MotoGP championship leader Valentino Rossi believes he will have to play defensively at some tracks in the second half of this year’s championship in order to stay ahead of team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and gain a tenth world title.

The Doctor rolls into Indianapolis this weekend - a circuit he is not particularly fond of - where Lorenzo has a good record but where Marc Marquez and the RC213V have dominated over the last two years, not withstanding their current problems.

"I'm ready to start racing again during the second part of the season. I had a few days of rest, I went on holiday with my friends and I also trained. After nine races, this stop was very important so I could recharge myself. Now there are another nine races waiting for us and each of these will be very important for the championship,” said Rossi.

“The first part went very well with nine podiums in nine races and I hope that the second part of this season will go just as well. Some of the tracks we’re going to I really like, I have to be defensive at others. We start with Indianapolis, not one of my favourite circuits but there’s always a great atmosphere here and the circuit is very nice. I'm ready to go.”