Valencia: Rossi: 'It hasn't been an easy season'
Valentino Rossi is the first to admit that 2019 'hasn't been an easꦫy season', but the Italian showed speed and consistency during a 'good race' last time at Sepang.
Setting a fastest race lap for the first time since 2016 the💞 Monster Ya♌maha rider came within 0.354s of ending a now 15-round podium absence.
The nine time world champion is currently seventh in the standings heading into this weekend's Valencia season finale, which would be his worst champ💙ionship p𓃲osition since 2011 at Ducati.
Valentino Rossi is the𓆏 🍸first to admit that 2019 'hasn't been an easy season', but the Italian showed speed and consistency during a 'good race' last time at Sepang.
Setting a fastest race lap for the first time since 2016 the Monste🃏r Yamaha rider came within 0.354s of ending a now 15-round podium absence𒅌.
The nine time world champion is currently seventh in t🅺he standings heading into this weekend's Valencia season finale, which would be his worst championship position since 2011 at Ducati.
However, Rossi still has a fighting chance of fifth overall, sitting only six points from Petronas rookie Fabio Quartararo and ten from Ducati's ꦏDanilo Petrucci.
“The final GP of 2019 has arrived. It hasn't been an ea🥂sy season but in the last races we improved," Rossi said.
"In Malaysia we had a good ra🔯ce and we will try to do the same in Valencia, we want🐲 to try to go on the podium.
"After the last Grand Prix there will be two tests, one in Valencia and one in Jerez. These will be very important weeks.🌜 We will do our best!”
Rossi fought for victory in last year's resta🐈rted wet ♐Valencia race, only to fall, meaning his most recent rostrum at the track was in 2014.
Team director Massimo Meregalli said: "Vale would like to fight for the victory again 🍌in Valencia, as a do-over of last year‘s race.
"Overall, we‘ll keep our goal for this weekend simple: 𝔉we want to give the fans one thrilling last raꦚce weekend before the ’winter break‘, though we won‘t be resting.
"On the Tuesday after the race we will, of course, go straight b꧑ack to work again to contiꦯnue testing for 2020.”
Valencia will also be Rossi's final race with crew🅠 chief Silvano Galbusera, whom he has worked alongside since 2014.
David Munoz will step-up from the VR46 Moto2 team to be Rossi's new crew chief for 202𒁏0, when Galbusera is due to join Yamaha's European Test Team, although uncertaint🅺y surrounds the identity of its rider with Jonas Folger being dropped.
Rossi's team-mate Maverick Vinales took 🔥his second victory of the season at Sepang and currently holds ꦑthird in the world championship.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s♓ inju🐠ry issues.
