Melandri furious with Honda

The Italian, who had hoped to be fighting for the championship this year but has finished no better than fifth in the first two races, says he has not been given the level of backing that was promised to him over the winter.

"I feel really alone," he told his official website in a look back at last weekend's race at Jerez.

"Over the winter it had been said that I would have been a works rider at the same level as Nicky (Hayden) and Dani (Pedrosa), but in fact I still have the same problem since the first day on the 800cc and nobody is doing anything for me.

"My team are doing their best, but unfortunately some modifications must be done by someone above us. During practice I had a good rhythm when I was alone, but the front drives me mad in any case.

"Here (in Jerez), like in Qatar, I started from the back and in the first laps I had to push very hard.

"I can't brake hard enough to overtake and, as soon as I try to, I always take many risks and I destroy the front tyre within three laps. After that my race is over.

"When I got back to the pits after the race I went straight to my motorhome. I was too pissed off (and I still am).

"I just told my team, unfortunately in a bad manner so I later apologized, that for (Monday's) test I don't care how, when, or why, but I want a radical modification to be made on the front for me to try because I can't go on like this.

"I'm tired of the bullshit you hear about me being psychologically fragile. Shit, I race on a motorbike, not a bicycle: if the bike or the tyres don't work, I can't step down to make it go faster."

Melandri believes that Honda should start showing the kind of faith in him that Yamaha put in Valentino Rossi when he joined them.

"Have you ever asked yourselves why Yamaha started to win with Valentino? Maybe because they told themselves: 'damn, with the money we've spent for him maybe we should spend it to do everything he asks?'

"I've never had that chance, so only once I manage to have everything at my disposal to my liking can I get really motivated for the race's final result."