Melandri encouraged after quick start

"I have to say I'm happy with today because we've started out on the right foot," said the Gresini rider, in his last race for the team before moving to Ducati.

"The bike is really manageable and has adapted well to this track. Today we tried a few different tyre combinations and tried to work out which was the most suitable.

"It's a difficult decision because the track temperature varies a lot, around 12 degrees, from the morning to the afternoon. I'm confident because we've found a good base to start from.

"Now we have to work on the suspension and refine the setting to try and find a little more pace," added Melandri, second in the last race in Malaysia.

Teammate Toni Elias did not enjoy such a positive start to the Grand Prix after finishing down in 15th position.

However, the Spaniard, who will also leave the team after the Valencia race, is still confident of a significant improvement.

"I'm not happy with this result but it's only the first day but I'm still confident," he said. "We have to keep working on the setting of the bike and the tyre choice.

"It is a strange circuit and it's not easy to find the right setting but we're in Spain, at my home race, and I want to end the season with a good result."