Yamaha Motor Philippines kicked off its 8th Yamaha Grand Prix with a bang by inviting two MotoGP racing icons. “The Doctor” Valentino Rossi and “Top Gun” Maverick Viñales primed the racetrack at Robinsons Novaliches for Yamaha’s premier one-make race.
Before making their MotoGP debut as a duo, Rossi and Viñales arrived Saturday morning in Manila from Indonesia to share to aspiring Filipino riders what it takes to be racing at the world’s most prestigious motorcycle racing league. Received by warm greetings from Filipino fans, Rossi and Viñales held a press conference at the Robinsons Novaliches Trade Hall and answered questions from the media.
This isn’t Rossi’s first time here in the Philippines. He was present at the Yamaha GP 5 opening ceremonies held last 2014 and was able to ride the Yamaha Sniper MX135. But the experience is sweeter the second time around as Rossi said he was even more impressed by the number of fans who attended Yamaha GP 8’s opening ceremonies. Valentino also said that they’re on the lookout for the next Filipino rider to grace the international circuits, and programs like the Yamaha Grand Prix is one avenue to spot such talent.
The question of how long will The Doctor be able to race before retiring came up and the nine-time world champion responded that as long as he can race, he will race. Rossi is aware that he will park his bike one day, but he made sure that before that happens, he has a surprise for the Filipino fans around the world. The Doctor promised to have the Philippine flag on his Yamaha M1, representing the country all over the world.
As for Viñales, it’s his first time to visit the Philippines, but he was very surprised at the very warm welcome that fans gave him. He told the press that he didn’t expect to have so many fans in this side of the world. The Spaniard also added that the people are very friendly and always smiling, and that the energy and passion for the motorsport is palpable throughout the event. When asked what he feels riding alongside the legend, Viñales responded excitedly saying that racing alongside Rossi will make him an even better rider.
Before debuting at Sepang, the duo rode side by side for the first time in public with the Yamaha Sniper 150 MXi in their respective MotoGP livery. The crowd went wild as they pushed the Sniper 150 MXi to its limit and performed wheelies for the fans. After finishing the laps, Rossi and Viñales once again took to the stage, alongside Toru Osugi, president of Yamaha Motor Philippines, to officially open the 8th Yamaha Grand Prix.
From here, the duo flew out to the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia for the first round of testing for the 2017 MotoGP season. They will debut their new colors for their Yamaha YZR-M1.
8th Yamaha Grand Prix race schedule:
1st leg – January 28 at Robinsons Novaliches, Quezon City
2nd leg – April 30 at SM City Cebu, Cebu City
3rd leg – June 4 at Digos Sports Complex, Davao del Sur
4th leg – September 3 at the Quirino Grandstand, Manila
