MotoGP riders want more Red Bull Ring changes in future
Valentino Rossi says MotoGP riders will push for extra safety modifications at the Red Bull Ring before future Austrian Grands Prix
Safety has been a major talking point ahead of motorcycle grand prix racing's first visit to Austria since 1997, namely the proximity of walls in braking zones and the size of some of the asphalt run-off areas.
The final corner has already been modified, narrowed by three metres, following a test attended by most of the MotoGP field last month.
Rossi says he was OK with the final corner, but has other reservations around what is set to be the fastest track on the MotoGP calendar.
"First of all, this track is very fast and when the track is fast, it's always dangerous," the Yamaha rider said.
"There are other points [than the final corner], but especially after the two lefts, the exit of the right before the two last corners.
"The exit from Turn 8 remains very dangerous because in a normal lap you go full throttle at a very high speed and the wall is very close.
"This for me is the most dangerous point that we have to try to improve for the next years."
Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso backed the final corner change, and Rossi's comments.
"It was necessary to change," he said.
"Like Valentino says, in Turn 8 we have to do something for the future.
"In Turn 4, the downhill run-off is maybe not enough, but during the weekend we will study to give advice to change it."
Honda pair Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa missed the test and only have experience of the Red Bull Ring on road bikes.
Marquez admitted that it was a "question mark" on whether the reprofiled final corner was enough, while Pedrosa is keen for the braking area into Turn 2 - with a wall to the riders' left - to be improved.
ROSSI: SALOM REPORT A WORRY
Official investigations following Luis Salom's fatal accident during Moto2 practice for the Catalunya Grand Prix in June outlined that there were no mechanical issues with his Kalex.
Rossi says while the Spaniard was "very unlucky with the dynamic of the crash", it stands to highlight the importance of improving run-off areas.
"When I saw the first time the crash I was sure the bike had a problem," he said.
"But if it's true that the bike had no problem, the problem is bigger because that corner in my mind is quite dangerous.
"The run off area was not enough. But we have other [corners] that are more dangerous.
"If you imagine that it was [not] enough with a Moto2 [bike], with a MotoGP it's also less."
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