Valentino Rossi: We made a big mistake

Updated with further quotes from Valentino Rossi.

Valentino Rossi will start his home Italian MotoGP from just tenth on the grid after a 'big mistake' in terms of tyre choice for his Movistar Yamaha.

Holding fifth and "with a margin to improve" when he pitted for a fresh rear tyre, Rossi and his team also opted to change to a softer front tyre for the final run. It was a decision he soon came to regret.

"We made a big mistake in the qualifying, together with Bridgestone we decided to change the front tyre at the same time as the second rear," Rossi explained.

"It was the wrong decision, I felt really bad with the softer front and I was unable to improve my lap time. It's a great shame, because I had a good potential and could have started on the front, my pace is good and I feel good with the bike, but it's like this.

"Tomorrow from the fourth row everything will be harder and more difficult. But we have good pace, we need to fix some small problems and try to make the maximum.

"I want to try and make a good race because it's my 300th Grand Prix and also we are in Mugello! I'm quite desperate for the tenth position but I know nothing is lost. It will be hard but we can do a good race.

"If you had to pick one track to start from the fourth row, Mugello is good because there are a lot of places to overtake. We will try to make a good warm-up, a good start and do the first laps at the maximum then see what happens."

Prior to qualifying, Rossi had been fourth fastest and just 0.186s from the top in final practice.

"I had a good pace in practice, only losing a little in the final sector. The problem is that everybody has a good pace - Marquez, Pedrosa, Jorge and also the Ducatis of Dovizioso and Iannone.

"For this reason it is more important to start in front. Anyway I will try. I am competitive and fast."

Honda's unbeaten reigning champion Marc Marquez, Ducati's Andrea Iannone and Rossi's team-mate Jorge Lorenzo will form the front row of Sunday's grid.

Rossi fell on the first lap of last year's race after tangling with Alvaro Bautista.