Valentino Rossi angry at Yamaha fork ban

Valentino Rossi has criticised Yamaha after he was banned from testing new Ohlins front forks in Brno yesterday.

Already barred from testing a 2011 Yamaha prototype YZR-M1 following his decision to leave the Japanese factory for a move to Ducati next season, Rossi was told on Sunday night that he couldn’t evaluate the new front forks.

The decision angered the Italian and made it clear his contempt for the ban when he spoke after finishing fourth quickest at the end of yesterday’s rain disrupted session.

Rossi, who has penned a two-year deal with Ducati, said: “I didn’t try the fork because Yamaha didn’t give me to try. I was very upset about this because we have eight races to go, not two or three.

“I want to make like always 110 per cent effort for the second part of the season with Yamaha and the last races for me with the M1. I expect the same effort also from Yamaha. They said to me that they don’t use this fork in the next races because it is a fork for 2011.

“It is easy to understand, because the fork from the outside is different, so we will understand if this is the truth or is a lie.”

Rossi’s Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo later confirmed to MCN that the new front fork isn’t planned to be rolled out until next season.