The first MotoGP race in the 2020 championship season went down with loads of drama and action, especially from Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez and first-time premier class winner, Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT). The race left us with many questions that needed answering, including the likes of Yamaha factory rider, Valentino Rossi.
It is known that the nine-time world champion has been struggling with his Yamaha M1. While the current package looks to be working brilliantly with Fabio Quartararo, Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), and Franco Morbidelli, we were left wondering about the current situation Rossi is facing.
First and foremost, Valentino Rossi was forced to retire from last Sunday’s race due to what many assumed were electronic issues. Before that, he was struggling with grip presented by the soft rear tyre (which is the same option everyone else was using during the race).
Mechanical problems ended @ValeYellow46's afternoon early! 🔧
The Doctor will aim to bounce back next weekend! 👊#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/0MTPaAPA0n
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) July 20, 2020
According to Lin Jarvis, Yamaha’s Managing Director, “Valentino had grip problems from the beginning. And when the rear tyre started to deteriorate, things got worse, making riding difficult. The bike later had a problem, the cause of which we still have to understand, and his race was over.”
With Fabio Quartararo claiming his first-ever MotoGP victory, Vinales scoring second, and Morbidelli finishing in P5, it would be vital for Rossi to solve the issues related to his Yamaha M1 before heading out into the same track again this Friday.
And another thing, wasn’t he supposed to announce his Petronas Yamaha SRT 2021 contract last weekend? Still having issues with finalizing his team is our best guess.
