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Valentino Rossi says he “studied everything” about former Tech 3 Yamaha MotoGP rider Jonas Folger’s runner-up finish in the 2017 German Grand Prix in order to finish second in ’18.
Folger, who is absent from the grid this year due to illness, outshone the works Yamahas of Rossi and Maverick Vinales on his Tech 3-run M1 bike at the Sachsenring in 2017, leading several laps and scoring his maiden podium.
On Sunday, Rossi finished just two seconds behind Marquez, having not finished higher than third in the 2018 season.
Rossi said after the race that Folger’s performance had served as a reference point for how Yamaha can tackle a track that hasn’t favoured it as of late.
“For me, the race of Folger last year was very important,” Rossi said. Rossi said. “First of all, mentally, because I remember I arrived here last year and I was not comfortable with the bike, I was not strong enough.
“But Folger last year didn’t know that it’s a difficult track for the Yamaha and he did a fantastic race, at the level of Marc [Marquez], so he stayed there in the fight.
“So I study everything from Folger’s race, all the lines, which way he ride the bike, which way he set[-up] the bike.
Rossi added jokingly: “I think it’s a good help for me, the race of Folger last year, so I have to give to him the trophy.”
Rossi said the German GP was his best performance of the campaign thus far.
“It’s not just my best result of the season, but it is also my best race because I did a very good start,” he said. “It was very important, because I was sixth [on the grid], to try to overtake somebody at the start.
“And after, I rode well for the 30 laps, trying to save the tyre and I was always in the right place at the right moment.
“I was able to make some overtaking without making a mistake.”
Team-mate Vinales’ race was typical in his season, as he struggled early on and ran most of the distance in seventh before charging on used tyres in the end to complete the podium, just six tenths behind Rossi.
“I prepared really well for the last 10, 15 laps, but actually I didn’t expect to be [running] seventh, I expected to be there in the front, trying to battle [for the win],” Vinales said.
“I think at the moment we recovered the feeling where I can be quick at the end. So we need to improve my riding style to be fast at the beginning.
“It was very low grip at the start of the race, and improving lap by lap. Honestly, it’s strange but it’s like this.”