Return of the King : Valentino Rossi
Published by Neil Everett
22 May 2008, 20:04
|
|
No wins in eight races, it doesn’t sound like a lot, well unless your name is Valentino Rossi.
It’s fair to say in true Hollywood style that the King has returned and he’s looking just a devastating as he’s ever been. The last two and a half years of Rossi’s life would make the perfect script for any Hollywood wannabe writers, with a slice of despair, a touch of joy, a huge slab of disbelief, not forgetting sheer ecstasy and a heavy dose of pain to pad out the script. Then just when you think your hero is down and out and you have the bad guy about the make the telling blow, there is the classic Hollywood happy ending as our hero rises from the jaws of defeat, to ride off into the sunset and live another day.
Rossi has dominated the premier class since his arrival in 2001, taking five MotoGP titles along the way, three with Honda and then just when all the critics said it couldn’t be done two more with Yamaha. The sad fact it seems these days is that the more successful you are the more people will want to see your downfall.
During the 2006 season Rossi got taken off at the first corner in Jerez, his bike broken down whilst leading at Le Man, his bike broke again at Laguna Seca. Rossi lost the title by a handful of points but was gracious in defeat to Nicky Hayden.
The 2007 season started and it soon became apparent that many of the Japanese factories had taken rather too much care when manufacturing their new 800cc machines. Rossi battled on in a valiant attempt to compete with the might of Stoners Ducati, but it wasn’t to be, Rossi had now failed to win the championship for the second consecutive year.
Backstage the knives were being sharpened. Rossi at 29 years old was now one of the senior members of the paddock and the critics loved to kick a man when he’s down. The young pretenders Pedrosa and Stoner had certainly got their kicks in on the former champ, whilst the press were busy ripping their former idol to shreds in the press about tax allegations.
Then Just when it appeared that things couldn’t get much worse for Rossi, his own team announced that for the following season they were to sign Jorge Lorenzo, the two time 250cc champion to the factory team as Rossi’s team mate, which Rossi took as a slap in the face that they had lost faith in his abilities.
With what probably seemed like the whole world wanting answers and seemingly everywhere he turned reporters and photographers hunting him down like a pack of ravenous wolves, Rossi snapped and decided to make it clear that he would not put up with Yamaha resting on their lorals in 2008, nor was he happy with the support Michelin had been giving him over the last two seasons. The press responded, picking up on the story, claiming that the bitter former champion was looking for excuses and although other members of the paddock were making similar claims, Rossi was made the scapegoat.
Rossi got the changes he asked for, he got new tyres from Bridgestone, and Yamaha’s bike is probably on par or slightly better than the best in the paddock at the moment. Rossi’s test times were good and there was every reason to be optimistic about the new season.
However the opening race in Qatar threw more questions than answer for Rossi’s team. Rossi finished fifth, behind Casey Stoner on Bridgestone tyres, behind his new team mate on the new improved Michelins, behind Dani Pedrosa and behind the new Italian MotoGP rookie Andrea Dovizioso.
Rossi was left bemused. He had the bike he wanted in 2007 and the tyres he thought would work, but the results weren’t coming. Over the next two rounds Rossi’s form improved with a second in Jerez albeit a long way behind a Michelin shod Pedrosa, and a third at Estoril whilst his Michelin shod team mate took his debut win and Yamaha’s first of 2008.
Rossi was wounded, the last two and a half years had clearly taken its toll on him, the fans were willing Rossi to get back to winning ways, the doctor has a pulling power than is matched by none in the MotoGP paddock, but while the fans were hoping and praying the media was getting ready to slay the creature it created and herald a new king. But like all good champions Rossi wasn’t going without a fight and was determined and forthright in his post race interview at Estoril.
“At the end of the day this isn’t a bad result for us because we expected this to be quite a difficult track for us. My M1 worked well today, I got a good start and was able to stay at the front to begin with and have some fun. My Bridgestone tyres were working well but I was thinking about trying to conserve them as much as possible because I knew 28 laps was going to be hard. Unfortunately I couldn’t stay with Lorenzo and Pedrosa in the later stages and I started to slide a little bit, but anyway to have two podiums in a row with Bridgestone is very important because we’re still in the learning stages of our relationship. I think we’ve made another step forward this weekend and we have an important test tomorrow – I hope in China we will be able to fight for the win!”
Valentino must have sat in the Motorhome that night wondering if he had made the right decision. Surely if he was on Michelin this year he too could run at the front. Changes needed to be made to get the best out of the new tyres, it was no use crying over what could have been, and they did.
When Rossi arrived in China he looked far more relaxed and seemed in control of his bike and his destiny all weekend. As the race got underway Rossi was able to get through the pack and set off after Dani Pedrosa who had managed to breakaway. Rossi managed to catch and pass Pedrosa and then the two old foes let battle commence.
Pedrosa managed to stay in contact with Rossi but never seemed like he had the pace to take the lead again, leaving Rossi to end the longest streak without a win in his MotoGP career and herald a new era with Bridgestone tyres. The relief was clear to see on all of the Yamaha crew. It may have only been four races into the new season, but it was starting to look like the decision to change tyres was going to be Rossi’s downfall.
For his championship rivals, seeing Rossi win on his new rubber was a psychological blow. As the teams headed into Le Man it was clear a weight had been lifted off the doctors shoulders. He was more relaxed and more comfortable with the new set up, and even though he didn’t qualify on the front row. Rossi seemed pleased with his race set up.
Sure enough Rossi was able to run at the front with his main championship contenders in the early stages, before gapping the chasing pack before the mid way point in the race. Rossi was able to put together back to back victories for the first time since the Mugello/Catalunya GP's back in 2006 and he was clearly delighted that his 2007 post season gamble had paid off.
“To arrive at 90 wins like this and equal Angel’s record is a dream for me. I had quite a lot of pressure because Angel was waiting with the special leathers to join me on the bike, so I really needed to win! It was great to ride with him – I think maybe with some practice he can be as fast as us! 180 victories together on one bike is quite impressive I think!
Honestly I didn’t expect to be so fast today but together with Jeremy and my guys we decided to make some small modifications this morning and in the race my M1 and my Bridgestone tyres worked brilliantly from start to finish. When it started to rain a little bit I thought “oh no!’ and so I steadied a bit and tried to ride very sweetly. I had such a good rhythm and I really didn’t want to have to change bikes. Luckily the rain soon stopped and I was able to continue in the same way. It’s great for Yamaha to have the first three and I want to congratulate Jorge especially for doing such a good job in his condition. Thanks to everybody in the team; the job that Yamaha has done in three months is incredible. I enjoyed myself so much today, the atmosphere in our garage is perfect and now we will make two important days of testing, try to improve even more and then head to Mugello.”
Valentino’s win at Le Man was the 90th of his MotoGP career, putting him level with Angel Nieto and only behind the great Agostini in the all time chase. The doctors return to form should send shivers down the other riders spines, with many of the new generation beginning to believe they had the measure of the seven times world champion. Rossi’s return to form will be a cold, hard reminder that there is only one king of the MotoGP paddock and it looks like he will be around to sit on the throne for a few seasons as yet. Now the only question that remains is can anyone dethrone the King?
|
|
