Shoulder surgery still a certainty for Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi has insisted he will still undergo surgery on his damaged right shoulder despite a stunning revival in the MotoGP world championship.

Rossi feared he might not finish his final season for Yamaha after he slumped to a disappointing and distant sixth place at the Motorland Aragon last month.

The constant pain in his right shoulder was driving Rossi to distraction and he was becoming increasingly frustrated at not being competitive in MotoGP.

But he has made a brilliant return to form in the last two races, his revival triggered by an unexpected third place after a titanic tussle with Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo at the Twin Ring Motegi in Japan.

Japan was a race Rossi feared he might not even start because of the hard braking nature of the circuit.

Boosted by that podium, Rossi then produced the performance of the season on Sunday in Sepang when he came from 11th to win only his second race of an injury ravaged 2010 season.

His sudden return to prominence led to suggestions that the 31-year-old may no longer undergo surgery to repair the serious tendon damage he suffered in a motocross training accident in April.

But the 31-year-old said he was absolutely certain he would have an operation in November.

He said: “When you have the adrenaline to fight for the victory in Sepang or fight like in Motegi the pain in my shoulder goes down. But if I don’t have the surgery the shoulder will remain a problem for me mentally and physically.

“Maybe I can resist in some tracks but in other tracks I will have a problem.  For next year I want to be at 100 per cent and I will do the surgery. I have to fix the problem because like this you never know what is going to happen.”

For exclusive comments from Rossi after his magnificent Malaysia win, see tomorrow’s MCN (October 13).