Fabio Quartararo finished 17th in the morning test session at Misano, over a second off the pace of Gresini's Alex Marquez, on his second outing on Yamaha's new V4 bike.
What happened?
The 2021 world champion made the comment after struggling to find any strong points on Yamaha's new challenger at the halfway point of the Misano test.
The Frenchman said the new bike feels 'worse' than its predecessor, citing issues with turning and front-end feeling.
Why it matters for Fabio Quartararo
Quartararo remains unconvinced that switching to a V4 engine will turn around Yamaha's fortunes in MotoGP, despite the team's assurances that there is still a margin for improvement.
Yamaha had come to the conclusion that it had reached the ceiling of its inline four-cylinder engine, prompting it to develop a completely new bike that incorporates a V4 motor.
What comes next?
Quartararo will continue to test and refine the new bike, with the aim of finding a solution to the issues that have plagued Yamaha's MotoGP campaign.
The team's test rider, Augusto Fernandez, had highlighted issues with the front-end of the M1 after debuting the V4 version of the bike at the San Marino Grand Prix last weekend.
Quartararo's comments suggest that the team still has a lot of work to do to get the new bike up to speed, and that the switch to a V4 engine may not be the silver bullet that Yamaha had hoped for.
On the Misano test, Quartararo said: 'At the moment, it's worse. In Barcelona, we felt some difference, that for me was in a better way. Here, we haven't found it yet.'
The Frenchman's struggles on the new bike will be a concern for Yamaha, as they look to bounce back from a disappointing season.
Quartararo's next test outing will be closely watched, as he looks to find a solution to the issues that have plagued the new bike.
The 2021 world champion will be hoping to find a way to get the new bike up to speed, and to challenge for the top step of the podium once again.
Yamaha's new V4-powered M1 bike has been in development for some time, and the team will be hoping that it can provide a boost to their MotoGP campaign.
The team's engineers will be working tirelessly to refine the new bike, and to find a solution to the issues that have plagued it so far.
Quartararo's comments suggest that the team still has a lot of work to do, but that they are committed to finding a way to make the new bike competitive.
The Frenchman's determination and skill will be crucial in the coming weeks, as he looks to find a way to get the new bike up to speed.
The Misano test was an important milestone in the development of the new bike, and Quartararo's comments provide a fascinating insight into the challenges that the team is facing.
As the season wears on, Quartararo and Yamaha will be hoping to find a way to challenge for the top step of the podium once again.
The Frenchman's struggles on the new bike are a reminder that there is still a lot of work to be done, but that he and the team are committed to finding a way to make it competitive.