This weekend it is without surprise that Movistar Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi, arrives in Saxony with clear enthusiasm towards securing back-to-back wins after his podium at the Dutch TT. The potential first place would be his fifth MotoGP™ race win at the German circuit, with past victories in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2009. He has also stood on the premier class podium at the Sachsenring an additional five times since 2000. Yamaha's last win at the track was by Rossi himself in 2009.
"I like the German GP, it is an unusual circuit... It will be essential to be competitive there too."If Rossi does indeed stand on the top step in Germany, he will be the second oldest rider of all-time to win back-to-back premier class grand prix races. The Italian riders' achievement last weekend also reestablished him as third overall in the MotoGP™ standings, after fellow Movistar Yamaha team mate Maverick Vinales crashed out during the race and lost his Championship lead.
The numerous tight corners (ten left, only three right) plus the limited 12m width of the tarmac make this circuit one of the slower tracks, and a recent resurfacing after the last German GP in 2016, put it at the top of the list for technical races on the 2017 calendar.
Valentino Rossi: “I‘m very happy because the race in Assen was incredible. Returning to the top step and taking the victory was very important for me, because the emotions are always fantastic, and it was also important for the championship. Thinking about the next race in Sachsenring, I don‘t know what to expect. We‘ve seen that from one track to the other everything can change, so we have to work in a good way to find the best solution for the upcoming track. I like the German GP, it‘s an unusual circuit that‘s different compared to Assen. It will be essential to be competitive there too. We will do our best!"