Rossi admits Silverstone a “wake-up call” for Yamaha

Although Rossi finished in third place behind the Suzuki of Maverick Vinales and the LCR Honda of Cal Crutchlow, the seven-time premier class champion benefitted from a crash by Ducati rider Andrea Iannone and a late error by Marc Marquez.

Teammate Jorge Lorenzo fared even worse, as the Spaniard struggled to a distant eighth place at a track where he has excelled in the past.

Having admitted his rivals’ practice pace had left him and his team feeling “a bit worried” after qualifying, Rossi's race performance equally left him suspecting that Yamaha has fallen behind its rivals.

"This race is a wake-up call for us,” said Rossi. “At Silverstone we really struggled.

“Our bike was worse than the Honda, the Suzuki with Vinales and also the Ducati, because Iannone was in front [before he crashed].

"In the first part of the season, for many races, our bike was the most competitive. Now it is no longer, and we have to understand why.

“In addition, we need to figure out how to return to the level we had at the beginning of the year."

“I don’t care” about gap to Marquez

Although Rossi narrowed the gap to Marquez slightly at Silverstone, reducing the points deficit from 53 to 50, the Italian insists he is not even thinking about trying to close in on his rival in the remaining six races.

Asked if he still believed the title race to be more or less finished, the Rossi said: “Yes. I have the same opinion [as before].

“In the end, if you make the calculation, 50 points with one race less [is a larger gap] than 53 points with once race more [remaining].

"But, sincerely, I don’t care. I love to make these races, and my target is to fight for victory and arrive on the podium from here to the end."