Yamaha and Honda the six slowest bikes: "Important not to lose the smile"

• Catalunya MotoGP, Barcelona - Friday Practice Results

Depressingly for Yamaha and Honda, the timesheets from 17th to 22nd read: Fabio Quartararo, Franco Morbidelli, Marc Marquez, Takaaki Nakagami, Iker Lecuona, Joan Mir.

It was a damning reminder of the issues that have forced Dorna to consider how to give concessions to Yamaha and Honda.

“Tough day, we will try to improve tomorrow,” said a forlorn Morbidelli. 

“There’s not a lot to say.

“We know the situation. We keep focused, keep digging deep to get better.

“It’s important not to lose the smile.

“I feel that last year and this year, there is a very small difference. Lap times are similar.

“For sure, something changed this year. Such as the engine.

“We needed to find a different base for dealing with this more powerful engine.

“It seems that the base gives less margin for operation.”

Asked where he struggled in particular on Friday in Barcelona, Morbidelli replied: “There are a lot of areas to choose! 1.4s off! Point to whichever point of the track, and you will get it right! The gap is huge.

“It’s still Friday, we’ll keep digging deep, anything can happen. Let’s see.”

Mir, the 2020 world champion who was the slowest rider in practice on Friday, reacted to the state of the two Japanese manufacturers: “I don’t know. I just look to ourselves. That’s it. For me, I’m not surprised to see it.

“The truth is, we’re in this situation. I don’t know about the others but we’re in a bad situation, at the moment.”

Mir continued: “Yesterday I said that it’s going to be a hard week. I expect this. It’s true.

“This is a track where, every year, we struggle with the grip. The corners are very long, you need to carry speed with throttle.

“For me, this is the area where I struggle the most. The biggest problem is this one. It’s the worst part for me.

“I couldn’t find a set-up where I was comfortable to push for a lap. I wasn’t able to give 100% because I wasn’t feeling it.

“Today I decided to bring the bike to the box, and that’s it.

“Tomorrow with good temperature, we will try to take a step forwards.

“I’m sure that will be tough.”