Maverick Vinales says Yamaha “improved nothing” during Monday's post-race test at Jerez, as the Spaniard continued to struggle with a lack of grip which dogged his Spanish Grand Prix weekend.
Vinales qualified 11th and finished a distant seventh after battling with a lack of traction throughout the weekend, a problem both he and team-mate Valentino Rossi said is down to the Yamaha's electronics.
Failing to make a step forward with the electronics during the test on Monday, Vinales has now turned his attention to finding a solution at a private test at Mugello later in the week.
“Well, Monday is always positive, but we have to be positive on Sunday,” the Spaniard, who was four tenths off the pace in fourth in the test, said.
“We didn't solve nothing. I don't know [if we made a step], we need to say if in the next days we can improve something.
"But right now it is what it is and we have to take everything. I explain many times, the problem is the rear grip.
“I finally found a good rhythm, it was nothing special, but a good consistent rhythm all the same.
“I think the track was much better today, more grippy, especially in the morning. At the next test in Mugello we'll try to get more answers.”
Rossi managed to salvage fifth from his difficult Jerez weekend after Andrea Dovizioso, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa collided in front of him, but was left worried Yamaha could need another season if it did not make a step forward.
The Italian – who was 10th in the test – said the bike “improved a bit” on Monday, and says the team will have something “more important” to try at Mugello.
“We had a lot of things to do and it was a good test,”
“We tried some different solutions, some were better, some less so, but it was important and we improved a bit.
“For me, at the next test we'll have something more important to try.
“The new Michelin tyres are very good, they improved a lot, they gave a lot more grip and you can go faster, so they gave a good feeling.”
