Yamaha MotoGP rider Rossi 'not very happy' with Phillip Island test
Valentino Rossi admits he is "not very happy" with how MotoGP's Phillip Island test concluded, after finishing well adrift of Yamaha team-mate Maverick Vinales


Vinales topped the second and third days of the test, with Rossi ending up 11th and 0.921 seconds off that pace on Friday, despite posting his best time of the test.
While Rossi stressed he was focusing on race pace on used tyres rather than chasing the best possible lap time, the Italian concedes will need a better outing in Qatar's final test next month.
"Today we worked a lot on the pace for the second half of the race, because we suffered in that area last year," he said.
"We tried something quite different, but in the end we didn't improve a lot, so we'll have to try something else.
"I think the bike has good aspects, especially the engine, but for sure this test was more difficult for me than the one in Sepang.
"I'm not very happy and we need to try to do better."

Asked to sum up his test, Rossi conceded: "We work a lot to try to improve the feeling of the bike on old tyres, we took a lot of data, we made a hard job, but in the end we didn't fix our problems.
"So we have to try something else for Qatar."
Despite the mixed emotions from the test, Rossi feels he is not far off current pacesetters Vinales and Marc Marquez, who Rossi classed as the title favourite earlier this week.
"I'm pretty close, although Phillip Island is a strange track," he added.
"Also here, like in Malaysia, the fastest were Marquez and Vinales. We will have to work to arrive closer to them.
"More or less I would say we are there, but in Malaysia at the end I was able to do a good time.
"If we look at the distance to the top riders, maybe here was a bit worse."

Honda made breakthrough with MotoGP engine in test, Marquez feels
MotoGP champion Marquez made Vinales cancel race simulation in test

Latest news
Marc Marquez to return to MotoGP paddock at Austrian GP for Honda progress update
Marc Marquez will return to the MotoGP paddock at the Austrian Grand Prix to check up on Honda’s progress as he continues his own rehabilitation.
Rins “destroyed” after “not normal” grip issues end Silverstone MotoGP win hopes
Suzuki’s Alex Rins says he was “destroyed” after a “not normal” drop in grip shuffled him from the lead of the MotoGP British Grand Prix to seventh by the end.
Espargaro diagnosed with heel fracture after 115mph Silverstone MotoGP crash
Aprilia has confirmed Aleix Espargaro, following further medical checks on Monday, has been diagnosed with a heel fracture following his violent 115mph Silverstone MotoGP crash.
The signs Quartararo’s 2022 MotoGP title is slipping away from him
Prior to the summer break, the 2022 MotoGP title looked like it was Fabio Quartararo’s to lose. But a crash at Assen and the consequential penalty he had to serve last weekend at Silverstone stopped him from capitalising on a main rival’s injury woes, while a resurgence from another, plus the rise of a former team-mate, look set to conspire against the Yamaha rider
The signs Quartararo’s 2022 MotoGP title is slipping away from him
Prior to the summer break, the 2022 MotoGP title looked like it was Fabio Quartararo’s to lose. But a crash at Assen and the consequential penalty he had to serve last weekend at Silverstone stopped him from capitalising on a main rival’s injury woes, while a resurgence from another, plus the rise of a former team-mate, look set to conspire against the Yamaha rider
Why Marquez’s toughest MotoGP foe is stopping at the right time
On the eve of the British Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso announced that he will be retiring from MotoGP after September’s San Marino GP. The timing of his departure raised eyebrows, but his reasoning remains sensible and what has happened this year should not diminish a hard-built legacy
Why a Suzuki refugee feels he deserves MotoGP's toughest challenge
Alex Rins’ MotoGP future was plunged into sudden doubt when Suzuki elected to quit the series at the end of 2022. Securing a deal with Honda to join LCR, he will now tread a path that many have fallen off from. But it was a move he felt his status deserved, and it’s a challenge – he tells Autosport - he faces with his eyes wide open…
How Formula 1 has driven MotoGP's changing nature
The hiring of technicians from Formula 1 has clearly contributed to a recent change in the MotoGP landscape, with the role of engineers gaining greater significance relative to the riders. Here's how this shift has come about
The revolution behind Aprilia's rise from MotoGP tail-ender to pack-leader
Coinciding with the arrival of Massimo Rivola as head of its MotoGP division, Aprilia has undergone an internal revolution that has spurred it from occupying last place in the team standings to leading the table in the space of just two years. Those entrenched in the project reveal how the ex-Ferrari F1 chief has achieved the dramatic turnaround
The battle Yamaha's wayward son is fighting to be fast again in MotoGP
Franco Morbidelli was long overdue a promotion to factory machinery when it finally came late last year, having finished runner-up in the 2020 standings on an old Yamaha package. But since then the Italian has been a shadow of his former self as he toils to adapt to the 2022 M1, and recognises that he needs to change his style to be quick on it
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special