Метка: Yamaha Factory Racing

Yamaha exceeded own expectations with updated M1 in Barcelona MotoGP test

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Yamaha says it outperformed its own expectations in Tuesday’s official MotoGP test in Barcelona, with Fabio Quartararo clocking the second-fastest time of the day.

The Japanese manufacturer brought a revised version of the M1 to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, having managed to upgrade the chassis, aerodynamics and engine.

Factory rider Quartararo ended up just 0.4s behind Gresini’s Alex Marquez on the all-conquering GP24, having managed to improve on the time with which he qualified 10th on the grid in last weekend’s season finale at the same track.

Team-mate Alex Rins also enjoyed a strong day to finish eighth, while Yamaha collected additional data from the bikes of Miguel Oliveira and Jack Miller, as Pramac joined its stable as a satellite team.

Team director Massimo Meregalli hailed the performance of Yamaha in the Barcelona test, particularly because the feedback from the riders was backed up by the improved speed of the bike on track.

“The three items that we mainly evaluated were chassis, aerodynamics and a slightly updated engine, all these three items gave us positive feedback,” Massimo Meregalli told MotoGP’s official website.

“But before really judging anything we prefer to wait until [the next test in] Sepang [in February] because you can’t really judge single items in one circuit, it’s better to at least double check.

Yamaha MotoGP Team bike detail

Yamaha MotoGP Team bike detail

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“All the steps we did in this direction brought us a good feeling but also results. This is very important because many times in the past we always listened to the feelings of the riders but now we want to match the feeling with the results.

“I can say that the test finished better than our expectations. For me it’s a good way to finish such a long and tough season.”

Quartararo was also in an upbeat mood after testing the updated M1 on Tuesday, as he could attest the steps the Iwata brand had made with a bike that could finish no higher than sixth in a grand prix all year.

“I think it was a good day. We tried out quite a few things, and without really doing a time attack we set a better time than in qualifying,” he told reporters in Barcelona.

“We set the fastest time with the new chassis and the new engine, so that was positive, and without really starting with 3kg of fuel — I think we started with 8-9kg.

“Of course I was at the limit, but we could have made up a few more hundredths or tenths to go a bit quicker.”

While the Barcelona test was already encouraging for Yamaha, Quartararo revealed that bigger upgrades will follow when the paddock reconvenes in Malaysia for the start of pre-season testing on 5-7 February.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha MotoGP Team

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha MotoGP Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“The new engine already gave us a bit more speed, with the same agility, the steering with the new chassis was also good,” he said. “We also tried a new fairing to maybe have a bit more top speed but it wasn’t any better, it was the same. We tried some pretty interesting things.

“I think we’re heading in the right direction and the biggest things that were supposed to happen will happen in Malaysia, that’s what was planned. So the direction is good and I hope it can help for the future.”

However, Quartararo explained that Yamaha still has not been able to overcome some of the long-standing weaknesses of the M1, even if the overall packer was stronger than what he raced with in 2024.

“I don’t think there were any real improvements on the corner exit, which is where I think we need to improve,” he said. “With the new chassis, we’ve improved the corner entry a little bit, but what we’re lacking is a bit on the exit.”

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He added: “Power and grip is the only thing I can ask for. In terms of grip we are really, really far.

“And [as for the] the power, Santa Claus already came earlier to give us a bit of extra [power] but I will ask even more because we know we miss it.”

Yamaha’s approach to the Barcelona test was in stark contrast to that of Honda, which did not have any new parts to run — leaving factory rider Joan Mir a frustrated 15th in the standings.



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Quartararo explains why he’s Yamaha’s traction control now

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo has said Yamaha’s latest step in performance is down to an electronics tweak that allows the riders to have more input on the throttle.

Last weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix saw Quartararo and team-mate Alex Rins both qualify inside the top 10 for the first time in a difficult 2024 campaign. Quartararo finished sixth in the race on Sunday, concluding a series of flyaway races that was positive apart from the marque’s home race in Japan.

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Both Quartararo and Rins highlighted the progress made on the electronics side.

“I am much more the traction control now,” joked Quartararo after qualifying on Saturday. “We have made some big changes on the electronics.”  

Asked if it was like riding an old 500cc grand prix bike, the Frenchman said: “Not exactly, but basically it’s a little bit like that.

“I have to control [it] much more and it’s much more difficult for me to ride the bike but we have more performance and this is what we are looking for.

“It’s much more difficult to use the throttle and have the best performance but I think we have made a good step in only a few days.”

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Asif Zubairi

Rins added similar sentiments following his best weekend of the season in terms of points, thanks to the eight he picked up for eighth place on Sunday.

“I have the bike a little bit more in my hand, which is so important for me. I got used to riding like this on the Suzuki – to control the spin a bit more, picking up the bike when it’s spinning…so it was quite nice.”

Yamaha, which benefits from concessions designed to help it rediscover the winning performance it has lost over the past two seasons, also brought a new engine to Malaysia.

Quartararo was unable to race with it after his broke in practice, and also had to race the spare bike in the grand prix after being caught in the first-corner incident. Rins, however, was able to use the new motor.

“Regarding the power and the top speed, it’s more or less the same,” said Rins. “But it works a little better for the electronics.”

“[On Saturday] morning we tested the strategy on the electronics that we tested with this engine in Misano. And the good feeling came back again.”

Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing

Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Asif Zubairi

Quartararo summed up the Asia-Pacific leg of the season as a positive one in terms of progress.

“We can take positives from all the [flyaway] circuits. Japan was one of the weakest, but in Australia the pace was great, also in Mandalika. In Thailand we were fast in the wet and the dry.

“Here we were fast also. So we can be happy about this end to the season and hopefully we can now see the difference to where we were at Barcelona in the summer.”       

He added that he looked forward to the post-season test that has been rescheduled at Barcelona instead of Valencia, considering the room for improvement Yamaha has there.

“Barcelona is a great choice [for the test]. It’s been a really tough track for us in the last two years. The grip is super low and that’s been our weakest point. The test there will be quite nice for us.”



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Yamaha still not a match for my riding style

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Alex Rins says he is still struggling to adapt his riding style to the Yamaha M1 package and feels he cannot simply copy Fabio Quartararo’s efforts in MotoGP.

With Rins approaching the conclusion of his maiden premier class campaign with the Japanese manufacturer, he has consistently been unable to match team-mate Quartararo’s performances and results.

That has continued in Thailand, with Quartararo ending Friday 12th overall and Rins down in 18th, with almost half a second splitting them on single-lap pace.

After a 2023 MotoGP season blighted by injury, Rins’ switch from Honda to Yamaha has seen him struggle to get back to the form that had him score five victories with Suzuki, along with his sole triumph for Honda in the United States last year.

While Rins’ arrival coincided with Yamaha’s ongoing difficulty in extracting more performance from the M1 package, the Spaniard — who has a best result of ninth place in Aragon this season – feels he still doesn’t have a bike to suit his riding style.

«Every time I come back from the track I try to give good feedback, I still do not feel that they have given me a bike that resembles my riding style,» he commented after Friday practice for the Thailand Grand Prix.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Rins feels he simply cannot copy Quartararo’s riding style and that it wouldn’t be a fruitful pursuit regardless, given the French rider is also unable to be competitive at the sharp end of the grid.

«I cannot copy Fabio’s bike, I do not have his riding style,» he added. «When I come back from the track the feedback I give is the best I know. In the end there are no bad people here in MotoGP, Yamaha is a factory team that has the best people.

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«Obviously he is going through a tough time, but Fabio has won a championship and many races with this bike, and now he is not achieving it, and there is a reason for that.

«We are in a period of quite a bit of stress, of evolution and maybe that is what we have to go through now.»



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Leg injury not the reason for poor results

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Alex Rins has stressed that his lack of competitiveness at struggling Yamaha has nothing to do with the limp he has been walking with since his freak accident at Mugello over a year ago.

Both Rins and Fabio Quartararo have voiced their disappointment with the lack of grip on the M1 increasingly loudly of late. They have cited multiple problems with the bike, which is the most sensitive on the grid to changes in the level of grip from one circuit to the next.

At Motegi, the Spaniard and the Frenchman struggled with the Yamaha’s lack of traction and rear grip. Quartararo finished twelfth in Sunday’s Grand Prix, more than 32 seconds behind winner Francesco Bagnaia. He lost a place to Johann Zarco on the last lap as a result of running out of fuel.

It was the second such case in three weeks for Quartararo, after exactly the same trouble struck at Misano two races earlier.

Six-time MotoGP winner Rins had an even more disappointing Japanese Grand Prix. He finished second last, more than 40 seconds behind Bagnaia and ahead of only the Iwata factory’s test rider, wildcard Remy Gardner.

The Catalan, normally a talkative rider with a great sense of humour, was not at all amused by his time in Japan. Apart from the result itself and the gap to the front of the field, he felt it could also mislead observers into thinking the performance level is down to something more than just the bike.

Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing

Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Rins still has an obvious limp as a legacy of the left ankle injury he sustained when he crashed at Mugello last year, an accident that led him to miss more races (12) than he rode in (eight).

Another accident at Assen this season put him out of action in Germany and Britain. Rins’s best result since switching from LCR Honda to Yamaha for this season has been a ninth place at Aragon.

Despite his poor run of form, he stresses that the leg is not a factor at all.

“People start making wrong assumptions,” Rins told Motorsport.com. “If I had a left leg like my right, my results would be identical. On the bike, it doesn’t affect me at all.”

Yamaha is in the midst of a process of change as it looks to start climbing towards the top of the standings under the leadership of Max Bartolini, the technical director who arrived this year from Ducati.

In addition to regaining a satellite team in 2025, the Japanese manufacturer has advanced the V-twin four-cylinder engine project. It hopes to test this on track at some point next season.

But Rins and Quartararo may have run out of patience by then. “It’s obvious that we won’t have the V4 engine for the last races,” continued Rins. “If we’re lucky it will come on the scene in the middle of next year. We need something before that.

Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing

Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“We are reaching a critical moment. It’s not that we are not working, but that we’re not getting it right.

“In every race, my heart rate doesn’t drop below 190 beats per minute. And that’s to finish last, 40 seconds behind the winner. It’s clear that this is not the way.”

Two Grands Prix ago at Misano, Quartararo’s seventh-place finish – which would have been fifth but for the fuel issue – was a breath of fresh air for Yamaha.

However, this was more due to the number of kilometres covered at the track than an improvement in the prototype’s performance. Two tests and two Grands Prix in the space of a month gave the technicians enough time to find the rear grip that they miss so much on a conventional weekend.

Another factor at Misano, according to Rins, was Quartararo’s affinity for the track.

“What happened in Misano was not a real [breakthrough]. For Fabio, that track is like Austin is for me.”

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Quartararo blames limitations of Yamaha package for Morbidelli clash

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Fabio Quartararo has bemoaned the limitations of his Yamaha MotoGP package for contributing to his clash with Franco Morbidelli that denied him a points-paying result in the Indonesian sprint race.

The Frenchman had been eyeing a fifth consecutive top-10 finish after consolidating his eye-catching Friday practice pace by securing a spot on the second row in qualifying with sixth place on the grid.

Quartararo got within striking distance of a rare top-five finish, before a leery attempt at overtaking Morbidelli on lap eight of 13 instead led to contact and a slide down the order.

Eventually coming home 12th, a defiant Quartararo deferred blame for the incident to a Yamaha M1 package that he says is forcing him to push the limit in his attempts to overtake rivals.

“It’s the only way for us to overtake and it was completely wrong,” he said.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“I pushed to the maximum but we have basically less grip than them, less acceleration, more wheelies, more problems to stop the bike… we have no stronger points than them.

“We are riding in a defensive way during the race so we don’t get overtaken, but then we cannot overtake also.”

While Quartararo’s vocal — and often damning — appraisal of Yamaha’s performance limitations are certainly familiar, the 2021 MotoGP champion nevertheless admits the issue is particularly frustrating given the manufacturer’s recent upturn in form.

“In the fight, Yamaha has been quite bad for many years, especially now that I start to have the pace but I was not able to make even one overtake — this is a point we have to get stronger soon,” he added.

“It’s frustrating because it has always been the same issue: not possible to overtake.

“In 2022, it was really similar but, in 2022, the other brands were not that strong, so I could fight more at the front. But now, if we are behind, we cannot do anything.”



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Rivals’ choice, 2027 MotoGP rules led to V4 engine development

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Yamaha says it wants to understand the full potential of V4 engines used by its rivals in MotoGP as it ponders what direction to take with its own motor for the 2027 ruleset.

As exclusively reported by Motorsport.com earlier this month, Yamaha is now at an advanced stage of developing a four-cylinder engine in Vee configuration as part of its plan to return to the front in MotoGP.

Since Suzuki’s exit from MotoGP at the end of 2022, Yamaha has been the only manufacturer to continue with an in-line four-cylinder engine, but there has been a renewed push at the Iwata-based brand to bring it in step with its rivals.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Misano, Yamaha confirmed that it is in fact working on a new V4 motor with a view of introducing it prior to the new regulations in 2027.

However, team boss Lin Jarvis explained that the shift in approach isn’t down to a belief that it has already maxed out its in-line four-cylinder unit.

On the contrary, Yamaha wants to gain a better understanding of how a V4 engine will compare with its existing motor on the M1, as it also aims to get an early start with the development of 2027 bikes.

Asked what prompted the development of the V4 engine, Jarvis told the official MotoGP website: «It’s something that goes back a while.

«When Suzuki were here there were two manufacturers running the inline four and obviously the other manufacturers running the V4.

«In the last years we have seen many, many technical developments in the sport and of course Suzuki stepped out. So we have been the only manufacturer remaining with the in-line four.

«The in-line four in our opinion still has plenty of capacity to be developed and to be improved.

Lin Jarvis

Lin Jarvis

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«But when you have all of your competitors running V4 and, as we look to the 2027 regulations, it’s important for us to fully understand the potential of a V4 versus the inline four.

«So, based on that, some time ago we took the decision to start the project.»

Jarvis wouldn’t be drawn when asked when Yamaha could debut its V4 engine in MotoGP. However, he said that, if everything goes to plan, the marque will be able to test it on a bike by mid-2025.

«The project is on schedule,» he said. «That is probably the best way to describe it. I can’t describe where we are exactly at but we are on schedule with our planning.

«The engine is designed, the engine is already being bench-tested. We have not run it on a bike yet, it’s not the right time for that yet but we are busy developing and busy designing. When it is ready with the durability testing we will finally start to track test.»

He added: «Obviously one of our anticipations is to look and to check what kind of engine we need for 2027 but at the moment 2027 is too far away so we need to start now.

«We need to get experience — you don’t know when you will see it racing but track testing will not be so far away. Based on the development and hopefully positive development then in the middle of next year you might see it on track.»

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Yamaha’s development of V4 engine for MotoGP bike in advanced state

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Yamaha’s development of a new V4 engine for its MotoGP bike is in an advanced state, Motorsport.com has learned.

Yamaha has not publicly acknowledged that it is working on a change to its engine concept, which currently consists of an inline four-cylinder unit.

The only references in this regard have been the very vague answers given by team riders Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins to questions from journalists.

«Yamaha must take into account all the engine concepts,» said the French rider recently, without revealing any more details.

However, a company source confirmed to Motorsport.com last weekend at Misano that the project was not only on track, but moving forward at a quick pace.

Yamaha hired Luca Marmorini, a highly experienced racing engineer who previously worked in Formula 1 with Ferrari and Toyota, as an external consultant a couple of years ago.

After his time in single-seaters, the Italian was instrumental in optimising the performance and increasing the reliability of Aprilia’s power unit in MotoGP.

After signing with Yamaha in 2022, Marmorini had already warned internally of the need to consider moving away from the inline four-cylinder nature of the engine to the V-twin configuration.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The Japanese manufacturer, which in the 500cc era of the 1980s did run a V4 variant, is the only one to retain the inline-four profile.

Motorsport.com understands that Yamaha wants to put a 1000cc V-twin on track before the mandatory 850cc engine comes into play in 2027.

Since the start of the year, thanks to the flexibility offered by the concession system, both Quartararo and Rins have been testing different engine specifications, although none have delivered the expected results.

With the arrival of Max Bartolini, Gigi Dall’Igna’s former right-hand man at Ducati, as technical director at the beginning of the year, Yamaha is in the midst of a transformation phase that aims to recover the competitiveness of a bike that was champion in 2021 with Quartararo.

In 2025, Yamaha will once again have a satellite team after the agreement signed with Pramac earlier this year.

In addition, the marque is also hoping to secure the services of Augusto Fernandez as a test rider, given the physical problems affecting current tester Cal Crutchlow.

Andrea Dovizioso, who recently replaced the Briton in a private test at Misano, could also join the project to help restore the competitiveness of the M1.

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“It’s a long time since I enjoyed the bike like today”

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Fabio Quartararo has said “it has been a long time since I enjoyed the bike like today” as he broke into Q2 directly for Yamaha for just the third time this MotoGP season.

A result of recent testing mileage at Misano or are Yamaha finally making gains? This was the question after the 2021 MotoGP world champion roamed the top 10 of a MotoGP practice session in which the top 14 riders were split by one second, and the Frenchman classified ninth fastest to make Q2 directly.

Quartararo and the factory Yamaha team have completed plenty of testing laps at the San Marino circuit as the factory fully exploits its concessions benefits to improve away from the 20-round calendar.

The 25-year-old has struggled to find grip this season even though Yamaha has changed the character of the M1 and the inline four engine, while it has delivered a new engine, new chassis and revitalised aero packages to get closer to their European rivals.

The factory has brought more staff, conscripted technicians from rival firms and increased the turnaround speed of its development parts for both Quartararo and Alex Rins.

Quartararo was 0.6s from leader Francesco Bagnaia after Friday afternoon practice to generate encouraging signs, considering that improvements to the bike are providing higher potential for race pace.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

In Aragon Quartararo had been dismissive of the ‘flying lap’ form at the Misano test and even though he and the team completed the job on Friday at the San Marino GP he was wary of Q2 on Saturday.

“In the test it was terrible and now it is better but it’s [still] not normal that with 11 laps on [used tyres] we are only three tenths better for the time attack [on new tyres],” he explained. “If you check the other brands then they are improving close to one second: this is something we are still missing.

“Today there was no margin [for improvement] and I was on the limit everywhere. At least I think it was great to qualify in Q2 and it has been a long time since I enjoyed the bike like today. We made good laps on the pace. Just one or two tenths can change the weekend.”

Much depends on where the #20 can qualify on Saturday for the 13-lap sprint and the 27-lap grand prix for what is already a very grippy asphalt at Misano.

Initial feelings at Misano were brighter for Quartararo, who hasn’t reached the podium since the 2023 Indonesian GP and hasn’t won since the German GP in early summer of 2022.

“We know Japanese engineers like to make small-by-small [changes] but even though it was small it was a step I could feel,” he explained.

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“I like it because we are doing the steps faster and it’s what we need. The first month with Max [Bartolini, Yamaha technical director] and the team it was the mentality and the way of work we changed, but no improvement [on track].

“We tested a lot of things but now we are starting to find a way with the engine, the chassis, so I expect, for me, to end the season in a better way. I don’t say to fight for much better positions…but at least I think to have the gap to the top five a bit closer than now.”



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Yamaha selects Jarvis’ replacement for MotoGP programme

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Yamaha has chosen Paolo Pavesio to replace Lin Jarvis as the head of its MotoGP programme in 2025, Motorsport.com can reveal.

The Japanese manufacturer is expected to announce the appointment of Pavesio as the managing director of Yamaha Motor Racing at Misano next week.

Over the past 10 years, Pavesio has held various positions in different departments of Yamaha Europe in the Netherlands, the same office where Jarvis worked for six years before joining MotoGP in 1999.

The Italian, who currently occupies the post of Management Committee Member, has never played an active role in the MotoGP paddock, but does have racing experience through the brand’s teams in the World Superbike Championship.

It will be Pavesio who will manage the ongoing transition at Yamaha and its relationship with new satellite team Pramac, which will announce the signing of Miguel Oliveira and Jack Miller in the coming weeks.

Although grand prix winners Oliveira and Miller do not exactly fit the criterion of a ‘junior team’, Yamaha wants Pramac to initially serve as ‘team laboratory’ to speed up the development of the M1, thus justifying the choice of hiring experienced riders.

Yamaha is also working on strengthening its test team and intends to hire current Tech3 rider Augusto Fernandez for the role. The Spaniard will join Cal Crutchlow, who has been down with injury since the beginning of the year, in an expanded test team.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Finally, Yamaha is looking to finalise its Moto2 structure for 2025, with the aim of continuing a long-standing collaboration with VR46

Pavesio will have big shoes to fill, as Jarvis has been integral to Yamaha’s success in MotoGP in the last 25 years.

He first joined the squad in what was then the 500cc world championship in 1999, having previously worked in the marketing and communication department of Yamaha Europe for six years.

He announced his decision to retire from MotoGP at the end of the season in an interview with Motorsport.com in April this year.

This year, Jarvis set out to complete several major tasks in order to put the Japanese marque on the right trajectory for the future. 

After convincing Fabio Quartararo to sign a new contract, his priority was to get a satellite outfit that eventually came in the form of Pramac, which won the teams’ title last year with Ducati.

He has also hired a number of senior engineers and technicians, including from the marque’s Italian rival, in order to bridge the gap to the front in the coming years.

With those tasks now complete, Jarvis can now retire as Yamaha’s top executive at the age of 66.



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