Valentino Rossi Quotes

I was already on pole, then by half a second and then one second and I just kept going. Suddenly I was nearly two seconds faster than anybody else, including my team mate with the same car.

Obviously it's critical that the three cars are able to contribute to the program. I think that certainly has given much of the reason as to why we did so well at Indy over the last several years.

The fast, flowing parts, the high-speed corners, that's where a Formula One car is at its best - changes of direction, pulling high g-forces left and right.

If I test the car for a year I can be quite competitive the next season.

Richard Childress and myself have made some important innovations on our cars.

F1 teams need a driver who will consistently set lap times that are 100 percent on the edge.

In 2002 the Yamaha was at more or less the same level as the Honda, better in some ways, worse in others. But in the winter of last year between 2002 and 2003, Honda made a big step forward and it seemed as if Yamaha couldn't quite match that improvement.

One of my greatest pleasures in motor racing is qualifying. You have loads of freedom from pushing a lap the whole way. I've always been very good in qualifying in the past; everything I've done, I've got pole positions.

One of my biggest problems this season was with the clutch at the start of the race. I hate to risk the car.

You never really know how quick you are before you reach F1.

My focus is definitely on the racing.

After I joined Toyota, there was a period when I drove more than 200 cars in one year - different types, other companies' cars. I want to be able to tell what distinguishes one car from the next.

You always want to have a winning car, but there is no guarantee that it will be.

I am going to miss that time when you take that corner better than anybody else could have taken it on that lap or you do that great qualifying lap or you make that great pass or you bring a crippled car home.

I've got a great team of engineers behind this race car. I've got a great bunch of mechanics that make it reliable. This car is developed to go out there and be better than the Reynard, and I feel that it is.

He is accelerating all the time. That last lap was run in 64 seconds and the one before in 62.

It's really fun to think about what it would be like to see Walter Davidson step onto a modern-day motorcycle. He'd probably go insane! But motorcycles were such a part of him.

My aim, as always, is to deliver a good and consistent performance across the year. That is the goal for any driver.

No one goes to WrestleMania wanting to walk away going,'Yeah, it was okay, but I thought last year's was better.'

If the car is capable of finishing eighth, then I want to get the most out of the car and put it eighth. If the car is only capable of finishing 13th to start the year, then that has to be our goal.

When I'm doing longer runs I can be very consistent on the lap times because I know what the car is doing all the time.

The guy that can be the trimmest for four laps and keep a good average speed is the guy that's going to be on the pole.

I'm in the factory a lot so I see how hard the guys work, but you never really know how quickly and effectively the other teams' development programmes are going until you get to the track. It's only then that we will be able to tell.

It's good to get a good lap and get pole.

You have to let the car do the job and try to trust it, try to understand what you are doing, try to be smooth, and try to be incredibly smart to set the car up, because that is the most important part.