Rossi to return in 3 weeks with Bridgestone

The Fiat Yamaha rider, who will need around 20 days to recover from the hand injury he suffered in a crash in qualifying yesterday at Valencia, will be back for the last test of the year at the end of November in Jerez.

The works Yamaha team have used Michelin tyres this year, but an announcement is expected this evening as to the team structure for 2008, explaining how things will be managed with a Bridgestone supply for Rossi, while new signing Jorge Lorenzo will be supplied by Michelin.

Rossi explained that, even if he wasn't injured, the French tyre manufacturer would not let him test with the Japanese rubber until the end of the month.

"Michelin told us we can't test here and in Malaysia, but anyway I can test in Jerez at the end of November," he said. "From that moment our work with Bridgestone starts so we'll try to understand if with that type of tyre the situation improves and whether it fixes some of our problems.

"And after that, we'll have to fix the bike for the Bridgestone tyres and they have to work a little bit for us on the tyres."

Rossi is confident the switch to Bridgestone for next year will enable him to have a better chance to fight for the world championship.

"The Bridgestone tyres are quite good with Suzuki, with Kawasaki, with Ducati, and also with the Honda Gresini of Melandri and Elias, so I'm quite confident," he said.

"For me it's impossible to win with Yamaha-Michelin, so I want to have a chance.

"Maybe next year Michelin improves. I think they will, because they'll understand their mistakes and I think they'll have a bigger budget, but that's not my problem.

"When we go to Jerez our first priority will be to understand the tyres, to understand our potential with Bridgestone."

But before the Jerez test, Rossi has set his sight on recovering from the hand injury.

"The priority now is to heal," Rossi told Italia1 television. "It will take me about 20 days, I will do physiotherapy and I'll train in order to be in shape for the Jerez test."