Valentino Rossi’s test to see if he is fit enough to compete at Aragon was brought forward a day. The poor weather expected for Tuesday and Wednesday forced Rossi to take to the track at Misano on Monday afternoon, according to reports from well-informed local paper Rimini Today.
The Italian paper reports that Rossi did four laps of Misano, before being forced to pull in due to the rain. Conditions were far from ideal, however, the track still having some damp patches from the poor weather the area has suffered.
Yamaha Racing states that Rossi rode a Yamaha YZF-R1M at the track, and Rimini Today suggests that The Doctor rode four laps on the machine.
Images posted by the local paper show Rossi sitting very naturally on the bike, with a bent right knee and foot. That suggests Rossi’s recovery is proceeding apace, though four laps on a road bike is nothing near the same as 27 laps at full speed on a MotoGP machine.
There has been no official word on the test. If Rossi decides to fly to Aragon, Yamaha will doubtless put out a press release.
A decision on his participation will not need to be taken until Saturday lunchtime, however. Pata Yamaha WorldSBK rider Michael van der Mark has been called in to replace Rossi, and if he is to race, then Van der Mark must take part in qualifying.
Source: Yamaha Racing & Rimini Today
This article was originally published on MotoMatters, and is republished here on Asphalt & Rubber with permission by the author.
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