Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi saw his hopes of a tenth title slip away at a wet Le Mans as he suffered his third crash in as many MotoGP races.

After finding a fast and consistent dry setup, Rossi lasted just two corners at the French GP and is now 13th in the points table.

“It’s a great shame for today because to crash like this at the first corner is the worst thing, also without making some laps to understand the feeling with the bike and my potential,” said Rossi, speaking at the track.

“It’s a difficult moment. I am also a bit unlucky, because in the last three races I didn’t take any points even if my speed was quite good, especially during the practice, so this is bad.

For the championship, it’s very difficult because for me these last three tracks were good on paper for performance - Misano, like we saw in the first race, and also Barcelona especially and Le Mans usually I’m strong.

“So we needed to take points because now we go to Aragon and Valencia for four races that on paper are very difficult for us and for me.

“But it will be also more challenging to try to be competitive, strong, even if the track is not fantastic. We will see.”

The M1 has always been a difficult bike in greasy conditions when it the track is wet but not with standing water.

“Historically in these half-and-half conditions we suffer, I mean today was wet but not fully wet. It was not dry enough for slicks, but there was not standing water on the track,” Rossi explained.

“Usually when it’s full wet we are not so bad with the Yamaha. But in these half-and-half conditions, wet but not completely wet, and also when it’s dry enough for slicks but not completely dry, the M1 suffers.

“It suffers for me in acceleration, we lose a lot because we don’t have enough rear grip and it’s difficult to manage the bike.”