MotoGP: Rossi will use bike 'more similar to last year's' for 2016
Nine-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi has announced that he will use the YZR-M1 model that is more similar to his 2015 bike. Rossi had tried two variations of the YZR-M1 during the 2016 preseason test at Phillip Island, and determined that he was more comfortable on the one which was more similar to his ride in 2015.
“In the end we only had one good day and that was yesterday [Wednesday – Day 2 of the three-day test], but it's better than nothing,” Rossi said. “[Thursday] we continued our job for a bit, especially we compared the two different bikes and I think we will use the bike that’s more similar to last year‘s model. It was a positive test, especially yesterday, but also today. I feel good with the bike and with the tires and my pace was not so bad, so I‘m quite satisfied.”
Valentino Rossi finished the test sixth on the combined timesheets with his best time being set on Wednesday. Rossi seems to be going along the premise of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” as he finished no worse than fifth during the 2015 season, taking four wins en route to his runner-up position in the championship standings.
In 2015, Rossi’s Repsol Honda rival Marc Marquez had suffered early on in the year on his new Repsol Honda machine, and ultimately reverted back to his 2014 chassis that had taken him to 10 wins in a row for the rest of the season.
The final MotoGP preseason test will begin in Qatar on March 2, two weeks before the 2016 season kicks off on the same track.
Click HERE for more MotoGP news and features
