Rossi happy with improved Michelin tyres
Tyres and electronics have significantly improved over the past three days
VALENTINO Rossi has completed the Sepang test in second overall, just behind his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, as he states the Michelin tyres have improved as well as the YZR-M1 electronics.
The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team had an incredible start to their 2016 season as both Lorenzo and Rossi posted competitive times at the Sepang test.
Rossi got through a variety of parts and objectives including comparing the 2015 and 2016 models of his Yamaha M1, but ‘The Doctor’ is still undecided over which version of the bike to run - something he and the team will decide at the Phillip Island test in two weeks.
Aside from trying two major variations on the bike Rossi also tested the winglets, but found no major difference. Rossi was able to improve his best time to a 2:00.556, 0.976s off team-mate Lorenzo’s best time.
Rossi had initially been worried that Yamaha may be a step behind their competition as the manufacturer did little testing during 2015 as both their riders fought for the MotoGP title.
‘I‘m happy about the test and about today because, first of all, we did a good job and tried a lot of different stuff that gave some good information on how to improve the bike,’ Rossi commented after the three-day test in Sepang.
‘I also set a 2:00.5s, I think we can work on it and do better, but I‘m in second place so that‘s not so bad, it was a good test. We still have to work a lot, the question mark that remains is if we go with the bike that’s more like the 2015 or the 2016 model.
‘We will try them another time in Phillip Island, because the new one was not so bad at the end. I think all the engineers did a good job with the electronics and Michelin did a good job with the front tyres. We tried other tyres that also improved more, so I feel good about the first test.
‘I tried the winglets, they are very interesting, they change the airflow, but I don‘t feel a difference. I prefer the bike without the wings, it‘s more beautiful!’
The next test takes place at Phillip Island in two weeks’ time.
