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The Yamaha garage in Misano was almost completely full. With three bikes each, Quartararo and Morbidelli were almost spoiled for choice. After all, both expected a reaction from Iwata, and they got it. The highlight of the day was the prototype of the new engine, but there was also much more.
Franco is satisfied.
“Yamaha is working very hard to improve,” he explained at the end of the first day of testing. “I tested many things today. The program was long but interesting. I got three innovations. A different aerodynamic package, a new frame, and an evolved engine.”
What did you like most?
“I really liked the engine. I’m curious to see the progress,” he stated. “It has more power, but the character remains very similar to the one we’re using now. The improvements were exactly where we needed them.”
And that’s only the beginning: “Because the program tomorrow will be full, and I’ll have other steps of the engine to test,” Morbidelli revealed.
Then he talked about the frame.
“The frame was also interesting because I was doing much better at some points of the corners,” Franco commented. “If we could put together the benefits of that and the current frame, that would be very interesting. The new frame goes in the direction of the 2020 one. I could use it in the upcoming races. It’ll be available, but I don'’t know if I’ll choose it.”
The development of the M1 seems to be going well, but the question is that, in anticipation of next year, with only two bikes on the track, will everything get complicated?
“Now that I’m getting closer to Fabio’s performance, it might not change anything,” Franco said.
Photo: Fermino Fraternali
