Valentino Rossi is expecting a very competitive grid in MotoGP this season and believes "seven or eight" riders have the ability to fight for overall honours.
Last year saw a highly competitive field with nine different race winners, although realistically only four of those were in a position to fight for the title.
Rossi believes 2017 will see a repeat of the number of winners, but expects a tighter field to put more riders in contention for the top spot.
"As always the level is very high and also this year, even more so," he said. "You can have seven or eight riders who can start to try to win the races and fight for the championship. This is great and we have to try to stay in that group.
"For me all the riders at this table [Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo, Maverick Vinales, Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Iannone] plus [Andrea] Dovizioso can win in normal conditions, but everything is open for everybody if you have mixed conditions… and [Dani] Pedrosa! Yes, also Pedrosa, sorry, because in the pre-season he was in great shape.
Rossi is looking to put a poor pre-season behind him and go one better this season after finishing runner-up to Marc Marquez last year, but admits it will be difficult, particularly as new Yamaha team-mate Maverick Vinales has shown strong pace in testing.
“I am coming from a quite difficult winter season and I was never very strong; we struggle a bit to find the right feeling. We have to work and improve and from tomorrow starts another long season and I hope to be strong and competitive," he added.
"Maverick did the opposite; he had a great pre-season and was fastest in all the tracks, not only in the fastest laps, but also in the pace and I think he will be very strong.
"My target is always to try to win races but especially be strong, and try to fight for the podium every weekend. This is the target also for this year, but for sure it is very difficult but it was also difficult in the last years."
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