Monster Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi are still very concerned over the top speed gap to Ducati and Honda as even the new 2020-spec MotoGP engine is losing the business end of six miles per hour along Jerez’s short straight.

Vinales was able to make use of the M1’s corner advantage to top the combined timesheets even though he said the chassis is very much a work in progress but warned that if the speed gap is the same, he will be in trouble if he doesn’t start from pole.

“The feeling is good. The lap time is there. But again if we don’t start first, we will get in trouble,” said Vinales, speaking at the track.

“Yamaha is working really hard, but today we see again we are 10kph on top speed compared to Ducati. So we have to work harder.

“For sure in many other areas we are quite strong, but still in the weak point, we are at the same level right now.

“Maybe we improved a little bit at other tracks but here in Jerez it’s the same. So we need to keep concentrating and see what we can do for the next test in Sepang.”

Rossi is of the same opinion and is urging Yamaha to get is collective shit together before Sepang.

“For me the new engine is on the good way, but still the gap is very big because if you lose 9-10km/h at Jerez, when you have a track with a really long straight it’s difficult,” he warned.

“We feel something but we need more. I hope that Yamaha are able to improve a little bit for next year.”