Valentino Rossi to race on with new chassis

It may only offer a minimal gain in feeling on corner entry, but Valentino Rossi will continue to race a new Yamaha chassis he rode to a brilliant second place in Jerez last Sunday.

Rossi spent more time on the new YZR-M1 frame on his way to finishing third quickest in a one-day post race test session at the Jerez track in Spain.
The 35-year-old confirmed he will carry on racing the new spec chassis, and he’s hoping Yamaha can build up a second version to have both bikes fitted with it during the next race in Le Mans.

Rossi said: “I will continue with the new chassis because it is a small difference but I like it. I wait for the second one and maybe Yamaha can prepare as soon as possible. Maybe not for Le Mans but for Mugello.”

Asked by MCN when the nine-times world champion and struggling teammate Jorge Lorenzo could expect bigger upgrades from Yamaha, Rossi said he was hopeful more parts will be made available at a post race test after next month’s Catalunya round in Barcelona.

“Hopefully we will have something more for the Barcelona test but I can’t answer because I don’t know but we push a lot and we hope that by then they can bring something, “said Rossi, who was satisfied with the work he completed during the Jerez session.

With no in-season engine development allowed for Yamaha and Honda, performance gains are being sought elsewhere and Rossi added: “On paper it was not a very important test because we don’t have a lot of new stuff to try but at the end it is good and I am and satisfied and leave Jerez with a very good feeling.

We work a lot on the bike and we try to improve the acceleration with the electronics and we work on the time attack because I want to start in the first row. And all the things we did are positive. I’m happy about my pace and my lap time and I am third position and very close to Jorge. We have some small details around the bike to try and improve the chassis on corner entry and they are very small things but we can give a good direction to improve the bike during the season.”