This makes sense, for Yamaha and for Rossi. I do think there is a strong chance that Rossi wins a race this year and gets on the podium 7-8 times, so long as the M1 makes an incremental step and the new Michelin rear tire "marries" the M1 harmoniously.
While there is no question that Fabio Q. impressed last year as a MotoGP rookie, I still see a big difference in being fast and being a winner. He has but a single grand prix win through his seasons in Moto3 (zero wins) and Moto2 (1 win). I thought the lack of success might be attributable to his physical size, but contrary to what I perceive on T.V., Fabio is shorter and weighs less than Rossi. Anyway, learning how to win races and how to manage a championship season are skills that Fabio has not shown. He may yet show he has the knack for winning as well as the speed, but that will be interesting to see.