Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi found that the softer tyre option did not work too well during yesterday’s MotoGP qualifying session at Mugello in Italy. The Doctor starts from the fourth row of the grid, after ending the sessions tenth overall with a 1'47.791.

But he could not emulate his team-mate, going two tenths slower than Jorge Lorenzo who pushed his Yamaha on to the front row, alongside pole-setter Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez and Pramac Racing’s Andrea Iannone. Now Rossi is hoping for a good start to keep up with the top three today.

“I thought that we made a big mistake - with the softer tyre we thought we would have had some advantage for the qualifying so after the first tyre I was already quite fast then we decided to change the front tyre but unfortunately with the softer front we experienced some chatter and I wasn’t about to improve my lap time,” said Rossi at the track.

"I am in tenth position - this is a big shame as with a second tyre I think I would have been able to improve my lap time. It will be difficult for me from the fourth row, so the first lap is important. So I will try and make a good start and will try and make up some positions.

“I have always had a good pace during practice, so it is a shame to start from the fourth row. But the other riders like Marquez and Pedrosa had a good session, that is why I wanted to start on the front, but I can be competitive and faster too.”