Marco Melandri is aiming to be a regular podium threat on his return to Honda Gresini, during the 2010 MotoGP World Championship.
The Italian claimed all five of his MotoGP race wins with Gresini during 2005-2007, but was tempted away by an ill-fated offer of a factory Ducati ride.
Melandri returns in 2010 having pulled a shock podium finish out of an unfancied ride with the Hayate Racing Team this season, following Kawasaki's factory withdraw.
The 2005 MotoGP World Championship runner-up finished the Valencia post-race test in fifth position - seventh on combined times over all three days - after lapping one second from the front.
“We succeeded in improving my lap times and collecting important data. My target in 2010 is to be close to the podium so I hope that the new [2010] bike will work well,” he said. “Now I look forward to the winter break.”
Melandri, who finished tenth in the 2009 world championship, will be back on track at Sepang in February.
Fellow Italian and 2010 MotoGP star rookie Marco Simoncelli was 0.92sec slower than the #33.
