Valentino Rossi, the legendary seven-time MotoGP world champion, was sidelined for this Sunday's Aragon GP after a positive COVID-19 test. The Yamaha team has now announced that he will miss the following weekend's Grand Prix of Teruel as well, due to mandatory quarantine rules.
Valentino Rossi a seven-time MotoGP world champion after testing positive for COVID-19 missed out on this Sunday’s Aragon GP. Now due to quarantine regulations, Rossi’s Yamaha team said that he will also be not taking part in next weekend’s Grand Prix of Teruel.
Yamaha stated that Italian health regulations for athletes who test positive for COVID-19 make it impossible for Valentino Rossi to participate in the Gran Premio de Teruel. The return process requires a 10-day quarantine period starting from October 15th, followed by a negative test. This means the earliest Rossi can realistically return to competition is the Gran Premio de Europa in Valencia, scheduled for November 6th-8th.
After reviewing the situation, Yamaha decided it wasn't practical to bring in a substitute rider for the upcoming Teruel Grand Prix in Aragon. As a result, Maverick Vinales will be riding solo next weekend, continuing the trend from the Aragon GP where Yamaha also left Rossi's spot vacant.
The team's decision stems from the extreme stress and exhaustion the staff and project members have faced during this pandemic-affected MotoGP season. Many of Yamaha's engineers and non-EU employees are already dealing with extended quarantine periods, and the team feels that integrating a new rider would only add unnecessary pressure. Furthermore, they believe bringing in a substitute for a single race would offer little to no benefit. Considering these factors, YMC and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP have agreed not to replace Rossi.
Yamaha will now shift its full focus toward supporting Maverick Vinales for the Teruel GP, with further updates on Rossi's recovery expected next week.
On Friday, Yamaha officially notified IRTA that Rossi had tested positive for the coronavirus. Following the Italian government's 10-day isolation rule, Rossi is expected to be eligible to rejoin his team on October 26th—one day after the Teruel Grand Prix concludes. In other news, Michelin, the official MotoGP tire supplier, announced this Sunday that one of its technicians also tested positive and has been isolated in accordance with health protocols.
Asides from ‘DOCTOR’, the official tire supplier of MotoGP, Michelin announced this Sunday that one of its technicians has tested positive for the novel virus and as per regulations the individual has now been placed in isolation.