Ducati's Valentino Rossi has taken positive from his tenth place in the opening MotoGP race of the season at Qatar last night, saying he was able to put in his fastest laps at the end of the race when the rear was worn and sliding.

The Doctor, who was pushed off-track by Pramac Ducati's Hector Barbera mid-race, saw the chequered flag some half a minute after winner Jorge Lorenzo but says he can take heart as the six seconds he lost coming back on to the track would have put him in the fight for sixth with team-mate Nicky Hayden.

"Unfortunately I lose a lot at the beginning with the new tyre because when I have new tyres, especially on the rear, the front push a lot and I had a bad feeling. After Barbera push me out of the track I lose five or six second, if not I can fight with the other group for the sixth place," said Rossi, who was surprisingly upbeat.

"With the old tyre I can make some better laptime than with the new tyre so from one side today has been quite positive but from other side is very negative but we don't understand why."