Yamaha once again trailing without a chance in Australia – Fabio Quartararo wants to see clear progress in winter tests, otherwise he will leave Yamaha
Highlights like third places by Fabio Quartararo in India and Indonesia remain the exception for Yamaha. At the Australian Grand Prix, the reality was shown once again. Fabio Quartararo started from 16th on the grid at Phillip Island, with the former World Champion finishing in 14th place, 21 seconds behind.
After this renewed disappointment, the Frenchman has clear words: “We need 15 winters to be like them [Ducati]. But as I said, that’s not the goal [for next year]. The goal is to get closer.”
“Every year we might make a step in one area, but lose two steps in another. Our chassis used to be magical. You could do whatever you wanted with the bike. The bike was slow, but the turning was hellish.”
“Now the bike is slow, but the turning behavior is also bad. The engine is faster, but also the others have improved their engines. So the difference is the same. But they have also improved their chassis and aerodynamics.”
“For me, the goal is to reduce the gap because it’s getting bigger and bigger every year. We have to reduce the gap. That’s the main goal. Of course, I always want to fight for the world championship, but if you’re realistic, we won’t be able to do that next year.”
“But my personal goal is that there are more opportunities to fight for the podium and sometimes for victory. I hope that Yamaha will also pursue this goal.” In the background, Yamaha is said to be working a lot, but whether they are the right steps?
“We obviously have a lot of work to do,” team director Massimo Meregalli is quoted as saying by GPOne.com. “The engine is not the only problem with our bike. It also affects other aspects, such as aerodynamics.”
“In this regard we will see something new in Valencia. We have to work a lot because the other brands use aerodynamics not only for downforce, but also for cornering and corner speed.”
“We’ve lost those strengths, unfortunately, because the other teams are doing that with aerodynamics that hasn’t been possible [with them] with the chassis.” In addition, Meregalli stresses that Yamaha is sticking with the inline four.
Yamaha knows it must convince Quartararo to stay
“In our opinion, the inline four can perform well, if not better than a V-engine. But the V-engine offers the possibility of making the bike narrower, which helps the aerodynamics. But we trust the inline engine.”
The post-season test at Valencia should see further development of the Misano test engine, as well as new aerodynamics and a new chassis. Whether Yamaha will make progress remains to be seen. And also whether that will convince Quartararo for 2024 and beyond.
“If I see progress, clear progress that reduces the gap, then maybe [I’ll stay]. But I really need to see that progress. For me, it’s important to see how much they really want to win,” the Frenchman said toward Yamaha.
“I really want to win. Right now we are running against a wall because we have no more potential. For next year and for the future, I want a winning project.” That Quartararo will already look for an alternative for 2025/26 in the spring is possible.
Meregalli also knows this: “I’m worried about what will happen in 2025. We have to convince him with the performance of our bike and not with the financial aspect. At the moment, though, I don’t see Fabio wanting to break his contract. But after that, anything can happen. “
