More than five years after his retirement from MotoGP, Valentino Rossi continues to leave a mark on the paddock—this time not through his on-track exploits, but through the assessment of one of the most experienced suspension engineers in the sport. Jonas Torstensson, motorcycle racing manager at Ohlins, revealed how The Doctor possessed extraordinary sensitivity to his bike, a rare quality among riders.
In an interview with Marca.com, Torstensson explained that Rossi had a unique ability to 'listen' to his machine. "When he got on a bike, the bike spoke to him, and he could translate it to tell the engineers what needed to be done to go fast," he said. This is no mere praise; Ohlins has gathered feedback from dozens of riders since their first 500cc title with Eddie Lawson in 1984.
Unlike Rossi, Marc Marquez is known for his ability to ride around problems. Torstensson recalled a moment when they brought a new part, and Marquez immediately set a stunning lap time. "We thought, 'Wow, this stuff is really good.' But he came back and said, 'No, I don't like it.' We asked, 'So how come you're so fast?' He said, 'I just pushed harder,'" Torstensson recounted. Marquez's knack for being fast despite imperfect settings is a hallmark that often leaves engineers amazed.
Torstensson also compared Pecco Bagnaia to Marquez. In his view, both are highly sensitive, but in different ways. "Pecco is criticised for being very sensitive, but, from my point of view, he is a really great rider; when we test things with him, he really knows how to define what it is, and his feedback is very good. He's also sensitive in the other way; he needs the bike set up properly to go fast. As an engineer, for testing, that's a very good thing," he explained.
Torstensson also discussed the contribution of Joan Mir and Suzuki to the development of the current Ohlins rear shock, now used by all manufacturers. In the pandemic-affected 2020 season, Suzuki quickly adapted the new rear shock thanks to the strong collaboration between Mir and test rider Sylvain Guintoli. "They completed the development work very early on. Of course, they didn't win because of this, because the bike as a whole was brilliant and Mir was also a very good rider... but it helped, and that part is still used today," Torstensson revealed.
Currently, Ohlins supplies suspension to all MotoGP manufacturers except KTM, which uses its in-house WP brand. The last rider to win the title without Ohlins suspension was Nicky Hayden in 2006 with Showa at Honda—a testament to Ohlins' dominance over the past two decades. With 20 years in the paddock, Torstensson has witnessed the rise and fall of legends, and now he shares stories that enrich our understanding of the technical details often overlooked.
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