MotoGP Kerez: 'No Risk' Rossi bags 200th Podium

Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi pushed hard to try and catch Marc Marquez and take second place in today’s Jerez MotoGP race but started to have front-tyre problems and decided it was too risky to catch the reigning world champion.

Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi pushed hard to try and catch Marc Marquez and take second place in today’s Jerez MotoGP race but started to have front-tyre problems and decided it was too risky to catch the reigning world champion.

Rossi ended the race in third place and collected his 200th Grand Prix podium but said that had he not got caught up behind Pol Espargaro in the early laps, it may have been a different story.

“I have one moment in the race where I think I can catch Marc because I was riding well, I had a good pace but it was a difficult weekend for us. We always try to improve but we have always to fight with some problem,” said Rossi, speaking at Jerez.

Rossi described the work he and his team did on Friday to try and find a setup which suited Bridgestones’s hard rear tyre as a a waste of time as he was forced to opt for the softer option the same as everyone else and that was a tyre on which Jorge Lorenzo was demonstrably faster.

“We never find the perfect setting. We try something different on Friday and we waste some time. On Saturday, we improve a lot but not enough. In the weekend, it is always difficult with tyres front and rear. I expect to race with the hard but it has not enough grip and with the soft I suffer more.”

“In the race, I know that Jorge have the better pace but I think I can stay with Marc. Unfortunately, I wasn’t strong enough in the first lap, I lose time stuck behind Pol. After, I push a lot but in the last laps I don’t feel very confident with the bike, I have to risk too much and I arrive to one second but I start to have some issue so it was too risky.

“Is another podium, I extend the leadership on Dovizioso but looks like this weekend Jorge is in the challenge of the championship so now we have to do the maximum to go faster.”

- See more at: http://www.bikesportnews.com/news/news-detail/motogp-jerez-no-risk-rossi-bags-200th-podium#sthash.H5qcM3cR.dpuf