Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) had taken a big leap up the timesheets on Day 2 in the desert as a big breakthrough saw him end the day second - despite a crash - but Sunday saw a change in fortunes as the Italian ended the day in eleventh. Having struggled at times throughout testing and that remaining true on the final day in Qatar, the nine-time World Champion can see the potential of the package in his teammate’s dominion over the timesheets – but as yet hasn’t unlocked the same speed from the bike.
Valentino Rossi, P11: “Today was more difficult compared to yesterday. We started with the same bike and we had a program but unfortunately I hadn’t got the same feeling or the same speed. Looks like the conditions changed a bit and I wasn’t able to improve. I didn’t have the same feeling as yesterday, I was a bit slower and it was a lot more effort to go slower. I don’t think we are ready yet and we don’t understand 100% how to make this bike work at the maximum. So we’re a bit worried because except for some good laps, the tests were very difficult. So now we have to speak together and try and be stronger for the first race.
“It looks like the bike has good potential because Viñales is very, very fast. I think him and his team have understood in a shorter time how to get the maximum from it.”