Never so low. We could summarize the Saturday lived in Losail by Valentino Rossi, 21st at the end of the Doha GP qualifying with a time of 1: 54.881. A result that will force the Doctor to start from the penultimate box, in front only of Lorenzo Savadori’s Aprilia.
It seems like an eternity has passed since last Saturday’s rehearsals, when Rossi was able to sign the fourth time on the grid, making the most of the wake offered by Francesco Bagnaia.
Step back
What has changed in just one week? “I don’t know. My team and I try to do everything necessary. Our commitment is always high.”, commented Valentino after qualifying. “Being angry is useless, you just waste time. I am aware of struggling in acceleration and I am even trying to change my driving style”.
Speaking is the chronometer: the time obtained today by Rossi (1: 54.881) is 1.7 seconds slower than that obtained last Saturday. An abysmal difference, due to work on settings and electronics done in the wrong direction.
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The result is the worst qualifying ever in the world championship for the nine-time world champion, never shot like this from the bottom of the grid. The lowest point had already been reached in 2018, when Rossi started 18th at the start of the Aragon GP. The Italian started from the 18th spot also in the 2006 Dutch Grand Prix, but that time he was affected by a wrist injury.
To find a worse result, we need to go back to the infamous 2015 Valencia race, when the 46 started last after the events at Sepang, and to Qatar 2004, a race in which the Yamaha rider started 23rd following a penalty.
Valentino had never done so badly in qualifying even at the time of Ducati, in which he recorded his lowest point starting next to last in the 2011 German Grand Prix.
Now all Rossi’s experience and tenacity will be needed to get back on top after yet another dark moment of a glorious and endless career, but which risks ending up in the slums of the rankings.
MotoGP Qualifying Doha, Martin: “Winning? They should fall in 6 or 7 “
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