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Rossi gunning for nothing but the best in Malaysian MotoGP
Sepang, Oct 10: Valentino Rossi says he is fully concentrated on clinching his third consecutive MotoGP title on Sunday.
Sepang, Oct 10: Valentino Rossi says he is fully concentrated on clinching his third consecutive MotoGP title on Sunday.
Valentino Rossi insisted he was fully concentrated on winning his third consecutive MotoGP World Championship in Malaysia this weekend despite mounting speculation about his future. The flamboyant Italian would retain the title with victory or second place in Sunday's race, whilst any position immediately behind his only remaining challenger Sete Gibernau would also be enough to maintain an insurmountable 50-point cushion over the final two races. Should Rossi fail to score any points at all, Gibernau must finish in the top seven in order to carry the battle to Australia next week. However, just as he did at Phillip Island in 2001 and at Rio last year, Rossi insists he wants to seal the championship in the best possible style. "I like this circuit very much and I love to ride the bike here, so I think our target has to be to win and think about the championship afterwards," said Rossi on Thursday (October 9).
"We came here in the winter and made good lap times, but that was also the case last season and when the race came around we were 1.5 seconds slower. We have to stay concentrated and make sure that doesn't happen again. I think in Portugal and Brazil we worked really well, but at Motegi we weren't 100 per cent all weekend and we have to improve that."
When questioned about his plans for next season, which has been the centre of much speculation and gossip in the paddock as the rest of the riders contemplate their own futures, Rossi commented: "The contract I was offered by Honda at Motegi, I was unable to accept and I did not sign it. My manager will arrive tonight with a new one and we will have to see. I don't know what people are saying because I don't read the newspapers, but I can tell you that I have not signed for anybody, that is for sure. I think the best thing for this weekend is to concentrate on the race and the championship."
Bureau Report
Valentino Rossi insisted he was fully concentrated on winning his third consecutive MotoGP World Championship in Malaysia this weekend despite mounting speculation about his future. The flamboyant Italian would retain the title with victory or second place in Sunday's race, whilst any position immediately behind his only remaining challenger Sete Gibernau would also be enough to maintain an insurmountable 50-point cushion over the final two races. Should Rossi fail to score any points at all, Gibernau must finish in the top seven in order to carry the battle to Australia next week. However, just as he did at Phillip Island in 2001 and at Rio last year, Rossi insists he wants to seal the championship in the best possible style. "I like this circuit very much and I love to ride the bike here, so I think our target has to be to win and think about the championship afterwards," said Rossi on Thursday (October 9).
"We came here in the winter and made good lap times, but that was also the case last season and when the race came around we were 1.5 seconds slower. We have to stay concentrated and make sure that doesn't happen again. I think in Portugal and Brazil we worked really well, but at Motegi we weren't 100 per cent all weekend and we have to improve that."
When questioned about his plans for next season, which has been the centre of much speculation and gossip in the paddock as the rest of the riders contemplate their own futures, Rossi commented: "The contract I was offered by Honda at Motegi, I was unable to accept and I did not sign it. My manager will arrive tonight with a new one and we will have to see. I don't know what people are saying because I don't read the newspapers, but I can tell you that I have not signed for anybody, that is for sure. I think the best thing for this weekend is to concentrate on the race and the championship."
Bureau Report