Rossi: “There will be a lot of pressure on me”

Valentino Rossi ready to do battle in front of his home fans at the San Marino GP and defend his title lead.
A brilliant wet weather ride at Silverstone saw Valentino Rossi seize a 12-point advantage over his Movistar Yamaha teammate, Jorge Lorenzo. The 2015 MotoGP™ World Championship looks set to be one of the most closely contested in recent history and every round will vital, just a few points could play a dramatic role. The Gran Premio TIM di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini is Rossi’s home round, just 10 kilometres from his home in Tavullia and the Italian is well aware of the added pressure.

Back in 2014, Valentino Rossi took a dramatic and hugely popular home victory, holding off a charging Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). Rossi will be aiming for a repeat in 2015, but will also have to contend with the Ducati Team riders who have held multiple tests at Misano. ‘The Doctor’ heads home on good form, so far in 2015 he has finished on the podium at each round and is looking to add to his four Misano podiums this year. As in now customary, Rossi will use a special helmet design for his home race that will be revealed on Saturday morning.

Valentino Rossi: “We now arrive in Misano and there will be a lot of pressure on me, especially from the fans, friends and family that are coming, but I like this track a lot. There is always a great atmosphere in Misano and it‘s really my home race, because the track is only 10km away from Tavullia. Last year I rode a great race, but at the same time Jorge is also very fast there, so it will be another great fight. I‘ll have to manage the situation in the right way. It will be difficult, but the most important thing is that this is a place where I‘m able to go fast and where Yamaha is usually very strong.”