SuperBike Magazine September 2020
Loads of content to keep any motorcycle enthusiast entertained!
Loads of content to keep any motorcycle enthusiast entertained!
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ROSSI’S WORDS ON<br />
THE CRASH!<br />
For those who watched the MotoGP and the crashes, here is Valenito’s comments.<br />
SPIELBERG - Yamaha’s Valentino<br />
Rossi has urged riders who make<br />
their way up to the premier class to<br />
exercise caution when fighting for<br />
track positions to avoid a repeat of<br />
the horror collision that halted the<br />
Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.<br />
The red flag came out early in the<br />
race when Franco Morbidelli’s Yamaha<br />
collided with the Avintia Ducati of<br />
Johann Zarco, with their cartwheeling<br />
bikes nearly taking out Rossi at<br />
turn three of the Red Bull Ring.<br />
The two bikes missed the 41-yearold<br />
and teammate Maverick Vinales<br />
by inches as they slowed down to<br />
negotiate the turn and Rossi looked<br />
visibly shaken when he returned to<br />
the garage before the race’s restart.<br />
“It was so scary, it was terrifying,”<br />
Rossi, a seven-times premier class<br />
champion, said. “For me, now everybody<br />
is very aggressive but also from<br />
the small classes.<br />
“I think it is good to be aggressive<br />
because everybody tries to do the<br />
maximum, but for me we don’t have<br />
to exaggerate, because we need to<br />
remember that this sport is very<br />
dangerous.<br />
“You need to respect the other<br />
riders that are on track with you. We<br />
can’t forget this sport is very dangerous,<br />
especially in a track where you<br />
have long straights and you’re always<br />
going 300km/h.”<br />
Rossi, who finished fifth, said he<br />
had spoken with Zarco who explained<br />
that he did not brake on purpose to<br />
catch Morbidelli off guard.<br />
“He went very wide in braking and<br />
he slammed the door in the face of<br />
Franco,” Rossi added. “With this bike<br />
when you ride 300km/hr, you have<br />
the slipstream, so Franco didn’t have<br />
any chance to brake.<br />
“I was with Maverick when we entered<br />
turn three and I felt something<br />
coming towards me. I thought it was<br />
the shadow of the helicopter because<br />
sometimes it crosses the race track.<br />
“But then Franco’s bike passed me<br />
at an incredible speed and also the<br />
bike of Zarco jumped over Maverick.<br />
We were very lucky, but we hope this<br />
type of incident is a lesson for riders<br />
to improve their behaviour in the<br />
future.”
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