Qatar MotoGP: Valentino Rossi worried ahead of season opener

Valentino Rossi said a lack of rear grip with his new Ducati GP12 machine was a big cause for concern after he ended the opening practice session of 2012 at the floodlit Losail International Circuit in Qatar with the 10th best time.

The nine-times world champion set a best time of 1.57.914 to finish only third quickest Ducati rider as the new 1000cc MotoGP era got underway in Doha tonight.

Rossi was a massive 1.440s adrift of pacesetter Casey Stoner on the Repsol Honda and he told MCN that a lack of grip under acceleration was the key point to improve ahead of Sunday night’s 22-lap race.

The 33-year-old said: “We have a lot of corners where we have to improve and work on. I have a lot of problem in acceleration, because I have a lot of wheelie and the rear slides.

“But for me the bigger problem is the one so important for the race and that is when the rear tyre starts to slide, I lose help from the rear to turn the front.

“This situation creates more understeer and I go in trouble. And this is the bigger problem where I am more worried because it’s very important for the race.”

Rossi spent the entire session exclusively using Bridgestone’s hard compound rear tyre, while team-mate Nicky Hayden was third fastest having run the softer option.
Rossi was just shy of one second behind the American and he said he could have shaved that time off had he opted to run the softer compound.

He added: “Nicky was one second faster on the soft, so I think I could have done that. It will be important to be fast on the soft for qualifying, but the tyre for the race will be the hard one.”