Rossi messed up his title chances? - 12th February 19:26pm GMT

Valentino Rossi has rebuked suggestions that a potential switch to Formula One with Ferrari was partly to blame for his shock MotoGP world championship defeat in 2006.

This time last year Rossi was testing for Ferrari and wrestling with where his future plans lay as he considered walking away from two wheels following a glittering career.

Some suggested the added distraction of a potential multi-million pound switch to Formula One saw him take his eye of trying to help Yamaha win a third straight premier class crown.

But Rossi has rubbished that and speaking of his motivation for 2007 he told MCN: “For me I think no. I don’t get distracted. It was more technical last year than me.

“I made some mistakes but I think it is normal after winning five world championships in a row. We don’t give the right importance or the right way in the problem of chattering at the beginning of the year. We think’ ok, no problem, we will fix it, and we didn’t fix it. This is the problem but now we are more concentrated.”