The roadmap of Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha is increasingly diametrically opposed. While the Frenchman, with all the logic in the world, is in a hurry and urges the Iwata company to react as soon as possible, on the management side Maio Meregalli warns that changes need patience and “take time”.
The weekend in Qatar cannot be described as positive for the 2021 world champion. Quartararo failed to qualify for Q2 and the result was that he had to settle for 16th place on the starting grid for both races.
In the 11-lap Sprint, the Frenchman crossed the finish line 12th, meaning he scored no points. On Sunday, in the actual Grand Prix, Quartararo had a tough duel with the Hondas of Johann Zarco and Joan Mir, who overtook him in the second part of the race. Only a desperate last lap allowed “El Diablo” to overtake twice and cross the finish line 11th, scoring his first five points of the season.
“The Qatar Grand Prix was not an easy start to the season, but now we know what we have to work on,” explained Quartararo ahead of the Portuguese GP, which takes place this weekend.
“The Portimao track is very different from the Losail one, so it will be interesting to see how the bike behaves and how the tires wear,” continued Fabio, winner on this circuit in 2021 and 2022, a performance that at the moment seems out of reach for the M1.
“Without points in the Qatar Sprint, we are mid-table, so we will do everything we can to get back on top,” said the Frenchman, 11th in the World Championship, 26 points behind leader Pecco Bagnaia, before reiterating what he said in the last weeks: “As always, I will give 100% and I know the team will too, so let's see what we can do.”
For the moment, Quartararo is listening to offers. Without a representative, the rider has no qualms about speaking directly with the brands, and already has a concrete offer from Aprilia on the table, but far from his current economic range.
Yamaha asks for time to improve in MotoGP
While Quartararo is asking for short-term improvements and signs that suggest a turnaround compared to the current lack of performance, Yamaha is moving with an extra gear and sporting director Massimo Meregalli is asking for calm and time.
“The results of the previous Grand Prix showed us where we are at. It's obvious that we have work to do, so this will be a busy week for us,” explained Meregalli ahead of the race in the Algarve.
“But, as I said, the changes we are trying to make are not quick, the significant progress we are seeking will take time and hard work.”
“Having said that, the team and Yamaha are strongly motivated to find improvements at every opportunity and are fully behind Fabio and Alex Rins. This will be a very valuable race weekend for us, because it will give us the opportunity to confirm the conclusions of the Qatar GP”, concluded the Italian.
Massimo Meregalli
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