Yamaha ‘deflated’ after Valentino Rossi injury blow

Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis has admitted the mood in Valentino Rossi’s factory camp was deflated after the Italian broke his right leg in Mugello last weekend.

Rossi will miss at least the next five races after he broke his shinbone during practice for his home race last Saturday. 

The injury ended Rossi’s hopes of engaging in a thrilling 2010 title fight with Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis told MCN: “It is sad to see Valentino in pain with a big injury and the first time for him to be seriously injured in 14 years. It is never good to see any rider injured let alone when it is your rider and the current world champion.   

“The team are really sad and upset and also we are a little confused and deflated because until this moment the championship looked as if it was turning out to be between our two riders and that has now changed.

“Valentino will be out for a while, so it means the competition between our two riders is deleted and it puts us in a more traditional fight, us versus the others. 

“Fortunately we have Jorge with us, and the strategy of having two big guns, we are now seeing the benefits of that strategy in this very unfortunate circumstance.”

Yamaha is now conducting internal discussions on a potential replacement for the 31-year-old. It seems unlikely that Rossi’s YZR-M1 will be raced in the Silverstone and Assen clashes, but Yamaha is contractually obliged to run Rossi’s bike from the Catalunya round onwards.

“At the moment we are not thinking to immediately replace him. By contract after two completely missed races we are obliged to replace him, so that means Catalunya. We are starting to think about that but the decision will be made when we’ve had time to reflect,” added Jarvis.