Rossi confirms he will race in Japan

Valentino Rossi has confirmed he will ride at Motegi in October, ending months of speculation that safety concerns could derail the Japanese event.

Rossi was one of a number of riders reluctant to commit to travelling to Motegi until the situation – and safety – of the region was assured following the devastating effects of the earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan in March.

The Italian confirmed in a pre-race press conference at Aragon that he would ride at Motegi however, a stance which now seems to reflect the majority of the MotoGP paddock.

"I will go to Japan to make the race," Rossi said. "All the controls are negative so it looks quite safe, and I will be in Motegi."

Rossi told Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport that feedback from independent agencies had been crucial in making his decision.

"These months I've talked to knowledgeable people who have analyzed the data from ARPA, who has gone to Motegi for Dorna, but also from an American agency who did the same job for the IndyCar Series.

"On top of that with Ducati we've heard from another agency and we are all calmer. This is why I've decided to go. After all, either us riders were all united, or I couldn't do much all by myself."