MotoGP Sepang: Valentino Rossi “It was a difficult day, in the wet it was a disaster”

A difficult first day of testing in Malaysia for Valentino Rossi, who closed day 1 in Sepang with the sixth fastest time in the dry and the fifteenth fastest time in FP2, when the riders ran in the wet. The seven-time Top Class world champion had the biggest problems with the rain tires and given that rain is forecast for the race on Sunday, the Pesaro native is worried. The word is up to him.

“It was a difficult day. This morning, with the dry conditions, it wasn't so bad. My pace was already pretty good, but not good enough. I wasn't fast enough or strong enough to stay in front, also because I didn't have a good feeling with the bike, so we need to work.”

What were the sensations in the wet?

“It was a disaster in the wet. I couldn't ride the bike, I didn't feel like it was mine and so we have to work a lot, given that it could rain on Sunday. For the race we need to be ready for both conditions, dry and wet.”

What's missing from your bike?

“I have a bit of chattering and we wanted to save a tyre. I lack speed in corners, I need to find a better setting to go fast in corners."

Other Yamaha riders also had your problems, while Lorenzo went very fast, so there doesn't seem to be a Yamaha problem.

“Also Espargarò and Smith had similar problems to me, so if Lorenzo hadn't been there we could have talked about a crisis in this sense; but Jorge was very strong, so we have to improve.”

Iannone fell after a contact with Marquez and it seems that first he touched Pedrosa. Given what happened last Sunday at Phillip Island (Iannone hit Pedrosa in the race) do you think there could be a Honda "coalition" against him?

“I don't think so, I see it as difficult, maybe Pedrosa is a little angry about last Sunday, but these things happen.”