In recent years, Fabio Quartararo highlighted the lack of engine power as one of the main issues of Yamaha. Now with the engine now being stronger, Cal Crutchlow believes that other problems have emerged as a result.
Speaking on the OMG! MotoGP podcast, the test rider emphasized that electronics are becoming a considerable issue: ‘Yes, they need power – that’s sure. But they only need it in the fourth, fifht and sixth gear at the end of the straight. I think it took a long time for me to explain to Yamaha that getting power we’re creating so many problems coming out of the corner that at the end of the straight we’re slower than what we were anyway. Because the bike’s spinning. The electronics are the biggest problem in the moment – they can’t handle the power that we’ve got, the way that our electronics are working. So then we’re slow at the end of the straight anyway’.
Furthermore, Crutchlow noted that Yamaha has lost the good cornering performance it used to have: ‘Another thing I also said is that there’s 15 corners on each circuit. We need to go back to be able to go around the corners very, very well like we used to. Because if you take 0.1s per corner, that’s 1.5s. What you’re going to lose in the straight is 0.2s/0.3s. Yes, you need the power to be able to battle – that’s sure’.
In recent times, the Yamaha YZR-M1 has received various solutions, and while not all of them have had the expected effect, the British rider is encouraged by what he sees:
– There’s a lot of difference in philosophy of things, but it’s putting it together. We’re putting wings on the bike, we’re doing so many different things that some are working, some are not working. We have to try, but I think moving forward, I believe they’re going in completely the right direction. It’s just going to take more time.