After another thrilling race in Catalunya and subsequent tests at the same circuit, plus a test visit to Aragon, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP arrive in Assen primed for action.
The last round saw Valentino Rossi fight a hard battle for a well-deserved second place and Jorge Lorenzo come home fourth. Both riders are keen on another chance to show their fighting spirit at the TT Assen this Saturday.
Rossi looks forward to continuing his battles during the eighth round of the championship staged at one of his most successful circuits. The Italian, who currently holds second place in the championship standings, has won at Assen a total of eight times, six of these victories being in the MotoGP class.
"Assen is a great track and a good track for Yamaha," comments Rossi. "The weather will be very important here. You never know if it will be hot or cold or dry or wet. Last year's race was unforgettable but honestly this year I feel I am strong almost everywhere so we have to try hard to beat the competition."
Rossi's teammate Lorenzo also has a good track record at the TT circuit. The Spaniard has won there four times in total across all World Championship classes (125cc, 250cc and MotoGP). Lorenzo will try to push this total up to five with some help of the small setup changes made during the post-Catalunya IRTA Test and subsequent private Aragon test to improve the acceleration and the stability of his bike.
"After a bit of a disappointing weekend in Barcelona where I gave my best even when some circumstances didn't help us, we travel to Holland with plenty of optimism," states Lorenzo. "In Barcelona we struggled a bit with the acceleration, especially in the last part of the track where we used to be so strong in the past. This year that issue didn't allow me to fight in front for the victory."
"Afterwards during two test days we found some solutions to solve that problem and we tested new things to try to cut off the distance with our main rivals. I look forward to racing in Assen, it's maybe my favorite circuit. It's a nice layout defined by some quick corners and a short straight that looks good for us, and especially for the Yamaha. In recent years I couldn't get so many good results but instead I always could find a good setup and ride in my best way. Last season I finished fifth after a surgery on my collarbone and I suffered a lot but finally I could conclude a very special race."
