Valentino Rossi says Ducati still learning new bike after qualifying 11th at Assen
Valentino Rossi put his 11th place on the Assen grid down to a combination of Ducati still learning the new GP11.1 and issues getting the Bridgestone tyres up to temperature
Ducati has given Rossi a 2012 chassis fitted with an 800cc engine from this weekend, in a move it hoped would turn its difficult season around. But instead Rossi qualified outside the top 10 for the third time this year.
"We have a bad feeling, we are quite frustrated, especially after the performance yesterday," he told the official MotoGP website.
"In the dry we still have some similar problems to the old bike. We don't understand exactly the way to ride this bike to bring it to the limit, or the way to set up this bike."
He also felt that the tyre temperature issues were confusing Ducati's situation.
"Like at Silverstone, we have a lot of problems with putting temperature in the tyres, and this makes our problems a lot bigger," said Rossi.
Having been in the top five in wet practice on Thursday, Rossi admitted he was not averse to rain on race day.
"Now we have to work with the guys in the garage to improve our performance and be in a better position tomorrow," he said.
"Yesterday in the wet it was not so bad. The forecast is bad for tomorrow, but we have to wait for the weather conditions and afterwards we will decide."
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