by H. Mayor – photo: motogp.com | A bandaged but smiley Valentino Rossi, appeared before the media at the Aragon’s pre-event press conference, and after having received the go ahead from the medical team, to confirm what a few days ago seemed like just a fantasy. He will compete this weekend. He will be in pain and the whole thing will be a sort of self-trial with no great expectations. He just wants to compete. He made a point to say during his statement that there are only three possible names for the title at this point  (Marquez, Dovizioso and Viñales), ruling himself out of the fight.

“I was quite positive about the test, because last time in Sachsenring I was in a worse condition. Now I’m able also to walk without the crutch. (…) And also the movement of the knee, or the ankle, they test everything. But also the leg is good to look at, it’s not swollen and a normal colour. So it was quite easy. (…) also because the medicine has improved a lot. I remember in 2010 after the surgery I had five or six days where I was very, very bad and this time already the next day I was able to go back home.” Rossi commented on his injury. He said he is “happy” to attempt this early comeback although he realises that he will be far from 100% fit. He still fills pain when he races particularly when he changes direction or during right hand bends and so he is well aware this is going to be a challenging race: “Already, to finish the race is a good target and maybe take some points also”.

What The Doctor is capable

This weekend we will find out what The Doctor is capable of on-board his Yamaha. Even though some critics speculate about an underlying desperate hope for the title being behind his premature return he has expressly denied it: “No, it’s not for the championship”. And in actual fact the three leaders are too far ahead given the stage of the competition. It is more likely his innate competitiveness is behind his desire to race and he is taking the remaining of the competition as a self-assessment exercise for the future. Rossi is 38 years old but he still has plenty of mileage left.