Rossi: Eight riders capable of winning again in 2017

Valentino Rossi believes up to eight riders are capable of winning races in 2017 as he predicts another tough season in the MotoGP premier class.

The Movistar Yamaha rider is hoping to put a difficult pre-season winter programme behind him as Rossi focuses on the opening race of the year in Qatar this weekend.

Last season produced nine different winners and Rossi says the potential is there for another spread of victories in 2017.

"As always the level is very high and also this year, even more. You can have seven or eight riders who can start to try to win the races and fight for the championship. This is great and we have to try to stay in that group," said Rossi in the pre-race press conference.

"For me all the riders at this table [Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo, Maverick Vinales, Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Iannone] plus [Andrea] Dovizioso can win in normal conditions, but everything is open for everybody if you have mixed conditions... and [Dani] Pedrosa! Yes, also Pedrosa, sorry, because in the pre-season he was in great shape.

"My target is always to try to win races but especially be strong, and try to fight for the podium every weekend. This is the target also for this year, but for sure it is very difficult but it was also difficult in the last years."

Rossi was impressed with new team-mate Vinales' dominant performance in the winter tests as the young Spaniard enjoyed contrasting fortunes to those experienced by the nine-time world champion.

"I am coming from a quite difficult winter season and I was never very strong; we struggle a bit to find the right feeling. We have to work and improve and from tomorrow starts another long season and I hope to be strong and competitive," he said.

"Maverick did the opposite; he had a great pre-season and was fastest in all the tracks, not only in the fastest laps, but also in the pace and I think he will be very strong."

Asked why Vinales had fared better, Rossi responded: "Usually he brakes deeper and opens the throttle earlier! Not one particular thing, he is just able to do the corner faster and this is a problem for me personally."

The prospect of racing in the rain this weekend has been discussed but Rossi is hoping the riders will not have to make such a decision on Sunday.

"For me, and also more or less all the other riders, I hope for good weather because if it rains here, it is not a normal situation. Also last week, for the Moto2 and Moto3 tests, the weather was bad and also a lot of strong wind and maybe a lot of sand in the track," he said.

"Especially nobody knows what will happen if we have to race with the water under the lights, so I hope for good conditions at the weekend."