Because he was Valentino Rossi positive for new coronavirus, driver Yamaha is not only absent from the current racing weekend MotoGP in Aragon, but will be missing at the same racetrack next weekend as well. His team confirmed this on Sunday morning in press release.
"Italian measures regarding Covid-19 infection stipulate that any person who tests positive is self-isolated for ten days from the time of the test," it says in the said message. In the case of Rossija the test was performed on Thursday, October 15. Thus, the Italian must remain in quarantine until October 25.
That's why it will Red could only compete in the race for Grand Prix of Europe v Valencia, which airs between November 6 and 8. He has to do another one before that PCR test, where the result must of course be negative.
As they said at Yamaha, a replacement driver for Rossija it won’t even be on the second weekend MotoGP v Aragon. “This decision is due to the great stress that is burdening members of Yamaha’s MotoGP project this season, which is heavily influenced by Covid-19. That is why we have decided not to burden them further, ” they wrote in a statement.
The team is already working in reduced number and in a difficult situation, so the management decided not to burden the team with additional stressbecause they would have to adapt to the new driver who is supposed to Rossi replaced just for a single racing weekend.
Prior to that, there was a lot of speculation about the possible return of the Yamaha test driver Jorge Lorenzo. But because the Spaniard is only because of the pandemic little tested, this option was quickly ruled out. Names from other racing series were also mentioned in the public debate, but they are at Yamaha put an end to speculation with a press release.
