MotoGP: Yamaha Team Director analyzes Rossi, Lorenzo performances
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team Director Massimo Meregalli has provided his thoughts on the season to date for Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.
Rossi has seen his form improve in 2014 compared to last year, when he returned to the factory Yamaha team and finished fourth in the World Championship.
At the halfway stage of the current campaign, the nine times World Champion sits third in the standings and has notched five podiums already this season. Rossi has also renewed his contract with the team and will ride with Yamaha in MotoGP until at least the end of 2016.
Meregalli said of Rossi’s 2014 form, “We are happy. The victory is still missing but we are working hard to get it as soon as possible. He started in the right way, since the Sepang 1 test, he really liked the changes that the Japanese engineers made during the winter time. He adapted himself to the new tires and the new bike and he never gave up. He is always improving and pushing and that’s his attitude.”
“His riding this year has been unbelievable and, if he has signed, it means he really believes he can keep pushing for two more years.“
On the other side of the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP garage, Lorenzo has not hit the heights of his 2010 or 2012 form when he won the MotoGP title, or the performances of the second half of 2013 which saw the Spaniard win five of the last seven races.
His best result so far this campaign was his second place finish at round six in Italy, of which Meregalli comments, “For me Jorge’s capability was shown in the Mugello race. We are really expecting in the second part of the season to see him really strong. We are working really hard to make the circumstances suitable for him to be able to win.”
