February 3, 2023
Valentino Rossi commented on his first laps at Bathurst
Valentino Rossi expressed his feelings after the first laps on the legendary Bathurst track in Australia, where the 12 Hours will run on Sunday (the start at 5.30 local time, 3.30 in Italy). The BMW driver obtained a waiver to take part in the sessions reserved for Bronze drivers just to get familiar with the track, and he immediately showed his class by finishing with the best time.
Not bad for a rookie, and Valentino Rossi himself said he was satisfied: “Even before we knew I was going to race here, we always played on the simulator with Mount Panorama. Being here after 20 years of racing on the simulator is a thrill, above all when you see the track for the first time”, are the words reported by Motorsport.
“It’s one of the legendary tracks. The track is really impressive, it’s something different. I feel good with the car, I have a good feeling, good grip, so I can push. It’s very difficult, very technical, but also very fun”.
“These are two different tracks – continued the former MotoGP champion -: one part is a normal track, then the mountain is different. Every lap you try to increase speed, but the walls are there, so I always keep two centimetres. You have to have some leeway because if you make a mistake, it’s a big deal.”
“Jerry Burgess and Gary Coleman, my MotoGP team guys, raced here in the seventies and eighties. With the bike, you need more space, more escape routes. If you make a mistake, it’s a huge problem For me it’s better with cars. I think this track is not that different from Phillip Island, where there is a lot of run-off space and there are no walls, but the layout is similar.”
“There’s a lot of adrenaline here when you ride, but also because you have to do everything right, without making mistakes. With the bike, you’re on the outside and therefore you feel the speed more. From some points of view, they’re different things, but in the end they are also similar”.
