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There is also Fabio Quartararo among the riders who have arrived at Rho - Fiera Milano to go to EICMA. Present as usual at the Yamaha stand, the French rider spoke to us about the progress made in recent months by the Japanese manufacturer, what he expects from the grand finale in Barcelona and for the future.
Fabio, there are a lot of Yamaha models here at EICMA, such as the R9, but I'm told you've already asked for the Tmax.
"Yes, I think it's one of the things I like most in the Yamaha range. I liked it a lot! I didn't get to see everything, but it's quite nice to see what's new. I was in Nice yesterday at my family's with the TMax, since I now have my license, and we had a nice ride."
Now there is only one race left until the end of the season. How would you characterize this 2024 coming to an end?
"Very difficult. We have changed the way we work so much, especially at the beginning of the year. Lately we have been making progress. I think it's interesting to see and hopefully we can take another step in the first tests."
You have been a big believer in Yamaha. This is confirmed by the fact that you signed a two-year contract.
"Yes, because Yamaha gave me the chance to get to MotoGP and to win. It is true that we are in a very critical moment, now already less than at the beginning of the season, but they are working so hard to come back. I believe in the project and I think that already in the near future we will get better results."
How much patience has it taken over the years? And how difficult is it for a champion to face such difficult seasons?
"It is difficult because we have seen that we have not improved, especially from 2022 to now. We have taken a step forward in the last three months, but we still have a long way to go. We are already doing some pretty good things, but we are still lacking elements like grip, power, and other things. I am happy to see that we are making progress, though."
Do you think one winter will be enough to get closer to Ducati, or will it take much more to close that gap?
"One winter is not enough, but realistically we have to think about getting closer and not being like them. I think already at the end of next year we will have to take a big step forward to be with them."
What do you expect from the grand finale in Barcelona?
"I think Martin has the title pretty much in his hands. With a 24-point lead, it's more about managing and not crashing."
Quite a different position from the one you were in two years ago.
"Yes, it's very different. Let's see. I think it's much easier for Martin, but it's not done until it's over."
How much do you think it will speed up the development process to have the two extra bikes from the Pramac team?
"It will be much less difficult, with four official bikes and two more riders with enough experience to see the data and also to allow me to see if maybe Oliveira is already better in some corners. We'll see what we can do."
