Few believed that Rossi's 2007 season could turn out worse than 2006, when the Italian sustained a shock title defeat at the very final round, but this year Rossi and Yamaha were defeated with three rounds to go - and are yet to match even their 2006 total of wins, podiums, pole positions or points.

The 2006 season consisted of 17 rounds - one less than this year, due to the addition of the San Marino Grand Prix to the world championship calendar.

Comparing last season's 17 rounds with the 17 rounds prior to Valencia this year, Rossi has taken four wins (five in 2006), eight podiums (ten in 2006), four poles (five in 2006) and has 241 points (247 in 2006) - despite suffering three DNFs last year, but only two non-scores this year.

Given those stats, it's no surprise that the former five-times MotoGP champion is demanding significant progress from both his machine and tyres for 2008 - something Yamaha is already working on.

"This is the last race of 2007 but we are already looking ahead to the 2008 season, which starts with testing at Valencia next Tuesday!" said team director Davide Brivio. "Already some of our work with the bike is targeted at next year but we also have one more race to contest and we want to be competitive."

A Valencia victory would not only provide a welcome boost heading into the off-season - but also make Rossi the first rider to reach 100 podium finishes in the 58-year history of premier-class grand prix racing.

"It's been a long and hard season and now we've finally arrived at the last race and we are all hoping that we can have a good weekend," said Rossi. "More than anything I want to win and give everyone in the team a happy end to the season; motivation is still very high and we will be doing the best we can in Valencia. Second place is not first but it is still important because I have not been outside the top two since 1996 and I want to keep that going."

The Valencian Grand Prix is the 100th race since the new era of four-stroke MotoGP was introduced in 2002. Rossi is one of only three riders to have appeared in every single one - the other two being Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa - taking an incredible 49 victories along the way.