Honda focusing on works team

The Italian, who rides for the Gresini team, is fourth in the championship, just behind Repsol Honda's Dani Pedrosa. However, the development of Melandri's bike will not be the same as it will be for the works riders.

"All efforts are concentrated on the works team, that's the priority," Honda's HRC managing director Satoru Horiike was quoted as saying by Italian magazine Motosprint.

"We'll think about the other bikes later. Let's wait five or six races, then we'll see what kind of help we can give based on the results."

Melandri has shone on a satellite bike for the past two years with Gresini, and the Italian finished second in the championship to Valentino Rossi in 2005.

He ran as high as second in China last weekend, but he claimed that he was unable to get any more out of the package and slipped back to fifth place.

"I gave my best, but I can't deny that I'm aiming for better results than this," he said after the race. "We have a lot of hard work to do, because we are still behind."