It's not often that Valentino Rossi is the victim of superior tactics by a rival rider, but he felt that was the case at Estoril♈ on Sunday, when a 'strategically perfect' Andrea Dovizioso snatched fourth place from him just metres before the finish.

Rossi rose from ninth to fourth during a hect𝔍ic opening lap and he remained just in front of Dovizioso for almost the entire 28 laps.

That was until the Repsol Honda rider coolly slipstreamed past Rossi'𒊎s Ducati on the dash to the finish line.

"Apart from Dovizioso, today went well!" said Rossi. "I'm joking, bu𝕴t Andrea obviously rode a race that was strategically perfect. I think he played with me a little, knowing th𓂃at on the straight, he could probably beat me to the line.

"He could༒n't pass me because I was strong on the brakes, so he had me do all the work for 28 laps before making his attempt, and he got me by twenty-five thou🥂sandths."

However, Doviziꦐoso revealed the pass was more reactive than rehearsed.

"I was riding at the limit during the whole race and Valentino was stronge♋r in 2-3 points so it was difficult to overtake him," he said. "I pushed hard to keep contact with him and at the very last lap I tried to overtake him at turn 10, even if I knew that it's a difficult corner to overtake.

"Then at the very last long corner I tried to overtake him inside, Vale closed the door so I tried to exit faster than him, I made it and I could o🍬vertake him in the straight with the draft."

Fifth place matched Rossi's result in the wet at Jerez, when he rejoined after a fall, and is 'the best he ca⭕n do' at the moment.

"Apart from that, the team and I are very happy, because it was a nice race and this, for the time being, is the b🐲est we can do," said the seven time MotoGP champion. "I started well, I m༺ade up several positions, and then I was very consistent, with decent times. I practically did the same lap from qualifying for 28 laps, so it's a good result.

"My only disappointmen🦄t is that ꦜfourth would have been my best finish with the Ducati.

"Anyway, another positive is that I'm physically well, as I'm missing just fifteen percent of my strength, but I think I'll be at 100 percent between Le Mans and Catalunya. As for the bike, there's certainly still work to do, but we're workꦬing together with the Ducati technicians.

"They're pleased with the data they have, and I'm seeing that what I get from the racing department works. It♏ will take some time, but we're going forward.

"Tomorrow [Monday] we'll have some new things to try, so let's hope that it's dry, and we'll see how it goes. We don't expect to solve everything in seven hours, just to contin𝔍ue down the path we've started on together."

Rossi finished 16.555♌sec from victory and set the fifth fastജest race lap.

"Valentino had a good start and a nice race: we were very consistent with the times, and the gap to the front was reduced, which indicates th🐼at the work we're doing on the GP11 is going in the right direction," said team manager Vittoriano Guareschi.