MotoGP Misano Test: Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo Says, 'We have to Make Big Changes' Amid 2024 Bike Testing

Fabio Quartararo, after spending yet another race lagging behind slower competitors, will begin thinking about 2024 at the Misano MotoGP test on Monday. Despite receiving upgrades for the current season, Yamaha's present engine continues to lack the necessary power to sustain high speed and compete with formidable opponents such as Ducati, KTM, and Aprilia. Consequently, the decision has been made to revert back to the older, shorter wings for the Catalunya and Misano races. However, the M1's linear acceleration capabilities were once again demonstrated in the race that took place on Sunday. During the first half of the Grand Prix, Quartararo closely trailed behind Aleix Espargaro's Aprilia, and in the latter half, he followed Johann Zarco's Pramac Ducati. 

MotoGP: Yamaha’s San Marino GP Performance

Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli, representing Yamaha MotoGP, demonstrated persistent effort throughout the entirety of the 27-lap San Marino Grand Prix race. In the end, they finished in positions 13 and 15, respectively.

The Race began with Quartararo in position 13. He moved up to 12th on the first, hectic lap, but by the third, he had fallen back to 14th. He encountered a situation akin to the one from the day before, where he was able to keep up with the riders in front of him but was unable to get past. A few laps later, however, when Brad Binder crashed in Turn 14, the Frenchman moved up a spot. The Yamaha rider spent the majority of the race in thirteenth place. In the final moments, he exerted pressure upon Aleix Espargaró, yet fell marginally short of achieving his objective. He achieved a 13th-place finish, trailing the Spaniard by a mere 0.020 seconds and the race winner by a significant margin of 15.898 seconds.

Also Read: MotoGP: Yamaha Eyes Valentino Rossi's VR46 for its Satellite Team

Morbidelli got off to a great start in the race, moving up the ranks from his initial position of P19 on the grid to P17 after the first lap. After crashes ahead of him by Binder and then Michele Pirro and Jack Miller, he advanced to 14th place. The journey remained predominantly solitary until the last six laps, at which point Binder managed to close the gap on the Italian rider, accompanied by Augusto Fernandez. Morbido fell behind Binder in the standings but fought back to maintain a position that would allow him to score points. He held off Augusto Fernandez and finished 15th, 24.579 seconds behind the winner.

MotoGP: Yamaha’s 2023 Season

To compete with Ducati, Yamaha knew it needed to boost the M1's top speed, so that's what they did in 2023. The early winter testing gave the Japanese team hope. Yamaha's preseason optimism proved to be misplaced, and the season's start showed that the team's overall performance had suffered as a result. Furthermore, the M1's performance fell short of expectations since the bike was unable to achieve its peak speed. As a result, Yamaha lost some of the characteristic agility that had previously set it apart from competitors and given it an edge.

Also Read: MotoGP San Marino GP: Jorge Martin Dominates at Misano, Closes Gap on Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia

For the year 2023, these findings are disheartening for Yamaha. They have one Grand Prix podium between them thanks to Quartararo's third-place performances in the Americas GP and the Dutch GP sprint race. Due to a lack of viable options, it seems unlikely that Quartararo would cancel his present contract before it expires at the end of 2024. Whether the French rider stays with Yamaha depends on how well the firm meets his demands.