Home
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Valentino Rossi’s Team Manager Davide Brivio says the initial signs are good for the MotoGP World Champion after his early 2009 potential was assessed at Sepang.
Last week’s test visit to Sepang was a good start to the year for Valentino Rossi as he seeks to defend his MotoGP title in 2009, having become premier class World Champion for the sixth time last season.
Having been rushed to hospital in Italy shortly before flying to Malaysia for the first MotoGP test of the year, following a domestic accident which saw him cut his left hand and foot when he fell on a glass table, Rossi registered top three times on all three days at the Kuala Lumpur circuit.
Indeed, despite the discomfort caused by his domestic mishap, Rossi’s best time on the final day was just 0.094s behind pace man Casey Stoner, which was good news for Fiat Yamaha Team Manager Davide Brivio as he assessed the package provided by Yamaha and Bridgestone at this early stage of the year.
“We are quite satisfied,” stated Brivio. “Valentino was fast despite his small injuries so for the moment everything is going ok. He is not 100% but he was riding well, not doing too many laps but doing good quality laps, with some precise targets to test parts and set-up. We are on schedule so far but it’s just the first test so it is quite early to say anything. We are very prudent but we are smiling for the moment.”
Further reviewing the work undertaken over the three days, Brivio also commented, “It looks like we have made a good start with the new bike. We have found quite a good setting and now we are trying some different things to improve. We have to try to find a good base because we might not have so much time on Friday and Saturdays this year, so we have to adjust as much as possible now to the new Bridgestone tyres.”
Full results from the final day in Sepang can be found here.
Valentino Rossi’s Team Manager Davide Brivio says the initial signs are good for the MotoGP World Champion after his early 2009 potential was assessed at Sepang.
Last week’s test visit to Sepang was a good start to the year for Valentino Rossi as he seeks to defend his MotoGP title in 2009, having become premier class World Champion for the sixth time last season.
Having been rushed to hospital in Italy shortly before flying to Malaysia for the first MotoGP test of the year, following a domestic accident which saw him cut his left hand and foot when he fell on a glass table, Rossi registered top three times on all three days at the Kuala Lumpur circuit.
Indeed, despite the discomfort caused by his domestic mishap, Rossi’s best time on the final day was just 0.094s behind pace man Casey Stoner, which was good news for Fiat Yamaha Team Manager Davide Brivio as he assessed the package provided by Yamaha and Bridgestone at this early stage of the year.
“We are quite satisfied,” stated Brivio. “Valentino was fast despite his small injuries so for the moment everything is going ok. He is not 100% but he was riding well, not doing too many laps but doing good quality laps, with some precise targets to test parts and set-up. We are on schedule so far but it’s just the first test so it is quite early to say anything. We are very prudent but we are smiling for the moment.”
Further reviewing the work undertaken over the three days, Brivio also commented, “It looks like we have made a good start with the new bike. We have found quite a good setting and now we are trying some different things to improve. We have to try to find a good base because we might not have so much time on Friday and Saturdays this year, so we have to adjust as much as possible now to the new Bridgestone tyres.”
Full results from the final day in Sepang can be found here.
