Rossi: Yamaha are back on top form

The former champion hasn't won consecutive races since 2006, but followed up his Shanghai success with a dominant run at Le Mans today, leading teammate Jorge Lorenzo and Tech 3's Colin Edwards in a Yamaha one-two-three. The result puts Rossi into the championship lead for the first time in a year and a half.

"I haven't won two races in a row since Mugello and Barcelona in 2006," Rossi said. "This means that we are back in business.

"After the difficulties of 2007, nobody thought that after just five races the M1 would take all the podium places. It's a great, great pleasure, and great effort by the Japanese. We are also at the top of the world championship, it's a great result."

He said changes made in the morning warm-up proved crucial to his victory, having rapidly progressed from fourth on the grid to pass Edwards, Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner, then pull away.

"It was a great race," Rossi said. "I didn't expect to be so fast, but we made some modifications with the team this morning and the bike worked very well. The tyres had fantastic grip, so on a completely dry track it was faster and I was able to pull away and get a good advantage.

"Then it started to rain, and I tried to ride very sweetly in the corners. We had enough grip to continue and not change bikes, and in the end we had a good advantage."

The victory was Rossi's 90th at world championship level, which puts him equal second with Angel Nieto on the all-time winners' list. To celebrate, he handed his Yamaha to Nieto - who was wearing special commemorative leathers - for the slowing-down lap and rode home on the back behind his fellow legend.

Rossi revealed that the celebration had been a long time in the planning.

"It was organised for a long, long time," he said. "After Portugal last year, when we arrived on 88 (wins), I went to Angel and said 'Angel, I'm close, so if I catch you, you have to come with me on the bike'.

"At first he said no, but in the end he said 'okay', so they made the new leathers. After China, he said to me 'for Le Mans, I'm ready, and my last victory was at Le Mans too'. So that was a little bit of pressure, because I knew Nieto was waiting for me on the track."