Indy MotoGP: Valentino Rossi cautious on safety

Valentino Rossi has voiced his concerns about some aspects of the new Indianapolis circuit, even though he hasn’t had chance to assess the new track.

Rossi was poised to get his first close up look of the Indy circuit later on today while other riders including Chris Vermeulen, Loris Capirossi and Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo raised some concerns about parts of the track.

“We speak very much during the last months about the track because we have two or three points that are strange and quite dangerous, especially on the front straight. Some parts are quite dangerous.

“For sure this is the first year so maybe it is not the perfect situation. When we go to Laguna Seca for the first time in was quite a bad situation in 2005 but in 2006 it was much better. For me looking only on the paper for sure this is not the best track in the world for the bikes. There are two or three points, the hairpin and the last corner are very, very tight.

“We have to try with the bike but like this on the paper for sure it is not a very funny track. We have to try with the bike and also they say there is some problem with the grip in the parts where there is a new surface.”

Rossi is also concerned about how the track will perform in rain conditions, with storms predicted for much of the weekend.

Rossi said: “For sure if it rains it is a big problem. Is better to have good weather, but we have to wait and see. This track is 100 per cent new and they have changed the direction and already the F1 drivers said in the past that it was not a very funny track, also with cars. We have to see with the bikes.”

Rossi arrives holding a comfortable 75-point lead over closest rival Casey Stoner, and he added: “I arrive here from a very good race for me and a good result. I am in a good shape. I ride quite well, and I am quite fast in the last period.

“My advantage in the championship, for sure, is important after the last races. Everybody is curious to try this new track with the MotoGP. The complex is fantastic. This place is full of history and a lot of fascination. For sure a place with 300,000 seats to see a race of Indy is fantastic. But we’re racing in the garden. We have to understand if the garden is OK.”