Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi has ruled out a first-lap escape act in tomorrow’s Jerez MotoGP as he believes his main competition will choose the same medium compound tyre and his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo is just too fast to get away from.

Rossi has been trying to make the hard option work in Spain as he did in Argentina but the left side of the aysmmetric tyre doesn’t give enough grip so he has chosen the soft tyre and may only change if the weather alters drastically in Andalucia tomorrow.

“On paper, the tyre for the race can be the hard as last year it was the hard. Unfortunately on the left for some reason, the rubber doesn’t work and you have to go a lot more slowly. For this reason, we try to use the soft tyre to do a lot of laps and it is the main option for me tomorrow,” said Rossi, speaking at Jerez.

“But is still open because some rider try the hard. We have to see the condition but I think more on the soft. Unfortunately, I don’t have the potential to do like Marquez in Argentina. Aso because I think the majority will choose the soft rear so it will be a normal race with most on the same option. The Ducatis are fast and they will use their hard tyre, so everyone will be the same.

“The front is also open but I think towards the hard. I think Jorge will try to escape as he is the guy with more pace. Our target is make a good start and stay close to Jorge because he will give the maximum from the beginning.”