MotoGP – Sepang Test Day 3 – Rossi: "Happy with the engine"

Beaten in the direct comparison with qualifying tires by his two brand mates (but with different tyres) Jorge Lorenzo and Colin Edwards, but Valentino Rossi doesn't worry about it. Indeed, he leaves Sepang satisfied, with excellent sensations regarding the Yamaha innovations (pneumatic valve engine and electronics) and on the race pace, where he was one of the fastest and potentially already fighting for the victory. For the seven-time world champion, however, problems arise with the qualifying Bridgestones, with which he does not yet have a good feeling and is unable to exploit them properly. For this reason we will have to work starting from the next tests again in Sepang on February 5th, with the aim of improving the 2'01"425 recorded today...

“I can say that the balance of these three days is positive, also because we were able to work on different areas of the bike”, says Valentino Rossi. “Talking about the engine with the pneumatic valves, I immediately felt comfortable. It's going better, you can see it in the top speed, but above all it seems to have achieved good reliability. On the electronics there have been improvements in braking and acceleration and now the bike is more manageable. On the Bridgestones... good on the pace, they are constant, less so on the single lap. We have to work with the tires for some time because I can't give my best, we have to find the best set-up to be able to take advantage of the qualifying tyres. In short, I can consider myself satisfied, especially with the race pace and the Yamaha innovations.".