Rossi needs time to adapt to Bridgestone

The Italian Yamaha rider will use the Japanese tyres in 2008 after being unhappy with Michelin's performance during the 2007 season, where he finished in a distant third place in the championship.

Rossi says he has been forced to change his riding style due to the Bridgestone rubber, and he believes he still needs time before he is fully adapted.

"We must first adapt the bike to the tyres, and then it will be up to me to adapt to the tyres. This is something that requires a bit of time," Rossi told Motosprint magazine.

"With the Bridgestones you ride it slightly differently. Let's say that you have to take different lines. I'm slowly getting there, but it isn't easy.

"I'm still riding it a bit as if it was on Michelins, but I'm changing my riding style. I'm not saying that switching tyres is like switching bikes, but it's something similar."

He added: "With these tyres you can lean a lot more: in five or six turns here (in Sepang) your elbow is just an inch away from the asphalt. But it's very nice: at that moment, when you're leaning so much, you feel almost everything is under control."

Rossi says Yamaha have made progress with their bike since the first test of the winter, where the Italian felt a significant chatter.

"It's been reduced a lot," he added. "In the first test the bike vibrated a bit at the front and the problems were even worse with the qualifying tyre: I would get to a certain lean angle, after which it would start vibrating.

"Now the situation has improved greatly: besides the great potential, with these tyres we are able to work on the bike and most of all to follow a logical plan."