One day after the Monster Energy Grand Prix Ceské republiky race, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi was back on the Automotodrom Brno circuit for a one-day official IRTA test.
Teammate Maverick Viñales opted not to join today’s 8-hour long session, in an effort to fully recover from yesterday’s crash in time for the eyetime Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, held this weekend.
Being the only rider out on track for the Yamaha Factory Racing team, Rossi spent a productive day trying new items, testing various setting details, and providing feedback on the prototype 2019 Michelin front tyre.
The Doctor started just before eleven and was one of the last riders to call it a day at six o’clock, riding 51 laps in total. The result of his hard work during the test was positive overall. Though not really pushing to put in a strong time-attack, the Italian still ended the day in seventh place with a best lap of 1’55.918s, 0.709s from the top.
The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team will now travel to the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg for the next round of the 2018 MotoGP World Championship and will resume track action this Friday.
Massimo Meregalli
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP – Team Director
“It’s always good to test after the race, because it helps us draw an immediate comparison and allows riders to give clear feedback. We focused on the electronics today, it was our main objective, with the aim to improve drivability of the bike, especially on the first touch of the throttle. We also tried the new Michelin front tyre and at the end of the day we were able to test a new fairing. It’s a shame that Maverick couldn’t join us, as we would have valued his input very much, but we also put high importance on his well-being. We hope he no longer feels sore from yesterday’s crash when we start riding again in Austria on the Friday. Though today’s testing had to be done with one rider, it was still a positive day overall.”
Valentino Rossi
Position: 7th – Time: 1’55.918 – Laps: 51