Valentino Rossi hopes 🍰MotoGP won't face a repeat of last year's p♚atchy track conditions in Argentina this weekend, as the Monster Yamaha rider chases his first podium of the season.

The 40-year-old delivered another potent charge through the🀅 field in the Qatar season-opener, recovering from a dismal 14th in qualifying to finish in fifth, as top Yamaha, and just 0.6s from victory.

Now he hopes to fight for what would be his 233rd grand prix&nb⭕sp;rostrum, in Termas.

"I enjoyed the race in Qatar, but now we focus on Argentina," Rossi said. "First of all, we hope we'll have good track conditions at🌱 the circuit this w𝓀eekend, because that's always crucial. Second of all, we hope we'll have good weather this year."

On the podium in Argentina from 2015-2017, including a victory in 2015, Rossi had been on course for sixth in last season's damp race until a controversial clash with Marc Marquez sent the Italian ontꦦo the grass, where he fell.

Marquez was penalised, while Rossi launched a withering post-race tirade agains♌t the Honda rider, t🎐hree years after their first clash at the same circuit.

Brushing over last year's controversy, the🔯 nine-time world champion is eager for s🗹table track conditions this weekend.

"Last year's race was incredibly tricky, riding on a half-wet, half-dry surfa𝓀ce - it was very difficult to ride the bike with slicks over the wet patches. We hope we won't have to repeat that, and we will see if we're strong," Rossi said.

"I'll do my best to fight for the podium.”

"Though I'm sure the spectators all enjoyed the drama of last year's unplanned and slightly chaotic starting procedure, we are hoping for a completely wet or dry race," added Yamaha team director Massimo Meregalli, referring to the last-minute start del꧃ay.

"We kn🧸ow this trac🌊k suits our bike, and our riders also enjoy this circuit, so we hope to be in for another exciting GP weekend and work towards a strong result."