Valentino Rossi has praised Marc Marquez’s consistency across the 2017 season so far, highlighting this as the main reason the Honda rider leads the standings ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix.
Honda introduced a new engine configuration for this season in a bit to improve the acceleration issue that has plagued it since 2015, and while improving the situation the problem still persist.
Despite this – as well as crashing out in two of the opening five races – Marquez tallied up two wins before the summer break and added to that one week ago in the Czech Republic, which moved him 14 points clear in the standings.
Rossi – who is fourth and 22 points adrift of the Spaniard – admitted he has faltered at several circuits this year and this, added to Marquez’s ability to take strong results at most tracks, has allowed the Honda rider to take control in the championship.
“I think that he is fast in all the conditions, wet and dry,” the Yamaha rider said on Thursday at the Red Bull Ring.
“But especially this year he is able to be fast in all the tracks.
“For me, sometimes I’m competitive, but in some other tracks I suffer a lot and I was very far from to the top.
“So I think for this reason (Marquez leads the championship).”
Rossi wary of Ducati threat in Austria
Having dominated proceedings at the Red Bull Ring 12 months ago, Rossi believes Ducati will be hard to beat once again despite 2017 being a difficult year to predict the pecking order from race to race.
Andrea Iannone led home team-mate Andrea Dovizioso to take Ducati’s first win in six years in MotoGP’s first visit to Austria since 1997 in 2016.
Rossi – who was was fourth in last year’s race – highlighted both factory riders as being capable of winning on Sunday following strong showings at Brno, while also tipping Pramac’s Danilo Petrucci as a potential podium threat.
“It’s very difficult to say, because this year it change a lot every race track,” said the Italian.
“But I consider the Ducati the bike and the riders to beat here, like last year. I hope we can be closer.
“Dovi is always very strong and also in the race in Brno he was very fast. Also Lorenzo, for sure we know this weekend can be a good chance for try to win and he will give the maximum because on the test on Monday he was very strong.
“Also Petrucci this year is fast, and for sure can fight for the podium.”
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