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It hasn't been an easy season for Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha. In the 19 rounds before the grand finale in Barcelona, they chased the M1's development with little satisfaction. The 6th-place finish in Malaysia showed slight improvements for the manufacturer, but its riders suffered the effects of the fairing on the track and the lack of data, more than anything else. The French rider knows this well. In fact, he can now look to the future with confidence thanks to the arrival of a second team, Pramac, and two experienced riders, such as Oliveira and Miller.
In recent races, Yamaha seems to have made progress. What are the expectations here in Barcelona?
"We don't have precise expectations," Fabio began. "Obviously, the first objective will be the Q2. After the first sessions tomorrow, we'll better understand what to expect. The lower temperatures should be an advantage for us because the grip here has never been the best. In terms of results, we didn't pick up much here but, also thanks to Tuesday's test, coming back here to Barcelona will be a good opportunity to see if and how much we've improved over these months."
What has this season been like for you as a rider?
"In terms of how we worked with the team and how I improved my riding style, I think it's been the best. But, in terms of results, it's been the worst. I think I've improved a lot in handling the difficult moments and dealing calmly with this phase of development. Obviously, there were moments when I was angry inside, but they were just a few moments. Overall, it's been a great year. It's clear that I maybe expected the improvements to come faster. However, as far as I'm concerned, we now have a direction and, in my riding style, I found something more."
This yea,r you had concessions. Did you expect more in terms of development?
"I thought the concessions would be a disaster. What we actually lacked was riders. We have two. Cal was injured, and we didn't have a test rider. We were on our own and that, for m,e was the main problem this season. Next year, though, with a second factory team and a test team, things will change. They've already changed since the second race in Misano, and we've already seen the effects, which haven't been revolutionary, but at least we've made progress. We haven't missed a Q2 since Misano 1, so the progress has been there, and I think next year we'll improve even faster."
It seems that Michelin has provided tires that are even better suited to the track conditions.
"For us, when the temperatures are high, the conditions on the track change a lot in terms of grip, and lap times are affected. What we had the most difficulty with in cold races was warming up the front end. But, overall, I think the current conditions will help us."
It's been a long season. How are you getting there physically?
"I'm in very good shape. Obviously, I want the season to be over. When you're fighting for the title, or a good position in the championship, the season goes by faster. But, with this year's results, there's no going home happy, even if you know you've done a great job."
