Time is on Yamaha’s side, according to Fabio Quartararo, who is currently not 100% happy with the current performance of the Yamaha M1 after the first day of MotoGP testing in Qatar. The rider spoke about the entry of Max Bartolini, former Ducati rider, in whom he has a lot of confidence.
After talking about the excessive grip of the bike in Losail, the Frenchman continued and considered it to be the biggest problem: ‘It’s our biggest problem and main goal to improve this season. The pace is not bad, I know, it’s never really bad, but if you start in 14th, 13th or 12th, you can’t expect to fight for the podium, but if you start in sixth or seventh, I’m not saying fight for the front row, but being in sixth, seventh, eighth is our goal at the moment’.
He then focused on the contribution of the team’s new engineer, a former Ducati rider:
– The thing is that Max arrived a few months ago, or I don’t even know if it’s been two months yet, maybe a month and a half. I don’t expect everything from him because I think he needs to understand the bike and the way we’re working is already very good and I really like it, and that’s why I’m motivated: I feel like we’re working well. I have to be passionate because it’s not fun to finish 0.6s behind someone, but I think he’s very calm, I get to the garage and I’m upset, I look at him and he’s laughing, and he knows we have a long way to go. We all need time, and I think the best results will come, but not now.
Quartararo believes that Bartolini will be a crucial piece for the team to return to the top, but he asked for time: ‘We have a good connection, I talk a lot with him. The first meeting I had with him lasted 3 hours, I was asking question after question, and for him it was difficult because he came from a factory that was winning, it is a big challenge for him, and I want to win first and foremost for myself, but in his case coming from a factory that has been winning for two years and he leaves, I believe it will be a big challenge and I want to be part of this for him to also be back on top’.
