Movistar Yamaha are rumoured to be evaluating two new frames at today’s Barcelona test in order to remove the problems both Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi are suffering in hot conditions.

At Jerez and Barcelona, Rossi struggled on low-grip surfaces as he is suffering with understeer which is causing big headaches with the rear tyre.

“We have the small worry that we can suffer here like in Jerez, and it's very strange that in the two races that last year I won this year are the worst two. So we were a bit worried and during the weekend we try a lot different things but we were never fast enough, and the race was very, very difficult,” Rossi said yesterday.

“For me, the main problem is that the bike has more understeer and after the problem becomes very big for the rear tyre. At the end, the main problem is the rear traction, especially on the right, because already after ten laps I was very very much in trouble and I had to slow down very much.

“I tried everything but anyway it was impossible to exit fast from the corner. But for me, coming more for the lack of turning that I feel with this bike from the first time that I try.

“I always suffer, sometimes more, sometimes less. So for tomorrow we can have some stuff that is not the 2016 bike but maybe something that can be interesting for improve.”

Jonas Folger and Johann Zarco, who both use the 2016 M1, had no such issues as they scorched to fifth and sixth places respectively. Rossi has said previously he doesn’t want to return to the old bike as it is history but a frame that does the same job could be a step forward…