The new chapter in Valentino Rossi’s motorsport life didn’t quite start as planned this weekend.
But then the drama took its course: after two accidents, the pit lane was hectic during a safety car phase. As a result, the lollipop man from Rossi’s WRT team was unable to stand in the designated spot. The result: Rossi overlooked him and drove past the pits. Stupid: The Italian had to do a lap of honor before he could turn again for driver change and service.
“A lot of confusion with a lot of cars and unfortunately I missed the pits. That is experience,” the two-wheeler legend later commented on his boxing mishap.
Rossi fell back to 27th place. But his teammate Frederic Vervisch ironed out the mistake and raced up to 17th place. A result that Rossi, used to success, can obviously live with: “The race is very different, but I enjoyed it. I did some good laps. The first experience was positive.”
