IN an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Valentino Rossi has attempted to douse the flames of fan expectation for the coming season, stating that his current goal is just to win a race.
Speaking to the Italian sports paper, he said: 'The goal is to win a GP - I haven't done so since 2010. If I didn't win, but was on the podium every Sunday, that would be good. But the victory is the watershed.'
'I do not know my potential. With the M1 I will be more competitive, but for what? Fourth, podium, victory? I do not know.'
The MotoGP world is waiting eagerly to discover how Rossi will fare on the Yamaha on his return after two bleak years at Ducati.
In the same interview, he was also quick to recognize the challenge presented by team mate Jorge Lorenzo and Honda's Dani Pedrosa: 'It will be hard to get as strong as Pedrosa and Jorge. I'll get there steadily. I'll commit myself.'
When provocatively asked whether he would prefer to finish second after team mate Jorge Lorenzo (which whom he has enjoyed a tempestuous relationship in the past), or third behind the two Honda riders (Pedrosa and Marc Marquez), Rossi diplomatically responded the former.
A new, mellower Rossi for 2013?
