Rossi: Lack of top speed caused me to fade at Phillip Island
Valentino Rossi said Yamaha's straightline speed deficit cost him a lot during MotoGP's Australian Grand Prix and was a big reason for why he finished only eighth.
Rossi had taken the lead at the start of what was his 400th grand prix appearance, but could only keep first place for three laps before he was overtaken by Cal Crutchlow and several others in quick succession.
The 40-year-old was part of the group fighting for fourth, which became third after Maverick Vinales's last-lap crash, but he was only able to salvage eighth.
While Rossi said that this race was better than Motegi, where he struggled before crashing out, he was severely hindered because "every lap I lost one position in the straight".
"Was a great start, very good way to celebrate my 400th grand prix, to stay a little bit in front," said Rossi. "At the end, for sure, the result is not fantastic but I was not so far from [Jack] Miller, who arrived on the podium.
"I was able to ride in a better way, I was more competitive compared to the last weekend. Anyway, we need more, we need to be stronger.
"The problem is, every lap I lost one position in the straight. We are a big group but if I am not able to resist, or re-overtake during the lap, in the next lap the guy behind overtook me another time because I was for sure slowest in the straight of all the group.
"Unfortunately in some places I was not strong enough every lap to recover. At the end I tried to ride smooth and not lose because I had other bikes behind."
Rossi added that having rear grip problems has been the "theme of the second half of the season" and that he is yet to find a solution to it.
"Here we found a good balance of the bike and in braking and inserting corners I was very well placed with the front," he added.
"But we lacked a bit of grip at the rear, which is the theme of the second half of the season, which for the moment we can't solve. We have to think about this and we have to try to improve".
Additional reporting by Oriol Puigdemont
Previous article
Crutchlow: 2018 Phillip Island crash "haunted me for a year"
Next article
Zarco's KTM woes made Honda debut sweeter
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Event | Australian GP |
| Sub-event | Race |
| Drivers | Valentino Rossi |
| Teams | Yamaha Factory Racing |
| Author | David Gruz |
Why the most significant Le Mans MotoGP performance wasn't Miller's
Hot on the heels of his first MotoGP win in five years, Jack Miller made it two from two with a commanding French Grand Prix victory at Le Mans despite two long-lap penalties. Impressive though it was, it was an expectation-defying performance from an anticipated title rival that was the real standout.
The impossible problem Honda faces with its 2021 MotoGP bike
Honda hasn’t enjoyed an easy start to the 2021 MotoGP campaign, despite gains last season which looked to have carried over into the pre-season. Now admitting it does have issues in serious need of resolving, it faces an almost impossible task in doing so.
How Jerez underlined MotoGP's speed problem
The brutal nature of a series of crashes at Jerez has reopened the debate about whether current MotoGP speeds are beyond the safety limits of the tracks. But even if riders are supportive of the move, getting the manufacturers to find a consensus on how speed reductions should be achieved may be altogether harder
How a Crutchlow helped Miller to Jerez MotoGP redemption
Jack Miller’s tough start to life as a factory Ducati MotoGP rider left him mentally battered and bruised, but a pep talk and positive reinforcement from a surprising source aided the Australian to show his full potential with victory at the Spanish Grand Prix
What does Marc Marquez have to do to get back to his best?
Following his resounding MotoGP return with a seventh place finish in Portugal, Marc Marquez now must work to rediscover his best form before turning his attention towards results-based targets
How Yamaha's rookie-spec MotoGP star is taking charge
Fabio Quartararo is on a roll in 2021 after storming to victory at a venue five months earlier served up one of his worst races. Contrasting Portuguese GPs for Yamaha's factory duo make it hard to understand just how good its 2021 MotoGP bike is, but the Portimao weekend did at least expose one key improvement compared to 2020
The hurdles Marquez faces next in his Portugal MotoGP return
Even by Marc Marquez’s own high standards, his MotoGP comeback on Friday at the Portuguese Grand Prix will be considered a success even if he didn’t top the times. But having shown competitive pace on his first day back, both Marquez and his rivals know plenty more challenges are to come...
Where does Espargaro sit ahead of Marquez's return?
Pol Espargaro’s first results as a Honda MotoGP rider may not appear special. But dig a little deeper and a clearer picture of his performance emerges. And, as Lewis Duncan writes, it’s cause for celebration at Honda with the return of Marc Marquez set to provide Espargaro with the reference he has been missing so far this year
