When you’re a champion expectations are high, and sometimes unreasonably so as demonstrated over the weekend at the Indianapolis MotoGP.
With Valentino Rossi’s performance after the free practice sessions described as a ‘debacle’ and then variously criticised during the race before a respectable fourth place, you’d think the world had suddenly forgotten what Rossi’s season has been so far.
After a serious injury that nearly saw him out for most of his last season with Yamaha, Rossi’s early return (perhaps because it is his last season) has been considered nothing short of a heroic miracle.
A predictable announcement of his move to Ducati was only spiced up by his own hand written goodbye Yamaha letter, and otherwise mired in the usual PR treatment.
The announcement followed a dramatic crash and re-entry to racing but it seems we’re intent on underestimating the stress a champion might feel and overestimating his ability to live up to our idolising.
When Rossi got his fourth place, some of the negative commentary died down, perhaps finally indicating that some of the hype surrounding the rider and his announcement to move to Ducati is subsiding.
As David Emmett writes, MotoGP races are proving to be about chasing perfection, and Rossi is a good example of where you can arrive on being consistently high class.
His performance over the weekend shows that firstly, he does make mistakes, and then secondly, he still knows how to fight.
And has every intention of riding the rest of his season with Yamaha to the best of his ability.
Rossi himself was far more realistic about his performance, as the rider quotes reveal.
He says:“This was a good race for us after the weekend.
Fourth is quite good in the circumstances but the important thing is that my rhythm in the race was strong and I felt much happier on the bike.
I did some good laps and I wasn’t too far from the other Yamahas, but unfortunately I paid a lot for my lack of fitness in this heat and in the end I had to stop pushing because I didn’t have any strength left in my body.
I’m happy though because we came back to a good setting and with me riding well, and if you consider I had three small crashes in the weekend, fourth isn’t so bad.
Now we will look forward to Misano, my home race!”It will be a handy lesson for us to watch Rossi occasionally thwarted and occasionally frustrated because it won’t do to have these kinds of expectations held up for his next season with Ducati.
There will be a transition time, and much bike development going on that mean that Rossi won’t necessarily be up for the championship from day one.
But apart from the marketing money to be made between Rossi and Ducati, the company has managed to nab itself a one and only in the history of racing.
After the rumour of Ducati’s SBK pullout was confirmed due to ‘product development’ plans, Ducati has just bought itself the best bike developer around.
As Valentino himself pointed out to Yamaha, there’s no way they’d be where they are with the Yamaha M1 (and previously R1) if it weren’t for his input.
In the meantime, a few struggles through the rest of the season are to be expected but with it being Valentino’s last ride on his beloved bike, perhaps we should hold off the negativity and high expectations and let him ride, still proving that in the end he is a champion and a damn hard rider.
As if Rossi should have to prove anything to anyone….