MotoGP, Quartararo: “With Bartolini, Yamaha is no longer afraid to take risks”

Cautious, and sometimes too critical, Fabio Quartararo wasn’t very euphoric about his 3rd place at the end of the first day of the MotoGP winter tests on the Sepang track. With 46 laps, and just under three tenths from Martin, who’s in  the lead, Fabio preferred to focus on what still doesn’t work.

“Fortunately, the engine is better than last year’s, but we still haven’t used its full potential,” he explained to the press. “Today, we focused a lot on electronics to understand how to make the most of the unit but, in general, we lack grip. If the asphalt doesn’t adhere, we suffer a lot, and the electronics cause continuous shaking. This is acceptable on the single lap, but when you have to tackle an entire race, it becomes difficult. The goal is to improve the performance of the M1, both in terms of speed and management.”

The rider from Nice then went into detail about important progress, that has nothing to do with the technical aspect. “With the new clutches, you work differently. The performance has changed from day to night. For example, during the Shakedowns, I had problems with an innovation . I talked to Max Bartolini (ed. the new technical director), and he told me he’d find a solution, and he did. Before, it wouldn’t have been possible with the Japanese. It would’ve been shelved because there was always the fear of change. Instead, the mentality must be that of now. We need to take a risk.” He vented.

Despite the overall good performance, El Diablo still doesn’t want to think about it. “For now, we’re collecting information to build a base from which to start. Then we’ll make comparisons with the various set-ups. We’re certainly trying things like never before, and the outcome is turning out to be discreet. In particular, something, which I won’t reveal, has helped us make the bike less testy,” he shared.

So what can we expect from Yamaha in 2024? As usual, the transalpine rider has some ideas. “Knowing that you can fight for success isn’t enough. You have to be able to be in the top five very often,” he said, convinced that one swallow doesn’t make a summer. “Overall, we’ve progressed, but we still don’t have a winning bike. We’re working on it. and we’re going to make it. ”