Vinales: Suzuki "cannot permit" current gap to leaders

A frustrated Maverick Vinales says Suzuki "cannot permit" itself to be so far behind the leaders after a muted showing in MotoGP qualifying at Le Mans.

Maverick Vinales, Team Suzuki Ecstar MotoGP

Even though he comfortably outpaced teammate Aleix Espargaro, Vinales - who has yet to decide between staying at Suzuki or joining Yamaha - was downbeat after qualifying in eighth, almost a second off poleman Jorge Lorenzo.

"We need to improve," he said. "It cannot be possible after the test in Jerez, all the time [we were] between first, second and third, on the pace at the top.

"And we come here and we are nine tenths behind Jorge. For me, we cannot permit this."

"Always the same problem"

Vinales said his struggles for pace were down to the rear tyre sliding, on corner entry.

"This morning [FP3] was quite okay," he said. "I was feeling good and the bike was having quite good grip going into the corner - I could make the corner really fast so the laptime was coming.

"This afternoon was sliding a lot the rear. All the time [as] I went to the brake, the rear was starting to slide and [it] was like a nightmare to go into the corner."

The Spaniard added that he's been having this problem since 2015, and is not happy that it has yet to be sorted.

"For me it's always the same problem," Vinales said. "I always say, also last year, that we need to improve the rear.

"Ssector one, I don't need to use the rear, I only use the front - and I'm there, fourth [in the sector time].

"The problem is, when I need to use the rear to turn, the bike doesn't turn and it starts to slide. It's one year that I say the same and still I have the same problem."

Additional reporting by Oriol Puigdemont