Abe surprised by Rossi.
After qualifying just eighteenth, Norick Abe needed a strong race at Welkom to silence his critics and justify his inclusion in the Yamaha line-up.
Fortunately for the Japanese that's just what he did - charging through the field to finish ninth, the top M1 rider after race winner Rossi.
"I'm happy because compared to qualifying and all the pre-season tests this is a bit of a surprise," began Norick. "But I'm surprised and happy for Rossi too - he was an unbelievable 36 seconds ahead of me!
After qualifying just eighteenth, Norick Abe needed a strong race at Welkom to silence his critics and justify his inclusion in the Yamaha line-up.
Fortunately for the Japanese that's just what he did - charging through the field to finish ninth, the top M1 rider after race winner Rossi.
"I'm happy because compared to qualifying and all the pre-season tests this is a bit of a surprise," began Norick. "But I'm surprised and happy for Rossi too - he was an unbelievable 36 seconds ahead of me!
"This is my first time on this bike in a race and finally I got the set-up right," explained the former 500cc race winner. "Racing is always different for me and usually faster than qualifying. Now I need to find a little more traction and that's what we'll be working on at Jerez."
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.
