Rossi eager to return to the top

LONDON – Valentino Rossi is fired up for the MotoGP season starting in Qatar on Saturday and confident that American Nicky Hayden’s reign as champion will be short-lived.

The charismatic Italian, dethroned by the Honda rider in a thrilling finale last October, is fizzing with optimism after lapping quicker than ever in testing with Yamaha. “Last year was difficult, very difficult,” Rossi said after last month’s final test session in Jerez.”But it gives me and the team extra motivation for the 2007 season and we are very concentrated on the job.”We ended 2006 five points short.Maybe we were a bit unlucky but we made some mistakes.Now I am more concentrated to the title,” he told reporters.All the signs are that the reduction in engine capacity from 990cc to 800 has made the bikes quicker than ever and less of a handful.Rossi’s pace in Jerez was quicker than the 2006 pole time.His optimism comes as a contrast to last year, before the season-opener in Jerez, when Rossi was wrestling with major handling problems and telling everyone that Yamaha were in trouble after a nightmare test at the same circuit.Rossi, champion in the top class for five seasons in a row before the ‘Kentucky Kid’ broke his winning streak, has triumphed in Qatar for the last two years and will start as clear favourite.But he will have his work cut out in what promises to be another close-fought season.Rossi saw diminutive Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, Hayden’s 21-year-old teammate, as the biggest threat to his title aspirations.Pedrosa has said he feels far more comfortable on the new machines, despite wrestling his way to two race wins in his rookie season, and there is no doubt that the Spaniard will be a serious contender.Hayden, whose consistency took him to the title despite winning only two races last year, has been recuperating from shoulder surgery and has yet to get back on the pace.Rossi’s Texan team mate Colin Edwards, the former double world superbike champion, should finally claim that elusive first win in MotoGP.Ducati’s Italian veteran Loris Capirossi, third overall last year, and new Australian Casey Stoner looked quick in early pre-season tests but have tailed off recently.Both have every chance of winning races, as does Honda’s Italian Marco Melandri, fourth overall last year.Suzuki, with Australian Chris Vermeuelen and American John Hopkins, want to translate their pre-season promise into success, despite Hopkins being sidelined from the final tests by a big crash in Qatar.Further down the field, newcomers Ilmor – founded by former McLaren Formula One engine designer Mario Illien – will start their first full season with 42-year-old Briton Jeremy McWilliams back in the saddle again but on a machine struggling for pace.In the lower categories, Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo will be defending his 250cc title with 125cc champion and compatriot Alvaro Bautista, also on an Aprilia, moving up to the same category.Nampa-Reuters”Last year was difficult, very difficult,” Rossi said after last month’s final test session in Jerez.”But it gives me and the team extra motivation for the 2007 season and we are very concentrated on the job.”We ended 2006 five points short.Maybe we were a bit unlucky but we made some mistakes.Now I am more concentrated to the title,” he told reporters.All the signs are that the reduction in engine capacity from 990cc to 800 has made the bikes quicker than ever and less of a handful.Rossi’s pace in Jerez was quicker than the 2006 pole time.His optimism comes as a contrast to last year, before the season-opener in Jerez, when Rossi was wrestling with major handling problems and telling everyone that Yamaha were in trouble after a nightmare test at the same circuit.Rossi, champion in the top class for five seasons in a row before the ‘Kentucky Kid’ broke his winning streak, has triumphed in Qatar for the last two years and will start as clear favourite.But he will have his work cut out in what promises to be another close-fought season.Rossi saw diminutive Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, Hayden’s 21-year-old teammate, as the biggest threat to his title aspirations.Pedrosa has said he feels far more comfortable on the new machines, despite wrestling his way to two race wins in his rookie season, and there is no doubt that the Spaniard will be a serious contender.Hayden, whose consistency took him to the title despite winning only two races last year, has been recuperating from shoulder surgery and has yet to get back on the pace.Rossi’s Texan team mate Colin Edwards, the former double world superbike champion, should finally claim that elusive first win in MotoGP.Ducati’s Italian veteran Loris Capirossi, third overall last year, and new Australian Casey Stoner looked quick in early pre-season tests but have tailed off recently.Both have every chance of winning races, as does Honda’s Italian Marco Melandri, fourth overall last year.Suzuki, with Australian Chris Vermeuelen and American John Hopkins, want to translate their pre-season promise into success, despite Hopkins being sidelined from the final tests by a big crash in Qatar.Further down the field, newcomers Ilmor – founded by former McLaren Formula One engine designer Mario Illien – will start their first full season with 42-year-old Briton Jeremy McWilliams back in the saddle again but on a machine struggling for pace.In the lower categories, Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo will be defending his 250cc title with 125cc champion and compatriot Alvaro Bautista, also on an Aprilia, moving up to the same category.Nampa-Reuters