An unexpectedly strong weekend at the inaugural Thai MotoGP ended with Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi third and fourth respectively, both crossing the line within 1.6s of ending Yamaha's record win drought. Rossi, starting from the front row, was top Yamaha for 18 of the 26 laps - leading the race before being re-passed by Marc Marquez (Honda) and also Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) on lap 11. The Doctor remained a part of the four-way lead group to the finish, but didn't have the pace to attack in the closing stages and lost out on a podium by just 1.1s to Vinales. "For me, this is the best race for Yamaha in the second half of the season. This is so important," Rossi declared. "It was a lot better, because we fight in the top group. At the end, unfortunately, we are always struggling a little bit too much with the tyres. But today we are not far. "I'm not very happy because I want to try to go on the podium. But today Maverick was stronger." Rossi added that he didn't suffer physically in the extreme heat and described the grand prix as like a cycle race, with the field bunching together while conserving their tyres. "I feel very good [physically] and I arrived at the end of the race with enough power to fight," he said. "But I tried for all the race to save the tyres, like everybody, because it's more like a cycle race now: "Everybody waiting, sometimes one rider will push for two laps and all the other guys follow, but after they slow down and another one tries to lead. Now you never push for all the race. "Unfortunately, I tried, but in the last laps I was more in trouble [with the tyres] and I miss these two or three tenths. "During the weekend Maverick followed another way with the set-up. He was able to ride that type of bike and maybe saved the tyre in a better way. So Maverick was a bit stronger than me at the end." While Rossi's best lap was just 0.029s from the new Buriram record by winner Marquez, it was set on lap 4. Vinales' best lap was 0.1s slower than Rossi, but set on lap 16. Either way, Sunday marked Yamaha's first podium since before the summer break. Now Rossi is eager to find out if Buriram was just a blip, or if Yamaha have found something to be competitive in all four remaining rounds. "Now we need to understand how much is this track, or how much we improved the bike," Rossi explained. "For me, on paper, this track was not a Yamaha track. I expected to suffer a lot more and to be, for example, stronger in Misano. But in Misano we struggled. So it's difficult to understand. "But we feel better with the bike [here], me and also Maverick are strong. Maybe we improved a little bit, but now we have to see in Motegi. "For me, more than the layout of a track, it’s the difference in the grip of the asphalt that helps us more or less at the moment. "The next four races will be very important because we have to try to be stronger and competitive in all the different tracks. Because Honda and Ducati are strong everywhere." Dovizioso is now 22-points clear of Rossi in the contest for second in the world championship behind Marquez, with Rossi in turn 26 ahead of Vinales.<doc-sep>Full MotoGP qualifying results from Thailand Marc Marquez has edged out a surprise challenge from Valentino Rossi to take the first-ever pole position at the inaugural Thailand MotoGP round. The Repsol Honda rider was forced to graduate through Q1 after missing out on the top ten at the end of FP3 following a late crash in this morning’s session. But the extra track time seemed to give the reigning MotoGP world champion an advantage having set his fastest lap of the weekend in the first session with a 1m 30.031s. Using that additional track knowledge, Marquez bolted to the front with his opening Q2 lap only to see Rossi surpass him to take provisional pole position for Movistar Yamaha despite the Japanese manufacturer’s recent performance woes. But with Marquez on a fresh tyre for his final Q2 run, the Repsol Honda rider duly delivered with a 1m 30.088s to snatch pole position from the Italian rider by 0.011s. Andrea Dovizioso completes the front row, 0.139s off Marquez, to lead the Ducati charge alone with Jorge Lorenzo sitting out the remainder of the Thailand MotoGP round following his heavy highside crash in FP2. Maverick Vinales secured the front of the second row for Movistar Yamaha despite appearing agitated during Q2 while switching bikes in the pits ahead of his second run. Vinales still saw off Cal Crutchlow on the LCR Honda with Andrea Iannone completing row two for Suzuki. Dani Pedrosa heads up row three for Repsol Honda, unable to replicate his pace having topped the pre-season test at the Chang International Circuit earlier this year, with Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Johann Zarco in eighth place. COTA #2 - Tremendous Turn 1 Video of COTA #2 - Tremendous Turn 1 Danilo Petrucci edged out Pramac Ducati team-mate Jack Miller, with the Australian rider effectively losing his final qualifying lap after coming close to contact with Marquez. Marquez’s fellow Q1 graduate Alex Rins claimed 11th for Suzuki with Alvaro Bautista completing the fourth row for Angel Nieto Ducati. Franco Morbidelli was the unlucky 13th-place rider having missed out from progressing in Q1 by just 0.002s behind Suzuki’s Rins, with fellow MotoGP rookie Takaaki Nakagami one spot back for LCR Honda. Bradley Smiths joins them on row five for Red Bull KTM, having been held up by Hafizh Syahrin on his final fly lap, with Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro heading up the sixth row in 16th in front of Karel Abraham (Angel Nieto Ducati) and Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3). Fighting back from a broken collarbone injury sustained at Misano, Pol Espargaro will start the Thailand MotoGP race from 19th place for Red Bull KTM ahead of Avintia Ducati duo Jordi Torres and Thomas Luthi with Aprilia’s Scott Redding completing the grid.<doc-sep>'The problem is we don’t know why' - those were the words Valentino Rossi after a better than expected opening day for Yamaha at the inaugural Thai MotoGP. Rossi and team-mate Maverick Vinales arrived at Buriram braced for a tough event, having struggled badly last time at Aragon, been ranked eighth (Vinales) and twelfth (Rossi) at the pre-season Thai test and fearing the revised (harder) rear tyres would magnify their ongoing grip problems. Instead, Vinales and Rossi were first and second in FP1 - after fitting new tyres at the end of the session - then second (Vinales) and ninth (Rossi) in the afternoon. But lap times were very close and Rossi was only 0.3s from the fastest lap of the day, by Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso "The bike is the same, but today we suffer less, so it's better," began Rossi. "For some reason we have a lot more difference between our good and bad tracks. The other bikes are more balanced, always the same. "Aragon was a disaster because we didn’t have any grip. Here, on paper, we have to suffer, but today less than what we expect. So we are a bit more competitive. "FP1 was fantastic because we were first and second, but also because a lot of top riders didn't put the new tyre. So I think that this is not the reality, but anyway we can stay in the top ten this afternoon for try to go directly into the Qualifying 2 and try to make a better result compared to Aragon. "I know that Maverick made some bigger modifications to the balance of his bike. Me, personally, we worked more normally. I don’t know if it's because of [the modifications], but Maverick today is fast – this morning, this afternoon. Especially this afternoon when I think that 95% of the riders made a time attack. He's second and have also a good pace." But the biggest worry for Yamaha, experiencing its longest win drought in MotoGP, is that the factory still doesn't fully understand why they do better at some tracks and struggle badly at others. "I don’t know... We don’t know," Rossi said. "You go on the track [here] and it looks like the bike has more grip, so you can push more. Aragon was very difficult, but why? I don’t know. "The problem is that we don’t know! Also Yamaha don’t know!" Rossi, who also tried a new Yamaha fairing , added that he wasn't surprised by the change in Michelin tyres relative to the test. "I expected this modification by Michelin because in the test no tyre can make 25 laps. Not just us, for everybody. The lap time was a lot faster, but the tyre after 10-12 laps started to lose parts. So it was not possible to race with those tyres. "So, like happens in other tracks where it's very demanding for the rear, like Austria, they bring a tyre that is more hard. So you have less performance, it's a bit more difficult to ride, but can make all the race. I think it's the right choice, also for the safety." The nine-time world champion also said he's happy to have another race in SE Asia. "Here the passion for MotoGP is very high, they have money and it's something new. So it's good that we come here more times. Anyway, the major part [of the season] is still in Europe. But I like to race here. Also a little bit less people in the paddock! So more easy!"<doc-sep>FREE now and never miss the top F1 stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top F1 stories again When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. The Japanese heavyweights have been plagued with issues on the M1 bike all season. Rossi is now 23 races without a win after his Aragon horror show last time out. Yet the veteran ace says he’s aiming high in Buriram. "After so many European races, it's time to go to Thailand," said Rossi. We will do our best to make it a good race weekend Valentino Rossi "We did a pre-season test there in February. “Buriram is not one of my favourite circuits but it will be another important weekend to improve our bike and a good opportunity to meet the Asian fans, who are very passionate about MotoGP. "As always, we will do our best to make it a good race weekend. “My goal is to return to the fight for the podium and get some good results overseas." Valentino Rossi is eyeing glory in Buriram After a torrid time in qualifying, Rossi rode from 17th on the grid to eighth in Aragon. His team-mate, Maverick Vinales, started in 10th but finished 14th last time out. And Vinales reckons things can only improve in Thailand. "Aragon was sincerely a GP to forget,” Vinales explained. Maverick Vinales was fuming after the Aragon Grand Prix “Now I want to just look forward and be as focused as possible to finish the season in the best possible position. "We will start the Asia tour by going to Thailand first. “The Chang circuit is very demanding because of the high temperatures. “But it makes me very happy to ride there as it will be the first time we get to race in Buriram. Valentino Rossi's Yamaha M1 bike has been plagued by issues<doc-sep>
Valentino Rossi admits his front row start for the Thailand MotoGP has come as a pleasant ‘surprise’ after the Yamaha rider’s recent struggles on the M1. Rossi narrowly missed out on pole by only 0.011s to Honda’s Marc Marquez at the Chang International Circuit on Saturday as the Italian rider sealed by far his best qualifying result for some time. The 39-year-old is confident that he can have a strong race on Sunday, but Rossi says he is doubtful his qualifying result will serve as a turning point this season. “It is like a surprise for us because in the test we were quite in trouble here in this track but we arrive yesterday and did not feel so bad in the practice,” said Rossi, whose team-mate, Maverick Vinales, qualified fourth. “When I start with a good level, it looks like our bike this time will make the tyre work in a good way, so it is also more easy to make the right decision. Today we worked well with the team and we followed the right way and also from the morning to the afternoon, I improved a lot my pace. “At the end it is a shame to lose the pole by a small distance, but considering in the last races I always start from the fourth or the fifth row, and in Aragon I was 18th, it is a great result for Saturday,” he added. “We arrived here with some small modification for the acceleration, but on paper we did not expect that it is a lot better. I hope, with all my heart, that we can be strong in all the tracks, but unfortunately I think that it is the track and the tyre.” COTA #3 - VIP STYLE Video of COTA #3 - VIP STYLE Rossi feels he can challenge for the podium on Sunday after gaining confidence from his race pace in FP4. “From yesterday to today, we worked hard to try to improve the balance, to create more grip, and I am not so bad because I feel good; I am not so bad in braking and I am happy to start in the front row, but I am also happy for my pace in FP4 because also with the used tyre I am quite strong,” he said. “From Aragon, in reality we modified something but the bike is very similar, so maybe it is just the better marriage between the tyre, the M1 and this track. Now we have to confirm tomorrow because you never now, so try to make a good race and fight for the podium.”