Sunday's Catalunya MotoGP🎉 could become a 'strange, strateg🏅ic and unpredictable' race.

That's according to Valentino Rossi, who believes the combina🐼tion of close lap times, a surface that gets slippery as the temperature rises, a 'difficult' front tyre allocation and coating of Moto2 race rubber could shake up the order.

"For me, like in Mugello, tomorrow wi🐻ll be a strange race because we don’t have the right front tyre," said Rossi, who qualified in seventh position.

"The tyre allocation from Michel🍃in is difficult, not right. So at the end the soft is too soft, the mediu🅠m don’t have grip. So it will be very difficult and maybe a very strategic race. Depends very much from the tyre choice, but it's not easy."

Asked to respond to Rossi'꧒s comments, Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager Piero Taramasso said:

"This year the rules changed and we have to announce the tyre spe🥀cification [fo⛄r each race] to the teams at the beginning of the season. So we had to give the list in February for the Barcelona race, knowing it is a new asphalt, never tested [at that time].

"So we made our [intial] choice. Then when we ཧcame here three 💮weeks ago we did the test and the riders chose the [final] tyres.

"We started🐭 out with🔯 four fronts and four rears. Everybody agreed about the three rears. For the front, the soft and the hard were almost fixed because we needed soft for low temperature and hard for high temperature.

"Then there was a choice between two mediums and the maj𝐆ority chose the medium that is here. 13 riders wanted it and tཧhe other 6 at the test - including Jorge and Valentino - the other. We went with the majority, as we did last year when we changed the front construction."

Rossi continued: "The grip of the [new track surface] if you compare to las🦂t year is a lot better. But in the afternoon with a lot of temperature it's tricky, less grip.

"In the m♏orning the track is fantastic. In the afternoon everything becomes more difficult. Especially if the temperature of the asphalt goes around 5ꦏ0 degrees. So we hope for some cloud!

"Also tomorrow we have the problem of the Moto2 rubber on the track, that sometimes - especially w♚𒐪hen it's very hot - makes the track very slippery for us.

"So it looks like it's another unpredictable🌠 race. We will see."

As things currently stand, Rossi confirmed that the front row of Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati), Marc Marquez (Honda) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) are the riders to b💜eat for pace.

"It looks like ♑the two Ducatis are a bit stronger than us, especially Lorenzo, and also I think Marqu🀅ez is very good," he said.

"And after you have a big group ♛very close in the rhythm like me, Maverick, Iannone, Petrucci, Zarco. So we are there and we will try for sure the maximum. It’s just Saturday so something can change for tomorrow and we'll see."

But Rossi admitted he wouldn't be surprised to s🦋ee Lorenzo repeat his Mugello vic൲tory.

"On paper,💙 yes. Because at the moment he is faster than Dovi. Marquez is more close. He is more similar to Lorenzo. But looks like Lorenzo is🌱 the faster."

The Movistar Yamaha rider⛄ was unhappy with his own qualifying effort and felt he could have snared a place on the second row.

"I'm not so happy because I think that I can do better and I have the potential and speed to start from the second row, that was realis🍸tically my target," said the nine time world champion.

"I was good until section three, because I was two tenths faster than🌃 my lap time, but unfortunately I did a mistake in Turn 10. I braked too deep. I re-try and was able to improve but it was not enough for the second row."

Rossi starts 😼the race second in the world෴ championship, 23 points behind Marquez.

Team-mate Maverick Vin൩al😼es will start the race from fourth place, as the top Yamaha rider.

Rꦺossi and Vinales struggled to eighth and tenth 🌜in last year's Barcelona race, with the circuit resurfaced over the winter.