ROAD RACE
MOTOGP / FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 8 / JULY 13-15, 2018
SACHSENRING / HOHENSTEIN-ERNSTTHAL, GERMANY
P50
rode a perfect race."
Not so teammate Vinales, who
admitted it was a paradox that
this year he was struggling for
grip in the early laps, but found
plenty by the end. "It's crazy, but
this is how it is."
He was pleased, though, with
a second successive podium,
and that while the Yamaha still
needed "a step," it was getting
better, while he was learning
tricks to ride around its prob-
lems. "I can be fast at the end.
We need to find the way to be
fast in the beginning."
Lorenzo made a great start to
the weak points are better. We
found a compromise."
Rossi was delighted, espe-
cially since his result followed
half-brother Luca Marini's first
podium in Moto2, "which gave
me extra power," he said. "This
was not just my best result this
year but also my best race."
Rossi's pace put him, he
judged, about sixth, where he
had qualified, "but in the race,
you have to be strong in other ar-
eas," Rossi said. "I made a good
start, and afterwards I was able
to ride very well, to make good
overtaking without mistakes. I
"After that, I was trying to save
the rear, then I saw Valentino
coming quite fast, so I decided
it was time to use everything of
the tire. My fastest lap was the
22nd, and after that I was wor-
ried about how to manage, but
then I saw he was dropping..."
His pace was slightly slower
than last year, when he battled
with Jonas Folger's Yamaha for
almost full-distance. This, he
said, was because "last year's
bike had some very, very strong
points, and some very weak
points. This year the strong
points are not so strong, but also
Valentino Rossi (46)
rode a stellar race,
describing it as his best
of the season so far.
