The YZR-M1 has regularly occupied the bottom part of the MotoGP speed traps in recent years, with its lack of grunt contributing to its slide down the order.

Having won the title in 2021 with Fabio Quartararo and finished runner-up in the standings in 2022 with the Frenchman having scored three victories, it has scored just two rostrums in 2023.

Last week’s Misano test was seen as an important moment for Yamaha in both getting its 2024 season off on the right foot and also starting the process of convincing Quartararo to commit to the marque beyond next season.

But after testing the first version of the 2024 engine – which has been developed with the help of famed Formula 1 engineer Luca Marmorini – Quartararo was less than impressed, telling the media that he “expected much more”.

This was at odds with Meregalli’s comments to motogp.com after the test as he said the engine performance matched its expectations.

This clash of views was touched on by Quartararo again on Thursday at the Indian Grand Prix in an interview with DAZN, who doubled down and said the test was “a disappointment”.

Speaking on the world feed on Friday during FP2 in India, Meregalli says the reason for the differing opinions was a “lack of communication” from Yamaha in conveying its expectations for the test.