Valentino Rossi has impressed upon his Yamaha MotoGP bosses that although improvements have been made to the M1, more work is needed.
Speaking at the 2019 bike launch in Jakarta, Rossi said he is pleased with the progress so far, both he and team-mate Maverick Vinales have a lot to do at Sepang, starting this week.
“The upcoming test in Sepang is very important, because it’s the first opportunity for the team to get together to try everything Yamaha has been working on over the winter,” said Rossi.
“Our performance improved towards the end of last season, but we want and need to make some more big steps, so we need to get to work.
“I’m happy that Monster Energy is joining our team in a new role this year. They have been Yamaha’s and my sponsor for a long time, so we know each other well and we share the same passion for racing, which is important. I’m sincerely looking forward to the new season and to riding again, I want to get back aboard my M1.
“I feel as good and determined as ever, nothing changed in that area, and I believe that, with some hard work, we can improve upon last year and be back on top.”
