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Valencia - Valentino Rossi says he will try to give the 'maximum' for Sunday's Valencia MotoGP after falling in qualifying.
The Italian headed out on Saturday despite knowing he would be starting at the back of the grid due to his Sepang penalty.
Perhaps due to a lack of motivation, Rossi failed to make any impression on title rival Jorge Lorenzo's record-setting lap time, and instead slid off at Turn 8 on his final run.
Lorenzo was ecstatic afterwards, calling his quickest time 'the best lap of his life', while Rossi had to be content with 12th place.
He will start Sunday's race seven points ahead in the championship, but 25 places behind Lorenzo on the grid.
“The day started well because this morning was a very good practice. I was quite fast, quite competitive. I was also happy about the setting of the bike,” Rossi said. “In [FP4] we tried some small modifications. It was not so bad because in the end I was fourth but I suffer more than I expect, because with more temperature I have more problems with the tyres.
“In the morning everything is easier. In the afternoon I lose some grip and have to struggle more. So we decide for qualifying - because we don't have pressure to make a lap time - to try another modification. But unfortunately it didn't work. I don't like.
“So we decide for the second tyre to go back to the normal setting and was a good lap because after section two I was fast, but then I did a mistake and crash. But this doesn't change anything for tomorrow because anyway I have to start from last.
“For sure we hoped that Jorge don't do the pole position and that the Hondas are strong, but Jorge was faster. Anyway for us it is impossible to understand what will happen in the race, at the front, we just have to concentrate on us and try to improve the setting.
“Somebody say that tomorrow can be a little bit cooler, that is a bit better, but we have tomorrow morning to try to understand if we can do some modification to improve the pace. And after we see and we try the maximum.”
“From Thursday when I know that I have to start last, the situation is quite desperate. So it is anyway very, very difficult. I just have to try the maximum and try to make a good race from the beginning to the end and see what happens. It doesn't depend just on us unfortunately.”
There are a number of permutations for Rossi depending on where Lorenzo finishes.
If the Spaniard finishes first or second, Rossi must finish third. If Lorenzo is third, Rossi must finish sixth or better. If Lorenzo is fourth, Rossi can be ninth, and so on.
Crucial to Rossi's hopes will be the performances of Repsol Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez, who are both starting on the front row.
“Looks like Jorge is very fast, but also the two Hondas are very fast. They have a good pace. So I think that they will fight for the victory. But after I don't know what will happen,” Rossi said.
“Iannone is the fourth guy with the pace but in the qualifying he struggle a bit and he has to start in the third row. For me, for the fourth place we are a minimum seven-eight bikes to fight and everybody have the pace is quite good.
“For sure starting last is a lot more risk than normal… To try to recover I have to make a good start, that will be very important and after try not to lose too much time in the first laps. Then the race is 30 laps so we have to see what happens and especially how my pace will be.”
