Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi has admitted he continues to be worried by the pace of the factory MotoGP Hondas and that the improvments the team have made to strengthen the RC213V’s weak points.

Rossi has finished second to Marquez four times this year but only at the first race did he look like he could challenge all the way to the end. He is also concerned that traditional Yamaha-biased tracks are no longer that.

“We are quite worried because Marc was able to win already at Mugello and Barcelona, which on paper are two tracks very good for Yamaha. Also here is like this and last year the bike was very good, I think it is also better than Honda but I’m worried because of Marc with more experience but also the Honda improve, especially where it was weak. It will be hard but we have to try here in Assen,” said Rossi, speaking at the track.

“Sincerely, I arrive second behind Marc four times. Maybe the closest battle was in Qatar that maybe I had mroe chance to beat him. In Barcelona, I wasn’t so far but in the last laps Marc and also Dani have a little bit more faster pace, can enter the corner faster and it was very difficult. We wait for this weekend to try and create some way of being faster and stronger for try to battle more.”