Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was second quickest behind teammate Jorge Lorenzo in FP1 at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana, despite a small problem with the bike that caused the Italian legend to come to a stop on an out lap. In the afternoon, the rider from Tavullia then tried the harder compound tyres – intended for use in the race – and found grip to be an issue; something to work on ahead of qualifying and the race.
Valentino Rossi (P8): “We had a small problem in the bike but it‘s OK. We just stopped to not create any bigger problems, but it's good. This morning at the end of practice it wasn't so bad, I finished in second place. In the afternoon I had a problem, because we tried the harder tyres that are supposed to be the tyres for the race, but I didn‘t have grip and I wasn‘t fast enough. At the end I put in the soft and improved my lap time, but anyway the balance of the bike is not OK, I‘m not happy with the setting so we have to work and try to make it better.”