Valentino Rossi says the two-second pace deficit in Friday practice at Catalunya does not represent Ducati's true pace at the Spanish track, but he admits his team have work to do and problems to solve today.
The Italian was ninth at the end of yesterday's rain-affected sessions, one place behind his teammate Nicky Hayden.
"This morning we started with the setup from Le Mans, but we realized that something different was needed for this track; we altered the setup, but the first changes didn't work," he said afterward. "Then it started to mist, and that's how it was for half of the first session.
"The second session started with a wet track, and although we were fast in those conditions, it wasn't possible to work productively on the setup. We're left with some problems to solve and, although the two-second gap isn't accurate, we're still too far from the leaders."
He was optimistic that Ducati would be able to make good progress given dry track time today.
"Fortunately, we have some ideas for tomorrow in terms of both bike settings and electronics," said Rossi. "I spent almost all my time on the same soft tires, which were quite worn at the finish, so it's also possible to make up some time there.
"Toward the end of the afternoon session, I stopped to adjust the fork setting, and I only had time left for one more lap – not sufficient to improve my time, but enough to understand that it was a step in the right direction.
"Tomorrow, weather permitting, we'll see how much we're able to improve. Anyway, although we'll be more competitive if it rains, I would still prefer dry conditions, since that's where we have to work at improving."