Valentino Rossi finished the ItalianGP at Mugello in 10th position after the Petronas rider recovered from 19th on the grid.

A difficult home race was overshadowed by the tragic loss of Moto3 rider Jason Dupasquier with a minute silence held on the starting grid in respect.

“After what’s happened to Jason yesterday, the question is why we race? I mean, everything loses it’s sense. I think that also there’s not a lot of sense if we don’t race, because unfortunately what we do today, doesn’t change what’s happened to Jason yesterday. So it was very bad, was very tough” Rossi said from the Tuscan paddock this afternoon.

“My start was not too bad but in the first corner, I touch with some others and I lose time” he continued.

“I was not last but quite last. On the other side, my pace during the race was decent, and I was able to recover. I was able to make some overtaking and at the end I finish in the top-10. That, for sure, is nothing fantastic, but considering our situation now, is not so bad because we take some points. We are able to improve during the weekend, and today was not too bad.

“We arrive here in Mugello and we were struggling a bit, but we modify something on the bike - because the track is difficult and has a lot of bumps. So we try to make a bike that gives me more feedback and is more smooth and also we work well with the electronics, step-by-step. Today in the race, I feel not too bad. When I had the free track in front, my pace is not very far from the guys that fight for the top-five/six position. So we hope that we can be competitive in Barcelona.”

There was drama before the race had even been released as Enea Bastianini crashed into the back of Johann Zarco’s Ducati on the starting grid as the riders returned from the warm up lap. Zarco having hit the brakes to warm them up ahead of the start, with Bastianini still pushing at speed as he warmed up his tyres. The collision left the Italian flying into the air and activating his airbag with his Avingia being recovered as the starting lights went out.

“I was there!” Rossi exclaimed. “I see the crash of Bastianini from one metre, because I was there, and I say ‘fuck, is not a great start!’, because I didn’t think we would start yet but it’s things that can happen unfortunately. Now everybody brake very hard before they arrive on the grid to put the temperature on the carbon discs and also for the start device. So now everybody open the throttle, and everybody brake very hard to have a good temperature on the first corner. Every rider think to itself. Open throttle, brake, open throttle, brake, this is a normal procedure, but sometimes is dangerous, and the guy behind, have to keep attention because, when you brake hard with our bikes, the brake stop!”

The arrival of Yamaha’s launch device left the veteran Italian positive of his opening performance.

“My start was good” he explained, “I already overtake two or three guys, because the start is good, but when I arrived on the first corner I was behind another rider and he was shaky on the jump, so he broke too early and I was behind, and I have also to brake. After, I touch with Pirro, with Lecuona, so the beginning was difficult and I lose time but the start device was good.”

With Fabio Quartararo taking his third victory of the season, and only losing out on the potential of Jerez due to his arm pump issue, Rossi is confident that although the M1 is showing its strengths, it’s the Frenchman who is the biggest factor in the overall performance.

“I think that Quartararo makes the difference” Rossi admitted “but is not the first time of the season. He made the difference in the second race in Qatar, but also in Portugal he was very strong, and also in Jerez - but he had the problem with the arm. Le Mans was difficult conditions for Yamaha, with half and half, but here he always ride at the maximum. He never makes mistakes, he is very strong in the hot lap, and this is very important for MotoGP now. I think that he is the rider in the better shape. He had some problem with the arm but now he’s fixed this problem he is the favourite for the championship because he is the faster guy on the track.

“During all the weekend the only guy that was at his level was Pecco and he was very fast but unfortunately today Pecco made the mistake. If not I think that can be very interesting, the fight between Pecco and Quartararo.”