Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi is 'optimistic' about his chances at this weekend's Jerez MotoGP round after the setup gains he made in Portugal.
Although Rossi crashed out at Portimao, he said afterwards that he and his crew had made a setup breakthrough with the M1, especially using the hard Michelin rear - but it looks like that won't be an option with cool temperatures on Sunday.
"I think Jerez is one of the circuits on the MotoGP calendar that I most look forward to racing every year, because I have some great memories from there," said The Doctor.
"In fact, last year I was on the podium in the second race of the season – the AndaluciaGP. My pace during the race in Portugal last time out was quite good, we made some improvements, so we go into this fourth round of the year with more optimism than before.
"For sure, a lot of riders will be strong in Jerez, because we all know it very, very well, but we will try our best and see what we can do to return to the top positions where we have to be.
Rossi as achieved some of his best results in Jerez, has been on its podium 13 times in the MotoGP/500cc era, with seven of those being victories. The Italian most recently had a top-three finish at the Spanish venue after claiming third at the 2020 Andalucia GP.
With the circuit being one he knows well, and with progress made at the Portuguese GP, Rossi will be aiming to be back in the fight for a good points haul this weekend.
