Rossi and Vinales: We have to improve…

Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales both said that “we have to improve” after yet another difficult test which saw the pair languish in 12th and 8th respectively on combined times. Both riders were left searching for answers,whilst Frenchman Johann Zarco was able to finish 2nd on the Tech 3 machine overall.

“I think that we improved today. I rode a 1’30.5s, but unfortunately I made a mistake at the end of a really good lap, else I could have done a 1’30.2s, and we’re all very close,” began Rossi.

“Like last year, it’s difficult to understand where we stand. A lot of people were strong in Malaysia and here they struggled, and also the opposite. We have to improve, because we didn’t make much progress compared to last year, especially when it comes to the electronics.

“We have a lot of work to do and at this moment we have to get through it – but that’s today, maybe in Qatar it will be better,” concluded the Italian, who was 0.730 off Pedrosa’s top time on the combined sheets.

“It’s been a difficult test, like it was in Malaysia. We are working hard trying to figure out what the problem is – right now mostly on braking, but we have to improve in all areas,” said Vinales, who hasn’t won a MotoGP race since Le Mans, 2017.

“We have to continue working, trying to find out how to improve. The race days are coming up fast and we only have the three days in Qatar left. I will keep working and I will be 100% ready, and when the bike is ready I will push,” he said, with him just under half a second from Pedrosa, in what was an incredibly close test across the board.