VALENCIA, SPAIN – Just two days after the last race of the 2012 MotoGP season, seven-time World Champion Valentino Rossi got back on his motorbike again in Valencia, Spain for the first official testing of the 2013 season. But instead of riding his Italian-made Ducati Desmosedici, Rossi took to the track the Japanese-made Yamaha YZR-M1 challenger which he will ride in the next season.

Rossi reunites with the Japanese squad that gave him four MotoGP titles and 46 wins. He left Yamaha in 2010 and rode for the Italian marquee where he was only able to claim three podium finishes, but no wins.

The first day of official testing for the 2013 season started at 10 a.m., Valencia time, under wet and very cold conditions.

Rossi, who was getting fitted with the new bike, was able to make 28 shakedown laps around the 1000cc bike despite the intermittent showers.

The Italian rider was obviously trying hard to get the grips on the new bike as he was only able to post a best time of 1’43.736” which was 7.8 seconds off the time of fastest rider Alvaro Bautista onboard the Go & Fun Honda Gresini bike.

MotoGP veteran rider Loris Capirossi also went out on the track onboard Bradley Smith’s Monster Yamaha Tech 3 after the latter opted to sit our the testing because of the wet conditions.

LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl set the second fastest time of the session posting a 1’36.198 lap. Andrea Dovisioso, who replaced Rossi at the Ducati Team managed to go around the drying track and post the third best time of the day before the rain once again poured over the track.

The MotoGP circus goes on break for the winter season and will resume on April next year in Losail, Qatar.