'It will take time to beat Lorenzo' - Rossi
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30/01/2013
Returning Yamaha MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi has added to his comments about the podium being his first goal, saying that it will take time for him to beat reigning champion and team-mate Jorge Lorenzo in 2013.
Returning Yamaha MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi has added to his comments about the podium being his first goal, saying that it will take time for him to beat reigning champion and team-mate Jorge Lorenzo in 2013.
The nine-time world champion has upped the ante in recent days, targeting at least ten podium finishes for the 18-race series but tempered that by adding he may have to scrap with Marc Marquez for the final podium spot.
"I'd like to have plenty of podium finishes, at least 10, and to finish in the top three in the championship. If I didn't win but was on the podium every Sunday, it might be OK. But a victory would be the watershed. The objective is to win, which I've not done since 2010," said The Doctor.
"Even if I'm not competitive with Lorenzo and Pedrosa, I need to try to be not far behind them. And it's still to be seen how (Marc) Marquez will do.
"It will take time to beat Lorenzo; he'll be quicker at the start. His strong point is that he knows the Yamaha well and is better at riding it. I'll have to settle in bit by bit. The M1 is competitive, though. When I tried the bike at the end of last season, I found it to be good. Its acceleration has improved a lot."
