Lorenzo Ducati spell to be more competitive than mine, says Rossi

Rossi's two years with Ducati in 2010 and '11 were the worst of his MotoGP career, as he failed to gel with the Desmosedici and claimed just three podium finishes across the two seasons.

Though Rossi said it was "difficult" to predict how Lorenzo would get on and that it would depend on "the match-up between Lorenzo and the bike", he believes his current team-mate will prove "very competitive" at Ducati.

Since Rossi's stint, Ducati has undergone substantial changes under new team boss Gigi Dall'Igna and new owner Audi.

"When I arrived at Ducati, the bike was very different compared to all the other bikes. It was another concept," Rossi said.

"It looks like year-by-year the bike is improving.

"It is always fast on the straight but it has also been good in the turning area for the last two years.

"It is a very good bike in qualifying and also the race.

"Now it is more consistent - the level from Ducati to Yamaha - and I think having Lorenzo on the Ducati will make it more clear."

Ducati has not won a MotoGP race since Casey Stoner's victory in the 2010 Australian Grand Prix, but has become a regular podium finisher with current riders Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone in recent years.