Rossi thrilled with test performance

The reigning champion's participation in this week's Sepang test was in doubt after he sustained cuts to his hand and foot after falling onto a glass table at home in Italy. Pain from the wounds prevented him from completing any long runs in Malaysia, but he was in the top three throughout the test even while limiting his mileage.

"I am leaving this place feeling happy, because we've made a good start," said Rossi.

"Everything went well: my pain is less, the bike is good and I am feeling better and better. We finished everything we wanted to do on the bike and the setting and the rhythm is quite good. The lap time is fast so we have made a good start.

"We didn't do the long run, but actually we didn't need to. Without my injury maybe it would have been possible, but in this situation we decided to leave it.

"My injuries are getting better each day because they're only cuts and they're healing fast. I don't think that they made much difference to my speed here and by the Qatar test I will be back in perfect shape."

His teammate Jorge Lorenzo was also upbeat today, having improved to seventh place after struggling to get to grips with the new control Bridgestone tyres and the latest Yamaha on Thursday and Friday.

"I am very happy because today I've seen how fast I can ride with the Bridgestone tyres," said Lorenzo.

"Today has definitely been the best day for me at this opening test of the year. Also, we have been able to do a long run in hot conditions with 32 degrees, and I was able to finish 22 laps without stopping.

"I was tired when I finished but it was incredible; the rhythm was good and my best lap was right at the end, when I did a 2:01.9. This means that I have improved over a second since yesterday and we have made a big step forward."

Team boss Davide Brivio expects Yamaha to make a much stronger start to the 2009 season as their 2008 preparations were slightly disrupted by Rossi's winter switch to Bridgestone tyres.

"This bike was created to run with Bridgestone tyres, after the experience Valentino had with Bridgestone last year, so it should be better than the 2008 bike," said Brivio.

"At the Qatar GP last year we had the most problems of the season, so I am looking forward to going there for the next test and seeing how much we have improved in the last year. It will be very interesting to see what level we have achieved."