Rossi ‘meets target’ to go 2nd in title race

Italian Grand Prix pole-man Valentino Rossi returned to the podium for a second consecutive Grand Prix at Mugello, taking a hard-fought 3rd place, almost taking 2nd place away from Dovizioso on the last lap. Whilst ‘The Doctor’ could not achieve a dream win at home for the first time in a decade, he did manage to come out as top Yamaha rider, thrashing teammate Maverick Vinales, who could only manage an eighth place.

Rossi ran close to eventual winner Jorge Lorenzo in the opening laps but faded away, as far down as fifth place before making a comeback to get back past compatriots Andrea Iannone and Danilo Petrucci, as well as young Alex Rins. In the closing laps, Rossi chased after Dovizioso, losing out by just a few bike lengths.

“It was a very tough race because we had to start with the harder front tyre, which we knew wouldn’t provide a lot of grip, so the race was very difficult. I tried not to make any mistakes, which was hard, and I also tried not to lose contact with the podium contenders,” said the nine-time champion, who is still in the hunt for a 10th world title after his recent up take in form.

“In my group the guys were riding on the softer tyre, so I hoped I would have a little bit more grip than them at the end. In fact, it was exactly like this, so I’m very happy, because the podium was the target for me. It remained difficult to secure it until the very last lap, because Iannone didn’t give up, but at the end it’s a great feeling here in Mugello,” he concluded.

Rossi and teammate Maverick Vinales both had good ends to the race, with the 39-year-old Italian making particular use of his harder compound tyre. He was able to battle hard against Andrea Iannone in the closing stages and finish on the podium. 

As usual, the Italian enjoyed a massive reception from the 90,000 strong crowd at a circuit of which he calls his ‘spiritual home’. Not just was Valentino supported by the thousands trackside and the millions around the world, but latest girlfriend Francesca Sofia Novello was also in attendance. The 24-year-old lingerie model was in attendance throughout the weekend and according to Italian media, they’ve been in a relationship for a while.

Rossi’s 3rd place means that he moves into 2nd overall in the points standings, 23 adrift of Marc Marquez – who finished 16th at Mugello following a crash at Scarperia on lap five. Rossi took his third podium of the season and his 230th of his illustrious career. It was also the first time since Termas de Rio Hondo and the Circuit of the Americas in 2017 that the ‘GOAT’ has achieved back-to-back podiums. He also becomes the first rider in the history of the sport to reach 5000 premier class points and has just 53 more to go until he reaches 6000 across all classes.