Rossi expects better form at Jerez

Rossi underwent surgery over the winter following a motocross accident earlier in 2010, but complained of pain throughout the Qatar weekend.

"Qatar, with its many hard corner entries and areas where we brake to the right, was difficult for my shoulder," said Rossi. "We'll see if Jerez is a little easier from that point of view, although I think I'll still have to grit my teeth for a while.

"Since Qatar, I've continued working out in the gym to try and increase my strength and especially my endurance, but after Spain I'll have almost a month to recuperate more fully, following the postponement of the Japanese Grand Prix.

Ducati has not won a race at Jerez since 2006, and its only podium finish in the 800cc era came in 2009, when Casey Stoner finished third.

"From a technical point of view, Jerez doesn't seem to have been the most favorable track for Ducati, but I've always liked it a lot and we'll definitely have to try and do better than we have until now," added Rossi.

"For the moment, we'll continue working on the setup, using everything we learned in Qatar, where we found some good solutions for the race."