MotoGP: Valentino Rossi "Here in Barcelona I would like the podium, but I see it as tough for the world championship"

Valentino Rossi was a guest together with Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa, Marc Marquez, Cal Crutchlow and Aleix Espargarò of the Pre-GP press conference of the Catalunya Grand Prix, sixth stage of the 2013 world championship. The rider from Pesaro spoke about what he expects from this race and returned to Mugello, his home race which ended after just five hundred meters due to a contact with Alvaro Bautista.

“This one in Barcelona is one of my favorite races, I like the track very much and the atmosphere is wonderful. There are the Spaniards who are going strong and it will be tough, but the goal is to get on the podium. I have to improve and obviously finishing like 2009 (overtaking Lorenzo at the last corner) would be wonderful, but fighting with him would already be a good sign, it would mean being there to compete. For now he's still going too fast in the first laps, I can't be as fast as him. First of all he manages to be faster in qualifying with the new tyre, he manages to improve a lot by driving in a way I would say "impressive“; even looking at the data you can see that it's really going strong and that's what I'm missing.

Unfortunately today in races the first laps are very important and in that case Lorenzo and Pedrosa and sometimes Marquez manage to do two or three tenths better than me. Unfortunately, starting from behind I can't catch up. Then when the tires slip I go as fast as them and the race pace isn't bad. Unfortunately, however, the races have changed a lot compared to the past and it becomes essential to start in the top five."

Rossi then spoke about Mugello, a race that ended at the third corner of the first lap

“From a certain point of view I came away from Mugello quite happy, that success in the race can happen, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I could have had a good race and fought for the podium. After a disappointment like that, however, we must also look at the positive sides. I was strong all weekend, even if I'm still missing a bit and we have to work on this with the team.

It was then pointed out to him that Marquez said that another title for Rossi would be a miracle

“We must be realistic, winning the world championship is really difficult, there are three riders and also Crutchlow who are going strong. However, I remain confident, I have been using a bike for two years with which I wasn't able to go fast and it wasn't easy to get back on the Yamaha and go fast straight away. I still have a little room for improvement, though winning the world championship will be tough. "

Here is what the Spanish and the British declared instead

“I'm celebrating 200 GPs and there are a lot of them... It's surprising but it seems like it started yesterday – said Dani Pedrosa – Racing here gives me extra motivation, then my fans will be there to support me for a GP that promises to be very hot from all points of view view."

“This is a special GP for me, I have lived here for many years and it is a track that suits Yamaha (it has always been on the podium since 2009). The minimum goal is the podium, but I aim to win.” – added Jorge Lorenzo

“After the crashes at Mugello I can say that I'm almost 100% and I'm ready for this home GP – said Marc Marquez – It's the first time I've raced here in MotoGP and it won't be easy. They return to Mugello, it's true that we crashed, but we were in second place and so I remain confident."

“My season started well and even though I never got higher than fifth place here we have to be optimistic – concluded Cal Crutchlow – The podium at Mugello came in a lucky way, but I was there and therefore I'm confident for this race too. ”

Photos: Alex Farinelli