Valentino Rossi is experiencing the toughest season start he’s ever experienced and, three races in, he arrives at Jerez with just four championship points. All scored in the first race, which he finished in twelfth place. Too few if we consider what a great he has been, the nine world titles he possesses, the many achievements he will recount to his grandchildren, and the 200th MotoGP podium he’s been chasing since 2020.

A track with podium potential

The Andalusian track that is about to host round four of the season is one that has brought Rossi significant success in the past. There has always been good feeling between the two. Of the 27 races the Italian has contended between 1996 and 2020, he has reached the podium on 16 occasions – nine of which were race wins. His latest podium came just last year, and this is perhaps the most important fact.  The number 46 Yamaha was able to cross the line third in last season’s Jerez race, the Doctor relishing a feeling that he hadn’t experienced since the Austin race in 2019.

He has the resources

So Rossi and his team were able to find a way to be competitive last year, but will this be the case this year? It’s true that his team has changed, Rossi having moved from the factory squad to the Malaysian Petronas team, but the material he has available is almost the same and he’ll have all the data to be able to find the best possible set-up. Definitely a solid base from which to start then, as the Italian attempts to turn his season around and score the kind of results worthy of his role.

Translated by Heather Watson

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