Rossi downplays Mugello chances
Added on Friday, September 4th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
Rossi downplays Mugello chances
Valentino Rossi was playing down his chances ahead of this weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix in Misano, predicting a struggle with teammate Jorge Lorenzo and claiming that he would be happy podium finish.
In the pre-race press conference, Rossi appeared to lack the confidence and upbeat attitude usually expected from the eight time world champion, claiming that both Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa were the ones to beat this weekend.
The Italian also hinted that his focus was already on races beyond Misano, despite the prospect of riding before a partisan home crowd.
“I think it will be very, very, very difficult to try to stay in front of Jorge, and it’s already a good target to try to stay in front of Dani because his acceleration, the Honda and his riding style will be good,” Rossi said. “So we’ll start by looking at the podium because we have to take some important points, and then we’ll look towards the other races.”
And despite living close to the Misano circuit and winning there last year, Rossi revealed that he did not hold much admiration for the venue, claiming that it did not suit his riding style.
“Mugello is the Italian Grand Prix and I love the track and it’s a track that is good for my style,” he said. “Here I’m closer to Tavullia, to my house, but the track is not fantastic.
“I think it will be a difficult weekend, like last year. In the end I was able to win, but Casey [Stoner] crashed when he was in front of me and Lorenzo with the Michelins that were slower than the Bridgestones finished very close to me, so I think it will be very difficult this weekend.”
While he is less than confident about his chances this weekend, Rossi did reveal that he now felt more comfortable about his fall in the Indianapolis Grand Prix, having been able to analyse the accident – which had initially left him puzzled.
“Usually I understand better why I crash,” he said. “Indianapolis was very strange, but it was a mistake in the first corner. I went to brake off the line, and there was more dirt and in particular the bump was bigger. I fell on the brakes, and I lost the front.”
