---
title: "Rossi: We are still not ready"
canonical: "https://readmotorsport.com/2017/03/13/rossi-still-not-ready/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Lewis Duncan"
section: "MotoGP News"
published: "2017-03-13T13:14:58Z"
modified: "2017-03-13T13:15:22Z"
---

# Rossi: We are still not ready

After three days of running at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar, Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi doesn’t feel like he is well-prepared for the opening round of the 2017 season in two weeks after a difficult end to the test.

The Italian has struggled all winter to adapt to the 2017 YZR-M1, and has found there to be a lack of feeling with the front-end on the way into corners.

![Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2017/03/652586694.jpg)

Saturday’s session saw Yamaha and Rossi make a breakthrough in this area, though, and he was able to go second quickest and just two tenths of a second off of the pace set by team-mate Maverick Vinales, who incidentally is having no such issues with adapting from Suzuki to Yamaha machinery.

However, a change in track condition on Sunday saw Rossi take a step back and his issues reared their ugly head again. At the end of the session, after 54 laps, he was just 11th on a 1m55.185s and 0.855s off of the pace.

“Today was more difficult compared to yesterday,” he said. “We started with the same bike to continue our programme, but unfortunately I didn’t have the same feeling and the same speed.

“It looks like the condition of the track changed a bit and we were unable to improve. I didn’t have the same feeling as yesterday and I was a bit slower. We put in a lot of effort to go a bit slower.”

![Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2017/03/652582076.jpg)

The poor final day has Rossi worried coming into the Qatar Grand Prix, as he feels he and his crew still don’t understand the new bike fully. Nevertheless, he hasn’t given up hope of a competitive first round just yet.

“I think we are still not ready, we don’t understand 100% how to make the bike word at the maximum,” he added.

“We are a bit worried because at the end, except for some good laps, the winter tests were very difficult. So now we have to speak together and try to be stronger for the first race. I hope to be faster and more competitive.”