Burgess unconcerned by Rossi times
Added on Wednesday, November 17th, 2010 by Carole Nash Editor
Burgess unconcerned by Rossi times
Jerry Burgess has claimed that nobody is hitting the panic button in the Ducati garage over Valentino Rossi’s disappointing testing times in Valencia.
Rossi experienced the Ducati for the first time last week in the traditional post-season test in Valencia, after moving from Yamaha, but failed to make a significant impression on the time sheets, finishing the two days with the eighth and 15th fastest times respectively.
But crew chief Burgess, who followed Rossi from Yamaha to the Ducati garage, insisted that his team have no concerns over Rossi, who was contending with new surrounds and an ongoing shoulder injury.
“There’s no reason to panic, despite Valentino’s unusual test results,” Burgess told Motosprint
“Everything was new for Valentino as it was for myself and my team.”
He admitted that there was a great deal of change to adjust to at Ducati, with a notoriously difficult bike.
“We’ve all found ourselves in contact with a bike very different from the Japanese ones, and therefore with a different work method,” he added.
“The Ducati reacts differently, so this is a time to be handled with calmness by us too, just to understand things.
“After years of Japanese bikes, and seven seasons at Yamaha, for Valentino to get on the Ducati was a sort of culture shock.
“This bike is a lot more physical, the way to make it turn with the required precision is certainly the thing we must focus on at the moment.”
He added: “Everyone likes to be at the top of the timesheets, after every test session, but I knew Valentino would get on the track to do a different job: he wanted to ride to understand the bike, not to do record laps.
“He kept himself within wide margins, he certainly didn’t ride as if it was a race weekend. For sure we’ve understood that to make the Ducati turn, you need a bigger effort than what Valentino was used to, physically too, and we didn’t expect that.”
Burgess also believes that Rossi was suffering particularly badly with his shoulder injury – which has since undergone surgery – at the test.
“No one has focused on one aspect: his shoulder,” said Burgess.
“Valentino has held on in order to finish the season, and two extra days have put strain on his already suffering shoulder.
“On the second day Valentino could barely do three or four laps in a row, and without ever pushing. This has influenced his test.”
