Valentino Rossi bega🍷n his 24th year of motorcycle grand prix by setting the sixth fastest lap time during the opening day of official MotoGP testing at Sepang.

The Italian had finished the season-ending Valenc𓂃ia and Jerez tests somewhat underwhelmed by the two prototype engine opti♏ons presented by Yamaha for the 2019 campaign.

Although Yamaha management had suggested there would be some further engine parts to decide upon this week, Rossi said he has jꦯust one type of engine in Malaysia.

"I have just one engine in this test, because the two configurations that we had, now Yamah𓃲a bring just one," he said in the paddock on Wednesday evening.

"I'm happy with the choice, yes. Between the two are not a lot of difference. But the engine is not so⛎ bad.𝕴"

However, Yamaha has made a further evolution to the engine favoured by both Rossi and Vinales late last year, leaving the soon-to-be 40-year-ol𝓡d satisfied.

"In Valencia and Jerez we had really, really small things. Not a lot," the I🔥talian said. "Here we have some bigger things, more important.

"We woཧrk a lot on the engine brake, especially because Maverick always pushes from this point of view and is right. We have something better and also some different thin𒁏gs compared to Jerez."

The #46 confirmed he expects this engine to be the version he uses when the racing seas🐻on begins: "Sincerely, I have just one engine and it is more-or-less already decided [it will be raced]."

R🍒ossi added: "I'm happy that - especially when we speak together with the engineers and also with Maverick - we are all working in the same way.

"So we are agreeꦰd about the weak point of the bike… From this, to fix, we have to work!"

Looking to rebound from hꦐis first ever winless season on a Yama🦹ha, Rossi's priority is to improve the performance of the M1 with used tyres, which also means making the tyre last longer.

"The first day is quite 🦩positive because I have good feeling with the bike from the beginning and it also lo𓆏oks like also with the used tyre, which is our weak point, we are not so bad," said Rossi, who was 0.43s from Honda's Marc Marquez but only 0.12s from Vinales.

"We tried something today that improved a little bit the performance. It's s all together engine, electronics and also chassis side of the bike. We try to work with tꦍhe used tyres and if y🔴ou look at the lap times, with the other guys, we are not so bad.

"For me, we start in a good way⛄, but we need mor🐟e."

Testing continues at ﷽Sepanℱg on Thursday and Friday.