Valentino Rossi finally was able to speak during this morning’s Ducati press conference, to a packed house at the Palacongressi auditorium at Madonna del Campiglio, the attention was focused around Rossi’s shoulder injury, that hindered his 2010 season and the post season test at Valencia, much more than his broken leg did.
Here’s what he said during the conference: “There’s still a lot of work to do, but everything is going well, I’m a little ahead on the recovery process, but it’s race against time to be in shape for the 1st of February.
Yes, the test was very important and we got a more precise idea … important and difficult to set-up, unfortunately at Valencia I couldn’t ride, I didn’t have any strength left in my right arm, I wasn’t fit, I’ll have to try to ride this bike when I’m back in shape, when I’m 100% fit.
”“We’ve got an important job to do on the Desmo16, but naturally I’ll have to be healthy, that’s the most important thing.
Obviously I won’t be in great shape for the test in Malaysia, but we’re working hard to recover shoulder mobility that I’ll need to ride and to tuck in on the straightways.
I hope to be okay, but it’ll be almost impossibile to have a lot of strength, I’ll need more time, so it’ll be a race against time.
It would have been better to be fit immediately, but I probably won’t be.
Unfortunately my shoulder situation was much more serious than we were expecting it to be.
From the check-ups I did during the season, it seemed less serious, instead it was much bigger than we thought, the doctors told me that my shoulder will recover 100% but it will take a little more time.
Not only do we have to fix the Desmo, we have to fix me.
”“The first thing that we did on the bike was the basics.
The Ducati is very different from other bikes, different from Yamaha and from theHonda, because this bike under all it’s aspects.
is a prototype.
Different from the Japanese bikes which are production bikes, “transformed” into MotoGP bikes.
The Desmosedici is conceptually speaking totally different and must be used in a totally different way.
At the moment we haven’t done anything radical for the Malaysia test.
We just changed the riding position and made certain changes to make me feel more comfortable so I can ride a bit more like I how to ride.
However I think we’re going to need to find more solutions, meeting each other halfway.
We have the improve the Desmosedici to make a bike that is not only fast as it is now, but it should become also easier to ride, where we can interpret the changes and on the other hand I’m going to have to adjust to the bike and change also my riding style so as to exploit it .
”“Regarding winning or losing we’re going to try our best, it’ll depend on how fast I’ll get fit and if I can be fit for the start of the championship.
In Valencia the situation was different, the should was free and I could tuck in behind the fairing, but I didn’t have any strength, and on the second day I couldn’t even brake how I wanted to and couldn’t even bring the tires up to temperature, I was having a lot of problems.
Now the shoulder is holding up mechanically, but I don’t have full mobility to put myself in a tuck position, that’s the biggest problem I’m having and what I’m working on, so I can be in good enough shape on the 1st of February.
At least to be comfortable on the bike and be able to ride.
”“Stoner even at the end of season on this bike, was very strong and fast with his very particular riding style.
He’s very good at adapting to all types of conditions and set-ups.
A big talent.
He was with Ducati for four years and had a great feeling with this bike, which I don’t have yet.
We have to find the set-up and run a lot of laps to understand how the Desmosedici works.
”“For sure I’m not twenty years old anymore, unfortunately, but that’s not really relative and the accident that I had with my motocross bike and the one at the Mugello could have happened in any other season, but naturally when you’re younger you recover faster and when you’re older you have to train and work a lot harder.
I never thought of retiring, I think I have another couple of years to be fast and competitive.
I still want to ride and this change has given me more motivation and I think I can still be on top for a few more years.
”“Stoner and Lorenzo are the favourites for this season.
Lorenzo knows the bike, has experience and last season rode perfectly and almost never made a mistake.
I think if Stoner wants to compete against Lorenzo, he’ll have to be more constant, but he’s now got a Honda, which at the moment is the bike that scares everyone the most, it’s faster than the Yamaha, it also could have a slight technical advantage, it’s going to be an interesting fight.
” “The Ducati like I said before is completely different from the M1, you have to ride it a little dirtier, the corner entry is different and you have to adapt to it’s style.
I’m counting on bringing the D16 closer to me, because it’s a bike that can be modified.
I think we can make this bike easier and make it more competitive from the start to the finish of a race.
With Nicky at the moment I’m going to be looking at his data, so I hope we won’t be divided.
We’ll be working together to better the bike, because he already has experience on the D16 and he can teack me important little tricks.
” “The situation regarding data sharing with Lorenzo, was based on the story of what happened in the past.
In 2007 and 2008 we had a bike with a lot of problems, we had to work a lot and the only thing that changed between those two years was that he was only a team mate.
I tried to take care of myself and try to do my job, but it was impossible.
The separation was only virtual, but it went that way.
It was nice anyway.
I think Lorenzo didn’t care if I was healthy or half healthy, it was his first Motogp title and it doesn’t count how you won, but that you won it, and he deserved it 100%.
He was fast, lucky in certain occasions, first with me and then Pedrosa got hurt, but he was always in front.
He took the M1 to the max, so he deserves it.
” “For the rest, we’ll need time, which our fans probably won’t give us, a lot of people want me to be fast right away with the Ducati from the first test and first race.
Unfortunately it’ll take a little more time and hopefully the fans will be patient and wait for us.
My favourite championships were in 2001 with the Honda 500 and the first season with the Yamaha in 2004 with a win at my debut, but 2008 was also wonderful because it’s the closest, but 2004 at Welkom was the best.
”