IN
THE
WIND
P42
ROSSI SAYS CHASSIS,
NOT LEG, WAS
DRAWBACK
Y
amaha's various chassis
problems this year were
more of a drawback for Valen-
tino Rossi's title hopes than his
double leg fracture, the multi-
champion told the media during
a press conference at the Malay-
sian MotoGP, October 28.
Even if he hadn't broken his
leg, missing his home Misano
GP before a heroic return barely
three weeks later, he could not
have fought for the title, he said.
With handling problems both in
the dry, losing pace towards the
end of races, and more acutely
in the wet, Rossi and teammate
Maverick Vinales were at a costly
disadvantage, he explained.
When asked what his position
would be without the injury, he
replied: "For me, not a lot bet-
ter, because we have too many
problems during this season.
Even before Silverstone [before
the injury] I said I was not strong
enough for the championship."
Yamaha had brought a series
of different chassis during the
year, with riders switching to a
version of the 2018 chassis at
Silverstone, but after Vinales
won the first two races, the
teammates have only claimed
one more victory apiece. At the
same time, class rookie Johann
Zarco has been successful in
both wet and dry conditions us-
ing a 2016 Yamaha.
Michael Scott
NO AUS-X FOR REED
C
had Reed will be forced to watch next week's AUS-X Open doubleheader in Sydney, Australia,
instead of participating. The Australian, who injured his ankle while preparing for the Red Bull
Straight Rhythm, will undergo surgery to fix the ankle, which he reported on his Instagram account.
Reed posted: "I've been slow on the unfortunate news in respect to @ausxopen. The one race on my
calendar I look forward to most is the Sydney @ausxopen. This year's race was always going to have
its challenges but nothing I wasn't up for. Unfor-
tunately my slight over-jump last week resulted in
two fractures to my ankle (talus). I saw my special-
ist and the best chance at a healthy, fast recovery
was to do surgery. So unfortunately I won't be able
to compete in two weeks' time BUT I'll make the
trip down to see as many fans as possible. As for
2018, the goal remains the same! A1"
The 35-year-old has not confirmed a ride for
next year. CN
Valentino Rossi says
chassis issues hurt
his hopes of winning
another MotoGP
Championship.
Chad Reed's ankle injury will prevent the Aussie from
competing in this weekend's Monster Energy AUS-X
Open in Sydney.
