Rossi finally gets a podium win at Le Mans
Valentino Rossi finally was on the podium after a hard-fought race in wet conditions during the French Grand Prix at Le Mans, where he climbed from the third row of the grid to finally finish second on the podium. Starting the race in seventh place on the grid, Rossi quickly advanced to third place, at which point he encountered stiff opposition from Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow. The trio battled it out for a long time, changing positions almost every lap. Around seven laps from the end, Rossi finally put on a burst of speed, setting the fastest lap of the race and closing the gap with Casey Stoner, whom he overtook on the final lap. The Italian’s runner-up finish is his best result with Ducati so far. Jorge Lorenzo eventually won the race, with Stoner rounding up the podium.
A visibly elated Rossi stated that he was really very happy and knew that he had a special opportunity on these wet conditions today so he tried to ride perfectly and not throw it away. When he realized that he could really push hard to pass Stoner, he went to make his move and finally was able to pass Stoner. He added that he enjoyed himself and was very happy for the team and all the guys at Ducati, who all worked so hard to make it happen, and stated at the post-race conference that the team will continue working and tweaking until they become competitive on the dry.
Vittoriano Guareschi (Team Manager, Ducati Corse) said, “We’re very pleased with Valentino’s podium, and it also reflects the great job done by the team over the weekend. we’re overcoming little by little, although we still need to work to get it right. and now we’ll focus on other important areas of the bike. Today Vale was in a situation where he could ride as he’s capable of doing, and he gave us a great show. Vale showed everyone that Ducati, never gives up.”
