Randy Mamola gav inte mycket för Rossis chanser att hävda sig med Yamman om den inte modifierades rejält.
Citat från MotoGp.com:
"...However, I’m afraid that unless Yamaha come up with something drastic for Rossi to test this winter, there is frankly no way he or any other rider can win the championship for them. Last week I tested both the Honda and the Yamaha, and my respect for the likes of Carlos Checa has gone up hugely. I don’t want to compare the bikes too much, but suffice to say I am amazed Checa has done what he has done on the M1. You can find the limit of the bike almost instantly, and I am not surprised Checa and his team have had to take major set-up gambles to try and make up ground on the Honda this year. Look at Barros – he crashed fourteen times this year! Personally, I think the maximum Rossi can do with that bike as it is now is make podium finishes, so the pressure is on Yamaha to provide him with something competitive."