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Rossi among the Reds, a predictable play on words in form but not in content. At the Red Bull Ring, where Ducati has set the pace since the tests, Valentino landed a kidney punch that let him squeeze in between the two Andreas.
“Naturally I am very happy - says the Doctor - Yesterday I had already done well, but this morning I was a bit worried because we made some changes that I didn’t like. In the afternoon, on the other hand, we were able to improve a lot, even between FP4 and qualifying. I was able to push and apply force in braking.”
The Ducatis seemed uncatchable up to yesterday …
“Getting so close was great and extremely important. Then we will have to see what happens tomorrow, because the two Andreas already have a slightly better pace. We will have to try not to let them get away at the front and then be careful of the riders starting from the second row.”
Surprised by the step forward?
“I think that the Ducatis managed to get to the top first and now we are managing to do the same.”
What do you expect for the race?
“The six fastest riders in the championship are in the top six positions and they are all in top form. We’re close.”
What will make the difference?
“The start and the first two corners. Everyone will be very charged up. In theory, the Ducatis have a shot at getting away, but all that is on paper and then in the race things can change. Even if they were to manage to get away, the battle for a hypothetical 3rd place will be very heated.”
Are you considering Marquez in the mix?
“Already at Silverstone three years ago he had suffered a similar injury and then he battled for the win. The same happened to Baldassarri in Germany and he was able to race. Marc has a reactive and trained body. If he is not at 100% tomorrow, he’ll be at 98.”
And the tyres?
“We will need to wait until tomorrow and see the weather conditions to make a selection; especially on the rear both the soft and the hard can be used.”
Do you still have room for improvement?
“I have three or four things to try, electronics, and then I want to make a few changes to the weight distribution. The track is changing a lot. It did in FP4 and in qualifying as well.”
What are your strong points?
“The last sector of the track. The M1 is fast there, I’m fastest and Lorenzo is second. On the other hand, I lose some ground in the second section and accelerating out of the tight corners.”
Where Ducati dominates…
“On this track putting all the horses on the ground is important, but that is not enough and, in fact, the Desmosedici also does well in turns.”
In the event of a sprint what would happen?
“Whoever comes out of the last corner first wins. Not even the Ducatis can overtake in acceleration before the finish line.”
