Brivio on the possible return of Rossi

Valentino Rossi’s recovery from his fractured right tibia developed further on Wednesday when the Italian rode a Yamaha superbike machine at Misano, his first time on two wheels since his injury on June 5th.

After he completed 26 laps to gain a better understanding of his physical condition, Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha Team Manager, Davide Brivio, discussed how the test had gone and what the general overview gained from it was.

“This test was definitely very important because it allowed Valentino to understand what the problems are and what still hurts and doesn’t,” explained Brivio. “I’d say the leg was quite good but he still had some shoulder pain, which was what we expected. This can give us an indication of the preparations we need to make for the next ten days.”

On a potential return to action for the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland (July 16-18), Brivio stated: “Whether he can ride at Sachsenring or not will be decided within the next week, around Tuesday or Wednesday, on the eve of the GP. It will depend on how he feels and how he works in the next seven or eight days, and we will be able to understand then whether he will make it or not.”

He continued: “It is difficult to be able to do another test (before Sachsenring) because there isn’t another available bike. The one he used here will be in Brno this weekend. If he works in the gym and the preparations go well, he will probably be present at Sachsenring and we will try the M1 directly there.”

Brivio expressed how encouraging the sight of seeing Rossi back on a bike – the YZF-R1 – was, and that despite feeling some pain the Italian clearly enjoyed the experience.

“He looked to be extremely happy to be back on a bike again, and it gave me the impression that he had missed being on a bike a lot during this period. He spoke about the bike and made some comments, just like in a normal test. I have seen how much pleasure he got from riding the bike,” he said.

“The objective of the test was not to achieve times, of course the bike has not been modified, but in the end he has not done badly.”

You can enjoy a free clip of Rossi on track at Misano on MotoGP’s official YouTube channel, which also provides more fantastic footage of the World Championship.