Rossi: Situation for race is quite desperate

With nothing to lose in qualifying Valentino Rossi tried a new setting in the 15 minute session. The modification was to try and help the bike deal with the higher than expected temperatures that have caused a lot of issues for riders this weekend. The Honda’s of Cal Crutchlow and Marc Marquez, Suzuki’s Maverick Vinales and Rossi have all said that they have struggled with the front tyres overheating.

Rossi tried to find a solution but it ended up not being  a solution and the Italian came back to the pits and used his second bike on his final stint of the day. Coming into turn eight he lost the front and crashed. It was a slow speed spill that did little damage to the bike and given his grid penalty for tomorrow it has little affect on his chances in the race.

“The day started well because this morning in FP3 it was a very good practice,” said Rossi. “I was quite fast, quite competitive. I was also happy about the setting of the bike. In the afternoon we tried some small modifications. It was not so bad because in the end I was fourth but I suffered more than I expect because with ore temperature I have more problems with the tyres.

“For qualifying, because we didn’t have pressure to make a lap time, we tried another modification but unfortunately it didn’t work. After that we decideed for the second tyre to go back to the normal setting and was a good lap because after section two I was fast, but then I did a mistake and crash.

“But anyway this doesn’t change anything for tomorrow because anyway I have to start from last. For sure we hoped that Jorge don’t do the pole position and the Honda are strong, but Jorge was faster. Anyway for us it is impossible to understand what will happen in the race, in the front, we have just to concentrate on us and try to improve the setting. Somebody say that tomorrow can be a little bit cooler, that is a bit better, but we have tomorrow morning to try to understand if we can do some modification to improve the pace. And after we see and we try the maximum.”

Rossi admitted that with his grid penalty the situation for the race is “quite desperate” but that there is hope for the race given the speed of the Honda riders.

“It looks like Jorge is very fast, but also the two Hondas are very fast. They have a good pace. So I think that they will fight for the victory. But after I don’t know what will happen. Iannone is the fourth guy with the pace but in the qualifying he struggle a bit and he has to start in the third row.

“For me, for the fourth place we are a minimum seven-eight bikes to fight and everybody have the pace is quite good. To try to recover I have to make a good start, that will be very important and after try not to lose too much time in the first laps. After it is 30 laps so we have to see what happens and especially how my pace will be.”