MOTOGP: Rossi to stick with 2015-style Yamaha

Valentino Rossi will stick with a Yamaha YZR-M1 based on the brand's 2015 MotoGP challenger this year, rather than developing the '16 version.

Yamaha headed to Phillip Island's second pre-season test with the aim that Rossi and teammate Jorge Lorenzo would choose between the 2015-based bike or a different chassis it dubbed an "alternative edition."

While a considerable amount of time was lost due to rain across the three days, back-to-back comparisons on Friday gave Rossi enough insight to select the established model.

"In the end we only had one good day and that was yesterday, but it's better than nothing," Rossi said after recording the fifth-fastest time on Friday. "Today we continued our job for a bit, especially we compared the two different bikes and I think we will use the bike that's more similar to last year's model.

"It was a positive test, especially yesterday, but also today. I feel good with the bike and with the tires and my pace was not so bad, so I'm quite satisfied."

Having dominated the Sepang test, Lorenzo was quiet by comparison at Phillip Island. He set the third-fastest time on Thursday, but was ninth on the final day, having completed the majority of his running on used tires.

Lorenzo's day included a fall at Turn 10 as he looked to start a race simulation, and the world champion is reported to be also preferring the 2015-based Yamaha.

"I've been riding with old tires all day because we only had one more new tire," he said. "When we finally got a dry track and time to try that last new rear tire to set a decent lap time, [Eugene] Laverty crashed and I had to cancel that lap.

"I then decided to try a race simulation, but I crashed on the first lap because the track was very cold. There were a lot of crashes during this time of the day. I was very dedicated and braked a little bit too hard for the grip of the front tire and I crashed, so I ended the test and I'm going home.

"Sepang, for us, has been an unbelievable test. Here things changed completely because the layout of the track is the opposite. Let's see what happens in Qatar."

The venue for the MotoGP season opener, Qatar will host the final pre-season test on March 2-4.

Originally on Autosport.com