid catching him. There he had something more and in the end I tried the S, but I knew it was a last-ditch attempt."

Honda gave Lorenzo a hand today, Marquez crashed and Pedrosa finished in front of you

“It depends on your point of view, because if Lorenzo had won with Marquez second or third I would have lost even more points. The sure thing is that now he is almost mathematically out of the fight for the title."

Four races left, you have 14 points, how do you see the final sprint?

“There are four races left and it will be very difficult, because Lorenzo is driving like crazy, he is perfect, very fast and there are only 14 points. However, they are tracks that I like and by working well with the team we can be competitive. This is certainly a very balanced and very tight world championship. Then I have an open account with Valencia where in 2006 I lost a championship that I probably deserved and which Hayden won instead. In the end he won and that's what counts."

Phillip Island and Sepang are your tracks, what can change mentally?

“These are tracks where Lorenzo is also strong, especially Motegi where he won. The additional factor will be that they are tracks that I like more than Aragon.”

Photos: Alex Farinelli