Monster Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow is expecting the pace in tomorrow's Misano MotoGP to be faster than today's qualifying session and warns that nine-time champion Valentino Rossi could be a fly in the ointment.

Crutchlow, who starts from the outside of the front row, says that because the field have only had one hour of dry tracktime, the likes of Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo will up the pace - and that Rossi is a dark horse as he did two days' worth of testing at the Italian track.

"If we can get away with the guys tomorrow then I will be pleased. They are going to go fast, there's no doubt about it. They will be lapping under what we have done today for every lap but no-one has done more than five laps in a row so 28 is a lot different. Let's get a good start and get away with them, see what happens," said Crutchlow, speaking in Misano.

"Hopefully we can run with them for a while but you don't know how long that will be for. It might be for the whole race, we might be able to challenge them. Nobody needs to be a hero - I think you have to take into consideration their championship is close. Someone could be a complete spoiler, don't forget Rossi had two days' testing here and because he couldn't do a fast lap doesn't mean he won't be there at the end of the race.

"Otherwise there are a lot of guys on a similar pace. Bautista and Bradl, their pace is good. It seemed to take me, Dovi and Jorge a little bit longer to get up to speed, which is not the Yamaha way."