Factory Yamaha's Valentino Rossi says he was lucky to escape a big moment without crashing during today's MotoGP qualifying at Sepang and thanked his YZR-M1 for saving him.
The Doctor almost fell foul of a rain shower that appeared just before qualifying began but only affected turns five to eight. Rossi, like team-mate Lorenzo, was pushing a fraction too hard and it was only his electronics that enabled him to continue.
"I saw before on the television the moment of Jorge but mine was worse. Sincerely I didn't expect it was more wet on the rest of the track because on the start/finish line, there were some spot of rain but not very much," said Rossi, speaking at Sepang.
"But on the first lap out, I try to put the tyre in temperature and I arrive to the turn six. Somebody say that at turn five I have to pay attention, but at turn six I have a big moment, the rear slide a lot and my bike was very clever to come back, so I was lucky.
"After that, I know we have a good potential. We improve the bike from yesterday, we have good pace. In the free practice four I always use the tyre so with the new one I know I can go fast. So I try but the condition were more difficult than normal.
"This place is very difficult physically and I am older so maybe feel different than five years ago. I hope that for the race is a bit more easy with more adrenalin but 20 laps is a long way to try and ride the bike fast but save some energy for the end."
