Petronas Yamaha SRT rider, Valentino Rossi, become slow and really uncompetitive for world championship in this 2021 MotoGP season. The Italian has scored just four points so far.
MotoGP legend Kevin Schwantz believes that the current technical set-up of the bikes is part of the reason behind Rossi’s loss of form in recent races.
“I’m concerned about the 46, I don’t like seeing him race that far back. It seems like he qualified a little bit better in Qatar but then he really struggled in Portugal and Jerez and not making any great advances in the race like he used to.” Schwantz said.
“Maybe it’s just his comfort level is not there with the bike, maybe there’s something new that Yamaha’s got that’s made the factory Yamaha’s bike better and maybe Rossi is last on the pecking order to get it. So, who knows? I’m sure the 46 still has some fight left in him.” Schwantz added.
Rossi had declared before if he had not been competitive it would have made no sense to continue indefinitely a career in MotoGP which has certainly been very bright.
“As a rider it’s really hard on you. Racing is fun because we all love winning and when the opportunity to win is not there, racing’s really not that much fun anymore. So, I don’t know what the answer is.” Schwantz said.
“I would have thought maybe getting to Europe, maybe not so much Portugal as much as Jerez, getting to a track he knows, he’s raced at and has won races at that maybe that was going to help him get back on his feet. But it’s definitely a struggle for him right now.” Schwantz added
