A fifth place in the intense Assen battle means that Valentino Ro♋ssi and Yamaha have now gone over one 🐼calendar year without a MotoGP victory.

They have also matched the 18-race win dro🎐ught of 2002-2003, be🐎fore Rossi joined the team in 2004.

But this weekend's German 🔯Grand Prix isn't the easiest venue on paper for Yamaha to return to winning ways.

Marc Marquez and Honda have be💯en victorious♏ at the Sachsenring for the last five years.

Meanw𝓡hile Rossi was fifth, just behind team-mate Maverick Vinales, in last year's race and hasn’t won at the venue since 2009.

"Assen was an incredible race, so I really want to get back on track again," said Rossi, s♔econd in the world championship, but a distant 4💟1 points from Marquez.

"I don'꧃t know if we can repeat a race like that at the Sachsenring, but we'll try to do everything to be at the front with the top rᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚiders," Rossi said.

"Last year's German GP was not a very positive weekend for us, so it w💟ill be very important to understand our potenti🌳al this weekend.

"We will have to work hard, starting from the first practice session on Friday, to get ready for the race, but♏ I'm confident. I feel good and my 𝄹team are working really well.

"The race at t♒he Sachsenring is the last race before the short MotoဣGP summer break, so we want to do our best to make it a good battle on Sunday, to end the first half of the season in a good way."

Team director Massimo Meregalli added: "The Sachsenring suits our bike reasonably well, how💦ever, bike set-up plays a vital role there.

"To match the settings to the tra🌳ck's narrow nature, we need to start the weekend in the right manner♋ on Friday.

"Last year we finished just off the podium, so this year it's our goal to rectify this and to continue the🍷 work done at the last race."

An interesting rumour to emerge since Assen is that Rossi might sign Vinales' current crew chief ཧRamon Forcada,🥀 should Vi🌳nales hire a new chief engineer for 2019.