Rossi focused on qualifying well

The Italian admitted that he has not been pleased with his starts this season, and he said that if he doesn't start at the front of the grid he will spend too much time working his way through the field.

"It is very important to start at the front because this year I never start very well," said Rossi.

"Usually the rhythm in the first laps is unbelievable. It's very fast so starting at the front is our target."

The 28-year-old is keen to see how Michelin's new tyres perform this weekend at Motegi, after they appeared to have caught up with Bridgestone in Portugal last weekend.

"We have to confirm about the tyres, to see if the new Michelin works also on this surface," he said. "My bike was faster in Portugal, and here it is very important."

Rossi has not won a race at Motegi since MotoGP switched to four-stroke engines in 2002, but he is optimistic that he can score a good result this weekend and keep the title battle alive with Casey Stoner.

"We have a difficult job, because we have to finish in front of Casey for the championship, but we try," he added.

"This is not one of my favourite tracks, but braking is very important, and in Portugal we were strong on the brakes so we try to follow that."