MotoGP: Fiat Yamaha strongest team for 2008 says Valentino Rossi

Seven-times world champion Valentino Rossi believes Yamaha’s new look factory team with Jorge Lorenzo is the strongest in the 2008 MotoGP series.

Speaking on the eve of the new season which kicks off on Sunday night in Qatar, Italian Rossi reckons the arrival of double world 250 champion Lorenzo in Yamaha’s factory squad makes the Fiat-backed effort the toughest to beat.

Jorge Lorenzo gave his confidence a massive lift last week when he topped the timesheets in the Qatar night test under floodlights, while Valentino Rossi struggled and only just made the top ten on race and qualifying tyres.

But the 29-year-old Italian told MCN: “I am not really surprised by Jorge because he has been very fast for most of the winter.

“He is very strong and I expected him to be this fast.

“We are the strongest team in the world championship because Jorge and I are both very fast.”