Rossi expects great battle on Sunday

Ready to do battle with his young rival Jorge Lorenzo in Barcelona, having seen his talented team-mate beat him to pole position by less than 0.02s on home territory for the Spaniard, World Champion Valentino Rossi is excited about the prospect of a tough race at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Looking to continue his superb record at Montmeló and put the pressure on fellow front row starters Lorenzo and Casey Stoner at the top of the standings this weekend, Rossi stated, “I’m so happy because we have worked well on the bike and from yesterday I feel good when I’m riding. It’s better than at other recent races.”

Reviewing qualifying he added, “This afternoon was a great practice, a great battle, and I was always fast. We made some modifications, improving step by step, but at the end I was just a little bit slower than Lorenzo. Anyway we were very close and I’m happy because I think it will be a great fight in the race.”

Asked whether he was confident of taking his first Barcelona win since 2006 Rossi responded, “It will be difficult because of the temperatures and difficult for the tyres but I think it will be good because we are competitive. We still need to make some small adjustments but we are fast here. The important thing is to get back on the pace, stay in front in the warm-up and have fun in the race. It will be a close battle but we know it is just one of 17 races. It is always great riding here in Barcelona, it gives you extra motivation.”