Rossi has mixed emotions over Assen return

Valentino Rossi says he has ‘mixed emotions’ over his return to the scene of his last MotoGP victory at Assen this weekend.

The Movistar Yamaha rider, second in the championship and 27 points behind Marc Marquez, has won eight times at the legendary Dutch TT and although the Italian is happy to be back at Assen, he is also mindful that it has been a year since his and Yamaha’s last premier class triumph.

Rossi said: “We’re heading to Assen, where I won last year. This gives mixed emotions. On the one hand this means it’s been a long time since I and Yamaha last won a race, so we need to work hard, on the other hand I’m happy because Assen is a fantastic track.

“Usually we are very competitive at the TT Circuit, but we have to check what the conditions and the situation will be like, because you never know what might happen there.”

Team director Massimo Meregalli added: "We're heading to Assen, which is always a pleasure for our team, so we're aiming for good results this weekend.

"Last year Vale took a brilliant victory, and we are sure Maverick will also be on the pace again, because he loves Assen and will be eager to make up for last year's mistake.

"We‘re approaching the midway point of the season and Vale and Mack are still second and third in the championship standings, so our motivation to keep fighting is very high."

The Movistar Yamaha Team did not receive any major new parts at the recent Barcelona test, with Rossi - a best of third place so far this season - saying his bike will be unchanged until the Brno test in August.