Valentino Rossi starts his 26th season as a motorcycle g𓃲rand prix rider, but first at the Petronas Yamaha team at this weekend's Qatar MotoGP.

The Italian icon is loo🥀king to rebound from his worst ever season in the world championship, two races lost to Covid last season contributing to a lowly 15th in the classification.

Pre-season testing began with 🧜an gloomy 19th place in the opening Qatar outing, but The Doctor and his new crew delivered a much stronger performance at the second test, eventually settling in eleventh pl൲ace, 0.8s from the leading time attack by Ducati's Jack Miller.

Race pace was harder to judge than usual after the final day of testing was wrecked by a sandstorm, but Rossi felt he was among ꧋a large group of riders with pot🧸ential podium form.

"After testing in Qatar, I feel quite strong and the balance of the bike is good. I achieved my best-ever lap of the circuit, which💙 was an important and positive 𒀰thing to do," Rossi said.

"I 💧think there are a lot of riders on different bikes that are also strong, but we’re definitely in the pack with them. Our race pace looks to be good, so I feel like we ar🍎e ready to start the season in Qatar this weekend.

"There is a really good atmosphere in the team; we’ve worked well and in the right direction. I’m excited to start tꦉhe season properly in a few days’ time."

The nine-time world champion was a race wi♓nner at Qatar in 2010 and 2015, finishing fifth in the most-recent 2019 Losail race.

Despite leaving the Factory Yamaha team, Rossi continues to have Factory-Spec machinery, while Petronas team♔-mate and reigning title runner-up Franco Morbidelli remai🌜ns on the A-Spec bike.