The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team secured a brilliant win in Assen last Sunday but have little time to celebrate as they make their way to the next stage of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship, held at the Sachsenring this weekend.
Rossi arrives in Saxony searching for redemption after an unfortunate crash in the Netherlands. However, the Italian still shows his signature positive mindset. Thinking back to his strong second place here last year, he is hungry to take a top result again.
This weekend the Doctor sets out to secure his fifth MotoGP race win at the German circuit to add to his victories from 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2009. He also stood on the premier class podium in 2000, 2003, 2008, and 2018 for a second place, and in 2013 and 2015, having taken third position. Furthermore, he enjoyed his fair share of success at the Sachsenring in the lower classes, ranking third and first respectively in the 250cc in 1998 and 1999.
Following his victory and all-round strong pace at the last GP, Viñales is in high spirits and keen on keeping the momentum going this weekend at the Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland.
The Spaniard stood on the German podium three times already, having secured third places in the 125cc class in 2011, in the Moto3 class in 2013, and in the MotoGP class last year (making it a double podium for the Factory Yamaha team). Given his current form, the number-12 rider feels he can be a strong contender again this year and sets out to reach the podium at the Sachsenring once more.
The area around Chemnitz served as a stage for car and bike races on closed public roads from as far back as the 1920s until the 1990s. The Sachsenring circuit hosted its first MotoGP event in 1998 and has continuously been updated since. The numerous tight corners (ten left, three right) and the 12m wide tarmac make this circuit one of most difficult tracks for overtaking, but there is still plenty of close racing action that keeps the fans coming back for more.
Valentino Rossi
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team
“This is not a positive time for us. The end to the race in Assen was a real shame because I felt good after the warm-up, I was fast but instead ended up with another zero. The good thing is that now we go straight to the Sachsenring and we can immediately work on another GP weekend. It will be important to understand if the changes made for last Sunday’s race will also be positive at the Sachsenring this weekend. We will try to be competitive right from the start on Friday.”
Maverick Viñales
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team
“After the victory in Assen I feel like I’m still dreaming. It came at a time when we needed it the most and it gave us the confidence and strength to continue working hard. We arrive at the Sachsenring with a high level of concentration and eager to show that what happened in the Netherlands was not a coincidence but the result of hard work. The Sachsenring is a good track for us, it’s a track where I’m usually fast at, so I think that we have the potential to be on the podium. I can’t wait to be back on my bike and work hard from the start of the German GP.”
Massimo Meregalli
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“Straight after the Dutch GP we head to Germany and get back on track again this weekend. For different reasons after a mixed Assen outing, both Maverick and Valentino are extremely motivated to score the maximum amount of points at the Sachsenring. Last week again demonstrated how crucial it is to start off the GP weekend well, so we are determined to work hard to compete at the front again, similar to last year when we scored a double podium. The Sachsenring is quite narrow and it’s not easy to overtake there, so it will be vital to use all the available free practice time to the fullest in order to secure good qualifying results on Saturday, in preparation for Sunday’s race.”
