MotoGP | Rins: “New Yamaha engine? I didn’t notice the difference”

Yamaha is immersed in the development of a completely new bike for 2025, a prototype on which it has poured all its efforts to ensure Fabio Quartararo’s continuity for the next two years. The Japanese company now has to keep its promises and, as reported by Motorsport.com, on Monday it tested a new frame, a swingarm, an aerodynamic package and a new engine, even if the latter part was brought forward slightly.

While Quartararo, the top man in the blue garage, said he was optimistic about what was tested in Jerez, Alex Rins expressed some doubts, especially regarding the engine and the new fairing.

“Monday was a very productive day in terms of new parts. We had a lot of things to test, great things and, let’s say, they worked halfway. The aerodynamics worked quite well, I’m happy with the tests we did in that area “With a lot of comparisons, we focused on concise tests. Regarding the chassis, it didn’t go as well as we hoped, we can do a lot more. We tried to make some adjustments to get the best, but we didn’t succeed,” he said said the former Suzuki and Honda rider, now focused on the development of Yamaha.

After the Portuguese Grand Prix, the Iwata company admitted that it had brought a “new engine” to Portimao that Fabio Quartararo was able to try in a one-day test on Monday. But adverse conditions prevented him from completing more than six laps.

That engine, which on paper had been mounted by test rider Cal Crutchlow in private tests in Barcelona and Mugello, ended up on Rins’ bike during the Grand Prix.

“If you ask me, I spent the whole weekend with two bikes and two different engines, the old one and the new one, and I didn’t notice any difference”, was the less than encouraging diagnosis of the Spanish rider.

Rins’s is undoubtedly a strong opinion, not only because he has been with Suzuki and Honda, but also because of his experience and having been able to win races with both manufacturers. After Monday’s test, the Spaniard’s comments were slightly different from those of his teammate, Fabio Quartararo, who was more polite about the value of the innovations provided by the technicians.

“We have made a small step forward”

For the avoidance of doubt, Motorsport.com asked Rins directly if after the test we could say that a big step forward had been made, as was expected within the team.

“We made a small step forward, but honestly I expected to make a bigger step with the aerodynamics. But there is still work to do.”

Rins fitted a completely new fairing, with a large Formula 1 style triplane wing, and was hoping for a more noticeable change in feel from this elaborate detail.

Yamaha YZR-M1 by Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Lorenza Dadderio

“I expected to have a greater effect with this fairing, seen from the outside. Maybe it was a mistake on my part to see it because I had higher expectations on its effect on the handling of the bike. But on the track, even if there was a little bit of change, it wasn’t much,” he said.

Aware of the enormous amount of work and commitment that Yamaha is putting in this year, Rins still wanted to recognize the work done.

“In the end, finding a big difference with a fairing is complicated and even they didn’t have much time to work on it. What they did, they did well, I like it, so we’ll try it again at the Mugello test, after Le Mans , and if everything goes as we hope, perhaps at Montmelò we will be able to use it”, he said in reference to a private test that Yamaha will carry out in Italy the week following the French GP, which will take place in ten days, on 12 May.

Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images