Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi struggled in both wet and dry conditions during the opening Sepang MotoGP free practice sessions, finishing the soaking afternoon period some 3.5s slower than team-mate and fastest man Jorge Lorenzo.
The morning session run in dry but very hot conditions, saw the Italian only half a second off Dani Pedrosa’s pace but he maintains he needs to do a lot of work in order to hang with the Repsol Honda. It looks likely the race will be wet as it runs at 4pm to accommodate European TV - the exact time the heavens are usually open on a daily basis at Sepang.
“I’m not very happy. This morning, with the dry conditions, it went not so bad. My rhythm was already quite good, but it wasn’t enough. I was not fast enough or strong enough to stay at the front, also because I wasn’t able to ride the bike in a good way, so we need to work,” said The Doctor, speaking at Sepang.
“Especially, because in the wet this afternoon the situation was a lot worse. It was a very difficult practice and I wasn’t able to make the right speed to ride the bike in a good way, so the target is work, work, work. For Sunday we have to be ready for both conditions, because the weather here is very unstable and it could be either dry or wet.
“My bike had some chatter and we had to save the tyre, but I wasn’t able to get enough corner speed. I need more balance going through the corners to go faster.”
