MotoGP star Valentino Rossi has said he is not fond of the upcoming stretch of three races in three weeks, saying it is “not the best way”. MotoGP’s calendar has this week’s Motegi round followed immediately by the Phillip Island race on October 23, with Sepang making up a grueling three-week stint with a grand prix on October 30.
And the same structure – with three races in a row followed by a two-week pause before the season finale – has been retained in the 2017 calendar.
Speaking about it in the press conference at Motegi, Rossi said: “Three races in a row is always complicated, it’s not the best way.
“You can have a small problem in the first one and you pay a lot. Sincerely, I don’t like [it] much, three races in a row – it’s also a big stress.
“From the other side, you stay on the bike for a lot of time, so you can go faster and faster, and it’s three fantastic tracks. I like Motegi, but especially Phillip Island and Sepang, it’s always a great pleasure to ride the MotoGP at these three tracks.”
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Rossi’s Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo focused on the positive side of the issue, saying: “It’s tough, but, personally, I like [it], I like staying as much as possible on the bike.
“And normally when you make a race and you have the next race in the next [few] days, normally all your muscles are more ready and you have less problems. Should be a good three races.”
For championship leader Marc Marquez, whose 52-point advantage means he has a good chance of securing his third MotoGP title between Motegi and Sepang, staying out of trouble during the three-race run is a priority.
“It’s important to finish all the races, to be there, also keep quiet in practice because you can crash,” Marquez said.
“You must control the limit because you have two more races in front.”