Valentino Rossi starts what could be his final
MotoGP campaign this weekend, when the Italian superstar brings his five consecutive world titles to the season opening Spanish Grand Prix at
Jerez.
With Rossi's current Yamaha contract expiring at the end of the year, and with the
Ferrari Formula One team making no secret about their interest in the Italian, speculation about the future of the #46 is sure to be a major talking point for much of the season - but of more immediate concern to Rossi will be a solution to the handling set backs suffered by his YZR-M1 at the recent Jerez test.
Vibration problems for both Rossi and Camel Yamaha team-mate
Colin Edwards left the latter in seventh - 1.3secs from fastest man
Loris Capirossi - and Rossi tenth, almost 1.5secs from the top. That vulnerability means their rivals sense a chance of inflicting a rare defeat on Rossi at the opening round of the 17 stop title chase.
Fans from throughout Europe will converge on Jerez for the first clash of the year with a weekend crowd of over 200,000 hoping to soak up some spring sunshine. Heading the pack ready to give seven times world champion Rossi a tough time will be the Ducati Marlboro pair of Loris Capirossi and his new team-mate Sete Gibernau.
They dominated that final test session on the Bridgestone-shod Italian machines and Gibernau in particular has a score to settle with Rossi in front of his home crowd. Last year at the opening round in Jerez, he was involved in a controversial collision with Rossi at the very last bend of a classic race (pictured). Rossi won and Gibernau, then riding for Movistar Honda, ended up running through the gravel trap to start a disastrous season that ended without a single grand prix victory.
