– Yamaha experienced a predictably difficult weekend with the new V4 motorcycle in Mugello. In the sprint, Alex Rins was at least able to defend twelfth place after qualifying directly for Q2 in Friday’s practice.
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In the Grand Prix, Rins retired due to a crash. The best Yamaha rider was initially Toprak Razgatlioglu. But because the Turk exceeded track limits in the last lap, he was demoted by one position.
Thus, Razgatlioglu lost 15th place to his Pramac teammate Jack Miller. Yamaha collected only one world championship point in Italy. The new M1 was the slowest motorcycle on the 1.1-kilometer start-finish straight in the field.
But that was not the only aspect Fabio Quartararo criticized. The former world champion finished 14th in the sprint and 18th and second to last in the Grand Prix. Quartararo spoke bluntly about Yamaha’s performance in Mugello.
“There are no possibilities. First, we are completely lost. And secondly, the feeling I had from the Jerez test to the last race was clearly better. Here we completely lost that feeling.”
“So there really is nothing to give hope,” Quartararo said about the current situation to Canal+. “The most important thing is not to get injured. For my future, I at least want to stay fit.”
“In general, it is not even a setup problem anymore. It is about bringing new parts. We have basically been riding the same motorcycle for months, and there have been no improvements. That is the situation.”
“My job is to give my maximum. I think we riders put in an enormous amount of effort and intensity. Now it is no longer really up to me to do the work to improve the motorcycle.”
After the Grand Prix, his frustration became obvious. Quartararo left his interview session with journalists after less than a minute. At least with the French broadcaster Canal+, he found some words that were quite clear.
“Honestly, I tried to push a bit around halfway through the race. But I was so close to the limit that I decided to ease off a bit because it makes no sense to waste so much energy for a single world championship point.”
“I decided to ease off and not take unnecessary risks. Apart from that, there is not much more to say about this weekend.”
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And what about his motivation? “If you ask me today, the motivation is no longer there. However, I know that I will probably feel better on other tracks than here.”
“Then the motivation will come back. But honestly, I am leaving here with great disappointment about the work we have done, and to be completely honest, I am glad this weekend is over.”
Rins and Miller confirm Quartararo
Quartararo is not alone in his frustration in the Yamaha camp. Rins made an unexpected statement with ninth place in Friday’s practice. On the one hand, he was satisfied with that, but on the other hand, not.
After Friday’s practice, Rins said: “For example, Sumi-san, the Japanese, is a really big boss. He congratulated me. And I said: Sumi-san, thank you, but I am not satisfied.” Takahiro Sumi is the head of Yamaha Motor Racing.
“He said: Actually, you are the best Yamaha here. I said: Yes, but that is not enough. I want to improve the motorcycle, I want to have a better motorcycle. Maybe it is my fault or my attitude. But that is how it is.”
“I work hard every day at home to become a better rider. But then I come here and it is as if there is a limit.” A limit that Rins exceeded with the crash in the Grand Prix.
Miller also vividly describes the difficult situation the Yamaha riders are currently in: “We are trying to work our way up the standings, but it is damn difficult.”
“Many of our problems come from the engine, we need to improve, we need to get better in the engine area.” When Yamaha will bring an upgraded engine is currently unknown.
According to Miller, the engine problems cause a domino effect: “The chassis naturally feels miserable when you brake 20 meters later than everyone else and load the tire like crazy.”
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“You get problems with rear wheel grip when you get on the gas ten meters earlier than everyone else to have a proper corner exit. Here the slipstream was okay, we can hold it, but it is more like breathing – you don’t swim, you just survive.”
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