Maverick Vinales left the Jerez MotoGP apparently still puzzled why he was slow on Sunday but fast using the same setup and front-tyre compound on Monday. Well, we say puzzled - he is putting is down to a duff hoop and isn’t allowed to say so in case he gets his pants pulled down by the headmaster.

Both he and Valentino Rossi tried a new chassis with The Doctor saying ‘for me, is no better’ while his younger team-mate is a bit more upbeat but not committal. ‘Positives, negatives, we see at Le Mans.’ Where it will piss down.

Despite calls from various camps to change the RC213V chassis, Honda brought a new exhaust to Jerez that Dani Pedrosa had previously thrown in the skip. Cal Crutchlow tried it, said it was good, Marc Marquez tried it, said it was good, then Pedrosa got his out of the Biffa bin and also said it was good.

There are the usual, ‘positives, negatives, we evaluate again’ but Marquez said that after spending half the day setting the bike up for it, it was useful as it smoothed out the power delivery and adds more bottom-end, where the bike is currently lacking, without removing power from the top. The laptimes were similar, however.

Opinions on the new-ish Michelin front that was made available. Rossi had hoped it would cure the front-end feel problems he is currently suffering, but it didn’t, and if the new chassis didn’t either then it could be a long season. Jorge Lorenzo only did a couple of lap using it but said it was probably worse, especially mid-corner. He added that a new construction that everyone likes would be a good idea.

Vinales was ambivalent, saying that if he had to race it he would but Aleix Espargaro was in favour as the tyre gave him more stability in the transition between braking and first throttle touch.

Returning MotoGP star Sylvain Guintoli described the Ecstar Suzuki GSX-RR as a beautiful little missile but wasn’t taking any risks. “There's power everywhere. And it's controlled and delivered in a way that is unique. In that respect it was very impressive. Then the work for me now is going to work on the feeling, especially the front tyre, to understand this better,” he said, before nipping off for a cheeky Pernod.

Casey Stoner will be out on testing duty again for Ducati at Barcelona. Probably on his own to stop everyone else looking bad.