Valentino Rossi relieved after Valencia crash

MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi admitted he was lucky to get away with just a small crash when he tumbled out during this afternoon’s second practice session in Valencia.

On a weather-hit opening day, the 29-year-old Italian lost the rear end of his Fiat Yamaha YZR-M1 at the last corner in this afternoon’s second session. Although earlier torrential rain had abated, the track was still treacherously slippery and Rossi was one of several crashes, including Toni Elias, Sylvain Guintoli and former world champion Casey Stoner.

Rossi, who will ride Yamaha’s 2009 prototype YZR-M1 in testing on Monday, said: “I was lucky because I didn’t high-side after the rear tyre didn’t grip again. For sure if the rear tyre grips again then I have a big danger of the high-side.

“We made some modifications to the setting of the bike and although I wasn’t faster in that corner than before and I wasn’t carrying too much lean angle, I lost the rear though I was lucky not to have a high-side.

“I made a mistake and I had a slide without any problem. Until that point I was very fast so we have good potential even though we have to fix the rear grip of the bike. I think it is possible to make it better and I also hope it is dry. Today was a difficult day because this track is quite bad when it’s wet and cold like this – the asphalt really doesn’t give enough grip.

“This morning I went out just when it started to get really heavy and so I wasn’t able to do any good laps, but this afternoon was better. In fact I felt good and I was quite fast with the Bridgestone wet tyres, so I think we have good potential if the conditions are like this again.

“Unfortunately I had a small crash at the last corner when I made a mistake and lost the rear, but I wasn’t hurt at all and I was able to go back out with a slightly harder tyre and continue to work.”