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This is the Valentino Rossi Q&A session. The video version of this interview with Valentino Rossi can be found at the bottom of this post.
What have you been doing during the off-season? How much training and how much holidaying?
It’s been split 50/50 between holidaying and training. The training during the winter is different compared to the summer, but it’s best not to stop training – it makes it more difficult to restart if you do stop.
How do you prepare for a new season? Is it more important to work on your fitness these days?
The physical preparation is very important for MotoGP, because you need power and resistance for the 45 minutes of the race, so I train at the gym as usual but at the same time I also try to train with the bike, or motocross or supermotard so as not to lose the feeling with the throttle or the brake.
At almost 31 years of age, do you think you’re still improving as a racer, or do you think you have reached the peak of your talents?
On February 16 I will be 31 years old! If you think you are at the top you have a big problem, because you always need to improve your style and speed, and try to adapt to the new bike, new tyres and new regulations and try to be that little bit faster than the year before.
Who do you think will be tougher to beat this season – Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner or Dani Pedrosa? Why?
It’s very difficult to understand who will be the main rival in 2010, because Jorge, Stoner and Pedrosa have all demonstrated in the past that they’re able to win Championships, are fast in all conditions at every track, and throughout the season. We also need to wait to see what level the bikes are at in 2010, but I think all three riders will be very difficult to beat.
You have made no secret of the fact that you’re not happy about the new engine rule restricting the amount of engines that can be used in a season. How would you change it if you could?
I think it will be a difficult rule or everybody because only six engines for one season is not enough – it’s very tight. If we had eight, or ten, it would be easier and less risky. But this is the rule, so all the manufacturers have to adapt to this rule, and also all the riders have to pay attention and try to save the engines throughout the end of the season.
Last year you made more mistakes than we’ve become accustomed to seeing you make. Do you think this was to do with the level your rivals pushed you to?
In 2009 I made three mistakes in races. That’s a lot, but two of them were because I had slick tyres in wet conditions. After the mistake in Indianapolis, which was the worst of the season, we will try and do much better in 2010.
What developments have you personally asked to be made to the M1 this season?
We’ve tried to improve the M1 in two ways. Firstly the chassis: we’ve tried to improve the stability of the M1 and create better grip. The second improvement is the engine, because we need a little bit more horsepower. At the same time we need to adjust to working with six engines for 18 races. So we need a little bit more horsepower but at the same time longer life for the engine.
What’s your opinion about Ben Spies? Do you think he can be a threat to the current ‘Big Four’ as many people say he will be?
A lot of people are waiting to see Ben Spies, to see his level. He’s the world superbike champion so it will be very interesting to see him in MotoGP. I think Ben has great potential, is a good rider, and is fast and brave. But I hope he will be a little bit slower compared to me, Jorge, Stoner and Pedrosa because four of us is already a lot!
What are your thoughts about the news of 1000cc engines returning in two seasons’ time? Is that an exciting prospect that makes you want to commit to MotoGP for even longer?
It will be interesting, and I’m quite happy because I liked 1000cc in the past. Now we have to understand the rules of these new bikes and new engines, and see if it’s possible to build an engine that is fast and fun to ride like in 2006.
Following your recent Ferrari F1 test, people are asking once again if you will move to F1. What do you say about this and how do you expect Ferrari to do this year?
I completed another test with the Ferrari F1 in Barcelona, and it was great. I enjoyed it a lot and did some quite good lap times, but I think it will be very difficult to see me in F1.
What do you think about Schumacher returning to F1?
I think it will be interesting to see his speed, after three years out.
Is what Schumacher is doing something you could see yourself doing: that is, leaving MotoGP for a few years and then returning, or do you think that when you do decide to retire it will be for good?
It’s a difficult question, I don’t know. A lot of great sportspeople come back, like Michael Jordan or Lance Armstrong.
When do you expect to make a decision about your future?
I think more or less during the summer. It’s possible I’ll decide what will happen with me in 2011 then.
Can you shed any light on what you’re planning?
On my future, I haven’t decided yet.
Source: Motogp.net
Selepas 12 tahun menakluki dunia, pencapaian Titanic dilihat mustahil untuk diatasi. Namun, itu semua sebelum kemunculan filem arahan terbaru James, Avatar (2009).
Walaupun pada mulanya, Avatar yang memecah rekod filem termahal dunia dengan kos pembikinan AS$237 juta (RM814 juta) dikritik tidak akan menerima sambutan, James membuktikan bahawa dia masih merupakan Raja dalam dunia perfileman.
Setiap hari, pencinta dan pengkritik filem di seluruh dunia teruja menanti jumlah kutipan Avatar kerana masing-masing mahu menjadi orang pertama untuk mengetahui bila filem itu akan merampas tempat Titanic.
Namun, pengarahnya sendiri tidak begitu mempedulikan kutipan box-office.
Sementelah, jika Avatar mengatasi Titanic sekalipun, kedua-dua filem itu merupakan hasil kerja tangan James. "Tidak seperti pembikin filem yang lain, saya tidak akan menunggu di samping telefon berjam-jam untuk menantikan kutipan di pawagam.
"Saya cuma menanti panggilan pada hari Isnin untuk mengetahui jumlah yang diperolehi pada hujung minggu. Saya hanya mahu berada di kedudukan pertama," ujar James.
Bukan semua pengarah mampu mengeluarkan kenyataan sebegitu kerana berapa ramai pengarah yang pernah menghasilkan produksi filem yang mencatat kutipan mencecah AS$1bilion (RM3.4 bilion)?
Dalam senarai yang turut dibarisi filem The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) dan The Dark Knight (2008) itu, James berjaya menguasai dua kedudukan tertinggi.
Malah, hanya pada hari ke-19 tayangan di pawagam seluruh dunia, Avatar sudah berjaya mencecah kutipan AS$1 bilion (RM3.4 bilion).
Maka, dengan jumlah itu, hasil kerja pengarah berusia 55 tahun itu mencipta rekod filem terpantas untuk mencapai angka tersebut.
Ditayangkan pertama kali di London pada 10 Disember dan di seluruh dunia antara tarikh 16 hingga 18 Disember, Avatar pada Isnin lalu secara rasmi telah menumpaskan pesaing hebatnya, Titanic untuk menjadi filem terlaris sepanjang zaman dengan kutipan AS$1.858 bilion (RM6.317 bilion) - jumlah setakat 27 Januari.
Pada 6 Januari lalu, Avatar telah mengambil tempat The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King yang berada di kedudukan kedua sejak tahun 2003 dengan mencatatkan kutipan AS$1.133 bilion (RM3.852 bilion). Berada di kedudukan pertama pawagam untuk enam minggu berturut-turut, Avatar ditayangkan di 14,604 pawagam di seluruh dunia.
Walaupun kutipannya menurun sebanyak 1.8 peratus pada minggu kedua di Amerika Syarikat (AS) dengan jumlah AS$75.6 juta (RM257 juta), ia berjaya memecah rekod filem The Dark Knight yang mencatat kutipan tertinggi minggu kedua sepanjang masa.
Pada minggu keempat, Avatar terus menyinar dengan catatan baru box-office AS. Menjana AS$50.3 juta (RM171 juta), ia telah mengalahkan rekod Titanic yang sebelum ini mengumpul AS$28.7 juta (RM97.5 juta). Maka, melihat kutipan yang diperolehi, tidak hairan jika Avatar menjadi filem pertama yang paling banyak menduduki tangga tertinggi sejak The Sixth Sense (1999).
"Kutipan pembukaan minggu pertama tidak akan menjanjikan kejayaan sesebuah filem. Ia tidak akan memberitahu bagaimana penerimaan orang ramai terhadap filem tersebut. Contohnya seperti filem Titanic.
"Ia hanya menerima AS$28.6 juta (RM97.2 juta) di AS pada Disember 1997. Namun, Titanic berjaya mencatat kutipan sebegitu kerana penonton wanita. Mereka memberi respons kepada cerita cinta beremosi.
"Reaksi kumpulan penonton pertama itu penting kerana mereka akan mempengaruhi kutipan filem itu seterusnya. Bagi saya Avatar merupakan satu eksperimen," kata James.