Rossi: I had a big fight with Biaggi.
Valentino Rossi made history today by scoring Honda's 500th GP win, almost exactly 40 years after Tom Phillis claimed the marque's first GP success at the 1961 Spanish 125 GP.
Rossi came through from eighth on the grid to grab the lead on lap seven after a frantic encounter with Biaggi that saw Rossi elbowed out onto the grass at over 120mph along the start/finish straight.
After passing Biaggi on the following lap, the Nastro Azzurro rider went on to win the race from Australia's Garry McCoy by 0.7 seconds, after backing off on the final lap.
Valentino Rossi made history today by scoring Honda's 500th GP win, almost exactly 40 years after Tom Phillis claimed the marque's first GP success at the 1961 Spanish 125 GP.
Rossi came through from eighth on the grid to grab the lead on lap seven after a frantic encounter with Biaggi that saw Rossi elbowed out onto the grass at over 120mph along the start/finish straight.
After passing Biaggi on the following lap, the Nastro Azzurro rider went on to win the race from Australia's Garry McCoy by 0.7 seconds, after backing off on the final lap.
"I've always had bad luck at Suzuka - this is the first time I've finished in the top ten here in any class," grinned Rossi afterwards.
Rossi was reluctant to slam Biaggi's behaviour, and the Marlboro Yamaha rider even congratulated his victorious countryman despite the animosity shown on the racetrack.
"I had a big fight with Haga, Barros and Biaggi and found it quite hard to pull away once I got out front," was the only reference Rossi made to the incident at a clearly tense press conference.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
