Yamaha rider confident on race and title chances (ANSA) - Melbourne, September 14 - Riding the momentum from his spectacular victory in Malaysia last Sunday, MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi arrived here for the Australian Grand Prix confident about his chances of winning the race for the sixth year in a row .

He needs a victory here to have any chance of clinching his sixth straight title in motorcycling's premier class .

Rossi's victory in Malaysia put him only 26 points behind the standings leader Nicky Hayden with four races to go, two of them this month .

Winners pick up 25 points per race while runners up get 20 points and third place receives 16 points .


"I love this track and the place in general. I have been lucky enough to win the MotoGP race here for the past five years," the 27-year-old Yamaha rider said at the traditional pre-weekend press conference on Thursday .

"My bike has always gone fast on the Phillp Island track and we need to keep it that way. The key to Sunday's race will be practice and qualifying," he added. Hayden was also at the press conference and said "I've always had good races in Australia. Now it's just a question of remembering where Valentino was faster than me last year, when he rode a smarter race" .

"With only four races to go it's crunch time. We're still in a good position and we'll just keep fighting - it's all I know how to do," the American Honda rider added .

More than Hayden, many observers considered his teammate Daniel Pedrosa to be the biggest obstacle between Rossi had his eighth world title .

The Spaniard is four points ahead of Rossi and in his brilliant debut year in MotoGP has demonstrated that he has both the talent and ambition to aspire to the title .

Pedrosa placed third last Sunday despite suffering injuries to his knee and foot in a crash during the second practice .

Speaking after the Malaysian Grand Prix, Rossi said his strategy now would be to keep pressure on the two Honda riders .

"Having already picked up seven world titles I'd say that I do have a slight advantage over them," the Yamaha rider said confidently .

Rossi's confidence was also backed up by the fact that he has won five races so far this season while Hayden and Pedrosa have won two each .