Lin Jarvis Reminds ducati of Valentino Rossi in Valencia 2006 - Pecco Bagnaia: 'I Will not think about that race'
Categories: MotoGP
Yamaha race director Lin Jarvis warns to not give up on the title and is positive that there will be a surprise in Valencia – Pecco Bagnaia remains calm.
With his victory at the Malaysia Grand Prix, Francesco Bagnaia laid the foundation for his first MotoGP World Championship title.
The Italian needs just two points in Valencia to keep Fabio Quartararo at bay. Even with a Quartararo victory in Valencia, “Pecco” would still be crowned champion.
Bagnaia and Quartararo after the Malaysian GP – Image provided by Motorsport Images
The chances for the current title holder and his racing team Yamaha are very slim. But despite all this, team boss Lin Jarvis remains in good spirits.
He recalls Valentino Rossi’s failed attempt in Valencia in 2006 to make himself the world champion. Rossi had made up a 51-point gap to Nicky Hayden in the races leading up to the final outing in Valencia but crashed in the last race – making rival Hayden the world champion.
“You can never be certain. But it’s clear that we have to win the race, which isn’t easy. At the same time, we are dependent on our opponent having bad luck”, Jarvis explains.
“I remember Valencia 2006. It was supposed to be just a formality at the time, but the unthinkable happened in the race,” notes the Yamaha race director.
He persists: “Valentino crashed and Nicky took the championship title. Valencia is a very difficult track. Anything is possible.”
Of course, the Englishman has a specific goal with his statements. To get into Bagnaia’s head and maybe plant a bit of doubt about the upcoming race weekend. But despite Jarvis’ memories and statements, Bagnaia remains calm.
In an interview with “AS”, he explains: “I will not think about that race. At the moment I feel good, and I still do not think I can play with the idea of winning the title. But I am very calm. Now I don’t know how the days will go until Valencia, but I will try to stay calm at home and relax a bit.”
