Rossi: the man with the race pace?

Both he and teammate Maverick Viñales have been consistently fast at COTA

Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) starts alongside Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) for the Americas GP, with the 'Doctor' lining up in fifth and Marquez in fourth after a penalty for the reigning Champion. The rider from Tavullia is positive about the position - and says he's race ready, more or less. 

“I’m quite satisfied about these two days because I’m always quite fast and I feel good with the bike," says the number 46. "We worked in a good way. I thought that I had the potential for the front row but maybe I wasn’t fast enough. But anyway, we start from the top five which is ok for the race tomorrow."

Feeling good on the bike and having done good work are positive omens - and compatriot Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar), who starts from second, also picked out Rossi as a threat.

Now, the devil is in the details.

"Now we have to fix some very small details," concludes the 'Doctor', "and we also have to hope that we have some sun and a dry race.”

The forecast for Sunday looks dry, and the race begins at 14:00 local time (GMT -5).