 Best of rivals: Gibernau and Rossi |
Valentino Rossi aims to bounce back at the Malaysian MotoGP after a fall in Qatar threw the title race wide open. The five-time world champion is just 14 points ahead of Honda's Spanish rider Sete Gibernau with three races to go.
"What happened in Qatar is already past," said Yamaha's Italian star. I am in a new mood, and I hope to win the Sepang and Phillip Island races.
Wins in Malaysia and Australia would put him within a point of a sixth title before Gibernau's home race in Spain.
"Sete may have an advantage when racing in front of his home crowd in the final leg in Valencia," admitted Rossi.
Meanwhile Gibernau, on 215 points after winning in Qatar, said he was expecting an exciting encounter at the Sepang circuit.
"I think it will be a classic race as the battle for the three top placings will be wide open," he said.
"In the 2003 race in Malaysia, I managed to push Rossi until the last lap although he won the Sepang title while I was at number two and (Max) Biaggi was third."
Rossi enters the event having tested twice in Malaysia during the Yamaha pre-season.
"I've got a good record at the circuit - two wins, plus I've been on the podium for the last three years," he said.
"I can't win the championship here this time, but I hope that I can have a good weekend and extend my lead once more."
MMIX
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