"Valentino Rossi: Tests mean nothing"

Six-time reigning MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi will have to work hard to overcome the challenge of predicting Casey Stoner in Qatar this weekend to open the season, but warned that "the evidence does not mean anything," and insists that has "some cards to play." 

While Rossi is undoubtedly the title favorite heading into the new season, a victory in Qatar is a much tougher, at least on paper. The Italian claimed his worst final race of the 2008 season with the fifth in Losail, in his debut on Bridgestone, and has won only twice in five visits Losail. 

Rossi Qatar latest victory was in 2006, and was only third fastest in Qatar in 2009 pre-season testing, over a second behind the Ducati of Stoner. Stoner has won the last two races MotoGP Qatar. 

Surprisingly, Rossi was also passed by the Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, now using the same technique Bridgetsone/M1 package, test at night - but remains defiant.

"Qatar is one of our strongest tracks but we still have some cards to play and expect a bit more work to do to improve the first race," he said. "The evidence does not mean anything really, once you get to the races, the situation is totally different and really have little idea of what will happen until you get there, it's very exciting! 

"I'm feeling confident, we're in good shape, even if we are to what was our worst track during testing, but I'm satisfied with my performance overall M1; Yamaha have done a great job and so this makes me happy. " 

"Valentino has been very strong during the test and we are not concerned with Qatar, United Kingdom, we still have some things to try and we're confident that it will be fast enough to challenge it," the team manager Davide Brivio. 

Stoner, the 2007 world champion and 2008 Rossi's closest rival, was able to overcome the Italian in the three tests before the season, but Rossi is on race day as master of battles and is interested in seeing how the new tire rule will affect only tactics. 

"With the new rule, the only one of the tires will clear the tactical race by race," he said. "I think a lot of new factors come into play and strategy will be very important in determining where to start the race. I think the luck will also be a factor in the rating, more than before! In fact, I am quite curious to see what will happen in a race 45 minutes with so few tires that will be interesting. "

"The new standard tire is very exciting, something new is added to the first race, but we are very confident because we have had one years in the Bridgestone and it is also clear they have done a good job with new tires," said Brivio . 

2009 is the tenth season for Rossi at the first class and now needs only three career victories to reach 100 historic Grand Prix victories in all classes. 

"I used last week to relax, refresh and train," said Rossi. "It will be a very long season and we have to be constantly at 100%. We will consider the race by race and keep focused on the goal, that is, of course, to win the championship again."