Jerez MotoGP: Valentino Rossi rues qualifying crash

Valentino Rossi was left frustrated after a qualifying mistake earlier today left the Italian languishing down in 12th position on the grid for tomorrow’s Spanish MotoGP race in Jerez.

The 32-year-old lost the front of his factory Ducati GP11 machine at Turn 8 and could only set a best time of 1.40.185 to finish 1.428s behind Casey Stoner’s Repsol Honda.

Rossi refused to blame a persistent understeer issue for his crash, the nine-times world champion accepting the blunder was of his own doing.

He said: “We have some problems with the front and we have to improve, but I made a mistake. It was a pity to make the mistake in the wrong moment because I was on a good bike with a good setting and I had quite a good rhythm in the low 40s.

“Unfortunately I entered the corner a little bit too fast and with a little bit too much angle and I lost the front. I was 0.3s faster than my previous best lap. I was pushing a lot, maybe a bit too much.”

Rossi was unable to force his way back into the top ten with his second GP11 machine running a different set-up to the number one bike he crashed.

Rossi, who finished seventh on his Ducati debut in Qatar last month, added: “Unfortunately the other bike was a lot different with the settings because we wanted to try a different setting to improve the grip.

“Then we understand straight away that the second bike was a lot worse compared to the first bike.

“But we didn’t have enough time to modify the second bike or use the first bike. I tried with the soft tyre but I was not fast enough to improve my position.

“It’s a great pity because starting from 12th position will be very, very difficult. I think I had the possibility for the second row and also the potential to fight with the second group for the race.”