Scott: Rossi's bluffing, Biaggi isn't.

By Peter McLaren

Motocourse editor Michael Scott believes that world champion Valentino Rossi hasn't shown his true pace during pre-season testing, which finished with the Italian fourth fastest at Jerez last week, but he does accept that Max Biaggi's much publicised problems are real.

"I always make the point that testing is only testing and nothing more than a rough guide - and I would extend this still further and say that I don't think Valentino Rossi has shown all his cards yet. I'd suspected that he wouldn't before the tests and I still think he hasn't," Scott told Crash.net.

"One thing that struck me was in Catalunya, when he didn't win the (BMW) hatchback, he gave a very theatrical punching of the air. No-one had ever seen him do that before - I certainly hadn't - and I don't believe it. He's such a showman and he was putting on a show.

"Every little psychological advantage (Rossi) can get he'll take and that's just another one. He's already so predominate in that regard," Scott explained. "They are obviously the world's best riders - for example Max Biaggi is an absolutely divine rider, he's superb - and I think (Biaggi) turns up on the grid, he's got the factory Honda, everything's great and he looks over his shoulder and... oh my god there's Rossi. He's half beaten already."

Scott, who has followed the grand prix 'circus' since 1984, was then asked if he believed Biaggi's problems, which resulted in the Roman concluding the Jerez test in just 11th place, were really as bad as they appear.

"I don't think he's bluffing," Michael replied. "I think (Biaggi) is an erratic rider, he's an erratic person, he needs for everything to be absolutely right. When it goes a little bit out of kilter he's in serious trouble.

"Personally I'd love to see him win the championship this year," he added. "This is possibly some natural championing of the underdog - and (Biaggi) has been underdog for so long. As I said earlier, he's such a superb rider and another very human person and I hate to see him getting the worse of Rossi every time. It would be nice to see it go the other way."

The Spanish Grand Prix, the opening round of the 2005 MotoGP World Championship, begins next Friday at Jerez.