Valentino Rossi says he will only return to racing when he is fully recovered following his crash during the Italian Grand Prix.
Rossi is expected to be out for months after his leg-breaking crash at Mugello on Saturday. He has already undergone surgery and will start a long process of rehabilitating before he can start thinking of racing again. The Italian said he is hoping to return to action as soon as possible, but only when he feels 100 percent ready.
"The operation went well, I was operated on by Dr. Buzzi, who has been perfect like the rest of the staff," he told Italia1 in a telephone interview on Sunday. "They are taking care of me as I was part of their family. The fracture has been aligned and a pin was inserted in my leg.
"Tomorrow we'll have another surgery with the sealing of the wound, and then we'll have to wait and try to do good rehab job, it will take time. But the important thing is to be able to be back at my 100 percent."
He added: "I've re-watched the crash and it's ugly, but it's even uglier when watched on top of the bike. I immediately realized I was injured, and to see your foot slightly detached from the leg wasn't a great feeling. It was a difficult time, with fear, but little by little it went better, and I feel quite OK now. Anyway, don't worry, because I'll be back soon. I'll do my best to come back as soon as possible."
He was also thankful for all the support he has received since his crash. "I want to thank all the fans at Mugello, I've seen many banners, and I also want to thank the other riders, they've all sent me good wishes. They are close to me.
"It's been hard because it was a bad crash, a bad injury. However I'm in fairly good mood now, also because I've discovered I have a great relationship with morphine."