I cannot bang on enough about how we now have four winners from four starts after last weekend's race in China. Rossi needed to be that fourth winner, and he was.
When I asked him what it might have been like if he hadn't have won in Shanghai, he smiled and shook his head, just saying, "No!". I've got to know what "'appy" and "Very 'appy" is for him over the years since he was a 125 racer, and I have not seen him so happy with a win and happy to be a racer.
The glint in his eye was twinged with relief and genuine joy. It was a big boost for his title chances, but also notable for the fact that he beat Dani Pedrosa's Honda and properly whipped Casey Stoner's similarly-tyred Ducati.
![]() Valentino Rossi © LAT |
Rossi's skill won him that race, and it was good to see that he hadn't lost his magic touch after last winning a race back in September last year, the nine race drought ago being the longest winless streak he's had since 2000.