Rossi finds fitness

Valentino Rossi believes he is returning to his best fitness levels after he picked up the pace in Sepang this week as he continues to plot winning back the MotoGP crown in 2007.

Rossi was 0.6s faster than he managed at the Malaysia circuit late last month, and he said much of the improvement had come from his own riding after the long seven-week winter lay-off.

“I’m a lot better. At the last test Colin said I was rusty. I did a lot of laps on the first day in January and on the second and third day I had a lot of problems with the muscles and was in a lot of pain. Now I am better. 

“I prepare at the gym and its possible to make good work. I am already faster but that’s because I have made more miles,” said the 27-year Italian, who recently extended his Yamaha contract to the end of 2008. Rossi returns to the track on Tuesday (February 13) for the first IRTA test in Qatar.