Rossi wants Yamaha boss at more races

Masao Furosawa's role with the manufacturer for the past two years has led him to be more involved in more aspects of the company, preventing him from fulfilling the same role that he had during Rossi's title-winning years with Yamaha.

"I have asked him to come back to the races," Rossi was quoted as saying by Italian magazine Motosprint. "He and I have a great relationship.

"I told him we must re-create the group that we organised in 2004. We must work together more."

Rossi believes that Yamaha's only chance of winning the MotoGP title again is to bring Furosawa back into a more specific role with the project.

"He knows how to motivate the group, he knows how to obtain what he wants because he is very powerful," the Italian added.

"We need an engine with more horsepower and we must develop it well, with the aid of the racing department. Only Furosawa can give us a hand."

Rossi won back-to-back titles with Yamaha after he joined them in 2004, but in the past two seasons he has finished second and third respectively in the standings.