MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi has vowed to bounce back from his nightmare opening to the season after finishing a disappointing 14th in the opening round, in Spain.
The Italian saw his hopes of a race win wrecked in the first corner at Jerez after the Camel Yamaha rider's machine was hit from behind by the Fortuna Honda of Spaniard Toni Elias and ended up in the gravel trap.
Despite that setback and a damaged rear brake pedal, Rossi was able to claim two world championship points from 14th place as fellow Italian Loris Capirossi took the race win ahead of Spaniard Dani Pedrosa on the Repsol Honda and his American team-mate Nicky Hayden.
Rossi was relieved to be able to salvage something from the race after problems with vibration on his Yamaha in qualifying meant he started the race from ninth place on the grid and was caught in the first-corner trouble.
He said: "I am disappointed because I wanted to win the first race of the season but there is nothing we can do now. I have worked hard to make sure we did not have these problems again and look forward to the next race in Qatar."
Rossi will bid to make up for his Jerez disappointment in Qatar but will be up against a confident Capirossi and Pedrosa, who marked his MotoGP debut with second place.
"What a first race, the team and Michelin have done really well and there are still 16 races to go, said reigning 250cc world champion Pedrosa. We will get better," he added.
