LOSAIL, Qatar (AFP) - World champion Valentino Rossi angrily hit out at race organisers here after he was demoted to the back of the grid for the Qatar Grand Prix.
The Italian star was penalised after his Yamaha team was accused of tampering with Rossi's original starting position of eighth place in an effort to improve the bike's grip at the start.
He was joined on the back row by bitter rival Max Biaggi whose Honda team were also charged with the same offence.
"I was amazed and very disappointed by the decision to make me start at the back of the grid," said Rossi.
"I dont think there is any consistency in some of the decisions made. At other races people have cleaned their grid places and nothing has happened. In fact, my crew were doing something they used to do with Mick Doohan when the track was dirty. I didnt know about it until after it had happened."
Rossi's afternoon was to go from bad to worse when after charging up from 23rd to fourth place he crashed out on lap six, one of many victims of the slippery, new desert track.
Spain's Sete Gibernau won the race, the first to be staged here, to cut Rossi's lead in the overall standings to just 14 points with three races left in the season.
"In the race I made a mistake," said five-time world champion Rossi.
"I had really pushed in the first few laps and could see that Colin Edwards was in slightly better shape than me when I was behind him. I ran wide in the second last turn and just clipped the grass.
"They were looking strong but I did think I could have made the podium. Fortunately Im not hurt. I was worried about my finger but it is not serious."
Yamaha team manager Davide Brivio said his team will bounce back in Malaysia next weekend.
"It has been a bad weekend here. Well go away from Qatar with no points but thats racing," he said.
"Valentino is still leading the championship by 14 points and now we will react and fight until the end of the Championship. In Brazil we were in the same situation and we fought back strongly. We have got three races to go and anything can happen."