Valentino Rossi had admitted the 2019 MotoGP season is only a little better than the depths he plumbed with Ducati eight years ago and it's his worst with Yamaha.

The Doctor currently sits in seventh place, 222 points behind reigning champion Marc Marquez and nearly a race win shy of team-mate Maverick Vinales.

“It is true, it is the worst, both in the championship position and in the number of podiums and points,” said Rossi.

“But, it is different compared to the years of the Ducati, because I have other problems.

“I suffer very much with the speed in a straight line, because I am very slow on top speed.

“I suffer a lot from the rear tyre, so I struggle in the second part of the race, but the feeling with the bike is not bad.

“So, it's a little better than the most difficult seasons with Ducati. But, in the future we should try to be more competitive.”

In 2011, Rossi finished in seventh place with 139 points while a year later, he was sixth on 163 points.