Despite the test held in mid-May and an encouraging Friday of testing, the Mugello weekend was a disastrous weekend for Yamaha. Only one point gained, by Alex Rins with fifteenth place in the long race. Fabio Quartararo only finished eighteenth on Sunday, failing to make up for the crash that occurred on Saturday in the Sprint due to Miguel Oliveira.
MotoGP Mugello, physical problems for Quartararo
The French driver didn’t just suffer from the lack of competitiveness of the M1, there was also another type of obstacle that complicated his performance in Tuscany: “It was a very tough race – has explained – especially from a physical point of view. I had a problem with my arm, I wasn’t able to ride well in the last ten laps. It’s not an arm problem, it’s just that my arm is at its limit when we drive on this type of track. It’s a shame we weren’t fast, we expected more from this race. We struggle when the grip is low, we hope to find a solution to make the bike easier to ride“.
The Yamaha has become a particularly physical bike, especially on certain circuits, and this creates problems for the riders. It is essential to be able to identify the way to once again obtain that ease of driving that characterized the M1 until a few years ago. The new aerodynamic package approved by Barcelona is not a sufficient answer, even if both Fabio and Alex have expressed positive comments.
Yamaha, next test in Spain
To try to resolve the problems, Monday’s test, again at Mugello, was eagerly awaited, but the rain completely ruined the plans of the Iwata team and everyone else. Definitely a joke for Quartararo and Rins, who would have liked to use the day to try to improve the situation. Once upon a time, corner entry and cornering were two strong points of the M1, they must become so again as soon as possible. Having made the engine more competitive on a straight line is not enough, other clear interventions are needed. Especially with little grip the riders struggle a lot.
Team manager Massimo ‘Maio’ Meregalli has already announced that Yamaha will do a private test in Valencia next week, on Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th June. Hoping that there are no new climate problems, it will be another opportunity to improve the M1. Quartararo and Rins will be in action, while tester Cal Crutchlow will still be absent due to a physical problem that has already prevented him from racing as a wild card at Mugello.
Photo: Yamaha MotoGP
