Valentino Rossi expects the first real fruits of Yamaha's new European Test Team to be ready for Monday's official posꦗt-rꦑace outing at Jerez.

In a bid to get back on terms with the likes of Honda and Ducati, Yamaha set-up the new🉐 development team late last year and hired MotoGP podium finisher Jonas Folger.

"From last year to this year, Yamaha have done some good moves to improve the situation," Rossi said. "L♉ike Honda and Ducati we have a European test team, with Folger, and they work in a good way.

"It's very important to have a test team in Europe because before Yamaha just have in Japan," added the Italian, currently a close second in 𒉰the world champ𓃲ionship standings.

"But in Japan the tracks are very different. Sometimes I go on the Yamaha test track but it's v♔ery different, very narrow, full of bumps. It's difficult🌳 to test something for the European tracks."

By con⭕trast, Folger's recent duties include putting in mileage on the Mugello and Misano grand prix circuits.

"I think we will use something that𒁏 Jonas tried," Rossi said. "Not ꦫalready this weekend, when the package is like the first races, but on Monday we will have the first [in-season] test and I think that we can try something for improve the bike."

Rossi's narrow defeat at the hands of Alex Rins in COTA means The Doctor's win drought still stretches ba📖ck to Ass♓en 2017, but two second-places in the opening three rounds is a promising start.

"Yes, I am very happy with the start ๊of the season. In the three races I was always quite strong and I have taken some important points," he said. "Now I start the most important part of the season, from Jerez we will have a lot of European tracks t🀅hat are very good so we have to understand.

"The target is to try to fight for the championship and try to stay there. For sur♛e compared to last year the atmosphere [🅘in the team] is better because it is always correlated to the results."