New Yamaha MotoGP Group Leader Taka𝓰hiro Sumi was praised by Valentino Rossi for his assessment of the factory's past MotoGP mistak♒es and changes now being made to address the M1's weaknesses.

However, the Italiꦯan also warned that, at the age of 40, "maybe I don’t have a lot of time" to wait for the progres𓆉s to materialise on track, adding; "we need results".

Speaking at the same Austrian event where his predecessor Kouji Tsuya made an unprecedented public apology to the team's riders for the M1's poor a𝓡cceleration performance in qualifying last year, Sumi said:

"After the disastrous season of last year, especially we struggled at this track and faced a critical mom✨ent here. But it was our turning point to change, not just the bike, but o🅘urselves and how to develop the bike.

"We understand we [are facing] a challenge and are st✱ill in a crisis moment. Now we fight with all the Yamaha resources to develop a more competitive bike for next year and we explained this carefully to the riders and they understand our stance for the future."

"The problem i🐓s in some areas we lost the way in development after the regulation change in electronics and tyres [in 2016]," Sumi added:

"If we failed to solve one problem, the problems were easily increasingly and it's impossible to solve 10 o♈r 20 at the same time.

"Now we are focussing on the most criꩵtical areas, prioritising these areas, with all the development concentrating on a specific area before stepping up [to the next].

"We have improved the bike from last year, it works in some circuits and for some ride🔥rs, but unfortunately the top speed gap is now bigger. For all four Yamaha riders it is now more difficult to fight the others in the race, so this is our big🦋gest issue."

🧔The🍌 other problem yet to be fully understood is why the M1 is so grip-sensitive, suffering more than its rivals in low-grip conditions.

"I want someone to explain to me!" Sumi said. "This is a long history problem for our M1 and now rear grip decides the handling and also the acceleration. We tried to find solutions by the setting and some engine characteristic, everything is very connected in this area, and we keep improving. I canno𒐪t explain clearly but this i🍰s still another main issue."

Reviewing Rossi's season to date, Sumi explained: "Valentino made a good start but struggled from Le Mans and Mugello, that was where we were so strong in the past but the🌄 reason is we couldn’t find a good base-setting to satisfy his preference for handling and durability for the tyre. This is [his] main issue and now we are still working for it."

Asked for his opinion on Sumi's comments, Rossi - fighting to end a two-year win d🌌rought - responded:

"I think it is very interesting what Sumi-san said. I agree with him because it'ꦡs not just 2018 but already 2017 that we don’t work well, we are not strong enough and we don’t work in the right areas I think, so the gap to theꦇ opponents became bigger.

"And it l🥀ooks like this year things🦩 have changed, also people and also the organisation inside, it's like Yamaha put more effort. So about feeling and words, I'm optimistic, because it looks like something moved.

"But now we need time and unfortunately maybe I don’t have a lot of time, so I try a⛦lways to push for a short [timeframe] and we need results, so we need to improve.

"Bu♊t it's positive because already we tried the first prototyp꧂e of the 2020 bike and I think that we start to work in a good way."

Sumi pledged that the lightly-modified 2020 machine seen at the Brno test will be continually update𓃲d.

"🍌For Brno we bring some engines and parts for 2020 but this is the very first prototype, just to confirm the direction of the development," he said. "Both riders gave good feedback and we are ready for the next [test] to improve, g༺o more forward. We will maximise our opportunity to test and bring something new for every event."

Rossi was ranked fifth and eleventh fastest respectively during the pair of closely contested Friday practice sessions at the Red Bull Ri✅ng, where he felt tangibl🐼e progress compared to one year ago.

"It looks like we are in a better situation compared to last year because also with the used tyre we keep quite a constant pace," he said. "This track is dif🔜ficult because you have the long straight, but also very severe acceleration on the edge and this is hard work for the rear tyre.

"So in the last years we suffered, not just in the top speed but also because we stress a bit too much the rear tyre. Looks like this year the electronic system works a bit better and also with the used🌄 tyre we can keep more constant pace."

But despite lapping just 0ꦉ.6s from fastest man Marc Marquez, Rossi was pushed out of the combined top ten and must now hope for fast conditions in FP3 to snatch d♔irect access to Qualifying 2.

"Unfortunately, I'm n♏ot in the top ten for just a small difference because this afternoon in the time attack I don’t ride very well and I lose a bit of time because I have some traffic. But anyway the forecast for tomorrow morning is good so I think that we will fight to stay in the top ten," 𒊎he said.

"The situation is always the same, there are a lot of different riders and different bikes that are very very fast. So tomorrow morning will be a very important practice but looks like especially aܫboꦯut the pace we are a bit stronger than last year."

Team-mat🐽e Maverick Vinales, who took Yamaha's only win of the season so far at Assen, was second fastest behind Marquez.