Valentino Rossi talks ahead of his 200th MotoGP

Valentino Rossi has spoken of his thoughts ahead of his 200th MotoGP race, eight years after taking his first 500cc Grand Prix win at the Leicestershire circuit.

Rossi spoke of his love for the race meeting, and also his thoughts on the nature of the 2.5-mile circuit.

Rossi said: “I like the circuit a lot – I have a lot of great memories here.

“I had my first 500cc victory in a battle with Jeremy McWilliams and I also remember one year a problem with a yellow flag.

“Last year was a difficult GP. Finishing fourth and not on the podium was disappointing as the podium here is very emotional because a there’s lot of people.”

When asked what he liked about the track itself, the seven-time World Champion said: “For me, the first part of the circuit is one of the best.

“It is very fast and technical with long corners.

“The last part is hard-braking and not as much fun but good for overtakes.”

One of the big talking points of recent weeks in the MotoGP paddock is Rossi’s commitment to MotoGP and Yamaha for the future, and Rossi passed further comment on the situation today.

Rossi added: “We’re very close. We’ve talked about small things and we’re close to signing.”

The current MotoGP championship leader also confirmed that the contract would be for two years and not three.